Can you build snowmen in Antarctica?

The kids at school are studying Antarctica so today I made them snow-people cupcakes. The kids were thrilled with them (although I really doubt that they'd turn anything away that contained sugar) but I wasn't particularly happy with my work - despite slaving over them for HOURS!

This is what they were supposed to look like:

And here is my version:

As you can see, there is quite a difference! :(

My sister was given some adorable Miniamo icing tubes (pictured below) for her birthday, so I planned on creating the hat trim using those. Unfortunately, they turned out out to be REALLY difficult to use! Hopefully with practice, they will become easier. But that was just the first problem with these cupcakes.

TBC...

An apple a day

Earlier in the week we put on a morning tea as a small thank you for the teachers at school. My scones were the first thing too go - but really scones, jam and cream? Of course they would be!

My favorites (also popular - although really, these teachers would eat ANYTHING!) were my mini cupcakes!! I made two types: plain with a strawberry-flavoured buttercream icing and mini apples.

Strawberry icing!

Mini apples. These are so ridiculously easy to make! The cupcakes were iced and then rolled in a bowl of red sprinkles. The stems are simply tiny wedges of chocolate cut from chocolate buttons and the leaves were a lucky find in cake store. I had planned on using mint leaf lollies but these worked out much nicer. Adorable, right?

The apples actually looked so much better than the one pictured. Sadly I forgot to take a photo before they were all devoured. I didn't want to forget my hard work so I made a cheat apple just for these photos. I put some hot water on the strawberry iced cupcake to soften the icing and then covered it in red sprinkles. It looks like a mini disaster with the melted icing and other sprinkles underneath, but it also reminds me of the actual pretty cupcakes. I bought extra leaves so i'll have to think of another occasion to make teeny tiny apples now!

An apple a day keeps.... who away? The teacher or the students? Hmmm...