Bad Bunny Cupcakes

20-24 chocolate cupcakes

1 pkg. Wilton cupcake wraps - white picket fence style

1 tub of dark chocolate frosting (must be dark in order to blend in with the "dirt")

1 large bag of shredded coconut

1/2 block, of fondant divided in half

3 tbsps. corn syrup

Orange gel food coloring (I had to mix yellow and red)

1/2 tsp. of pink shimmer powder food paint

Almond extract

Green gel food coloring

Blue food coloring

One pkg. Oreo cookies with the middle removed, and crushed down to look like potting soil

1 bunch of curly Parsley

I bought these wraps in February just because they were so cute, not knowing then what exactly I was going to do with them.

Using 1/2 tsp of the orange food coloring add it to half a fondant block,  Keep rolling until most of it is distributed throughout the fondant and finally to a 1/8" sheet.  Cut 1 cm. thick long strips like picture above.  Then cut the strips into about 10 - 3/4" pieces.  Take each 3/4" piece and roll between your forefinger and thumb and shape into a carrot.  Make around 60-75.  Enough for each cupcake to get three carrots.  Set the carrots aside for about an hour to harden and dry.

Now. . . . hmmm. . . . what should I use to top each carrot with?  Yes, Parsley!!  Cut a sprig small enough to top each carrot.

Dip the tip of each carrot top into the corn syrup
(yes, one bit the dust)

quickly attach to a sprig of Parsley.

Place all the carrots on parchment paper and set aside. . . . aren't they adorable?

Take the package of coconut and pour it into a mixing bowl, add a tsp. of green gel food coloring and with the paddle attachment, mix on low until the coconut is completely green.  I tried at first mixing it it with a spoon but I was having trouble trying to make the coconut a  uniform color so using the mixer ended up being a good idea.  It didn't ruin the shape of the coconut shreds at all.  Set aside.

Roll out the other half of fondant about 1/8" thick.  For the Bunny "bottom", cut out 1" or 2" circles, one for each cupcake, flatten the top edge of each "bottom".  For the feet,  I rolled up a small ball, flattened it into an oval shape, make two for each cupcake.  Lastly,  for the tail, pinch off a small piece of fondant, roll into a small ball.  With a small brush, stroke a smidgen of corn syrup to attach the feet and the tails to the "bottoms" like picture above.  Set aside to dry for about an hour.

Mix the pink shimmer powder food paint with a drop of Almond extract, use more if needed.

With a small paint brush, paint on the heels and toes on each foot.  I used this same method with my Bunny Cookies from last year.  

 I also added some blue paint to make it look like the bunny was wearing a blue jacket. . . .

Set the Bunny bottoms and feet aside, give them time to dry (about 1/2 hour).

Frost each cupcake with the dark chocolate frosting then take each cupcake and dip one side into green shredded coconut.

Now dip the other side into the Oreo cookie crumbs.

So one side looks grassy and the other side looks like the dirt has been dug up. . . . hmmmmmm, I wonder who could have dug up the dirt?
I got this idea to use the Oreo cookies from a cake some friends who were visiting from out of town (the Ennis Family) brought me.  They brought it in a clay pot too and it looked so real I couldn't believe it was a cake.  They even put gummy worms in it too.  So cute, can't remember what they called it,...possibly "Dirt Cake"?

 Take each Bunny bottom (the pink paint should be dry by now) and turn it around.  Add a smidgen of chocolate frosting to the back side

Then place right side up and gently press it into the top of the cupcake with the feet over the "dirt" like picture above

Start adding the carrots, any which way you want.  If you poke them into the cupcake, make a hole for it first so that you don't break the carrot.  I used the tip of a metal skewer, worked perfectly.  Don't the carrots look real??

Now wrap each cupcake with the Wilson cupcake wraps.  Doesn't the "dirt" look like real potting soil?

These cupcakes came out really cute I decided to place them with some of my Peter Rabbit vignette I had used on the mantel.

Too many bad bunnies to keep up with.  They're digging up all the carrots in the garden!!

Looks like Mr. MacGregor is after one already!!  Run Peter, run!!

 Use the left over "grass" and "dirt" for decoration around a platter where the cupcakes will be placed.

The End. . . .

No pun intended

These cupcakes took me probably a total of eight hours to make.  From baking the cupcakes from scratch to placing the last fence around the cupcake.  Whew! so I advise you take two days to make these.  As much fun as I had making them, I was pooped by evening time yet very satisfied and content.

I pray you have a blessed Easter and may the reason of new life, new growth, new beginnings remind you about the new life Christ gives.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.  -2 Corinthians 5:17

R.I.P Thomas Kinkade, "Painter of Light"

I'm sharing this with:

StoneGables: On the Menu Monday

Table Scaper Seasonal Sunday - Easter