Counting sheep was never this much fun. The mini-marshmallow sheep are darling on their own, but for an extra-special presentation, you can herd them into a fondant-covered pasture bordered by a wooden fence constructed from coffee stirrers (see box below).
Recipe information
Yield
makes 12
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Using gel-paste food colors, tint 1/4 cup buttercream pale pink and 1/4 cup black. Transfer tinted buttercreams to pastry bags fitted with only couplers. Using an offset spatula, spread each cupcake with a smooth layer of untinted buttercream. Transfer remaining untinted buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with only a coupler.
Step 2
Starting in center of each cupcake, pipe a pear-shaped head with untinted buttercream, increasing pressure as you pull back. Switch to a small V-leaf tip (#352), and pipe ears. Pipe black eyes and a pale-pink nose and mouth using a fine plain tip (#1).
Step 3
Place 3 marshmallow pieces on each sheep head, cut sides down. Working from the base of the head out, continue to cover each cupcake with halved marshmallows, cut sides down. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow frosting to set. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 4 hours in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before serving.
PASTURE HOW-TO
Step 4
Lightly dampen a 9-by-12-by-1-inch Styrofoam board; shake off excess water. Roll out 1 pound plain fondant (see page 299) to an 11-by-14-inch rectangle. Lift fondant, and place on board. Smooth surface; trim excess with a pizza wheel. To form posts, cut coffee stirrers in half and hot-glue around perimeter of base. For rail, weave whole coffee stirrers in and out along top half of each post; secure with hot glue. Attach wide grosgrain ribbon around the bottom of fence with hot glue.
