Holly Topped Cupcakes

As Christmas approaches so do all of the Christmas parties and holiday gatherings. This easy cupcake decoration is fun for the children and festive enough for even adult gatherings.

INGREDIENTS:
Cooled cupcakes (store bought or baked from your favorite recipe)
White icing
Grated coconut (optional)
Green gumdrops
Sugar, for sprinkling gumdrop leaves
Red candy for holly berries (Red Hots or M&Ms work well)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Frost the cupcakes with snowy white icing and top with grated coconut (coconut is optional).

2.Sprinkle a piece of wax paper with sugar.

3. Using a rolling pin, flatten the green gumdrops on the waxed paper sprinkled with sugar.

4. Use an aspic cutter or butter knife to cut out holly leaf shapes.

5. Arrange three red candy “berries” on top of each cupcake, pressing them into the frosting just enough to hold them in place(they should form a triangle).

6. Press two or three gumdrop leaves between the berries to finish the sprig of holy.

* TIP: If you chose not to use the coconut, you can make the white frosting look like snow by swirling the icing so it has random peaks before adding the holy leaf.