Charity and tutorial...

Every year we call our local elementary school and ask for them to nominate a teacher for us to be their secret santa - I ask them for a list of things they need for their classroom and we show up with 2-300 worth of goodies... we just believe that instead of buying a ton of people trinkets, why not do something for a teacher?!? ...any way... we always make the class cupcakes - last year we made these penguins... this year, this is what I dreamed up (we always make them non-religious)

Here's a quick tutorial

Candy Cane Sleighs holding cupcakes w/ mittens

Need
Graham crackers
Candy Canes
Cupcakes (we cheated & used box mix shhhh....)
Edible snowflakes (optional)
Mitten sugar cookies (optional)
Royal Icing
Buttercream Icing


To begin:  Unwrap 2 candy canes for each sled - this will help the royal icing with better adhesion, but I am sure wrapped would be ok too... Prepare some royal icing (make sure it's very thick!)

Step 2:  Put royal icing in piping bag with a pretty open tip and add a row of icing to each candy cane (thanks to my man for being the hand model heeehee).  Note: I added to only one candy cane, put graham cracker on then put on the other so they didn't roll...

Step 3: Add graham cracker and let set for a few min.  Make sure your cupcakes are done at this point, as well...

Step 4: After you have your cupcakes ready, put a dab of royal icing on each graham cracker to help hold it in place a bit, then add cupcake.

Step 5: Add icing and edible snowflakes (found at Michael's craft store)

Step 6-9:  Add mitten cookies and a few sprinkles, pack and deliver! (if I had been feeling better, I would have hand painted the mittens, but the 4th graders did seem to care and little douglas had fun doing the sprinkles ;o)