Minion Cupcakes (without Twinkies)

I've got to learn to remember to bake birthday cakes and cupcakes two days BEFORE I need to send them to school. But yet again, another birthday, and I'm up until 2:30 in the morning. Although I was a zombie all day at work, at least my kid was smiling all day at school.

I saw a lot of recipes for cupcakes on the internet for Minions using a Twinkie but my kid didn't want that so I had to come up with my own ideas. After inspecting the candy aisle at the local supermarket, I decided I could work with white lifesavers for the eyes and black licorice for the hair. In retrospect, I should have used chocolate sprinkles for the hair, but I was hormonal and craving licorice. So I used 4 pieces of licorice for the hair, and the rest went in my mouth. 

Materials
Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy Icing 
Yellow gel Food Coloring
Betty Crocker Easy Squeeze Icing (Chocolate)
Cake Mate Decorative Icing (Black)
Life Savers (Pep O Mint)
A bag of Black Licorice
Dry Fondant (any will do)

All of the ingredients with the exception of the fondant, were found at my local Acme Market. I acquired the dry fondant from Michael's Craft Store. I've actually had it for months not knowing what to do with it. 

First I baked 50 mini cupcakes for school and the birthday party using two box mixes. After the cupcakes cooled I mixed a tiny bit of yellow gel food coloring in with the Betty Crocker frosting until I got the desired color yellow. Any frosting product that is white or cream color will work perfectly.  

After I iced all the cupcakes with the yellow frosting, I mixed the fondant with some water and a couple of squeezes of the the black icing to give it a gray color that would be similar to the color of the silver minion goggles. You have to mix in the fondant and water so that it is the texture of play dough. Add a little water at a time to the dry fondant and mix it with your fingers until it is the right consistency. Then add the black icing, knead it in, and keep adding the black icing until the fondant is the correct color gray.  I rolled the fondant into a thin snake and wrapped it around the outside life saver, pressing the gray fondant into the side of the lifesaver. 

I put a pea sized drop of chocolate easy squeeze icing on the yellow icing then pushed the minion goggle on to the cupcake with the Lifesaver hole over the chocolate frosting dot, to create a brown eye.

I pushed the cut up licorice into the icing at the top of the cupcake for minion hair. 

I used the black icing to make the goggle straps and the mouths. I just cut the tip off the Cake Mate Icing, I didn't use any special screw on tips.

Ta DA! Minions!

Grade: B+
Skill Level: Low
Difficulty Level: Low
Frustration Level: Moderate (You have to work with the fondant quickly because it dries fast. If it starts to crumble while you work with it, just add a drop of water and knead the fondant so it is easier to work with.)

Bad Minions! No smoking!

I know I have a sick sense of humor, my excuse is that I didn't get any sleep!!!