valentine's day Nutcracker cupcakes by Jeanne Benedict

The fabulous Jeanne Benedict created these Nutcracker cupcakes for the holidays, and gives detailed instructions on how to make your own!



She writes:

What fun I had making an army of Nutcracker Cupcakes ready to take on the Mouse King and all others in the famed Christmastime tale! Nutcrackers used to be so expensive, and now it seems that just about every stylish budget store (read Target) has a collection of them sporting a variety of themes. My daughter has a hippie nutcracker, mountain climber, and a 2-foot tall traditional nutcracker soldier, which is what I used to make these fabulous Christmas Cupcakes. Imagine these cupcakes as the centerpiece of a Nutcracker theme party on Christmas Eve!

valentine's day Thanksgiving turkey cupcake with a Nutter Butter and candy corn, plus Baked Alaska ice cream-filled cupcakes

The always-creative Jeanne Benedict has given her spin to the Thanksgiving turkey cupcake. She writes:

Sweet yes; yet ominous too. Obvious candies give this holiday cupcake his character. What I mean are his eyes made from the tips of candy corns and a dab of frosting. Somehow, when I photographed it, it stared back as if to say, “Don’t even think of eating me as a cupcake or otherwise.” Your kids will love, love, love this turkey cupcake. Basically, you turn a frosted cupcake on its side, stick a Nutter Butter Cookie in it and then feather it with candy corns to make an adorable holiday cupcake. I used a red fruit roll-up as his wattle.



And the Baked Alaska cupcakes (click for recipe) have ice cream inside them!