Easy Reindeer Cupcakes for the Last-Minute Mom

Why, oh why did you sign up for the homemade treat at back-to-school night? The sweetest spot of all is the treat that looks like you worked hard and logged many, many hours, but really it was so easy you had time to smile, shower, look smug and get your nails done. This, my friend, is that project. Adapted from the blog, Your Cup of Cake, I give you…the reindeer cupcakes.

You can follow directions (below) for making your own chocolate cupcakes, or you can do what I did which is to drive to your local grocery store, locate the baking aisle, and select the box that best represents the flavor of cupcake you would like to serve.

While you are there, you can pick up a can of chocolate icing, or (and I would suggest you lean in here, I’m only going to whisper this once) make your own buttercream so that it seems like the whole cupcake is homemade.

This recipe, from Super Duper Cupcakes takes about five minutes to make. Unless you forget to take the butter out of the freezer. Then it takes longer. But I wouldn’t know anything about that.

Chocolate Buttercream,
from Super Duper Cupcakes

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 box confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons heavy cream (or milk)
Pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients with an electric mixer, scraping down bowl as necessary, until creamy and fluffy.
Add more milk as needed to get to optimal spreadable consistency.

You will also need:
• mini pretzels
• red and/or brown M&Ms (I advise uniformity for the sake of parental sanity and yes, I did make my father-in-law dig all the red M&Ms out of the bag and yes, he did wash his hands first)
• Nilla wafers (I used minis but regulars would work too)
• Sugar google eyes from the baking aisle at your local craft store (who knew this was a thing? Not me.)
• Red icing. If you are an overachiever, or just really Type A, you will also need red icing in a tube (to attach the nose) and white icing in a tube ( to attach the eyes)

After you defrost the butter and make the icing, but before you drop dead of exhaustion, you:
• Frost the cupcakes
• Stick two small pretzels somewhere near the top (and because I like you, a piece of advice – if you don’t let them hang too far off the cupcake, it’s much easier to put them in the cupcake carrier, or box or recycled takeout container – no judgment)•
• Stick the Nilla wafer below the pretzels
• Stick on the red M&M with either the chocolate icing or the red icing and the eyes with either chocolate icing or red icing.

Then you spritz some water on your face and look really tired and martyr-ish so the people in your family understand how hard you work for them. Okay, that last is optional and maybe just something out of my bag of tricks. Either way, have a very happy holiday and enjoy!

By Beth Meleski, Author of the witty blog myBETHisms.com