Angry and Adorable

They're angry, they're cute, they just want their eggs back! Yep, angry birds. If you haven't played that game yet, you should. It's totally addicting!

I had the pleasure of making these little birdy cupcakes for a friend who was going to a Halloween party dressed in the Angry Birds theme. I believe her kids were angry birds and she and her husband were slingshots. (Erin, correct me if I got that wrong!) Cute idea!

These were very detailed and so took a little more time than I originally expected. But it was a lot of fun putting them all together and getting to share them! The toppers are made from modeling chocolate (also called candy clay). Modeling chocolate is so much fun. It is a little like working with fondant, except that it doesn't dry out quite as quickly and it tastes fabulous. I used candy melts. You can buy Wilton candy melts in different colors at Michael's, Joann's or Hobby Lobby. Just take a package of candy melts, melt it according to the directions on the package, and then stir in 1/3 cup light corn syrup. It will thicken and stick together, like chocolate seizing. When it does this, just place it in a lump on some waxed paper and let it cool. Then knead it a few times until it is smooth and malleable. After that, you can roll it and cut it like fondant (or like playdoh!). It might not be the best for modeling figures because it doesn't harden and won't "set up" like fondant or gumpaste. You also can't roll it quite as thin, so it's not the best for some flower work. But it's great for things like stripes or cut-outs.

The cupcakes themselves are oh-so-good chocolate with vanilla bean Swiss meringue buttercream. Yum!

Here are some more pics.

Apparently, my camera didn't like the close-up on the red and yellow birdies, so they turned out a little blurry. I'll show them to you anyway!

I left a few of the cupcakes without a topper and with a swirl of the buttercream. I think it looks fantastic all on it's own too!