Cookie monster cupcakes

Jack is about to turn 2 in April, and that is causing me to wax nostalgic about his 1st birthday.  Homeboy was super sick with a 103.5 temp (double ear infection), but that didn't stop my little trooper from tearing in to his gifts and having fun.

This year my dinosaur-crazed Jackosaurus Rex has requested a "chokit burday cake".  Using giftcards I earned from Swagbucks, I bought this cake mold and with a hope and a prayer I'll decorate it decently.  I'm not what you call artistic...

Last year after trying to figure out a "theme" for the party, I gave up and just did a "whatever the hell works" theme.  I had decided on cupcakes because I was making everything for the party and cupcakes sounded easy enough.  After living in LA for 4 years and experiencing the phenomenon that was the mid- to late 2000's cupcake craze, I knew things could be done simply, or could get complicated as hell.

I don't "do" complicated, so my goal was to have something look complicated, but be easy.  The result? Cookie Monster cupcakes!


When Jack turned 1, he was allergic to wheat and dairy.  The base and frosting on these cupcakes comes from the Baby Cakes cookbook which contains recipes that are (mostly) gluten free.  They're also mostly vegan and sugar free!  They taste great (shocking, I know)!

I baked the cupcakes and allowed them to cool.  I dyed the homemade icing blue (it took almost a whole tube of food coloring), and spread each cupcake with an appropriate amount of frosting (read: a crap ton) and set aside.

For the fur: Put 2 cups of shredded coconut in a plastic container with a lid.  Then add 3-5 drops of food coloring on the side of the container.  Place lid on, and shake.  Continue to add a few drops of food coloring until you've reached your desired color.  Dip frosted cupcakes in dyed coconut and set aside.

For the eyes: I used white chocolate melting chips that I found in the craft aisle at Wal-Mart.  Any craft store should carry them.  I used white frosting as the "glue" and placed a brown M&M ("M" side down) in the middle of the flat side of the chip.  Nestle the eyes in the fur.

For the mouth: shove a mini Chips a'hoy (or a mini homemade cookie) in to the fur.  Yep, that's it.

Remember how I said I'm not artistic?  I didn't lie; I'm not.  SO, if I can make these, anyone with 2 arms is quite capable.  They didn't take that long at all, and I think the result speaks for itself: