Menorah Cupcakes

Thin pretzel sticks, colorful frosting and sugar crystals turn plain cupcakes into delicious Hannukah treats.

It's a Summer Playdate, Fri., 6/1 @ 9am on NICK

Ingredients

• 12 plain cupcakes, any favorite flavor
• 1 bag thin pretzel sticks
• 1 cup blue or white candy melts (Wilton)
• 1 can (16 oz.) vanilla frosting
• Neon blue, yellow and red food coloring (McCormick)
• 1 cup blue decorating sugar

Supplies

• Small plastic resealable bags

Directions

1. Step 1

   Line two cookie sheets with wax paper. Cut 96 pretzels into 1 1/2-inch lengths with a small serrated knife. Cut 12 of the pretzel sticks into 2-inch lengths.

2. Step 2

   Place the candy melts into a small plastic resealable bag. Microwave on high for 15 seconds; massage the bag and continue microwaving at 10 second intervals until the candy is smooth, about 1 minute total.

3. Step 3

   Snip a very small corner from the bag with the melted candy. Pipe a dot of candy in the center of a whole pretzel stick. Place an end of another whole pretzel stick into the chocolate on the prepared cookie sheet. (It will be in the shape of a "T") Repeat to make 11 more "T" shapes.

4. Step 4

   Pipe 9 dots of melted candy along the top pretzel and attach 8 short and 1 long trimmed pretzel stick into each dot of candy, with the cut side into chocolate, making sure the longest pretzel stick is in the center. Repeat with the remaining pretzels. Reheat the candy melts if it becomes too firm for piping. Pipe additional dots of candy melts as the base of each "pretzel candle" to help secure. Place cookie sheets in the refrigerator until set, about 5 minutes.

5. Step 5

   Tint 1/2 cup of the vanilla frosting yellow/orange with the food coloring. Spoon the frosting into a plastic resealable bag.

6. Step 6

   Tint the remaining vanilla frosting light blue.

7. Step 7

   Place the decorating sugar in a shallow bowl. Spread the light blue frosting on top of each cupcake and make smooth. Roll the edge of the cupcakes in the sugar just to coat the edge of the cupcake.

8. Step 8

   When ready to serve, insert the long pretzel stick end of the menorah into the center of each cupcake. Snip a very small corner from the bag with the yellow/orange frosting. Pipe small flames with the frosting on top of each pretzel end.

Nurtition Facts

• Calories: 383
• Total Fat: 13g
• Saturated Fat: 8g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 18mg
• Sodium: 171mg
• Total Carbs: 67g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 58g
• Protein: 2g