Elmo cupcakes

I got to try out my new Kitchenaid Mixer and right now I say it is awesome. I used it to make Rance's cupcakes for his party and it was easy mixing up the cake batter. The fondant on the other hand was a lot harder than I had expected.

I purchased premade fondant from Walmart in a block size. It came in white so I needed some Wilton's coloring to knead in. It turned into a real workout for my arms and hands. The coloring ended up staining my hands a bit. My friend Kim suggested kneading the mix inside of a ziplock bag to avoid staining. Hmm, why didn't I think of that?

It's also pretty tough to roll out.

Who needs a cookie cutter, just improvise.

The cupcakes needed icing for the fondant to 'stick'. I used a marker cap to cut out the eyes and mouth. I had a ready to use tube of orange icing for the nose.

Everyone thought they turned out really cute. The kids gave their approval by eating them up.

I have a new respect for bakers, especially when making anything with fondant. I wasn't too crazy about the flavor but you can add pretty much any flavoring to it. I tried vanilla but I guess it wasn't quite enough fo my tastes.

Rance was pleased and that's what mattered most to me.