CHIPS AHOY! Elf Pull-Apart Cupcakes

Name: CHIPS AHOY! Elf Pull-Apart Cupcakes
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 24
Ingredients: 25 CHIPS AHOY! Cookies, divided; 1 pkg. yellow cake mix; 2 tsp. ground cinnamon; food coloring; 1½ cups ready-to-spread white frosting; ½ cup decorating icing (about 1/2 of 8.4-oz. can); ½ cup decorating icing (about 1/2 of 8.4-oz. can); 2 small candy canes (2-1/2 inch); 1 piece black string licorice (2-1/2 inch), cut in half; 2 chocolate malted milk balls; 1 piece string licorice (2 inches each); Decorations: assorted small round green, red and white candy balls; starlight mints; pink candy-coated wafer; coarse white sugar; pink colored sugar

Celebrate Christmas, or an elf visiting your house, with this cute and easy to serve pull apart cupcake arrangement.

Prep time:

0 min

Total time:

0 h 0 min

Servings:

Makes 24 servings.

Ingredient list

25 CHIPS AHOY! Cookies, divided
1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pink food coloring
1½ cups ready-to-spread white frosting
½ cup green decorating icing (about 1/2 of 8.4-oz. can)
½ cup red decorating icing (about 1/2 of 8.4-oz. can)
2 small candy canes (2-1/2 inch)
1 piece black string licorice (2-1/2 inch), cut in half
2 chocolate malted milk balls
1 piece red string licorice (2 inches each)
Decorations: assorted small round green, red and white candy balls; starlight mints; pink candy-coated wafer; coarse white sugar; pink colored sugar

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F.

Cut 1 cookie in half; reserve for later use. Place remaining cookies in 24 paper-lined muffin pan cups.

Prepare cake batter as directed on package; blend in cinnamon. Spoon over cookies in muffin cups. Bake as directed on package for cupcakes; cool completely.

Remove and discard paper liners from cupcakes. Place cupcakes, cookie sides up and sides touching, on platter to resemble elf shape as shown in photo.

Stir food coloring, one drop at a time, into white frosting until tinted to light-pink color; spread over elf's face area on cupcakes as shown in photo. Pipe green and red icings onto hat area.

Add candy canes and reserved cookie halves for the elf's ears, and licorice pieces and malt balls for the eyebrows, eyes and mouth. Decorate with remaining ingredients to resemble photo.

Recipe Tips

Make it Easy
Prepare using 2 (4.25-oz.) tubes EACH green and red decorating icing. Empty each color icing into separate pastry bag fitted with desired decorating tip before using to decorate cupcakes.
Substitute
Prepare using your favorite flavor of cake mix.
Substitute
Substitute red food coloring for the pink food coloring.