You've Got Mail Cupcakes

Dear Friends,

These creations popped into my head one morning as I was contemplating the plight of the mail man  - the rude jokes, the snow-drifts to stomp through, the angry recipients. Think about it, who gets yelled at when there's postage due? Bad news by certified mail? Returned items? Missing packages?

They look hard. But they're not. If I can make them...

'nuff said.

Start with  pound-cake cupcakes.

They will look beautiful, golden and yummy. They are dense - so dense they won't mind if you drool as you stare longingly at them.

Whip up some basic cream cheese frosting.

Frost the cupcakes liberally. I gave them each a sorta drift-y look. They are supposed to look like fresh snow if you get me drift.

I love that they can be so messy. I've never been a perfect frosting person.

Ahhhhh... Just the look I was going for.

Now sprinkle them with some clear sugar sprinkles.

Gently break the tops off some candy canes.

Using a sharp paring knife, cut the ends off several Nestle Treasures, the 'Milk Chocolate Caramel Candy' variety. 

With the tip of your knife scoop out most of the caramel.

Melt some candy wafers, dip the tip of a peppermint stick into the chocolate and attach it to the bottom of each Treasure. You have to hold it on for a second while the chocolate sets. Place them carefully in the fridge to finish cooling.

Cut the bottom and sides off chocolate melting wafers.

Leave the top rounded.

Dip the flat end in the melted chocolate and attach like this.

Let the chocolate set up completely.

 Meanwhile, cut 3 Hot Tamales in to fourths (cut length-wise and then width-wise).

Also cut a stick of white gum into small strips (width-wise).

Put a dap of the melted chocolate onto one end of each gum strip and attach one Hot Tamale piece to each strip.

Use another dab of chocolate to attach the "flag" to the "mailbox".

You can add some "mail" by slicing some more gum into small rectangles of varying width and pushing them gently into the "mail-box", the caramel left inside holds them nicely. I also drizzled a bit of the icing over the top for a snowy look and added just a pinch of the sugar sprinkles for some sparkle. All that's left is to poke the peppermint stick into the cupcake. Now you know why that density was important, it holds the weight better.

I love them. They are seriously the cutest thing I've ever made

The sweetness is killing me. I'm not sure I can take it.

I feel like I just stepped into a mailman's nightmare.

"Aaaaaaaaa! Attack of the mailboxes"

 [Robotic voice] "You've got mail. You've got mail. You've got mail."

"Oh no! They are everywhere! They're going to get me! Help!"

Love,

Going Postal in NE

P.S. I gave one to our mailman for Christmas. I don't know what he thought, he didn't say. But it made me feel better for any impatience I've felt toward the US Postal service. I have a lot to atone for.

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Recipe Card:

12 Pound-cake Cupcakes

White Cream Cheese Frosting

Clear Sugar Sprinkles

1 Cup plus 12 Chocolate Melting Wafers, divided

12 Candy canes

12 Nestles Treasures Milk Chocolate Caramel Candies

3 Stick white chewing gum

3 Hot Tamale candies

Frost the cupcakes. Sprinkle the Sugar sprinkles over the cupcake tops. Cut ONE end off each Treasure. Remove the caramel filling. Melt one cup of Melting wafers. Break the curved end off the Candy canes. Attach the cane pieces to the bottom of each Treasure using the melted chocolate. Cut the bottom and sides off the twelve melting wafers. Attach to the mouth of the "mailbox" using the melted chocolate. Cut the Hot Tamales into fourths and one stick of gum into short narrow strips. Attach one Hot Tamale piece to the end of each gum piece with melted chocolate. Attach a "flag" to the side of each Treasures with the chocolate. Add a "mailbox" to each cupcake. Yield: 12 Cupcakes