Bulldog Cupcakes

Add a thin layer of vanilla frosting to the top of the whole cupcake. 

Place 2 caramels in a microwave-safe dish and Microwave on HIGH 2-3 seconds or until softened.  Press caramels together and roll between the palms of hands to form into a ball. Roll or press out the caramel ball into a 1/8-inch in thickness on wax or parchment paper. Cut out a circle using a 2 ½-inch round cutter, reserving excess caramel.  Place caramel circle on top of the cupcake to cover the entire top surface.

Using a knife or tear drop-shaped cutter, cut 2 small triangular ears from the excess unused-rolled caramel. Place one ear at “11 o’clock” and the other at “1 o’clock”, and fold them inward, over the caramel circle that covers the cupcake.

Fit a piping bag with a #12 tip. Fill with vanilla frosting.  Pipe a round disk, the size of a quarter, on the bottom of the frosted cupcake near the “6 o’clock” position. (This can also be done with a small spatula.)

Place 2 caramels in a microwave-safe dish and Microwave on HIGH 2-3 seconds or until softened.  Press together and roll between the palms of hands to form into a ball, then into a rope the length of the cupcake’s diameter. Shape into a boomerang  or a “C” and place upside down on the cupcake.  The center of the rope should line up with the center of the cupcake and the two sides should arch downward.

Fill a small piping bag with dark chocolate frosting.  Use a #2 or 3 tip and pipe 2 dots of dark chocolate frosting for the eyes or add mini candies, if preferred. Pipe eyebrows above the eyes.

Pipe 2 teeth with vanilla frosting. Place a small brown or black candy on top of the rope for a nose.  This can also be done with a jelly bean or by piping frosting.

Using a knife, toothpick, or veining tool, form the face wrinkles in the bulldog’s face, as well as the mouth below the jowls. 

For the basic frosting on top of each cupcake, you’ll only need enough to lightly coat the top of each cupcake, about ¼ cup frosting per cupcake. Too much frosting on the cupcake will make it harder to decorate into the puppy face.