467296 Fri Dec 07 08:47:16 -0800 2007 6 31 Home Cooking 0 3187800 DD #2 is turning three tomorrow and I have decided to make cupcakes... I have the cupcake covered but I need to top them with something... The theme is butterflies so I'd like to top each with some sort of butterfly shaped candy or chocolate but without a mold I'm not sure how... I know there are some brilliant home bakers and candy makers out there. Any suggestions you have would be most appreciated! TIA :) Fri Dec 07 08:47:16 -0800 2007 138472 maplesugar 1 3188669 Dependin on how much time you want to spend... You could take a simple drawing of a butterfly, lay plastic floral paper over it (you can get it from a grocery store florist), and trace it w/ melted chocolate, or white chocolate, in a pastry bag. You could also buy those sugar cookies with the hole in the middle (I remember eating them w/ the hole around my finger) and cut them in half. Put the outside edges together and decorate w/ colored frosting, or frost and use colored sugar. Licorice for antennae. Fri Dec 07 12:40:06 -0800 2007 3187800 39874 chowser 1 3188719 You could make them out of marzipan, and sculpt them. Fri Dec 07 12:51:13 -0800 2007 3187800 80937 danhole 2 3188846 or rolled buttercream, or even tootsie rolls, warmed slightly, then rolled out. Fri Dec 07 13:25:45 -0800 2007 3188719 15001 jsaimd 1 3188889 Thanks for the great suggestions. I needed to get going on this and picked up a butterfly cookie cutter at Michael's. At the moment the plan is to bake sugar cookies and decorate with royal icing and sprinkles...possibly breaking the cookies in half and putting the halves in the cupcake at an angle for a 3D effect (we'll see how the first one goes). If I had more time I love the chocolate idea, and marzipan too... although I've never worked with marzipan... *blush* I'm a bit of a novice in the decorating department. Fri Dec 07 13:37:07 -0800 2007 3187800 138472 maplesugar 2 3188929 make sure and cut the cookies in half before baking if you are planning to do that, because they won't break easily. Fri Dec 07 13:52:49 -0800 2007 3188889 15001 jsaimd 2 3189450 This will work. It would also work to roll out gumpaste very thin, and cut it with your cookie cutter, and then dry them on a bent cardboard to be "flying". You could finish decorating wtih piped royal icing or chocolate. FYI, I find that piping out chocolate butterflies (which I've done several dozen of lately) is actually really quick when you get into the groove. Fri Dec 07 17:27:53 -0800 2007 3188889 92823 milklady