Snowmen Cupcakes

My kids would never eat this sort of thing - but my kids are strange that way. I'm sure YOUR kids would have a blast making these special wintery treats. If you make them, let me know how they turned out! I'd love to see a photo! (Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen)

INGREDIENTS:

1 (18.25 oz) box white cake mix

1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla-flavored pudding mix

1 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

2 (16 oz) cans white icing

Large marshmallows

Stick pretzels

Fruit by the Fruit

Black gel icing

Red gel icing

Red gumdrops, cut in half

Oreos

Miniature Oreos

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 (12 cup) muffin pans with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, and pudding mix. Add water, oil, and eggs, and beat at low speed with an electric mixer until dry ingredients are moistened. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes, or until batter is well combined.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling half full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 2 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Spread 1 can white icing evenly over cupcakes.

For each cupcake, flatten 1 marshmallow with palm of hand. Cut a second marshmallow in half horizontally. Place cut side of marshmallow in center of flattened marshmallow. Place second cut side of marshmallow on top of that (to form the body and head of snowman). Push a stick pretzel up through the body of the snowman, leaving 1/4 inch of pretzel exposed. Stick pretzel, with snowman attached, on top of cupcake.

Cut Fruit by the Foot into desired lengths to make the snowman's scarf.

Using gel icing, make the face and buttons.

Spread 1/4 teaspoon icing on one end of gumdrop. Attach gumdrop to face to make the "nose."

Insert pretzels on either side of snowman to make arms.

Spread 1/2 teaspoon icing in center of regular-sized Oreo. Place on top of marshmallow "head" to make hat.

Spread 1/2 teaspoon icing over one miniature Oreo. Place icing side down, on top of "hat cookie to make the top of the hat.

Repeat procedure with remaining cupcakes.

(I'm linking up with)