Recipe: Totoro Cupcakes

Some of you might recognize this cute little guy from your childhood, that is if you were into Japanese animated-films as a child.  For those who weren't so lucky, this is Totoro, he's a gentle, forest-spirit that befriends two little girls in the movie My Neighbor Totoro, a Hayao Miyazaki Film.  If you haven't seen it you really should! (Hint: DO NOT get the dub with Dakota Fanning, it is not as good as the original release!)

What could be cuter than the real Totoro? TOTORO CUPCAKES! My mom came up with this "recipe" using techniques from the book What's New, Cupcake? by Karen Tack, and Alan Richardson, as well as some internet inspiration.

Supplies:

• Cupcakes
• 2 Cans Frosting, divided (store-bought works best actually)
• Food Coloring (at least blue, green, and black)
• Piping bags and tips
• Toothpicks
• Kitchen Shears or really clean scissors
• Sprinkles, Sugar, or Shredded Coconut
• Donut Holes
• Mini marshmallows
• Styrofoam (or something that can be used as a base to hold up pieces while they dry) 

Instructions:

1. Bake cupcakes as usual, cool.
2. Cut mini marshmallows in half diagonally and stick on the donut holes with frosting, like little ears. (put them more on top than on the sides)
3. Stick donut holes on toothpicks and stand up on styrofoam. Chill.
4. Mix frosting with green food coloring and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
5. Dust cupcakes with sprinkles or the topping of your choice.
   
6. In a microwavable container, mix blue food coloring into some frosting.
7. Heat in microwave a few seconds, stir, repeat until consistency coats back of spoon.
8. Remove chilled donut holes and dip into melted frosting, coating completely. Drizzle some on to fill in any missed spots.
9. Return to styrofoam and chill.
10. Mix up some black frosting, put it and white frosting into piping bags with small, round tips.
11. When donut holes have set-up, pipe on belly and eyes with white frosting, and the pupils, belly markings, nose, and whiskers with black.
12. Stick onto cupcakes with toothpick.
13. Look at how cute they are and EAT!