This year Kiara seems to be into horses. So I decided to do a the horse cupcakes I saw in the book "Hello Cupcake" and then I came up with doing a corral for a cake. O-boy did I take on a project.. First I could not find, ANYWHERE, the white circus peanuts that they use in the book. I could have ordered them on line but did not have the time, nor did I want to spend the money it would have cost to order one small bag!! So I was lucky enough, after looking everywhere in my home town, to find the orange circus peanuts at Freddies... Just to let you know.. Fred meyers is the ONLY place around that carries them. So I had to dip them in white melted chocolate to get them white... it actually was pretty easy once I figured out a day or two before how to do it. It took a couple of tries. I tried just dipping them, then putting them on the waffer.. but that did not work to well. So I put them on the waffer (with melted chocolate) then dipped them.. much much easier.. On the side of the wafers is chocolate with sprinkles. Then I used melted choc. instead of frosting for the eyes.. that way I could grab onto the heads with out worring about the eyes and nose.
Then comes the ears and hair between the ears. I used a size 3 tip and bag to do this part. I dont like using the ziplock method that they use in "Hello Cupcake" I am so used to using my bags it is just easier for me to use them. Then comes the mane down the back.. pretty much just dots and you pull back to make them stand up a little.. 
I did three lines.. one down the middle then two down each side on the corner of the waffer. Then just put a few "spots" on the horse and sprinkle jimmies on them.
Next comes the tail.. I tried just making them by melting chocolate then pouring it onto wax paper in the shape of a tail. But they ended up being to fat the first one I tried, the cupcake almost split in half.. So I went with the pretzel. I went through a whole bag just to get the correct part that I needed..!! I would get almost the right piece then it would break on me.. Hello cupcake does not tell you that!! But I managed to get enough for 12 cupcakes.
Then came the corral.. I had a vision in my head of what I wanted it to look like. And I must say, it does look like how I wanted it to.. But it took forever! I used the round waffers, I cant remember what they are called right now.. But they come in several different flavors.. I used vanilla. They were very heavy to use for this project.. I think that is why it took so long. The melted chocolate would have to harded completly before I could let go!! I broke several pieces off as I was putting another on.. ohhhhhh... as you can see I even tried the condensed air to try and freeze it quiker.. did not help much..
But then finally at midnight that night I got it completed!! I used fondant for the sign and edible ink for the writting.. Love the edible ink!!!
Todd was nice enough to make the trough for me from fondant.. I used pipping gel for the water.. then I added the chip strips for the hay.
Kia loved them when she saw them.. It made it worth all the hard work.
