Why siesta when you can FIESTA! Hola amigos, it’s Alejandra Morin from The Marshmallow Studio, where we create custom marshmallow pops and designs. I’m thrilled to be here to share my very first post as a new guest contributor on HWTM. Today I’m sharing an easy, fun new way to decorate your Cinco de Mayo cupcakes – with marshmallows!

MARSHMALLOW SOMBERORS AND SARAPES

Ending a day full of salty margaritas and chips & salsa with a sweet dessert is a must. Delight your family and friends with these fluffy marshmallow sombrero and sarape toppers on your cupcakes which are sure to make them want to get up and do the Mexican hat dance in joy!

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MARSHMALLOW SOMBRERO & SARAPE TOPPERS – A DIY TUTORIAL

by Alejandra Morin
Makes: 6 Sombreros and 6 Sarapes

INGREDIENTS:

– 12 Frosted cupcakes ( I colored my frosting lime green to resemble margaritas)
– 2 Jumbo white marshmallows
– 6 Regular white marshmallows
– 6 Flat rectangle white marshmallows
– 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
– Cup of water
– Stainless Steel Scissors (preferably two different sizes: 8” and 4”)
– Royal Icing (RI) in Piping Bags with Tips #1, #2 and #3. (frosting – like consistency)
– Soft Gel Paste Colorings to color the Royal Icing. (I used Americolor Very Black, Leaf Green, Super Red, Lemon Yellow, Turquoise, and Mint Green)

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STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR SOMBREROS:

1. Whip up your royal icing, separate it into individual containers to color it, bag it and set it aside

2. Dip scissors in water

3. Cut jumbo marshmallows crosswise in half then again to from 4 thin rounds. These will be for the bottom part of the sombrero

4. Cut sides of regular marshmallows angled in starting from the bottom corner to almost the top center. Will form cone-like shapes. These will be for the top of the sombrero

5. Spread a little cornstarch with finger tips on all sticky sides of the marshmallows until they feel smooth and dry

6. Pipe plenty of white RI on bottom surface of regular marshmallows and place on top of thin round jumbo marshmallows to form sombreros

7. Decorate sombreros with royal icing as you wish. Pictured suggestion using tip #2.

8. Let dry for 1 hour before handing

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STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR SARAPE:

1. Dip tip of small scissors in water

2. Cut little slits all along shorter edges of the rectangle marshmallows to create ruffles for the ends of the sarape

3. Pipe vertical lines using all RI colors with tips #2 or #3 leaving the cut sides plain

4. Using black RI with tip #1 pipe a zigzag pattern connecting the last piped line and the cut marshmallow edge to look like stitching

5. Let dry for 1 hour before handling

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EXTRAS:

If you’re like me and you always have to go that extra step, you can make a little Mexican Flag too using a flat rectangle marshmallow and the RI colors you already have. Insert a long toothpick through the center of the bottom left and display with your cupcakes.