Royal Icing Eyes

1. Beat egg whites and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed for 4-5 minutes until thick and pipeable. Adjust with water or more sugar if needed.
2. Transfer to a piping bag with a small round tip and pipe small eye shapes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Let dry at room temperature for 24 hours before adding a black pupil with the food-safe pen.

Chocolate Antlers

1. Print an antler template and place a sheet of parchment paper over it.
2. Melt chocolate in 30-second intervals in the microwave, stirring in between.
3. Pipe melted chocolate onto the parchment, following the antler pattern.
4. Chill until firm.

Carrot Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with liners.
2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together flours, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
5. Combine vanilla, oil, and milk in another bowl.
6. Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour.
7. Fold in grated carrots and walnuts.
8. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full (about 50g per cupcake).
9. Bake for 20-23 minutes. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.

Vanilla Buttercream

1. Whip butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
2. Reduce speed, gradually add icing sugar, then mix in vanilla and milk.
3. Increase speed and beat for 2 more minutes until fluffy.

Assembly

1. Ice cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and set aside.
2. Dust a work surface with icing sugar and knead brown and white fondant to create a dark brown shade for the reindeer face.
3. Roll out dark brown fondant and cut circles using a round cutter. Apply to each cupcake.
4. Mix a lighter brown fondant for the reindeer muzzle and cut smaller circles. Attach with a dab of buttercream.
5. Indent a mouth shape using a piping tip.
6. Attach an M&M for the nose and add royal icing eyes using a tiny bit of buttercream.
7. Insert chocolate antlers into each cupcake.

Serve & Enjoy!