From Woman's Day magazine and a book from Sugarcraft: Hello Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups dark cocoa melting wafers
1 1/2 cups blue candy melting wafers
2 Tbsp yellow nonpareils
3/4 cup dark chocolate frosting
1 1/2 cups vanilla frosting
12 vanilla cupcakes baked in white paper liners
3/4 cup white coarse decorating sugar
24 brown M&M's 

PREPARATION
1. Pairs of wings and antennae: Place templates for wings and antennae on baking sheets; cover with wax paper.

2. Put 1 cup each dark cocoa and blue candy melting wafers into separate ziptop bags; do not seal. Microwave 10 seconds to soften. Squeeze, return to microwave and repeat until smooth. Press out excess air and seal.

3. Snip a tiny corner from each bag. Working on one wing at a time, use melted dark cocoa to outline template on wax paper. Go over outline to thicken. Fill in with melted blue candy. Then, following the shape of the wing's outer edge, pipe a line of dark cocoa on the blue portion of the upper and lower wings. Tap the pan slightly to flatten. With toothpick, pull dark cocoa into blue to make the design. 

4. While candy is still liquid, sprinkle top and bottom wing tips with yellow nonpareils. Repeat, melting additional wafers several seconds in the microwave as needed (be careful not to overheat). Chill baking sheets until set, about 5 minutes. Repeat for antennae, using melted dark cocoa.

5. Spoon chocolate frosting into a ziptop bag, press out excess air, seal and set aside. Spread vanilla frosting on top of cupcakes; roll edges in white decorating sugar.

6. Carefully peel chilled wings and antennae from wax paper. Place 2 brown M&M's, 1/2 in. apart, on top of cupcakes to support wings. Press inside edge of a pair of wings into frosting about 1/4 in. apart, leaning wings on M&M's. Gently press antennae into frosting at head of butterfly. For body, snip a small corner from the bag with chocolate frosting. Starting at antennae, pipe 4 or 5 beads of frosting down the length of body, drawing frosting into a small point on the last bead. 

Plan Ahead: You can make wings and antennae up to 2 days ahead; store loosely covered at cool room temperature. 

From Woman's Day March 4, 2008
 
 

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups white chocolate melting wafers
1/4 cup each orange, pink and yellow decorating sugar
50 assorted orange, pink and yellow spice drops 
Black licorice laces
24 blackberry jellies with black nonpareils, or Crows or black gumdrops
48 yellow M&M’s
1 can (16 oz) vanilla frosting
12 vanilla cupcakes baked in white paper liners 
Multicolored chocolate-covered sunflower seeds (see Note)
24 candy spearmint leaves, sliced horizontally in thirds
48 natural almond slices 

PREPARATION
1. Daisies: Put the flower petal template on a baking sheet and cover with wax paper. Put white chocolate melting wafers in a ziptop bag; do not seal. Microwave 10 seconds to soften. Squeeze, return to microwave and repeat until smooth. Press out excess air and seal. Snip a small corner from the bag. Pipe outline of the petal with melted chocolate and fill in with more chocolate. Tap pan lightly to settle. Repeat, making 108 petals. Refrigerate to set, about 5 minutes.

2. Phlox: Sprinkle work surface with the orange sugar. Press 2 orange spice drops together and roll out on the sugared surface to 1/16 in. thick. Follow the template (see Note in margin) to cut out the flower shapes with clean scissors. Repeat with the remaining sugar and the spice drops of each color to make about 30 flowers.

3. Bees: For each bee, cut a licorice lace into three 3/4-in. pieces; cut each in half lengthwise for antennae. Cut 3 pieces of licorice into 1/2-in. pieces and taper one end for the stinger.

4. Cut the blackberry candy in half crosswise. Place a yellow M&M flat against the cut side of the blackberry candy piece. Place the other cut end on the other side of the M&M, to sandwich. Trim a small slice from flat end of the blackberry candy. Attach 2 pieces of licorice as antennae, and another M&M as the head.

5. Spoon 1/4 cup vanilla frosting into a ziptop bag, press out excess air and seal. Spread remaining vanilla frosting on top of cupcakes.

6. Peel white chocolate petals from wax paper. Cut orange spice drops in half crosswise. Using about 6 petals per flower, arrange 3 flowers on each of six cupcakes. Place orange spice drops, cut side down, in center of petals. Add spearmint leaf slices.

7. Using 5 flowers per cupcake, arrange phlox on cupcakes. Pipe a small dot of white frosting in the center of each flower and add a sunflower seed. Add spearmint leaves.

8. Put 2 bee bodies on top of a cupcake. Add licorice stingers at tail ends. Press 2 almond slices into frosting as wings. 

Plan Ahead: You can make and decorate up to 2 days ahead. Cover; store at cool room temperature.

Note: Chocolate-covered sunflower seeds can be found at Trader Joe’s and the Sweet Factory at most malls, as well as online. 

From Woman's Day March 4, 2008
 
 

INGREDIENTS
2 whole graham crackers
1 stick mint chewing gum
1/4 cup white chocolate melting wafers
6 thin pretzel sticks
1 cup vanilla frosting
Green, red, orange and blue gel or paste food color
1 can (16 oz) chocolate frosting
2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (Nabisco Oreo or Famous Chocolate Wafers)
24 vanilla cupcakes baked in white paper liners
1 cup corn flakes
9 green fruit chews (Jolly Rancher)
1 vanilla fruit chew (Tootsie Roll Midgee, AirHeads)
4 red fruit chews (Jolly Rancher)
8 orange fruit chews (Starburst)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
20 green M&M’s
Green apple and watermelon AirHeads
2 tsp multicolored chocolate-covered sunflower seeds (see Note) 

PREPARATION
1. Seed Packs and Shovels: With a serrated knife, cut graham crackers in half crosswise. Cut two 3/4-in.-long triangles from gum to make shovel blades. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Put white chocolate melting wafers in a ziptop bag; do not seal. Microwave 10 seconds to soften. Squeeze, return to microwave and repeat until smooth. Press out air and seal.

2. Snip a small corner from the bag and pipe an outline around each graham cracker. Fill in with more chocolate and spread into a smooth, thin layer to cover cracker. Place on baking sheet and refrigerate until set, about 5 minutes.

3. Turn each cracker over and pipe a line of melted chocolate down the center of the uncoated side. Place a pretzel stick on top of the line of chocolate, leaving about a 2-in. overhang; refrigerate until set. Cut the remaining 2 pretzel sticks into two 2-in. and two 3/4-in. lengths. Pipe a small dot of melted chocolate on one end of a 2-in. pretzel stick and attach the smaller pretzel piece crosswise to make the shovel handle. Attach the gum shovel blade to the other end of the pretzel with a dot of melted chocolate. Place on baking sheet and chill until set, about 5 minutes.

4. Tint 1/2 cup of the vanilla frosting green, 1 Tbsp red, 2 Tbsp orange and 1/4 cup blue. Spoon each color, including the remaining 1 tablespoon vanilla frosting, into separate ziptop bags, press out excess air and seal. Spoon 1/4 cup chocolate frosting into a ziptop bag, press out the excess air and seal. Snip a tiny corner from each of the bags. Pipe the vegetable names in chocolate frosting and the vegetable shapes in the colored frostings on top of the chocolate-coated side of the graham crackers. Pipe a blue line of frosting around the border of each sign.

5. Place chocolate cookie crumbs in a medium bowl. Spread remaining chocolate frosting on cupcakes. Roll tops of cupcakes in crumbs to cover. Arrange in 4 rows of 6 on serving platter.

6. Lettuce: Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Put cornflakes in a small bowl. Spoon remaining green frosting into a small microwavable bowl. Microwave until smooth, stirring often, 5 to 10 seconds. Pour over cornflakes, toss well to coat, and spread the cornflakes onto baking sheet. Chill to set, about 10 minutes. Cut 2 green fruit chews in half and shape into balls. Place 1 green ball on top of each of 4 cupcakes and arrange 8 to 12 cornflakes around balls to make the leaves. Secure with a dot of green frosting, if necessary.

7. Radishes: Cut the vanilla fruit chew into quarters. Roll 1 red fruit chew together with 1 vanilla piece, keeping colors separate, and shape into a ball. Pinch the white end to form the radish root. Place 1 radish on top of each of 4 cupcakes, and add green-frosted cornflakes for leaves.

8. Carrots: Cut 2 of the orange fruit chews in half; shape each piece into a small carrot. Shape remaining 6 fruit chews into 6 large carrots. Score the sides of carrots with a knife and rub with cinnamon for “dirt.” Use a toothpick to make a small hole in the large end of each carrot. Cut 2 of the green fruit chews into thin strips and roll each strip between fingers to look like carrot tops. Press 4 or 5 strips into the hole in the top of each carrot. Arrange carrots on top of 5 cupcakes.

9. Peas: Roll out each of the remaining 5 green fruit chews into a 3 x 1-in. oval 1/8-in. thick. Press 4 green M&M’s onto one side of each oval. Fold the other side over to cover the candies slightly. Pinch the ends and place 1 pea pod on top of each of 5 cupcakes. Cut thin strips from AirHeads and arrange around the pea pods as vines.

10. Insert the pretzel end of each sign into tops of 4 cupcakes. Place at the head of the rows. Insert the shovel blades into frosting of 2 cupcakes; scatter sunflower seeds around shovels. Place in rows with radishes and lettuce. 

Note: Chocolate-covered sunflower seeds can be found at Trader Joe’s and the Sweet Factory at most malls, as well as online.

The Garden Party cupcakes are adapted from the book Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. Copyright© 2008 by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 

From Woman's Day March 4, 2008