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First Birthday Cupcakes for Bug Lovers

By Chef Jennifer Scher

The Magical Caterpillar


Turn a line of cupcakes into a happy rainbow caterpillar

Ingredients:
Food coloring
Fondant – ready-to-roll, in white, blue or black (if you can't find it locally, get it here; or use marzipan)
A large tray or platter
Licorice (licorice "shoelaces" work best)
Rainbow sprinkles, edible glitter or sparkling sugar

1.    Bake 11 regular size or mini cupcakes, and let them cool
2.    Divide basic vanilla butter cream icing or cream cheese icing (see below) into 6 small bowls
3.    Experiment with food coloring until you find your favorite colors. If you love pink, simply add one drop of red food coloring to the icing. How about turquoise? Just add one drop of green and two drops of blue to the icing. Continue until you have six different colors
4.    If you have white fondant or marzipan, knead a pea-size piece with some black or blue food color
5.    Ice 11 cupcakes (because a real caterpillar has 10 abdominal segments and a head; if you need more than 11 cupcakes, make an extra long caterpillar or two anatomically correct ones). Make the head one color, and then mix and match the other five colors for the body.
6.    Now make the eyes. Take a small amount of blue or black fondant (or marzipan), form it into two small balls and attach to the head cupcake
7.    On your tray (cover the tray first for added decorative effect), place the 11 cupcakes in an "S" shape to give the illusion of movement .
8.    Cut the licorice into 2-inch-long segments and place them along each side of the caterpillar
9.    Now add rainbow sprinkles, edible glitter or sparkling sugar galore!

Next: Lady bugs for your little bug