My daughters still talk about making these cupcakes for their little brother, whose birthday is near Easter.

All of the cupcake parts can be made ahead of time and either refrigerated (for a few days) or frozen (for more than a week).  We usually shop for the ingredients days ahead, make the cupcake batter and icing over one or two afternoons during the week, and then bake and decorate the cupcakes the day before the event.

Chick and Egg Cupcakes

(adapted from the Food Network)

For the cracked egg shapes, I would recommend using rolled fondant. Airheads, a taffy-like candy, is hard to find in white, and ours tended to flop over time.

Makes 24 cupcakes

• 1 batch Yellow Cupcakes and Butter Cream Icing
• green coconut grass (recipe below)
• 1 bag small malted speckled eggs
• yellow chick Peeps
• white AirHead candy (12 strips for 24 cracked eggs) or white rolled fondant

Press a circle of coconut grass on top of an iced cupcake. Nestle the malted eggs on top of the grass. Gently press the peep onto the center of the grass.

With scissors, cut the AirHead or fondant into a half circle.  Trim one side so it has a jagged cracked-egg look. Place the egg in front of chick.

Coconut Grass

• 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 to 2 teaspoons liquid green food coloring
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon liquid yellow food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
2. Toss the coconut in a large bowl while add food coloring drop by drop. A little more green than yellow makes a pretty grass color. Add a few tablespoons water to moisten the mixture and help spread the color evenly or if the color is too dark. Drain the coconut in a strainer.
3. Spread the coconut in an even layer on a lined baking sheet. Place in the oven until dry, about 10 to 15 minutes. Watch carefully so the grass does not turn brown.

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