Playing Koi Cupcakes

Playing Koi Makes 1 pond: 24 koi cupcakes Koi made from circus peanuts transform a simple platter of cupcakes into a golden pond. You'll be amazed at how easy it is to make the bodies and fins. The fish float on overlapping blue and white paper bubbles.

Ingredients:

• 24 vanilla cupcakes baked in blue paper liners
• 1 can (16 ounces) plus 1/2 cup vanilla frosting
• Blue food coloring
• 48 orange circus peanuts
• 48 orange peanut-butter-filled candy-coated chocolates(peanut butter M&M’s)
• 24 orange cereal O's (Froot Loops, Apple Jacks)
• 48 brown mini chocolates (M&M’s Minis)
• White and light blue candy-coated chocolates (M&M’s) for serving (optional)
• White and light blue paper circles (optional)

Instructions:

1. Spoon 1/2 cup of the vanilla frosting into a small ziplock bag, press out the air, seal, and set aside.

2. Tint the remaining can of vanilla frosting pale blue with a few drops of the blue food coloring. Cover and set aside.

3. Place 24 of the circus peanuts on their sides and cut lengthwise into 2 slices, to make 48 slices for the fins. Lay each slice flat and cut each in half on the diagonal to make 96 pieces.

4. For the bodies, place the remaining 24 circus peanuts flat side down and make a diagonal cut from one short end, removing no more than 1/4 inch.

5. Spread the tops of the cupcakes with the light blue frosting and smooth. Place 1 of the circus-peanut bodies on top of each of the frosted cupcakes. Arrange the fins, pointed ends up, placing 2 at the uncut end of the circus-peanut body and 2 on either side in the middle.

6. Snip a small corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting. Pipe a large dot of frosting at the cut end of the circus peanut body. Press 2 orange candies into the dot of frosting for the eyes and the cereal O for the mouth. Pipe small dots of vanilla frosting on the orange candies and add the brown candies for the pupils. Repeat on all of the koi bodies with the remaining frosting and candies.

7. If you like, arrange the cupcakes on a surface with circles cut from white and blue paper and sprinkle the platter with white and light blue candies.

For this recipe or other recipes, consult the What's New Cupcake? book