Mortarboard Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place miniature paper baking cups in 24 mini muffin cups, 1 3/4x1 inch. Make cake batter as directed on box. Fill cups 2/3 full of batter (about 1 rounded tablespoon each). Refrigerate remaining batter.
• Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; cool. Repeat with remaining batter. (Leave paper baking cups on cupcakes so mortarboards are quicker and easier to make and more portable to serve.)
• To make tassels: Cut sixty 2 1/2-inch lengths from fruit snack rolls. Cut each into several strips up to 1/2 inch from 1 end. Roll uncut end between fingertips to make tassels. Or cut several pieces of shoestring licorice into 2 1/2-inch lengths.
• Tint frosting with food color to match paper baking cups. Frost bottoms of cookies. Place 1 candy on center of each. For each mortarboard, place small dollop of frosting on bottom of cupcake; top with cookie. Press uncut end of fruit snack or 3 or 4 pieces of licorice into frosted cookie next to candy. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• 1- Heat oven to 350°. Line 24 mini muffin cups, 1 3/4 x 1 inch, with mini paper baking cups. Make cake mix as directed on package, using water, oil and eggs. Fill cups 2/3 full (about 1 rounded tablespoon each). Refrigerate remaining batter.2- Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean. Remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. (Leave paper baking cups on cupcakes so mortarboards are quicker and easier to make and more portable for serving.)3- To make tassels, cut sixty 2 1/2-inch lengths from fruit snack rolls. Cut each length into several strips up to 1/2 inch from one end. Roll uncut end between fingertips to make fringes on ends of tassels. Or cut several pieces of shoestring licorice into 2 1/2-inch lengths.4- Frost bottoms of cookies. Place 1 candy on center of bottom of each cookie. Turn cupcakes upside down so bottom side is up. For each mortarboard, place small dollop of frosting on bottom of cupcake top with cookie. Press uncut end of fruit snack or 3 or 4 pieces of licorice into frosted cookie next to candy. Store loosely covered.High Altitude (3500 to 6500 feet): Heat oven to 375°. Make cake mix following high-altitude directions on package for cupcakes. Fill cups 1/2 full. Bake 17 to 20 minutes. About 90 mini-cupcakes.1 Cupcake: Calories 145 (Calories from Fat 65) Fat 7g (Saturated 3g) Cholesterol 15mg Sodium 110mg Carbohydrate 19g (Dietary Fiber 0g) Protein 1g. % Daily Value: Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 2%.Betty's Tip: Share these cupcakes with family and friends of your graduate, using paper baking cups that match school or class colors. You can even tint the frosting with food color to match the baking cups.From "Betty Crocker's Ultimate Cake Mix Cookbook." Text Copyright 2004 General Mills, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Steps:

• Remove paper liners from peanut butter cups; place upside down on waxed paper. Place a small amount of frosting on each peanut butter cup; center a mint on each. Using frosting, make a loop for each cap's tassel. Place an M&M on top of each loop.