Earth Day Cupcakes

Earth Day Cupcakes

If you need an Earth Day idea for whipping up at home with the kids, taking to the office or sharing with your child’s class this one is perfect! A simple box mix and store bought frosting become something special with a few added ingredients, and a creative finish.  Resembling freshly turned earth and a tree just planted, to honor Earth Day this topping is fun, simple  and pretty to create. Set up a small assembly line to put these cupcakes together and have them turned out in no time.

Ingredients:

1 box devil’s cake mix

1 container chocolate frosting

16 Oreo’s or other chocolate sandwich cookie

large package gummi worms

24 small lollipops

24 paper cupcake liners

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare cake mix according to package directions, except use  applesauce for oil.

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Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.

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Bake for 18-20 minutes, stick a toothpick in center to check for doneness- if toothpick comes out clean they are ready.

Allow cupcakes to cool completely.

While cupcakes are cooling- pull apart chocolate sandwich cookies and scrape out white filling (what you do with the filling is up to you, no judgment here)

Place cookies in blender, food processor, or coffee grinder and pulse until they are crushed into a fine  powder.

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Stir 1 tsp. of almond extract into frosting container.

Lightly frost cupcakes.

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Pour crushed cookies into a shallow bowl, and dip cupcakes into the cookies, coating frosting well.

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Decorate with gummy worms and opened sour apple lollipop.

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 Be sure to check out the Earth Day Word Search ^[7] and Earth Day Freebies ^[8]!