Pixie Cakes Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

1 box (16 ounces) angel-food cake mix

¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Topping:

2 cups blue candy melts

1 container (.25 ounces) white cake sparkles (wilton.com)

1 cup flaked coconut

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Method:

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Line 24 muffin cups. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Stir in almond extract, if desired.

2 Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed and golden. Cool pan on a wire rack.

3 To decorate, line 3 cookie sheets with wax paper. Microwave candy melts on high for 15 seconds. Stir; microwave at 10-second intervals until smooth. Spoon into a heavy resealable bag. Snip a small corner and pipe 24 2½X2-inch pairs of fairy wings onto the sheets, leaving a stem at the bottom to insert into cupcake. Top with sparkles. Refrigerate until set, about 5 minutes.

4 Poke two small holes in the top of each cupcake with a toothpick, and insert wings into cupcakes. Place coconut in between wings and sift on sugar.

Nutrition per cupcake: 175 calories; 2g protein; 6g fat (5g saturated fat); 28g carbohydrate; 1g fiber; 82mg calcium; 0mg iron; 184mg sodium.

kitchen tip:

Work quickly when placing the fairy wings on top of each cupcake. Because they’re made from melted candy, the warmth from your hands will soften them if you hold them too long.

Pixie Cakes Cupcakes