Slumber Party

Makes 6 sleepyhead cupcakes

A slumber party is a dream for the kids but can be a nightmare for the parents. The drowsy tots on board these cupcakes may be the only ones sleeping, so serve with glasses of warm milk to ease the party into dreamland.

• 6 vanilla cupcakes baked in white paper liners
• 1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
• Orange, yellow, and green food coloring (available at baking supply stores or see Sources)
• ½ cup chocolate frosting
• 6 marshmallows
• 2 small pink jelly beans (Jelly Bellys)
• 2 each light pink, dark pink, yellow, orange, blue, purple, and green fruit chews (Starbursts, Laffy Taffys, Airheads)
• 6 mini vanilla wafers
• Pink and red heart decors
• 2 bear-shaped graham crackers (Teddy Grahams)
• Red sprinkles

1. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the vanilla frosting into a small ziplock bag, press out the excess air, and seal. Tint 2 tablespoons of the vanilla frosting each with the orange, yellow, and green food coloring and spoon into separate small ziplock bags. Press out the excess air and seal the bags. Place the chocolate frosting in a ziplock bag, press out the excess air and seal.
2. Spread the top of the cupcakes with the remaining 1½ cups vanilla frosting and smooth. Cut the marshmallows in half lengthwise. Place 1 marshmallow piece, lengthwise and cut side down, on the lower half of one of the cupcakes. Place another marshmallow piece crosswise, cut side down, near the top edge of the cupcake to make the pillow. Repeat with the remaining 5 cupcakes. On one of the cupcakes, press the jelly beans into the frosting at the bottom edge, just below the end of the marshmallow, to make the feet.
   
3. Working with 2 like-colored fruit chews at a time, heat them in the microwave for 2 to 3 seconds to soften. Press the fruit chews together and roll out on a sheet of wax paper to 1/16 inch thick. Cut a 2-inch square from all but the purple fruit-chew piece and a 2-by- ½-inch strip from the scraps. Using craft scissors with a decorative edge, cut along one side of each strip to make a zigzag blanket edge. Press contrasting colors of fruit-chew squares and strips together to make the blankets with borders. Cut a ¾-by-1½-inch rectangle from the rolled-out purple fruit-chew piece. Cut a ¾-inch square from the scraps of the yellow fruit chews and place on one side of the purple fruit chew. Fold the purple fruit chew over the yellow to make a book.
4. Snip a 1/16-inch corner from each of the 5 bags with the frostings. Pipe a dot of frosting on the marshmallow pillow and add the vanilla wafer, flat side down. Using the orange, yellow, or chocolate frosting, pipe hair along the top edge of each wafer. Pipe the children’s eyelids or eyebrows with chocolate frosting and the eyes with a dot of vanilla frosting, then a dot of chocolate. Pipe a dot of vanilla frosting for the mouths and add the pink or red heart decors. Pipe the teddy bear’s eyes and mouth with chocolate frosting. Pipe a tiny dot of vanilla frosting for the bear’s nose and add a red sprinkle. On the cover of the book, pipe a ghost with vanilla frosting and writing with chocolate frosting.
5. Press the blankets over the marshmallow bodies and pipe decorations on top with the colored frosting. Attach the teddy bear cookies and the book with a dot of frosting.