Garden Party

By Staff
Spring sweets a treat for the entire family
What a pleasure to think about spring and how to celebrate during this most welcome season. Everyone is ready to experience the return of warmer weather, spring flowers and bright colorful baking ideas. Include the entire family for an afternoon of baking fun and laughter.
Keep the pantry stocked with ready to use cake mixes, sugar cookie mixes, frostings and a variety of Easter candies in pastel colors to decorate Flower Cupcakes, Bonnets, Bird's Nest Cookies and Bumble Bees. These treats will be a welcome surprise to share with family and friends and will add a festive touch to the dinner table. Starburst Jellybeans are not just for Easter, they are available all year and are perfect for children to create flowers and abstract designs on cakes and cupcakes. They are great for birthday parties and school activities.
For more holiday recipes, decorating, gift ideas and family fun activities go to www.marsbrightideas.com
Bird's Nest Cookies
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
2 sticks butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups M&M'S Speckled Milk Chocolate Eggs
1. Preheat oven to 300¡F. Spread coconut on non-greased cookie sheet. Toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until light golden,
about 25 minutes.
2. Remove coconut from cookie
sheet and set aside.
3. Increase oven temperature to
350¡F. In large bowl, add butter
and sugar and whip until light
and fluffy; beat in egg and
vanilla.
4. In medium bowl, combine flour
and salt. Blend into creamed mixture.
5. Form dough into 1 1/4-inch
balls. Roll heavily in toasted coconut.
6. Place coconut cookies 2 inches
apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Make indentation with
thumb in center of each cookie. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Remove cookies and cool completely. Fill indentations with chocolate eggs.
Makes 3 dozen cookies.
Flower Cupcakes
1 box (18.25 ounces)
yellow cake mix
1 container white
frosting
1 bag Starburst Jellybeans,
Original or Tropical
Fruits
1. Make cupcakes according to package directions.
2. Spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes and place jellybeans
on top in a flower design.
Makes 1 dozen cupcakes.
Bumble Bees
Starburst Fruit Chews or yellow construction paper
3 Dove Truffle Eggs or
Snickers Eggs
1 tube decorative yellow
icing
M&M'S Milk Chocolate
Candies for Easter or
Skittles Candies for Easter
1. To make wings, unwrap fruit chews and soften in microwave for 5 seconds. Then thinly roll and cut into teardrops for bumble bee's wings. Or cut 12 teardrops from construction paper for wings.
2. Unwrap eggs and place both halves flat on a counter.
3. With decorative icing, pipe lines over eggs. Dot candy with icing and press onto eggs for eyes.
4. Dot each wing with icing and press underneath eggs, one wing on either side of egg.
Bonnets
1 package refrigerated sugar
cookie dough or ten 4 1/2-inch cookies
10 medium cupcakes (2 1/2- inch), store bought or homemade
2 containers (16 ounces) white frosting
Food coloring
1 bag M&M'S Milk Chocolate
Candies for Easter
Starburst Jellybeans
Skittles Candies for Easter
Starburst Fruit Chews
1. Roll sugar cookie dough to 1/4 inch thickness and press out ten 4 1/2-inch cookies. Bake the cookies according
to directions on the package. Set aside.
2. Remove paper cupcake liner from cupcakes. Slice off rounded top of cupcake
3. Ice top of cupcake with 1 tablespoon frosting. Turn cupcake upside down and place on the cookie. Set "cookie hats" on wire rack.
4. Divide icing into 4 bowls. Beginning with a few drops of food coloring, tint icing to desired pastel shade. One at a time, place icing into microwave for
15 seconds. Stir icing and check consistency for pourable consistency.
5. Pour frosting over "hats," covering them completely. Set aside for 10 minutes.
6. Decorate using candies.
7. To make hat ribbons, unwrap fruit chews and soften in microwave for 5 seconds. Then thinly roll and cut into thin ribbons and wrap around the hats.
Makes 10 bonnets.