Early Bird Nest

Ingredients:

• ½ cup light blue melting chocolate wafers
• ¼ cup shredded coconut
• 1 can (16 oz.) Classic Creamy Vanilla Frosting
• 1 ½ cups chow mein noodles
• 4 to 5 orange gummy worms
• 1 thin pretzel stick
• ¼ cup blue decorating sugar
• 6 mini brown candy coated chocolates
• 3 yellow pieces of taffy
• 3 standard Duncan Hines chocolate cupcakes baked in white paper liners
• 15 mini Duncan Hines chocolate cupcakes baked in white paper liners
• Brown, black, red, and blue food coloring

Directions:

1. Line a sheet pan with wax paper. Microwave the blue candy melts, stirring frequently in a small microwave proof bowl until smooth, about 30 seconds. Spoon into a small ziplock bag.
2. Snip a small corner from bag and pipe an outline of wings, 2 ½"x½" semi circle, fill in with remaining chocolate. Tap sheet pan lightly to smooth surface. Add a pinch of coconut to one end of each wing. Repeat to make 6 wings, making sure to alternate coconut ends . Refrigerate until set; about 5 minutes.
3. Tint 1 cup of the frosting light blue. Spoon 1 Tbsp. of the frosting into a small freezer bag. Tint 1 Tbsp. of the frosting red and spoon into a small freezer bag. Tint 1 Tbsp. frosting black and spoon into a small freezer bag. Tint the remaining frosting light brown.
4. Spread the light brown frosting over all but 3 of the cupcakes and the mini cupcakes. Arrange the chow mein noodles to look like twigs for the nest. Add a few worms to the nests. Snip a very small corner from the bag with the black frosting and pipe 2 black dots for eyes on the worms.
5. Spread the blue frosting on top of the 3 remaining mini and 3 standard cupcakes. Place the decorating sugar in a small bowl and roll the edges of the standard cupcakes in sugar.
6. Arrange the 3 large cupcakes in the center of a serving platter. Place the mini blue cupcakes on their sides on top of the cupcakes. Add some coconut as white feathers in front. Carefully peel wings from the wax paper and press onto either side of the head.
7. Roll out each piece of taffy to a 2"x1" rectangle. Trim ¾" from both sides of each short end to make beak. Press a knife crosswise, to mark in half and fold beak at seam. Add to the top edge of the bird cupcakes as the open beak.
8. For the bird with worm; Insert the pretzel stick 1" into the worm. Make a hole in the center of the yellow candy, large enough to fit the pretzel stick. Add the beak to the top edge of the cupcake and insert the worm with the pretzel.
9. Snip a very small corner from the bags with the white and red frosting. Pipe a red tongue on the yellow candy. Pipe a white dot on either side of the beak and attach the brown candies. Pipe a small line for the sparkle in the eye.
10. Arrange the mini cupcakes as the nest around the bird cupcakes.

Source: DuncanHines.com