Mini Easter Basket Spring Cupcakes

Hey All! Did you know Easter is this month? I just realized that a couple days ago.  It's March 27th so earlier this year instead of in April.  So it's a good thing I started thinking about Easter treats earlier than normal this year.  

Tiny things are my favorite.  I love anything tiny or mini - you know stuff that's usually normal size.  

And tiny Easter baskets with mini decorated eggs?! Heck yes!

One of my favorite candies that comes out in the Spring is Cadbury Mini Eggs.  Yummy chocolate covered with a sugar shell.  Totally delish.  This year I found them in all white eggs.  

I knew they would be perfect to decorate like little Easter eggs using edible food writers.

I have yet to dye actual hard boiled eggs with my kids.  Is that terrible or what?? In my defense, when they were little I just couldn't deal with the mess that it made.  My kids are only 2 years apart and with a set of twins it was just too much chaos for here for awhile! We did decorate eggs with stickers, markers or we did egg hunts with filled plastic eggs in the backyard.  We just never did the dunk and dye them part.  Plus they don't like hard boiled eggs so no one would ever eat them! Now since they are 11 and almost 9, I kinda think its too late to start that tradition. 

But I usually do find an activity for them to do so I got them to help decorate these little mini eggs this year and they loved it.  They got creative decorating and it was pretty quick - not to mention no mess ;)

The baskets are made using a plastic mold that was a frozen food tray.  It was the perfect size and shape for the basket part of an Easter basket.  The handles are made from pieces of licorice.

Super cute little Easter baskets.  Add them to cupcakes or your favorite sweet treat!

Thanks for stopping by! Can't wait for the Spring weather to come back and hang around for long long while!

How to Make Mini Easter Basket Cupcakes

Makes 12-15 Cupcakes

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 box of cake mix
• 1 can of frosting tinted green
• 1/2 cup of melting candy wafers in various colors (for the basket)
• Licorice in rainbow colors
• Edible grass
• Cadbury mini eggs in white
• Edible food writers in various colors

Directions:

1. For baskets: melt each color in microwave safe bowl in 25 second intervals.  Stir until melted.  Spread candy along sides and bottom of mold (as in picture).  Refrigerate for 5 minutes.  Once candy is hardened pop candy out of mold. 
2. Cut lengths of licorice long enough to make a handle and reach each side of basket.  Use some leftover melted candy to attach as basket handle.  Hold in place until candy hardens. 
3. Add some edible grass to basket.
4. For eggs: decorate mini eggs with edible food writers in various designs (dots, stripes, hearts, etc)
5. Prepare cupcakes as per the box directions.
6. Pipe icing on with grass decorating tip onto cupcakes.
7. Add basket on top of each cupcake.