Cupcakes for your end of the year party

Mortar board cupcakes...

Ingredients:

• 1 box cake mix (Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box)
• 1 box Fruit by the Foot chewy fruit snack rolls (any flavor) or shoestring licorice 
• 1 container vanilla frosting
• Food coloring 
• 60 square shortbread cookies
• 60 candy-coated chocolate or fruit-flavored candies

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place miniature paper baking cups in 24 mini muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box. Fill cups 2/3 full of batter. Refrigerate remaining batter.
2. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; cool. Repeat with remaining batter. (Leave paper baking cups on cupcakes so mortarboards are quicker and easier to make and more portable to serve.)
3. To make tassels: Cut sixty 2 1/2-inch lengths from fruit snack rolls. Cut each into several strips up to 1/2 inch from 1 end. Roll uncut end between fingertips to make tassels. Or cut several pieces of shoestring licorice into 2 1/2-inch lengths.
4. Tint frosting with food color to match paper baking cups. Frost bottoms of cookies. Place 1 candy on center of each. For each mortarboard, place small dollop of frosting on bottom of cupcake; top with cookie. Press uncut end of fruit snack or 3 or 4 pieces of licorice into frosted cookie next to candy. Store loosely covered.

Savvy Tip:  Buy paper baking cups in your school colors, and dye the frosting with food coloring to match!