PG TESTED

• 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
• Green food coloring
• 1 cupcake, any flavor
• Green frosting
• Yellow frosting
• 2 plain doughnut holes
• Toothpicks
• 1 orange gumdrop
• Black or blue decorating gel

Place coconut in a resealable plastic bag with a drop or two of green food coloring. Shake the bag to color the coconut. Transfer coconut to a bowl.

With a paring knife, remove a quarter-size portion of the center of the cupcake top. Frost the cupcake green, including the indentation. Dip the frosted cupcake into the coconut and add a dollop of yellow frosting to the indentation.

Trim a small slice off the doughnut holes so each one has a flat surface.

Skewer a doughnut hole on a toothpick, frost it with yellow frosting and place it in the cupcake indentation flat side up. Use the same technique to frost the second doughnut hole. Stack it on the first doughnut hole flat side down.

Cut a small beak from the gumdrop and push it onto the chick's head. Add two gel eyes.

-- familyfun.go.com

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PG TESTED

• 2 dozen white cupcakes
• About 4 cups buttercream frosting, divided
• Red food coloring
• 5 large marshmallows
• Pink sugar
• Candy decorations and sprinkles, as desired

Leave half of the buttercream frosting white and tint half pink using a few drops of red food coloring.

Frost cupcakes with pink frosting.

Spoon one heaping teaspoon of white frosting on center of each cupcake.

To make ears, cut each large marshmallow crosswise into five pieces using kitchen shears. Then cut through center of each marshmallow piece to within  1/4 inch of edge. Separate to look like bunny ears; press one side of cut edges into pink sugar, flattening slightly. Arrange on each of the white frosting mounds.

Use candy decorations and sprinkles to create eyes, nose and whiskers.

-- Adapted from www.bettycrocker.com

PG TESTED

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
• 3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 3 to 4 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Place butter in large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds.

Stop machine and add confectioner's sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and vanilla. Blend with mixer on low speed until sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more. Blend in up to 1 tablespoon milk if the frosting seems too stiff.

Use to frost cake or cupcakes of your choice.

-- "The Cake Mix Doctor" by Anne Byrn

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LAMB CUPCAKES

PG TESTED

• 1 white cupcake
• 1 tablespoon white buttercream frosting
• About 9 mini marshmallows, halved crosswise
• 1 full-size marshmallow, halved lengthwise, then diagonally to create lamb ears
• 2 dark-colored (i.e. brown, blue or purple) candy-coated chocolates
• Triangle cut from a piece of pink bubble gum

Frost cupcake with buttercream.

Arrange halved mini marshmallows around perimeter of cupcake in two concentric circles. Leave room for ears on edges and an empty circle in center for the face.

Place pieces cut from large marshmallow in reserved spots for ears.

Place two mini chocolate candies in upper half of each empty circle for eyes and bubble gum triangle for nose.

-- Adapted from www.marthastewart.com

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PG TESTED

• 1 tablespoon coconut
• 1 drop food coloring (your choice of color)
• 1 white cupcake
• 1 tablespoon buttercream frosting, tinted with same food coloring used for coconut
• 1 white pipe cleaner, cut in half
• 5 to 7 jelly beans

Place coconut and one drop food coloring in resealable bag; shake to tint coconut. Dump coconut into small bowl.

Frost cupcake with buttercream; dip frosted top into coconut to coat.

Bend pipe cleaner half and secure into opposite edges of cupcake to resemble basket handle.

Place jelly beans on top of coconut to represent Easter eggs on top of Easter basket grass.

-- Carolyn Beinlich, mother of freelance writer Rebecca Sodergren