Mini Cupcake Mortarboards

Ingredients

• 60 servings purple gel food coloring 
• 60  fruit 
• 4.5 oz twist and ends together to make a rough knob. cover (any flavor)
• 60  shortbread cookies (from two 10-oz packages)
• 1 container vanilla frosting 
• 1 box duncan hines classic decadent cake mix (any flavor)

Equipment

• oven
• toothpicks
• muffin liners

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350F (325F for dark or nonstick pans).
2. Place miniature paper baking cups in 24 mini muffin cups, 1 3/4x1 inch. Make cake batter as directed on box. Fill cups 2/3 full of batter (about 1 rounded tablespoon each). Refrigerate remaining batter.
3. Bake 10 to 15 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.)
4. Cut sixty 2 1/2-inch lengths from fruit snack rolls.
5. Cut each into several strips up to 1/2 inch from 1 end.
6. Roll uncut end between fingertips to make tassels. Or cut several pieces of shoestring licorice into 2 1/2-inch lengths.
7. Tint frosting with food color to match paper baking cups. Frost bottoms of cookies.
8. 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.