Rainbow (Cupcake) Connection

I made these rainbow cupcakes for the first day of spring. I think they turned out adorably fun. I take zero credit for the idea. I don’t claim to have invented them. I didn’t perfect them. I didn’t enhance them. I just looked at a photo @mamakat9 posted at Instagram and thought they needed to get in my belly.

They are totally self-explanatory. Make your favorite cupcake. Tint your favorite frosting blue. Mini marshmallows make sweet puffy clouds and…what are those rainbow things? Huh. Some kind of candy. No worry, I said to myself. I’ll find it.

Ryley, Sam, Tommy, and Beatrix were with me at the store. We stood in the candy aisle. I said, “Guys! Help me find this one candy. It’s flat and sugary with rainbow stripes. Flatish. Bendy. With stripes and colors and flat. Look for something flat. And rainbowish.” Armed with this detailed information, the kids looked at me like I was crazy. They asked if it was sour and I said it looked sour since it had visible sugary crystals on top. Then I had a very bright idea. I found the photo at Instagram and showed it to them.

“Mom! Those are AIRHEADS. GAW.” Withering looks. We found Airheads, but not rainbow-striped. Heads hung low, we exited the candy aisle. Then I had Bright Idea #2. There is a rack of candy near the pharmacy. Everyone knows sick people are vulnerable to gorging themselves on Sour Patch Kids, out of their minds with disease. There, we made the rainbow connection. I’m including a photo because not knowing exactly which candy to use was the only glitch. They are silly-easy to assemble.

Rainbow Cupcakes

Birds fly over the rainbow, why oh why can't I?

cute, right?

Here is the candy. I bought two packs, but one was enough for 24 cupcakes. I cut the strips into pieces, eyeballing them to be around 1 1/2 inches.

The TOP SECRET ingredient