The Crazy Simple Life

Last summer, the sports-fanatic (hubby) and I attended the wedding of my friend Karin and her now-husband, Phil. The reception was fun and playful, with hula hoops, a soft-serve ice cream machine, and these delightful burger cupcakes. They were so cute, I just had to make them myself. Here's my take on them.

You'll need:

2 dozen yellow cupcakes* (Make your own or use the Enhanced Cake Formula)

1 pan of brownies**

Sesame seeds

3 ounces sweetened flaked coconut

2-3 drops green food coloring

1/2 cup frosting, tinted red (Make your own or use the Buttercream Dream recipe)

1/2 cup frosting, tinted yellow

* When the cupcakes come out of the oven, sprinkle them with sesame seeds. If you've used cupcake liners, you'll need to remove them before proceeding.

** If you use a box mix of brownies, make the recipe for "cake-like" brownies - with three eggs. Then pour the batter into a baking sheet and bake for about 1/2 hour.

Slice each cupcake in half as shown.

Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut the "burger patties" out of the brownie pan. I've used a scalloped shape here, but a regular biscuit cutter is fine. If you don't have one, you can use a tin can.

Spread a little frosting on the bottom half of the cupcake and set the brownie on top.

Toss the shaved coconut with the green food coloring until it's nicely tinted.

Sprinkle some of the shaved coconut on top of the brownie.

Put the red and yellow frosting into piping bags with #2 tips. Squeeze this "ketchup" and "mustard" onto the patties. Make sure it falls over the sides a bit so it can be seen once the burgers are assembled.

Put the top of the cupcake in place and you're done! Well, maybe... The only thing that might be missing is a sweet topping that resembles cheese. I'm tapped for ideas, but if you have any, please share them in the comment box below!