Spaghetti & Meatballs Cupcakes

I'm not a big prankster so the fun of April Fool's Day is usually lost on me. However, I embrace any opportunity to play with food...and we all know how much I love meatballs!

Spaghetti and Meatballs Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 white cake mix (9 oz)

1 cream cheese or vanilla frosting (16 oz)

3 drops of yellow food coloring

3/4 cup low sugar strawberry preserves (I added a drop of red food coloring)

11  hazelnut chocolates (Ferrero Rocher) – unwrapped

2 tablespoons grated white chocolate (optional)

Directions:

Make your cupcakes according to box instructions and let them cool.

Tint the frosting with the yellow food coloring. Spread a thin layer of tinted frosting on top of the cupcakes. Arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter, touching.

Spoon the remaining tinted frosting into a Ziploc bag. Snip a small corner from the bag (1/8 inch).

Now, have fun piping the frosting all over the cupcakes to make the noodles (this was my favorite part). Make sure to pile the “noodles” high and have some of the “noodles” hang over the edges of the cupcakes.

Mix the chocolates with the strawberry preserves in a bowl to coat. Spoon some of the preserves on top of each cupcake. Place a chocolate on top of each cupcake. With a spoon, drizzle cupcakes with the remaining strawberry preserves.

Sprinkle the grated white chocolate over the cupcakes to look like Parmesan cheese (optional).

Happy April Fool's Day!

Be careful, the meatballs tend to roll off...onto the floor!

Nope, that was my husband...the Meatball Bandit!

(Original recipe from Hip2Save)