Cupcake Sliders a la Lizzie

Boo! Happy Halloween! My very sweet friend Lizzie (aka the Slider Queen of DC) made the cutest dessert I've ever seen.  Actually, Lizzie claims that she doesn't know how to cook.  She is bluffing.  Everything that I've eaten from Lizzie's kitchen has always been delicious.  I think her I-don't-cook thing is an elaborate front so that she doesn't have to feed all of us more often.  Anyway, these cupcakes are adorable and would be perfect for an child's party or whimsical affair of any kind.  I only wish I'd actually gotten to EAT one of them.  Next time. Take it away, Lizzie...

Cupcake Sliders a la Lizzie
Ingredients:
Vanilla  Cupcake Mix
Chocolate Cupcake Mix
Eggs, oil, and water (for cupcakes)
2 containers vanilla icing
Coconut Flakes
Yellow Sprinkles
Red, yellow and green food coloring

1. Bake vanilla cupcakes with your favorite recipe or use a mix from a box (like I did). DO NOT use cupcake liners, but grease and flour the pan so they easily pop out. (Don't forget this step!).

2. Bake chocolate cupcakes. (either use 2 cupcake trays or thoroughly clean between vanilla & chocolate batches). Again, DO NOT use cupcake liners.

3. When vanilla cupcakes are cool, cut them in half horizontal-wise with a serrated knife to create the "bun."

4. When chocolate cupcakes are cool, cut them in half horizontal-wise and save the cupcake top as the "meat." You can discard the bottoms or EAT them as a well-deserved treat!

5. Use ample amounts of food coloring to mix a batch of red icing ("ketchup") and another batch of yellow icing ("mustard"). I had problems with making the white icing truly red... but luckily the pinkish color I made did the trick!

6. Pour some of the coconut in a bowl and pour a few drops of green food coloring in it. Stir with a fork until the coconut is light green in color like "lettuce." Be careful because lots of food coloring will stain!

7. Lightly dampen burger "lids" with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds so they stick a little... I used yellow sprinkles instead and that seemed to work just fine.
8. To create the burger layers...put red icing on the bottom bun, put yellow icing on the top bun, then add a little bit of the "lettuce," then add the "meat," and then add the lid.

9. Finish by using a toothpick to keep it all together!

Serve and enjoy!

Note: If you're in a hurry, you can purchase the red and yellow pre-colored icing in a tube.

One Year Ago (A recipe from my OTHER Corcoran Sister): Thanksgiving Ice Cream Cake

Two Years Ago: Warm Quinoa, Spinach, and Shiitake Salad