For many adults, the holidays are transformed by the chance to experience the wonders of the season through the eyes of children. There's no better way to elicit a merry twinkle all around than by creating festive holiday treats together in the kitchen.

Getting kids involved in holiday baking and decorating is a perfect opportunity to let their imaginations run wild, and colorful frosting and candies are a great way to brighten up holiday treats. An option such as Jelly Belly jelly beans lets you choose from an array of flavors and colors, including the shimmering Jelly Belly Jewel Collection that can add sparkle to your baking.

In this easy dessert, perfect as a centerpiece the kids can proudly display at a holiday gathering, the season is even sweeter when jelly beans stand in for ornaments adorning a cupcake tree.

For more imaginative holiday desserts that create special holiday memories, visit www.jellybelly.com, or to watch a step-by-step video, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhOf5WgAha0.

Trim the Tree Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 can (16 ounces), plus 1 cup vanilla frosting
• Green food coloring
• 4 jumbo cupcakes, baked in green paper liners
• 4 standard cupcakes, baked in green paper liners
• 4 mini cupcakes, baked in green paper liners
• 1 cup (about 8 ounces) assorted green Jelly Belly jelly beans in flavors such as Kiwi, Lime, Green Apple and Sour Apple
• 1 cup assorted Jelly Belly jelly beans in flavors such as Red Apple, Sour Orange, Berry Blue, Bubble Gum and Lemon Drop
• 4 yellow Sunkist Fruit Gems
• 1 cup Coconut Jelly Belly jelly beans

Preparation

1. Tint vanilla frosting dark green with food coloring. Spoon some frosting into freezer-weight zipper bag or pastry bag fitted with a small star tip. Snip small (1/8-inch) corner from zipper bag.
2. Trim tops of jumbo and standard cupcakes to make flat.
3. Spread thin layer of frosting on each cupcake. Pipe green frosting around cupcake edges, always pulling frosting away from center. Pipe second row of frosting inside first, overlapping slightly. Leave center of cupcake open. Cover tops of mini cupcakes completely.
4. Stack cupcakes to make tree shape with jumbo cupcakes as the base, a standard cupcake in the middle and a mini cupcake on top, pressing each layer to secure.
5. Press green jelly beans randomly over all cupcakes. Cut remaining colored jelly beans in half crosswise. Press cut sides of beans into frosting to show as lights, all over cupcakes.
6. Using small 1-inch star cookie cutter or scissors, cut yellow fruit candies into star shapes for the tops of trees. Press star candies on top of cupcakes.
7. Arrange Coconut jelly beans all around base of cupcake trees to represent snow.

Sponsored by Jelly Belly