Cupcakes... err, Monstercakes!

So I got this idea from somewhere in the blogosphere- you use Hostess Snoballs as the monsters since they're round and the coconut looks like monster fur.

 I used Wilton's spray-on food coloring, which I had also used for Lily's baptismal cake.  It's incredibly easy, not to mention fun, to use.  Also, the colors matched up to Elmo and Cookie Monster surprisingly well.

 The cupcakes themselves were loosely based on a Bon Appetit recipe for an eggless cocoa cake with a peanut butter/mascarpone frosting.  We ended up with a lot of extra frosting because I only needed to use a little bit to secure the Snoball to the cupcake.

 The pre-party excitement was a bit much for Lils and she just wanted to be held.  After my arm started to fall off, I had to put her in her high chair, so she could still be in the center of the action.

 I used white Candy Melts as the eye balls (I made slits in the Snoballs and secured the Candy Melts in the slits).  Eyeballs and Elmo's mouth were drawn on with frosting dyed black.  For Cookie Monster's mouth, I cut a slit and inserted a chocolate chip cookie.  For Elmo's nose, I secured an orange fruit snack with a tooth pick.

 The final product!  I wish that Elmo's mouth was a little more realistic but I was a bit pressed for time and quite frankly, tired of dealing with the cupcakes by then.

 Well, I was tired of them until Lily started making faces like these!  She took a little while to warm up and figure them out but once she did...

 ...she was in love!

 She could not believe that something as wonderful as a cupcake exists.

 She was quite content, eating her cupcake and occasionally waving at our party-goers.

 She even gave me a taste.

And we put her straight in the bath afterward!  Once Lils was asleep, the remaining "kids" hit up the hot tub.  We had such a great time with our friends and family.  The past few months have been kind of lonely as we adjust to our new California life and I wish we got to see everyone more.  But we'll take nights like these when we can get them.  :)