Honoring Earth Day with Cupcakes

There are so many things to be thankful for on Earth Day. For example-earthworms. These little guys have a very important job. They turn organic matter into humus. Humus is the carbon and nutrient-rich soil other plants and creatures, including humans, benefit greatly from. Earthworms can eat particles in the soil and later excrete them to leave behind minerals and nutrients in ready-to-use form. They also help by creating burrows in the soil that improve aeration and drainage to maintain a good soil structure.

If cupcakes don’t sound appetizing after all that talk about worms, take a trip back to childhood with me. One of the easiest and most exciting desserts to have as a kid is “Worms ‘n’ Dirt.” Pop open some chocolate pudding, throw some crushed cookies on top and throw on some gummy worms. This recipe takes the classic Worms ‘n’ Dirt dessert a step further, as it is all held together by a cupcake.

To make 12 Worms ‘n’ Dirt Cupcakes, you will need:

12 cupcakes, flavor of your choice, cooled completely

1 1/2 cups frosting, colors of your choice

1 cup chocolate pudding

10 chocolate wafer cookies (I used Oreos)

1 bag gummy worms

pastry bags, food coloring and pastry tips (optional)

 

 

 

 

 

1. Use a small knife to cut out the centers of the cupcakes. Discard (aka EAT) the centers.

 

 

 

 

 

2. Use two small spoons to fill the empty centers with the chocolate pudding. I used store-bought pudding and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!

3. Crush all the chocolate wafer cookies. Do this by placing the cookies into a large plastic bag. Then roll back and forth over them with a rolling pin.

4. If you are feeling crazy, toss a handful of the crushed cookie crumbs into your frosting. It will give the frosting a bit more texture.

 

 

 

 

 

5. Either fill a pastry bag, snip off the end and frost the cupcakes, or plop a scoop of frosting on top of each cupcake and spread to the sides.

6. Pour the rest of your cookie crumbs into a small bowl. Dip the frosted cupcakes into the cookie crumbs to coat the top.

7. Top each cupcake with a gummy worm. If you have left over frosting, color it and use a large star tip to quickly and simply add a flower. It’s a nice gesture to give the worm a friend.

 

 

 

Store these cupcakes in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. If you omit the pudding filling, they do not need to be refrigerated. They will, however, still be delicious.

 

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