Daisies, Phlox and Bees Cupcakes

Daisies: Put the flower petal template on a baking sheet and cover with wax paper. Put white chocolate melting wafers in a ziptop bag; do not seal. Microwave 10 seconds to soften. Squeeze, return to microwave and repeat until smooth. Press out excess air and seal. Snip a small corner from the bag. Pipe outline of the petal with melted chocolate and fill in with more chocolate. Tap pan lightly to settle. Repeat, making 108 petals. Refrigerate to set, about 5 minutes.

Phlox: Sprinkle work surface with the orange sugar. Press 2 orange spice drops together and roll out on the sugared surface to 1/16 in. thick. Follow the template (see Note in margin) to cut out the flower shapes with clean scissors. Repeat with the remaining sugar and the spice drops of each color to make about 30 flowers.

Bees: For each bee, cut a licorice lace into three 3/4-in. pieces; cut each in half lengthwise for antennae. Cut 3 pieces of licorice into 1/2-in. pieces and taper one end for the stinger.

Cut the blackberry candy in half crosswise. Place a yellow M&M flat against the cut side of the blackberry candy piece. Place the other cut end on the other side of the M&M, to sandwich. Trim a small slice from flat end of the blackberry candy. Attach 2 pieces of licorice as antennae, and another M&M as the head.

Spoon 1/4 cup vanilla frosting into a ziptop bag, press out excess air and seal. Spread remaining vanilla frosting on top of cupcakes.

Peel white chocolate petals from wax paper. Cut orange spice drops in half crosswise. Using about 6 petals per flower, arrange 3 flowers on each of six cupcakes. Place orange spice drops, cut side down, in center of petals. Add spearmint leaf slices.

Using 5 flowers per cupcake, arrange phlox on cupcakes. Pipe a small dot of white frosting in the center of each flower and add a sunflower seed. Add spearmint leaves.

Put 2 bee bodies on top of a cupcake. Add licorice stingers at tail ends. Press 2 almond slices into frosting as wings. Plan Ahead: You can make and decorate up to 2 days ahead. Cover; store at cool room temperature. Note: Chocolate-covered sunflower seeds can be found at Trader Joe’s and the Sweet Factory at most malls, as well as online.