Treasure Chest Cake

Treasure Chest Cake

1 box chocolate fudge cake mix

Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

Tray, 24x20 inches

Yellow and orange paste food colors

1 container (1 pound) creamy white frosting

Red pull-and-peel licorice

Gold foil-covered chocolate coins

Candy necklaces

Round hard candies

Gummy ring, halved

Heat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan, using water, oil and eggs. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

From center of cake, cut one 3-inch crosswise strip (see diagram). Cut the strip diagonally in half to make two 9-inch traingular wedges. (Discard 1 cake wedge or reserve for another use.)

On tray, place a 9x5-inch cake piece. Stir food colors into frosting to make a golden yellow. Spread 1 tablespoon of frosting on 1 edge of triangular wedge of cake. Attach wedge, frosting side down, to 9x5-inch cake piece on tray, placing wedge along top edge of larger cake piece. Freeze all cake pieces 1 hour.

Spread 1 tablespoon of frosting on top edge of triangular wedge of cake. Attach remaining 9x5-inch cake piece to cake wedge to look like partially opened treasure chest. Spread remaining frosting over entire cake. Pull fork through frosting to look like wood grain.

Use pull-and-peel licorice to make handles and straps. Fill chest with chocolate coins, candy necklaces, and other hard candies. Add gummy ring half for clasp.

Recipe and picture from BettyCrocker.com

Pirate Ship Sandwich

Pirate Ship Sandwich

1 small bunch romaine

1/4 cup Italian salad dressing

1 loaf (1 pound) Italian bread, unsliced

10 slices Colby cheese

1/3 pound sliced deli turkey

1/3 pound sliced deli ham

1/3 pound thinly sliced hard salami

3 pretzel rods

Remove 3 outer leaves of romaine for sails; set aside. Chop remaining romaine; toss with dressing. Cut bread into 20 slices, leaving slices attached at the bottom. Between every other slice of bread, layer the cheese, turkey, ham, salami and romaine mixture.

Poke two holes in each reserved lettuce leaf, one about two inches from the top and one about two inches from the bottom. Place a pretzel rod through both holes on each lettuce leaf forming a sail. Place sails in the sandwich.

To serve, cut completely through the bread between the plain slices.

Recipe and picture from TasteOfHome.com

Mermaid Tail Cookies

Mermaid Tail Cookies

Chilled sugar cookie dough

White cookie icing

Candy necklaces or other small candies

Colored sugar (optional)

Food decorator pens (optional)

Print out mermaid tail template and cut it out. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness, then use the template and a knife to cut out mermaid tail cookies. Bake the cookies according to the recipe directions and let them cool.

Working with one cookie at a time, spread cookie icing on the tail fin. Then spread more icing on a 2-inch section of the tail just above the fin and gently press candies into it, arranging them close together to resemble scales. Continue frosting and decorating the rest of the tail a section at a time until you reach the top. Or, you can simply sprinkle colored sugar on the icing in place of the candy.

Set the cookies aside until the icing hardens. Then use food decorator pens to embellish the tail fins with colorful lines, if you like.

Recipe and picture from Disney's Family.com

Hidden Treasure Cupcakes

Hidden Treasure Cupcakes

24 swiss cake rolls

1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting

Blue food coloring, optional

Assorted candies: jolly ranchers, nerds, skull and fish hard candies

Yellow food coloring, optional

Cut cake rolls lengthwise (do not cut through); set aside. Place two tablespoons frosting in a small bowl; set aside. Decorate with assorted candies. Tint reserved frosting with yellow food coloring if desired; place in a resealable plastic bag. Cut a small hole in a corner of bag; pipe latches onto chests. Place treasure chest on cupcake frosted with blue icing.

Recipe and picture from TasteOfHome.com

Pirate Cupcakes

Pirate Cupcakes

Cupcakes

1 box chocolate fudge cake mix

1 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

24 miniature chocolate-covered peanut butter cup candies, unwrapped

Frosting and Decorations

1 container vanilla frosting

2 rolls fruit by the foot fruit snack (red color)

24 pieces cheerios or small ring-shaped candies (about 4 teaspoons)

3 tablespoons miniature candy-coated semisweet chocolate baking bits

1 tablespoon semisweet chocolate chips

2 pieces black string licorice (each 34 inches long)

Heat oven to 350 degrees for shiny metal pans (or 325 degrees for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.

In large bowl, make cake mix as directed on box - except use 1 cup water, the oil and eggs. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Place 1 candy in top of batter for each cupcake (candies will sink as cupcakes bake).

Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Frost cupcakes with frosting. Cut 12-inch piece from 1 fruit snack roll; set aside. From remaining fruit snack, cut 24 (2-inch) pieces; cut crescent-shaped piece from each. Peel off paper backing; add 1 piece to each cupcake for top of kerchief.

Cut reserved fruit snack into 12 (1-inch) pieces; peel off paper baking. Cut each piece in half lengthwise. Twist each piece in middle; add to 1 end of crescent-shaped fruit snack on each cupcake, forming tie of kerchief. Add 1 piece of cereal under each tie for earring. Use baking bits, chocolate chips and licorice to make facial features and eye patches.

Recipe and picture from BettyCrocker.com