The Clown Hat Recipes

Steps:

• Melt 9 tablespoons of the butter in a large pot over low heat. Add 3 packages marshmallows and heat, stirring, until completely melted. Add the chocolate-flavored rice cereal and stir until well coated. The mixture will look very white because of the melted marshmallow; that's okay because the color will fade. You can add a dash of cocoa powder to deepen the color if you'd like.
• For the hat base: Grease a large piece of parchment with butter. Oil your hands so the cereal doesn't stick, then remove about a quarter of the cereal mixture. Press and mold the mixture on the greased parchment to create a 10-inch flat circle.
• For the hat: Build the remaining cereal mixture into a cone with a 6-inch-wide base. Set the cone on top of the hat base. Shape bends and divots into the cone to make a realistic looking hat.
• Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the remaining package of marshmallows and heat, stirring, until melted. Stir in the plain rice cereal until well coated. Grease a small bowl with butter and transfer 1/2 cup of the cereal mixture to the bowl. Set aside.
• For the hatband: Add a few drops of green gel food coloring to the rest of the cereal mixture in the saucepan and mix well until the color is even. Using the green batch, create a 3-inch-wide band or strip to wrap around the entire base of the cone.
• For the buckle: Dust the reserved batch of cereal mixture with edible gold powder and shape into a square buckle. Press the buckle onto the base of the hatband. If the mixture doesn't hold its shape, let it set for 10 minutes to stiffen.

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake batter according to package directions for cupcakes. Cool completely on wire racks. Divide two cans of frosting among three bowls; tint with yellow, red and blue food coloring., For clown hats, use a serrated knife or kitchen scissors to cut 2 in. from the open end of each cone. Frost cones with tinted frosting; decorate with baking bits. Place on waxed paper for 30 minutes or until frosting is set., Frost cupcakes with remaining vanilla frosting. Leaving room for the hat on each cupcake, make a clown face and hair with candies. Pipe a matching ruffle on each. Carefully position a hat on each cupcake.