Hi-hat Ice-cream Cone Cupcakes

CUPCAKES 24 flat-bottomed ice-cream cups

1 pkg. (15.25 oz.) white cake mix

3 egg whites

1/3 cup oil

1 tsp. lemon extract

Royal blue concentrated food coloring

FROSTING 2 cups butter (1 lb.), at room temperature

1 cont. (16 oz.) Marshmallow Fluff

4 cups confectioners’ sugar, from 2 (16 oz.) pkgs.

1 Tbs. vanilla extract, preferably clear

No-taste red concentrated food coloring

DECORATIONS 3 cups dark cocoa candy melts, from 2 (12 oz.) pkgs., melted

24 drained maraschino cherries with stems, patted dry

Red, white and blue jimmies or sprinkles

★ Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 1 ice-cream cup in each of 24 muffin cups. On low speed, beat cake mix, 1 cup water, egg whites and oil 30 seconds until blended; on medium, beat 2 minutes. Stir in extract. Tint batter blue with food coloring; divide among ice-cream cups. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups.

★ Frosting: On medium speed, beat butter and Fluff until fluffy, 2 minutes. On low, gradually beat in sugar, then extract until combined; on mediumhigh beat until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Transfer half of frosting to separate bowl; tint red with food coloring.

★ Transfer frostings to separate pastry bags each fitted with 3/8" round tip (such as Wilton #2A). Pipe alternating colors of frosting over cones, as shown, starting with red and ending with white. If dipping cones into candy melts, freeze until frosting hardens, about 15 minutes. Transfer to refrigerator.

★ Working with one at a time, remove cupcake from refrigerator and invert ice cream cone to dip frosting into candy melts to cover completely, letting excess drip off, as shown. Before candy melts set, sprinkle with jimmies and garnish with cherry. Garnish undipped cones with cherries. Makes 24.