Spring has officially sprung. The snow has melted away or at least ninety percent of it. We live in Massachusetts so winter tries to hold on for as long as possible. The sun is shining and the birds are noisily chattering and Easter is right around the corner.

When thinking of Easter I think of brightly colored baskets and neon candy wrappers. As a mom dealing with my child’s food allergies this can make this time of year a bit difficult. Most of the store bought treats look so appealing but are not safe for my Cecelia. Of course we want to have our children feel included and excited rather than sad and excluded.

This year I found jelly beans by Gimbal’s that were not only nut free but completely top eight allergen free! I mean when you think of all those candy filled eggs don’t you immediately think of jelly beans? Well I do. I grabbed a bag from the store and was already brainstorming what I could do with them.

We may not celebrate Easter but who doesn’t like cupcakes decorated with jelly beans and frosting?

I thawed some mini cupcakes I made early this month and made a quick batch of “buttercream” frosting. The great things about this frosting is that it can easily be cut in half if you only have one stick of margarine or don’t need a full batch. This frosting also can be frozen for up to six months or so.

I divided the frosting in half and added some food coloring. With such a small batch I only needed a few drops of dye to achieve the color I wanted.

Another a great trick I’ve learned is to use a wide mouth mason jar to stand up the piping bag while you put the frosting in it. It’s like having an extra set of hands without the fuss.

I got to experiment with some of my Wilton’s piping tips and really enjoyed the results.

Any surprise finds at the store you find that were allergy safe? Any great tricks you have to make Easter safe for all? I would love to hear what everyone has found!