For cupcake liners, we used Chef's Select Natural Non-Stick Baking Cups ($2.50/54 baking cups); greenfeet.com. Recipe for Blue Bird Shortbreads below. Click here for the bluebird stencil.

Prep: 30 minutes   Bake: 30 minutes
Cool: 5 minutes Oven: 350°F

2 3/4 CUPS CAKE FLOUR
2 TSP. BAKING POWDER
1/2 TSP. BAKING SODA
1/4 TSP. SALT
1 8-OZ. CARTON SOUR CREAM
1/4 CUP MILK
2 TBSP. FROZEN ORANGE-JUICE CONCENTRATE, THAWED
1 TBSP. FINELY SHREDDED LEMON PEEL
2 TBSP. LEMON JUICE
1 TBSP. FINELY SHREDDED ORANGE PEEL
1 CUP (2 STICKS) BUTTER, SOFTENED
1 1/4 CUPS SUGAR
4 EGGS
1 RECIPE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (BELOW)
4 CUPS CHOW MEIN NOODLES
1/2 CUP SPECKLED JELLY BEANS*
1 RECIPE BLUEBIRD SHORTBREADS (OPTIONAL)

Line twenty-eight 21/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups; set aside. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl combine sour cream, milk, orange-juice concentrate, lemon peel and juice, and orange peel; set aside.

In a very large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Alternately add flour mixture and sour-cream mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling cups 3/4 full.

Bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frost cooled cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting or white frosting. Top each cupcake with a "nest" of chow mein noodles and about 3 jelly bean "eggs." If desired, set a Blue Bird Shortbread atop each cupcake behind the nest. MAKES 28 CUPCAKES.

Per serving: 335 cal., 15 g fat (9 g sat. fat), 64 mg chol., 213 mg sodium, 48 g carbo., 1 g dietary fiber, 4 g protein.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING: In a large mixing bowl beat two 3-ounce packages cream cheese, softened; 1/3 cup butter, softened; 11/2 teaspoons vanilla; and if desired, 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel or orange extract with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 41/2 cups powdered sugar and enough milk (1 to 2 tablespoons) to make spreading consistency. Keep frosting refrigerated until using and keep cupcakes refrigerated once frosted. Makes 22/3 cups.

BLUE BIRD SHORTBREADS: In a large bowl combine 2 1/2 cups flour and 6 tablespoons sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in 1 cup butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. Form the mixture into a ball and knead just until smooth. On a lightly floured surface pat or roll dough to 1/4-inch thick. Using cookie cutters or a stencil (click here for a stencil pattern), cut out small bird shapes and the same number of very small leaf shapes. Place a leaf on each bird to make a wing. Place bird cutouts 1-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. (Bake any extra dough scraps and enjoy as snacks). Bake birds in a 325° oven for 13 to 15 minutes or until tops are set and edges are just starting to brown; transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

For icing, in a medium bowl whisk together 3 cups powdered sugar and enough milk (1/4 cup) to make an icing that flows like honey. Transfer 1/2 cup of icing to a small bowl; tint light blue. Frost birds with blue icing, leaving stomachs plain; let stand about 10 minutes or until icing is dry. Using a new paint brush (or one reserved for food use), paint stomach of each bird, a few feathers on the wings, and a dot on each for an eye with white icing.