From time to time, my friends and I like to get together for game nights.  The nights usually start with a real game like Pictionary, Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity, and end with another game called gossiping and drinking and eating. Basically, the games are just an excuse to get everyone together to hang out and catch up. And of course, the food being served has to match the theme. Here is a simple recipe to follow for one of my favorite game night inspired desserts.

Tic Tac Toe Cupcakes

Ingredients

Serves 9

• 9 mini cupcakes
• 36 two inch pieces of red licorice rope such as a Twizzlers Pull “n” Peel (exact length may vary depending on cupcake size)
• 1 candy necklace
• 9 caramels
• 1 container of vanilla frosting

Preparation

• Ice all 9 cupcakes with vanilla frosting
• Lay 4 pieces of the licorice rope on top of each cupcake to form the tic tac toe grid shown above
• Scatter the individual pieces of candy necklace across the different cupcakes to form the “o” part of the tic tac toe game
• Next, take a caramel and melt it in the microwave for 10 seconds
• Remove it and roll it into a thin log
• Cut the log into 1/2 inch pieces and use two pieces to form an “x”
• Repeat with additional caramels until you have enough “x” pieces for your cupcakes
• Scatter the “x” pieces within the tic tac toe grids on the cupcakes and serve

You are guaranteed to win with this dessert!