Nothing says “summer” more than an ear of fresh corn, but alas, local corn is still a month or more in the future.

Instead, fool the eye and tickle the funny bone with these cupcakes. They’re just one of many clever ideas in a new cookbook, “Hello, Cupcake! Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make,” by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson (Houghton Mifflin, 230 pages, $15.95 trade paperback). The photo is also from the cookbook.
On these ears, the kernels are jelly beans, the butter pats are fruit chews, and the salt and pepper is coarse black and white sugar. Only the corn holders are real.

CORN-ON-THE-COB CUPCAKES

Yield: 24 cupcakes (8 ears of corn)

1 (16-ounce) can vanilla frosting

Yellow food coloring

24 vanilla cupcakes baked in white paper liners

About 3 1/2 cups small jelly beans (such as Jelly Bellys), in assorted yellow, cream and white colors

4 pieces yellow fruit chews (such as Laffy Taffys, Starbursts)

1 tablespoon each black and white decorating sugars (available at baking supply stores)

8 sets corn holders, optional

Tint frosting pale yellow with food coloring.

Working with 3 cupcakes at a time, spread yellow frosting on top of each. Arrange about 5 rows of jelly beans, close together, on each cupcake. Place the 3 cupcakes side by side on a corn dish or a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes, frosting and jelly beans.

Cut the fruit chews into 8 1-inch squares, and soften the edges slightly by hand so that they look melted. Place 1 square on top of each group of 3 cupcakes. Sprinkle with sugars. Insert 1 corn holder, if using, in each of the end cupcakes.