CANDYBAR CUPCAKES

Cupcakes Ingredients:
2 C.  sugar
1 C.  sour cream
1/4 C. butter
2 eggs
1 3/4 C.  all-purpose flour
2/3 C.  water
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1 C.  semi-sweet real chocolate chips
1 C.  chopped peanuts
4 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted

Topping Ingredients:
1 C. caramel ice cream topping
1/2 C. chopped peanuts

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine sugar, sour cream, butter and eggs in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth (2 to 3 minutes). Continue beating, gradually adding flour, water, baking soda, baking powder, salt and vanilla until smooth (2 to 3 minutes). Stir in chocolate chips, peanuts and unsweetened chocolate by hand until well mixed.

Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into paper-lined muffin cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle 1 teaspoon caramel topping onto each cupcake; sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

Wizard Hat Cupcakes



Makes 24 cupcakes



Ingredients



1 (18.25 oz) box cake mix or 1 recipe for 2 (8-inch) round layer cakes



1 (16-oz) can frosting or 2 cups of your favorite frosting



1 (2-lb) box ready-to-roll white fondant icing



2 (12-count) boxes sugar cones



1/4 cup jam or jelly



Powdered sugar



1 (4 gram) container navy petal dust



1 (2 gram) container Aztec-gold luster dust



Clear-colored flavored extract (like lemon)



Directions



Line muffin tins with muffin cups. Prepare batter according to directions on box. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full. Bake according to package directions. Cool cupcakes for 5 minutes before removing from muffin tins to cool completely on a wire rack.



While cupcakes cool, prepare hats. Using a sharp, serrated knife, trim about 1" from the wide-end of the sugar cones; set aside. Sprinkle a work surface with powdered sugar. Pull off about a ping-pong ball-sized piece of fondant and knead until pliable. Cover remaining fondant with plastic wrap. Sprinkle work surface with powdered sugar and roll fondant into a 5-inch round, ¼" thick (do not flip fondant over). Using a sharp paring knife, trim off edges to make into a triangle. Lightly brush one of the prepared cones with jam. Place fondant, powdered sugar-side up, onto a piece of wax or parchment paper. Position a trimmed cone at the edge of triangle, about ½-inch from tip and carefully roll fondant around cone. Trim off excess. Shape tip as desired. Repeat with remaining cones and fondant.



Mix navy petal dust with a few drops of extract. Stir until evenly combined. Add extract a drop at a time until desired consistency is reached (should be thin enough to paint smoothly, but thick enough to cover cones evenly). Paint cones with a small, flat brush. Dry completely (about 3 to 4 hours). Apply second coat, if needed.



To make the brim, tear off a small piece of fondant. Roll into an even shaped log, about ½-inch in diameter. Spread bottom of cones with more jam and attach brim to cone. Remember to match seams of brim with seams of hat. Hold a toothpick at an angle and gently press into brim to create fabric-like texture.



Mix gold luster dust with extract until desired consistency is reached. Paint the brim and accent hat with stars and lightning bolts. Dry completely.



To assemble cupcakes, place a layer of frosting on cupcakes and top with wizard hats.

Camouflage Cupcakes



Makes 24 cupcakes



Ingredients



1 (18.25 oz) box cake mix or 1 recipe for 2 (8-inch) round layer cakes



1 (16-oz) can frosting or 2 cups of your favorite chocolate frosting



1 cup ready-to-roll white fondant icing



Powdered sugar



Green food color



Red food color



Directions



Line muffin tins with muffin cups. Prepare batter according to directions on box. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full. Bake according to package directions. Cool cupcakes for 5 minutes before removing from muffin tins to cool completely on a wire rack.



While cupcakes cool, divide fondant equally into three pieces. Cover two pieces with plastic wrap. Knead remaining piece until soft and pliable. Add a drop of green food color to fondant. Continue to knead until color is evenly incorporated. Roll into a smooth ball and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat process with second piece of fondant, adding more green food color to make it darker than the first piece. With the last piece of fondant, use green and red food color to make it brownish-green.



When cupcakes are cool, frost tops with chocolate frosting. Lightly sprinkle a clean work surface with powdered sugar. Roll out one of the colored fondant pieces until 1/4 to 1/8" thick; do not turn over. Cut into irregular, camouflage-type shapes using a sharp paring knife. Repeat with remaining fondant pieces; sprinkling work surface with powdered sugar as needed. Place fondant "camouflage" decoratively on frosted cupcakes.

Pastel Flower Cupcakes



Makes 24 cupcakes



Ingredients



1 (18.25 oz) box cake mix or 1 recipe for 2 (8-inch) round layer cakes



1 (16-oz) can frosting or 2 cups of your favorite frosting



2 (14-oz) bags white melting candies



black food color



red food color



green food color



blue food color



Directions



Line muffin tins with muffin cups. Prepare batter according to directions on box. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full. Bake according to package directions. Cool cupcakes for 5 minutes before removing from muffin tins to cool completely on a wire rack.



Meanwhile, melt half of a package of candies according to package directions. Place in a squeeze bottle or a resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe nickel-sized solid circles onto parchment- or wax paper-lined cookie sheets. Space about 4 inches apart. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes. Reserve melted candy for later.



Next, melt about 1/3 of a package of candies and mix in a couple drops of black food color. Pipe an outline around each circle. Next, pipe the outline of a 6-petaled flower. Freeze until firm. Melt remaining candies and divide into thirds. Tint each portion a different color using red, green and blue food colors. Place each color in a separate squeeze bottle or bag. Fill in petals with tinted candy. Freeze until firm. Lastly, outline flowers with reserved melted white candy (may need to reheat to soften to piping consistency). Freeze until firm.



When cupcakes have cooled completely, pipe or spread frosting over the tops. Carefully remove flowers from wax paper, turn over so the flat side is on top and place on cupcakes.



Note: You can also use colored melting candies instead of using food color.

Lollipop Cupcake Garden

Adapted from Katie Brown's Outdoor Entertaining courtesy of Little,

Brown and Company.



Serves 24



1 box yellow or chocolate cake mix

1 container chocolate frosting

1 package Oreos, crushed

24 lollipops

Mint leaves for leaf garnish



1. Following directions on the cake mix box, make cupcakes. Let cool

on a baking rack.



2. Frost cupcakes and coat with crushed Oreos.



3. Place a lollipop in the middle of the cupcake and garnish the

"root" of the lollipop with one mint leaf.

Paw Print & Dog Bone Cupcakes



1 box (18.25 oz.) cake mix or 1 recipe for 2 (8") round layer

cakes

1 can (16 oz.) frosting or 2 cups of your favorite frosting

2 bags (14 oz. each) white melting candies

black food color

Directions

Line muffin tins with muffin cups. Prepare batter according to

pkg. directions. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full. Bake according

to pkg. directions. Cool cupcakes for 5 minutes before removing from

muffin tins; cool completely on a wire rack. Meanwhile, melt half of

candies according to pkg. directions. Place in a squeeze bottle or a

resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe paw-shaped

outlines onto parchment- or wax paper-lined cookie sheets. Freeze

until hard, about 10 minutes. Reserve melted candy for later. Melt

remaining candies. Mix in a couple drops of black food color. For

paws, fill in outline; for bones, pipe bone-shaped outlines. Freeze

until firm. Fill and outline bones with remaining white candy and

freeze until firm. When cupcakes have cooled completely, pipe or

spread frosting over the tops. If desired, frosting can be tinted

with food color before spreading on cupcakes. Carefully remove shapes

from wax paper, turn over so flat side is on top and place on cupcakes.

Makes 24 cupcakes.