Halloween Cupcakes...Chocolate PB Spiders and Pumpkins

Halloween Cupcakes...Chocolate PB Spiders and Pumpkins
Originally uploaded by kel h

These are the cupcakes I made for Halloween. I used the recipe for the Peanut Butter filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter frosting. I then used a peanut butter cup and snack sized whopper to make the body and head of the spider. I used frosting to draw legs and eyes. You can also sub thin pretzel sticks for legs as seen here:



The pumpkin cupcakes are pumpkin with ginger cream cheese frosting colored orange, with a candy corn for a stem and a spearmint leaf.

Pumpkin Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350, fill tins with liners
cream 1 stick butter, 1 c brown sugar, 1/3 c white sugar in mixer. Once fluffy, add two eggs one at a time.
Add 2 c flour (I sometimes like to do half whole wheat, half all purpose), 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground clove, 1/2 tsp salt along with 1/2 c milk.
Add 1 can pumpkin and 1 tsp vanilla.
Fill liners 1/2 to 2/3 full and bake for 20-25 min

Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream 8 oz cream cheese (I usually use the low fat kind) and 3/4 to 1 stick butter
add 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp vanilla and mix
add in 3 c powdered sugar a bit at a time until you get the right consistency (may need a little more)