Spooky Owl Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk
• Chocolate Frosting 
• 16 chocolate sandwich cookies
• 32 candy-coated chocolate candies
• 16 small jelly beans or oblong candies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper or foil liners.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and unsweetened cocoa. Set mixture aside.
3. In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar. Beat until they are pale yellow and fluffy, then add eggs one at a time until incorporated.
4. Add vanilla, flour and milk.  Beat until combined.
5. Fill muffin tins 2/3 to 3/4 full.
6. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool.
7. Frost cupcakes with chocolate frosting. 
8. Use a small round decorating tip to create feathers and a leaf decorating tip to create ears.
9. Cut chocolate sandwich cookies in half.  Place on cupcakes, white side up, to make eyes.
10. Press chocolate candies in white part of cookies to make eye balls. (Add a drop of frosting to make hold in place.)
11. Add the jelly bean or oblong candy for the beak.

Servings: 16

TEST KITCHEN TIP: Place a bite-size peanut butter cup in the center of each cupcake just before baking. This will result in a peanut butter center once the cupcakes are baked. Frost with peanut butter frosting for an added peanut lover’s treat!!

Nutritional Information: (Serving size: 1/16 of a recipe [2.1 ounces].)
Calories 164.42 • Calories From Fat (25%) 40.61 • Total Fat 4.62g 7% • Saturated Fat 2.64g 13% • Cholesterol 32.41mg 11% • Sodium 140.83mg 6% • Potassium 103.07mg 3% • Total Carbohydrates 30g 10% • Fiber 1.62g 6% • Sugar 19.64g • Protein 3.16g 6%