To my way of thinking, Halloween is a great excuse to crank up the oven and do a little holiday baking. I think we need to create something fun and whimsical in these challenging times, so bring on chocolate and candy corn.
The kids can join in to make Mini Triple-Treat Cupcakes. Children can gleefully unwrap a load of miniature peanut-butter cups and press them into the unbaked batter in each paper lined mini-muffin cup. Older children, after a warning about the hot pan, can press a candy corn atop each one once they are out of the oven.
Mini Triple-Treat Cupcakes
Yield: About 48
INGREDIENTS
48 mini muffin paper liners
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (no added sugar)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
48 miniature chocolate Reese’s peanut butter cups, wrappers removed
48 pieces candy corn, for decorating; see cook’s notes
Cook’s notes: You can use any small decorative Halloween candies in place of candy corn. Try ones shaped like pumpkins, skulls, or spiders and other creepy crawlers. Or, because I love to add crunch and more nutty taste, I like to top a few “adult versions” with chocolate covered almonds.
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two 24-cup mini muffin pans with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar on high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and egg yolk, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture, buttermilk, and vanilla until combined.
3. With the large end of a melon baller or a spoon, place 2 teaspoons batter into each muffin cup (because it is faster and easier, I use a very small ice cream-style scoop that holds 1 tablespoon and I fill it almost full, but not packed — my yield is 44 instead of 48). Press a peanut-butter candy into each center until batter aligns with top edge of candy. Bake until puffed and set, about 10 to 11 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Immediately place a piece of candy corn on top of each cupcake and press very lightly; let cool completely in pans on wire racks.
Source: Adapted from marthastewart.com
Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at CathyThomasCooks.com.