Hootin' Halloween Cupcakes

recipe idea from 6bittersweets.com

Boy, did I have fun making these cupcakes! They are part baking and part craft and would be so neat to share at a Halloween party. The kids would also have a blast helping and making some great owl faces. 


You could go the easier route and buy a packaged cupcake mix and frosting. However, if you can, you have to make these cupcakes as they were so good! I had a very hard time not eating them in mass quantities. Luckily I made them for Spencer's birthday party last week and sent some home with friends. 


Cookies and Cream Cupcakes


Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 & 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped Oreo cookies (about 10 cookies)


Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 muffin pans with baking liners.


Whisk together milk and vinegar in a large bowl and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Then add sugar and vanilla and beat until foamy with a hand mixer. 


In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add, in two batches, to the wet ingredients. Beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are ok). Gently fold in chopped Oreos.


Fill liners 3/4 full with batter. Bake 18 - 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to cool rack and cool completely before frosting.


Chocolate Ganache Frosting:


Ingredients:
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 oz. semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 & 1/2 Tbls. light corn syrup


Combine the chocolate and cream in medium microwave safe bowl. Try to submerge the chocolate as much as possible. Microwave on medium for 1 minute. Stir and heat again in 15 second increments, stirring thoroughly each time until melted. Stir in corn syrup. Let cool and thicken (in fridge if needed) before using.


Making owl faces:


Ingredients:


1 package Oreo cookies, original
1 box Junior Mints
1 small bag of M&M or Reese's Pieces


Split Oreos crosswise, keeping the cream side whole. Microwaving 5 cookies at a time for 5 seconds helps keep the cream side solid. Use the dull side of a pairing knife to remove crumbs and to smooth the cream.


Sides without cream will be used for ears. Make 2 parallel cuts with a serrated knife 1/2 inch from rounded side, discarding the center strip left over.


Pair up the cream sides similar in amounts of cream. Gently push Junior Mints into the cream for the eyes. Be creative and put them in different directions or even cross eyed!.


Use a small spoon to smooth the Ganache frosting onto the top of the cooled cupcakes. Place decorated cream side cookies cream side up halves on the middle of the cupcakes. Gently push into frosting.


To make the ears, attach the cut cream-less Oreo cookie parts above the eyes, textured side facing up and rounded edges inward. These should hang over the edge of the cupcakes but be sure to press them into the frosting where possible.


Lastly press the M&Ms/Reese's Pieces (standing on their sides), between and slightly below the eyes, as beaks. 


Now show them off  to everyone!!

A girl owl! I used a scrapbooking bow I had for this. I put a small amount of chocolate frosting on the tip of the ear and pressed the bow into it. Too cute!