Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Centers – “Autumn/Halloween Version”

If you which to see photos of these cupcakes, I've included a link at the bottom of this post.

These ‘surprise in the center’ cupcakes are extra chocolaty and delicious – frosting is always optional.

I like to call these types of recipes A Little Help From My Friends because I used a purchased cake mix and canned decorating cake icing. I know most people don’t have a lot of extra time, so A Little Help From My Friends always helps.

I think you’re gonna find these cupcakes a bit addictive. Once you pop one in your mouth, you just can’t stop! Extra cocoa, brown sugar and a bit of vanilla are added to a dark chocolate cake mix, giving these mini cupcakes an extra BAM of chocolate flavor. And the goodness of mini Reese’s peanut butter cups really puts these little treasures over the top in the taste department.

The trick to making these is placing a mini peanut butter cup in each lined cupcake section before adding the batter. In this particular instance, mini cupcake tins were used, but these special cupcakes can also be prepared using regular sized cupcake tins.

Yield – 50 or so mini cupcakes

Heat oven to 350F

Bake mini cupcakes 12 minutes (Bake average sized cupcakes according to package directions.)

I highly recommend using cupcake liners

INGREDIENTS

• 1 box Dark Chocolate – prepared according to the package directions

• 1 Tbs. cocoa powder

• 1 Tbs. brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

  Here’s what I used to decorate my Autumn/Halloween cupcakes

• 2 cans green Decorating Cake Icing I used Betty Crocker brand

• 1 (1 lb.) bag candy pumpkins

METHOD

Line cupcake tins. Unwrap mini Reese’s peanut butter cups and place one in each section.

Prepare cake mix according to the package directions. Add 1 Tbs. cocoa powder, 1 Tbs. brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract. Beat for another 30 seconds or so. Using a tablespoon, fill each section 2/3s full of cake batter. Using a small spoon, spread batter so peanut butter cups are fully covered.

Bake mini cupcakes for about 12 minutes. Cupcakes will be slightly rounded and, when tapped with a finger, should not dent in. Remove cupcakes and cool on a rack. Repeat until all batter is used up. It’ll take a little while to make so many cupcakes but it’s easy and fun ; o )

When cupcakes are fully cooled, frost with canned decorating icing. Use the star tip which is included with the icing. Lightly press a candy pumpkin on the top of each cupcake. Enjoy!

TIP — While one batch of cupcakes is baking, remove wrapping from additional peanut butter cups. Children love to help with this… but be prepared to lose several candies in the process!

http://ift.tt/2dz1CjK

bon appetit