Batty Pumpkin Cupcakes

Halloween is such fun! But I know there isn't always time to dress up a special treat. If you like this idea, you can save time by buying frosted cupcakes, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Minis, and cookies. All you would have to do is assemble them, which is a snap!

If I were doing this over, I would probably use chocolate cookies, but I happened to have gingersnaps. Obviously, sometimes it's easiest to use what you have on hand. And some bats are brown!

So save time wherever you need to and have fun. They don't have to be perfect. Maybe your trick-or-treater would like to make the bats!


Pumpkin Cupcakes
makes 12 regular size cupcakes

2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon pink sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of cloves
1/2 cup vegetable oil (light olive oil is okay)
1 cup mashed pumpkin
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Place cupcake liners in wells of cupcake pan.

Crack the eggs into the bowl of a mixer. Add sugar and dark brown sugar. Beat on slow for several minutes, until thick. In the meantime, place the flour, baking powder, baking salt, sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a bowl and stir well with a fork to combine.

While the mixer is running, slowly add the oil. When it is incorporated, slowly mix in the flour mixture. Add the pumpkin and vanilla and mix well. Divide between the cupcake liners, filling each one 3/4 full.

Bake 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Test two cupcakes to be sure they are done. The cupcake papers should be pulling away from pan.

Caramel Frosting

1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter (room temperature)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar

Place first four ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. (I used a Pyrex 2-cup measure.) Microwave in short bursts from 20-50 seconds, stirring each time until it bubbles up and is hot. Set aside to cool. Must be completely cool to make the frosting. (After it cooled substantially, I placed it in the fridge for 1/2 hour while the butter came to room temperature.)

Beat the butter well, scraping the sides and beating again. Add the cream and the cool caramel mixture and beat. Add the vanilla and beat. Slowly add the powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency.

Bats

12 cookies
12 Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Minis

Assembly

Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes, keeping it relatively flat. Place a Reese's mini toward the center. Cut a cookie in half. Place each cookie half flat edge down as a wing. Dip a toothpick into the frosting and dab onto the "head" as eyes.

Beat the eggs with the sugars for several minutes.

Mix the spices well!

The batter is thick.

Happy Howloween!