Recipes

The Candy Cupcake

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 2 cups white fine sugar
• 4 eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 cup homogenized (3.25%) milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup of crushed candy---we suggest Reese's Pieces, Snickers Bites, Twix Bites and Smarties

• 1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 4-5 cups icing sugar, confectionery
• 1/4- 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 3/4 cups melted Mercken's Light Chocolate Flavoured Molding Wafers
• Another 1/2 cup - 3/4 cups of crushed candy

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 °C
• Line muffin tins with cupcake papers-you can use some fun "Halloween" or festive fall cupcake papers for added themed decoration (makes approximately 24).
• In a small bowl, combine the all purpose flour, baking powder, salt and set aside. In a small measuring cup, combine the homogenized milk with the pure vanilla extract and set aside as well.
• In a large bowl, cream the unsalted butter until smooth with an electric mixer.
• Add the white fine sugar gradually and beat until fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the homogenized milk and pure vanilla extract.
• Beat until well combined, it is important not to overbeat the ingredients.
• Put pieces of candy in a Ziploc bag and place on cutting board. You can crush the candy with any kitchen utensil. Pour the 1 cup of crushed candy into the batter and mix with large spoon until well blended.
• Using an ice cream scoop, fill the cupcake papers about 3/4 full.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes (time may vary between ovens).
• Let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes, then remove from the tins and let cool completely on wire racks before you decorate.
• For the icing, in a large bowl, mix the unsalted butter and pure vanilla extract. Add 3 cups of icing sugar, confectionery with half the milk and mix until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining icing sugar, confectionery and milk until icing is of a thick enough consistency (note you may not need to add all the icing sugar, confectionery and milk).
• In a small bowl, put Merckens Light Chocolate Molding Wafers in the microwave for 30 second intervals (you will probably need to do 3 or 4 - 30 second intervals to melt all the Merckens Light Chocolate Molding Wafers). After each interval, remove the bowl from microwave and stir to prevent burning.
• Ice cupcakes using whichever Wilton tip you prefer. Pour the melted wafers into a disposable piping bag and generously drizzle on top of each cupcake. Before the melted wafers set, quickly sprinkle remaining crushed candy on top.