Halloween Cupcakez

Ingredients
4 cups all-purpsose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups light brown sugar, packed 1 cup butter, room temperature
4 eggs
15 ounces pumpkin puree
1 1/2 chopped pecans

Decoration
Decorative frosting
Halloween candy in spider, eyeball, pumpkin, witch (hat), and/or ghost shapes

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line a cupcakez pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
3. In a meduim bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
4. Beat together brown sugar and butter in a seperate large bowl untill smooth.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Beat pumpkin puree into mixture (which may look slightly curdled).
7. Beat in flour mixture untill just blended.
8. Stir in chopped pecans by hand.
9. Divide batter equally among the prepared cupcake liners.
10. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes.
11. Let cool completely before frosting.
12. Frost and decoarte with Halloween candy.

Recipe From: Sara's Cooking Class Halloween Cupcakes

How To Say "I Love You" With Cupcakez

1.  Think about the person: What do they like? What are their favourite flavours, colours, and hobbies? Bake a cupcakez that is as special and unique as the are. For example, if your sister likes pink and takes ballet, why not bake her a pink berry cupcake and top it with ballet slippers made from fondant? If you don't want to make your own toppers, you can find lots of fun ones in all shapes at craft and cooking stores. Or simplely print out a picture on your home computer, glue it to card stock, and attach it to with a small piece of tape to a tooth pick. Instant cupcakez decoration.
2. Spell it out. I love mini cupcakez topped with simple fondant letters. You can use mini cookie cutters that come in alphabet letters to punch out your message. Use on letter per cupcakez, then make your display on a platter or a tabletop. Spell out "LOVE YOU", "XOXO", or even "YOU ROCK".
3. Gift a goodie. Pack a cupcakez in a pretty cardboard box with a plastic food container topped with a bow. you can give it to a friend or save it for a special occasion or holiday. Home-baked gifts are the best. They show you took the time to bake them and really care.
4. Use heart-shaped cupcakez pans to bake cupcakez. You can find inexpensive ones in cooking and craft store or even on Amazon. (www.amazon.com). If they're silicon, you'll have no problem popping out your cupcakez. If the pan is metal, coat it with nonstick spray, then bake and frost. Use a little gel icing to write a message on the heart. I love writing "text messages" on mine: UR GR8, 4EVER, QT, etc.
5. Serve someone a cupcakez in bed. I love doing this for my parents on Mother's or Father's Day. Plate a pretty cupcakez you've bought or made and serve it with a glass of milk and a card for the occasion. It's a sweet way to show how much you appreciate them and that you realize they need a little R&R.
6. Send a DIY cupcakez kit. Use plastic zipper bags to pack all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, sprinkles, baking soda, etc.). Type or write up the recipe, and include pretty wrappers, decorative cupcake picks, even piping bags, and tips if you want to be fancy. Then send your kit to someone for a special day celebration. Baking cupcakez is as much fun as eating them.

Tips From: The Cupcake Club Recipe For Trouble
By: Sheryl Berk and Carrie Berk (The tips are by Carrie only)

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Pine Tree Cupcakez

Ten Tips For Perfect Cupcakez

1. Make sure you have all the ingredients. Read the whole list and check off everything carefully. Sometimes a recipe may call for whole milk and you only have skim in the fridge. Using skim can make a big difference in the way the cupcakez taste.
2. Fill your cupcakez with something fun. I like to put a surprise in the middle of my cupcakez; like frosting in a bright green colour or a chocolate fudge that oozes out when you take a bite. That way, you never know what your going to get.
3. Piping tips can be a fun way to get a great look for your frosting. Try out your tip before you use it on a cupcakez, though sometimes it will make a pattern you don't love. My favourite is a star tip.
4. Use real fruit in your cupcakez. My favourites are bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and apple. They can make a plain vanilla cupcakez taste yummy and it's healthier too.
5. Don't pile too much frosting on your cupcakez. I don't like a mountain on mine. I think your should be able to taste both the cake and the frosting, not just the frosting.
6. Don't forget to dress up your cupcakez. I love pretty wrappers, toppers, picks, sprinkles, and coloured sugar. I also love making things out of fondant - it looks so professional.
7. Let your cupcakez cool before you frost them. If you don't, the icing will melt and roll of the cupcakez and you'll have a sticky mess.
8. If you're using a piping bag, fasten the top with a rubber band or a clip. Otherwise the frosting squeezes out the top, and you have to lick it off your hands. (Well, not a bad thing...)
9. Pipe in one smooth circular motion - not little squeezes, which will look uneven. The smoother you go, the more professional your cupcakez will look.
10. Share your cupcakesz It's the best way to get feedback on your recipes and learn what you need to do to improve. Give some cupcakez to your neighbors, your teachers, and your friends, and ask for their critique.

Tips From: The Cupcake Peace, Love, and Cupcakes
By: Sheryl Berk and Carrie Berk (The tips are from only Carrie Berk)

Cupcakez On A Stick

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Hamburger Cupcakez

Popcorn Cupcakez

Carrot Cake Cupcakez

Ingredients
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons light cream

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line cupcakez pan with paper liners.
3. Melt 1/2 cup butter.
4. Mix in 2/3 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and cinnamon until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs one at a time mixing well after each egg.
6. Add flour and salt.
7. Mix in the milk.
8. In a separate bowl mix in the flour, baking powder, an salt.
9. Stir in the milk adding raisins, carrots, and walnuts slowly.
10. Add 1/4 of the flor mixture to the butter mixture at a time mixing well after each scoop.
11. Fill each cupcakez cup halfway.
12. Bake for 20 minutes.
13. Let cool before frosting.

Granola Cupcakez

Ingredients
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2/3 granulated white sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups granola
• 1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line a cupcakez pan with paper liners.
3. Melt the butter.
4. Mix in the sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon until light an fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each one.
6. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
7. Stir in the milk adding the granola and raisins in slowly.
8. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture at a time into the butter mixture mixing well in between each scoop.
9. Fill each cupcakez cup halfway.
10. Bake for 20 minutes.
11. Let cool before frosting.

Chocolate Cupcakez

Ingredients
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup small pieces dark chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line cupcakez pan with some paper liners.
3. Melt the butter.
4. Mix in the sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs one at a time mixing well after each one.
6. In a separate, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, and the chocolate.
7. Stir in the milk.
8. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in 1/3 scoops mixing well after each.
9. Full up each cupcakez cup halfway.
10. Bake for 20 minutes.
11. Let cool before frosting.