Chocolate-Zucchini Cupcakes

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated zucchini
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 (16 ounce) package chocolate frosting
1/2 cup walnut halves


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, beat eggs with sugar for about 10 minutes or until thickened and pale. Blend oil and cooled chocolate into the beaten egg mixture.
In a small bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir flour mixture into egg mixture until just blended. Stir in zucchini and chopped nuts. Using an ice-cream scoop, spoon batter into 24 paper-lined or greased muffin cups, filling the cups 2/3 full.
Bake for 20 minutes or until fork or toothpick inserted in a cupcake's center comes out clean. Let cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; let cool completely. Spread with chocolate frosting and garnish with walnut or pecan halves.

French Mint Cupcakes

6 ounces chocolate (semi-sweet) semi-sweet chips
1 cup butter softened
2 cups powdered sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 x nuts

Melt chips; cool and set aside. Beat butter, using electric mixer. Add sugar. Add cooled chocolate, beat 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in vanilla and peppermint extract. Sprinkle nuts on bottom of 24 paper holders in cupcake pan. Fill each cupcake holder half full. Sprinkle with nuts. Freeze for at least 3 hours.

Double Kiss Cupcakes

60 each chocolate kisses
3/4 cup butter softened
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour, all-purpose
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/3 cups water

Remove wrappers from candies; set aside. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin cups with 2-1/2 inch papers. In large mixer bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat on high speed of electric mixer for 3 mintues. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking powder; add alternately with water to the butter mixture.

Beat just until combined. Fill prepared muffin cups about 1/2 full with batter. Place chocolate kiss in center of each. Bake 20 minutes. Remove to wire rack. Cool. Frost as desired. Place another kiss on top of each cupcake.

Cappuccino Cupcakes

2 cups flour, all-purpose
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup prune puree
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/4 cup instant coffee, expresso instant, dissolve in 1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whipped topping, prepared thawed
1 x cocoa powder unsweetened, for dusting

Heat oven to 350°. Lightly coat 18 standard-size muffin-pan cups with nonstick
cooking spray. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and
salt in small bowl. Stir together prune puree, oil, eggs, dissolved espresso and
vanilla in large bowl. Stir in flour mixture until blended. Spoon batter envenly into prepared muffin cups, filling each
cup about halfway full.

Bake in 350° oven 17-20 minutes or until tops spring back when
lightly touched. Cool cupcakes in pan for 3 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack to cool completely. Just before serving, frost each cupcake with a tablespoonful of
whipped topping.

Dust with cocoa powder through fine-mesh sieve.

Black Cat Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups cookie crumbs oreo
4.5 ozs cake mix, chocolate
24 pcs oreo cookies
16 ozs chocolate frosting
1 each black licorice string
1 x jelly beans to taste
1 x chocolate (semi-sweet) semi-sweet chips, to taste


Preheat oven to 350. Prepare 24 - 2 1/2 inch muffin cups with cooking spray and
flour; set aside. Prepare cake mix according to package directions; stir in
cookie crumbs. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on wire rack.

Make cat faces on each of the remaining 24 cookies: using
some frosting, attach 4-1 1/2 inch licorice strings for
whiskers, 2 jelly bean halves for eyes and 2 chocolate chips
for ears. Let set at least 30 minutes. Frost cupcakes with remaining frosting. Stand cat faces on edge on each cupcake. Place 3 inch piece licorice string on back half of each cupcake for tail.