Halloween Spider Web Cupcakes

Every now and then I get an itch to surprise my kids with a special after school snack when they get home. With Halloween drawing near, I decided it was the perfect time for some homemade cupcakes. Of course, they had to have spider webs on them to celebrate the holiday. They turned out to be very simple to make and were the perfect surprise for the kids. Even my hubby was happy when he got home from work to fresh baked goodies. And, I had a yummy breakfast the next morning.

Halloween Spider Web Cupcakes
Recipe from Land ‘O Lakes.com

Cupcakes Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened (I just used margarine)
2 eggs
1 cup LAND O LAKES® Sour Cream
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting Ingredients:
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened (I used margarine)
3 to 4 tablespoons milk

Glaze Ingredients: (I didn’t make the glaze. I just used black gel icing from a tube.)
1 cup real semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 teaspoons shortening

Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cups into muffin pan cups. Combine sugar and 1/4 cup butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Add eggs; continue beating until creamy. Add sour cream, milk and vanilla. Continue beating until well mixed. Add all remaining cupcake ingredients. Reduce speed to low; beat until well mixed.

Fill each paper-lined muffin cup with about 2 tablespoons batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Combine powdered sugar and 1/4 cup butter in small bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often and gradually adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency.

*I did not do this next step. I simply used black gel icing from a tube.)
Melt chocolate chips and shortening in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth (3 to 4 minutes). Place melted chocolate in small heavy-duty resealable plastic food bag; snip tip from one corner to make very small hole.

Frost 6 cupcakes at a time, using about 1 tablespoon frosting for each cupcake. Immediately pipe 3 concentric circles of melted chocolate onto each frosted cupcake. Starting at center, draw toothpick 5 or 6 times through chocolate circles to outside edge of frosting to make spider web design. Repeat with remaining cupcakes and frosting. Let stand until chocolate is firm.

Recipe Tip
Microwave chocolate chips and shortening in small heavy-duty resealable plastic food bag on HIGH until chips are melted (30 to 60 seconds). Squeeze bag several times to combine melted chips and shortening.