Spooky snacks for Hallowe’en

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Chocolate Spider Cupcakes

Makes 10 cakes

Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
170g (6oz) dark chocolate, chopped
170g (6oz) butter cut into 2cm cubes
200g (7oz) soft light brown sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp sour cream
150g (5oz) self-raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
85g (3oz) milk chocolate finely chopped or chips (optional)
 
For the decoration:
100g (4oz) milk chocolate
Liquorice laces
16 Chocolate marshmallow teacakes
1 tube of writing icing
M&M’s
Liquorice Allsorts

Method
Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/Gas Mark 4. Line two muffin tins with 16 paper cases. Put the chocolate, butter and sugar in a heatproof bowl and melt, stirring frequently. You can melt the chocolate in the microwave (about three minutes, stirring after each minute) or over a pan of warm water (make sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Set aside to cool slightly.
 
Whisk together the eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Stir this into the cooled chocolate.  Into this, sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt, and fold in, along with the milk chocolate (if using).
 
Spoon into the paper cases, to about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for 18–20 minutes, until the cupcakes have risen and are just firm to the touch. Allow to cool for five minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
 
For the decoration, melt the milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Using a palette knife, cover each cake with some of the melted chocolate. Arrange a liquorice strip for each of the spider’s eight legs and stick a teacake in the centre of these. Use a blob of writing icing to stick the M&M’s onto the Liquorice Allsorts for eyes.

For more fantastic Hallowe’en recipes, visit Annabel Karmel's website.