Cauldron Cupcakes

My mother made cupcakes for my 2nd grade Halloween party, each had a black cat perched on top. An unmentionable number of years later I still think of them and how special it made the holiday feel.  I've promised myself that I'll try to make all the holidays as special for my kids.  So in that spirit, here's what I'm making for Coco, Margot and Flynn this weekend.  They're fun, festive and, perhaps most importantly, very easy to make.

MATERIALS

White cupcake mix and necessary ingredients

Vanilla frosting (I like to use the whipped kind that comes in a can, hey, it's just for the kids, I save the homemade buttercream for the adults.)

Food coloring

Licorice

Pretzel sticks

Spooky decorative candies

Bamboo skewer or toothpick

Oreo cookies (optional)

STEPS

Start by preparing your cupcakes.  Use food coloring to make the batter black.  It'll look kinda purple, but when baked should be a nice dark color.

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Once cool, remove the paper liners, and cut off the tip of the crown so you can turn the cupcake upside down and it will sit flat.

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Use a melon baller to scoop out a shallow portion in the center of the bottom of each cupcake.  (Notice how rollie-poly my cupcakes in the back are, this is before I realized I needed to cut the tips off the crowns!)

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Add some food coloring to your frosting (I made some green and some grey) and place it into a piping bag (or just use a spoon) and fill your cauldron.

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Now comes the fun part for the kids.  Start adding your witchy ingredients - eyes, bones, worms.... Use a pretzel stick to be the witches spoon.

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Use a toothpick or skewer to make a hole on either side of the cauldron edge and add your licorice handle.  If you can't find the thin licorice, use the thicker kind and use a knife to cut it into thin strips.  Crush some Oreos to be the coals and place in the middle of the plate, add the cauldron.....and BEWARE!!!!!!!

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Mark Steines and Cristina Ferrare welcome music and film icon Frankie Avalon, and he’s cooking a delicious dish from his cookbook: spaghetti with crab marinara. From HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” actress Suzanne Cryer is here to make DIY children’s book Halloween costumes. Orly Shani is “Celebrating Baby” with DIY WubbaNubs. Ken Wingard is making cauldron cupcakes that are sure to be a hit at your Halloween party. It’s the science of bubblegum with Dan Kohler. Tanya Memme is making a chilling DIY monster crate for Halloween. And, stay on trend with Debbie Matenopoulos and the fashion of overalls. Credit: Copyright 2015 Crown Media United States, LLC/Photographer: jeremy lee/Alexx Henry Studios, LLC