Snickers candy bar cupcakes

Makes 3 dozen

Cupcake batter 1⁄ 2 cup cocoa

1 cup boiling water

1⁄ 2 cup butter

1 cup white granulated sugar

2 eggs

1⁄ 4 teaspoon salt

1⁄ 2 teaspoon baking soda

1⁄ 2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1⁄ 4 cup flour

1⁄ 2 package instant chocolate pudding

Filling

10 pieces of caramels

2 tablespoons milk

1⁄ 4 cup crushed peanuts

Peanut butter buttercream frosting

1⁄ 2 cup butter

1⁄ 2 cup peanut butter

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Garnish

1 tablespoon crushed peanuts

12 mini-Snickers, unwrapped

1. To make cupcake batter, combine cocoa with boiling water, mix and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar and eggs and mix well.

3. In a separate bowl, add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and chocolate pudding. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the cocoa water mixture to the sugar mixture, ending with the flour mixture.

4. Bake cupcakes in standard size tins at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cook. Using a teaspoon, carefully remove a small portion of the center of each cupcake to allow for the filling.

5. To make cupcake filling, melt caramels with milk in a saucepan, stirring until caramels are melted. Fold in crushed peanuts and using a teaspoon, fill each cupcake.

6. To make frosting, combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. Garnish cupcakes with crushed peanuts and top each one with a mini Snickers.