Hide and Seek | Halloween Baking

Read on for directions to make these Ghoulish Treats!

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced). Line 2 x 12-hole muffin pans with paper cupcake cases.
Open the cake box, remove enclosed frosting sachet and reserve for another use. Put the cake mix in a large mixing bowl and add the oil, water and eggs. Whisk (by hand or with an electric mixer) for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Divide the mixture evenly between the cupcake cases.
Bake both pans together in the oven for 18-22 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely; about 30 minutes.
The cupcakes will keep in a cool place for up to 2 days.

260g Betty Crocker™ Creamy Deluxe™ Vanilla Frosting
200g Betty Crocker™ Creamy Deluxe™ Chocolate Fudge Frosting
8 chocolate cream wafers or pink wafers
1 piece liquorice strap, cut along the ridges into 8 short lengths
16 red sugar-coated mini chocolate beans or milk chocolate drops
1 short round piece liquorice, cut into 8 thin rounds, then each trimmed to small triangles
1 small tube black writing icing
1/2 shredded wheat biscuit, broken into strands
Green food colouring paste or gel
16 blackcurrant Fruit Pastilles
8 large milk chocolate buttons, halved
16 large white chocolate buttons
16 dark chocolate chips
8 yellow or orange sugar coated chocolate beans

(Makes 8)

Frost 8 cupcakes with half of the vanilla frosting (reserving about 1 teaspoon).
Cut 4 of the wafers in half lengthways and cut the rest in half widthways. Arrange 1 long and 1 short length of wafer on top of each cupcake to form a hat, pressing down gently.
Attach 1 strip of liquorice to each hat as a band using the reserved icing.
Use the mini chocolate beans and the liquorice triangles to make eyes and noses on each cupcake. Use some of the writing icing to pipe mouths and add strands of shredded wheat to give each scarecrow straggly hair.

(Makes 8)

Set aside 1 tablespoon of the vanilla frosting, then put the rest in a bowl with enough green food colouring paste or gel to give a bright green colour.
Cover 8 cupcakes with the green frosting, smoothing with a small palette knife.
Using some of the remaining black writing icing, pipe 4 concentric circles on each iced cupcake. Gently draw the tip of a cocktail stick through the circles from the centre outwards at intervals to create a spider’s web pattern on each cupcake.
Use a rolling pin to flatten 8 of the Fruit Pastilles into ovals. Cut each one into 8 thin strips and place the strips on top of each cupcake to form the spider’s legs. Top each with a whole Fruit Pastille for the spider’s body, using the reserved icing to secure in place. Pipe tiny eyes on the spiders using the black writing icing.

(Makes 8)

Frost the remaining 8 cupcakes with some of the chocolate fudge frosting.
Place the remaining frosting in a disposable piping bag fitted with a small star nozzle.
Place 2 milk chocolate button halves on each cupcake for ears. Pipe the rest of the chocolate frosting over the ears and around the edges of each cupcake to resemble tufty feathers.
Place 2 white chocolate buttons on each cupcake, below the ears, then attach 2 dark chocolate chips to the buttons with a tiny dot of any leftover chocolate frosting for the eyes.
Push 1 yellow or orange sugar-coated chocolate bean sideways into each cupcake (just between the eyes) for the beak.

Choose a smooth flat surface on which to create your background, such as a large chopping board, baking tray or even the kitchen workbench. (Note: make sure it is a clean and food safe surface or cover the surface with a sheet of baking paper before you begin.)
Spoon Betty Crocker™ Creamy Deluxe™ Chocolate Fudge Frosting and/or Betty Crocker™ Creamy Deluxe™ Vanilla Frosting (coloured with food colouring paste or gel, as desired) into piping bags fitted with medium writing nozzles. Pipe background features from the story onto your chosen surface.
Use sweets, crushed biscuits, cake crumbs, fruit, etc. to create additional details.
Be as creative as you like and have fun!