Choco Owls Recipes

Steps:

• In a small saucepan combine 3/4 cup of the candies and milk. Melt over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
• Prepare cookie mixes according to package directions. Stir melted chocolate into half the dough. Form chocolate dough into two 12-inch long rolls about 1 inch in diameter. Wrap in wax paper or foil. Chill until firm, about 2 hours.
• Divide plain dough in half. On a well-floured surface, roll each plain half out to a 12 x 6 inch rectangle. Place a chocolate roll on long edge. Roll up, pressing doughs lightly together so plain dough encases chocolate roll. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Wrap each roll in wax paper or foil. Chill about 2 hours until firm. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
• Cut each roll into 1/4 inch slices. Place 2 slices so they are touching on greased baking sheet. In the center of each chocolate circle, place one of the remaining candies for eye. Where the slices touch, place a cashew to form nose.
• Bake until the plain cookie is lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and cool on wire racks.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 4. Base line a 20cm round and a 18cm square cake tin.
• Put the butter and chocolate into a saucepan and stir over a very gentle heat until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
• Sieve the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Add the sugar, breaking up any lumps if necessary. Beat together the eggs and soured cream and pour onto the flour mixture. Add the melted chocolate and mix all well together until smooth.
• Divide the mixture equally between the two tins and bake in the oven for about 55 mins - 1 hour. A good way to check that the mixture is equally divided is to put a cocktail stick into each mixture and the levels should be the same.
• To make the icing, put the butter into a bowl and beat until creamy. Add the icing sugar and cocoa a little at a time beating well between each addition. Add the milk to mix to a soft spreading consistency.
• To assemble, place the round cake on a large wooden board or tray (the cake will need to served on this). Place the round cake tin on the square cake about 12cm from one edge and cut around the edge of the tin. Remove the smaller piece and place at one end of the round cake to represent the ears.
• Using the remains of the square cake cut almost in half to give an oblong (for the fence) and a semi circle (for the wings). Place the oblong at the bottom of the owl cake. Slice the semi circle in half horizontally through the middle. Arrange one piece each side of the round cake to make the wings.
• Spread the butter icing all over the cake. Cut the flake bars into small pieces and arrange on the wings to represent feathers. Keep the flake crumbs. Arrange milk chocolate buttons over the body. Place chocolate fingers on the bottom cake to make the fence. Using a fork, mark the icing to make the owl's ears. Use the flake crumbs to make a v-shape between the ears like a 'widow's peak'. Arrange the white chocolate buttons in two circles to make the eyes and place a milk chocolate button in the centre of each. Use a third of the marzipan to shape a beak and use the remaining marzipan to make two feet.
• Place the candles on the 'fence' part of the cake. You can also pipe a child's name or message on the fence using writing icing.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter and brown sugar until blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, mix flour, oats, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture., If necessary, cover and refrigerate dough 1 hour or until firm enough to shape. Divide dough in half; shape 1 portion into an 8-in.-long roll. Mix melted chocolate into remaining dough. Roll chocolate dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper into an 8-in. square. Place plain roll on chocolate dough. Wrap chocolate dough around plain dough, pinching together at the seam to seal. Wrap and refrigerate 3 hours or until firm., Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 24 slices 3/8 in. thick. To make owls, place two slices side by side on an ungreased baking sheet; pinch the top of each slice for ears. Place a cashew between slices for a beak. Repeat with remaining dough., Bake 12-15 minutes or until set. Cool on pans 5 minutes before removing to wire racks. While cookies are warm, place 2 kisses on each cookie, pointed side down, for eyes. (Kisses will melt slightly.) Top each kiss with a chocolate chip. Cool completely.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line 21 muffin cups and 6 mini-muffin cups with paper liners., In a large bowl, combine cake mix, water, oil, coffee and eggs; beat on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Fill prepared cups two-thirds full. Bake 18-22 minutes for regular-sized cupcakes and 10-12 minutes for mini-cupcakes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely., Place 1-1/3 cups chocolate frosting in a small bowl. Tint black with food coloring. Cut a small hole in the tip of a pastry bag or in a corner of a food-safe plastic bag; insert #125 or other large petal or flat pastry tip. Fill bag with black frosting and set aside., Frost mini cupcakes with some of the remaining chocolate frosting. Separate Oreo cookies, leaving cream filling on one side of the cookies. Place filling sides of cookies on frosted cupcakes for eyes, cream side up; attach brown M&M's with chocolate frosting., Trim plain sides of cookies into triangles for ears; place above eyes. Insert #16 or other star pastry tip into another pastry bag. Fill bag with remaining chocolate frosting. Pipe feathers on ears and around eyes. Place yellow M&M's between eyes for beaks., In a large bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, butter, shortening and enough water to reach spreading consistency; frost large cupcakes. Arrange cupcakes side by side on a covered cake board., Pipe black frosting across tops of cupcakes for tree trunk and branches. Place owl cupcakes on branches.