Cupcake Menorah Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, milk and eggs in large bowl with mixer until blended. Stir in chocolate.
• Spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups.
• Bake 20 to 25 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 10 min. Remove cupcakes from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
• Spread cupcakes with frosting. Insert blue candles into tops of 9 cupcakes. Arrange in shape of menorah, elevating center cupcake as shown in photo. Serve remaining cupcakes on the side.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Line 10 muffin cups with foil or paper liners.
• In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the sugar, butter and vanilla on high speed for about 2 minutes, or until well mixed. Add the egg whites, one at a time, beating for about a minute after each one. Now add the flour mixture alternately with the yogurt, in about 3 portions each, beating after each addition just until combined, and scraping down the sides to make sure everything is well mixed.
• Pour batter into the prepared cupcake pan and place in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick poked into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool completely on a rack.
• To assemble the Cupcake menorah, frost all the cupcakes with your choice of icing and decorate in any way your heart desires. Place 9 cupcakes in a row on a platter or foil-covered cardboard base. Raise the middle cupcake up higher than the others - the "shamash" or leader. Stick candles into each of the 9 positions. When it's time to light the candles - enjoy the flickering flames while you eat dinner, then eat the menorah for dessert!

Steps:

• Take any frosted cupcake or muffin, decorate with colored icing, candy stars, stars of David , candy dreidels or snowflake sprinkles, coconut, etc.
• Place eight of the cupcakes on a long platter, on a board covered in foil or around the edge of a round platter. In the center of the row or circle, place a pretty inverted drinking glass or small bowl. Set the "shamash" cupcake here.
• Place a real candle in the center of each cupcake.
• For an fire-free edible candle, place a chocolate covered wafer stick such as Twix, Pirouline, or even Twizzlers, cut to size, lengthwise in the center of each cupcake and make a "flame" with dab with white or yellow frosting on top.
• The Cupcake Menorah makes a creative, easy Hanukkah centerpiece and the kids will really enjoy watching their dessert flicker away throughout the meal. They may even stay at the table a bit longer!
• for more ideas to make your Cupcake Menorah see www.thekosherchannel.com under "Hanukkah".