Halloween Hoot Owls Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all cake ingredients except coconut in large bowl. Beat according to package directions. Gently stir in coconut. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 19 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Combine all frosting ingredients in medium bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Frost cooled cupcakes. Place 2 butter rum candies on each cupcake for eyes. Dip bottoms of chocolate chips into frosting; place onto each candy circle to form center of eye. Arrange almonds above eyes for feathers. Add cashew for beak. Store refrigerated in container with tight-fitting lid. TIPS: The back of a spoon works great to make decorative swirls when frosting cakes and cupcakes. Butter rum candies with holes are available in bags or rolls. Yellow or orange candies can be substituted for the butter rum.

Steps:

• Place popcorn in a large oven-proof bowl; keep warm in oven at 200° In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, water, corn syrup and salt. Cook over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 250° (hard-ball stage). Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vinegar until butter is melted. Immediately pour over popcorn; toss to coat., When mixture is cool enough to handle, quickly shape into five 3-1/4-in. balls and five 4-in. balls, dipping hands in cold water to prevent sticking. Flatten bottom of popcorn balls slightly to allow them to sit flat. Place a small ball on top of a large ball, forming the owl's head and body., Immediately decorate owl, using marshmallow creme to attach candies. Add candy corn for claws. Press the orange slices into sides for wings. Flatten and cut additional orange slices into semicircles for ears and 3/4-in. circular eyes. Press M&M's into orange circles to complete the eyes. Add a cashew for each beak.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with brown muffin cases. Beat the first 5 ingredients to a smooth batter and spoon between the cases, almost filling them to the top. You may have a little left over. Bake for 20-25 mins until risen and spongy. Cool on a rack.
• Beat the butter and icing sugar until smooth. Slice off the very tops of the cakes and cut each piece in half. Spread a generous layer of icing over each cake.
• Working on one cake at a time, squirt a pea-sized blob of orange icing onto two Maltesers and use to fix a brown M&M on each. Sit the eyes, two pieces of cake top (curved edge up) and a jelly diamond on the icing to make an owl.