Thanksgiving Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs and peanut butter with electric mixer on low speed 30 second, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about two-thirds full).
• Bake 18 to 23 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Frost cupcakes with frosting.
• Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In separate small microwavable bowls, microwave candy coating and baking chocolate uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted and smooth. Place coating and chocolate in separate resealable food-storage plastic bags; snip off tiny corner of each bag. Pipe coating and chocolate into feather shapes, about 3 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide (see diagram). Refrigerate coating and chocolate about 5 minutes until set.
• When set, peel feathers off waxed paper and insert into cupcakes. Place milk chocolate candy on each cupcake for head of turkey. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray 6 muffin cups with cooking spray.
• Stir cornbread mix, creamed corn, milk, egg, sage, onion powder, salt, and pepper together in a medium mixing bowl. Divide mixture evenly among the muffin cups
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 17 minutes. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Using a teaspoon measuring spoon, hollow out the center of each cornbread cupcake; reserve scooped out cornbread. Fill each hole with about 2 teaspoons cranberry sauce. Use reserved cornbread to top each hole.
• Place mashed potatoes in a resealable plastic bag and snip off 1 corner of the bag. Pipe about 1/3 cup potatoes on top of each cupcake. Place 2 turkey slices on each mound of potatoes, and drizzle each with 2 teaspoons gravy. Serve warm, garnished with a sprinkle of parsley.

Steps:

• Use an offset spatula to spread buttercream over cupcakes in a smooth layer.
• With a wet toothpick, poke two holes in each coconut marshmallow; using kitchen tweezers, insert chocolate sprinkles for eyes. Cut 12 orange gummy fish in half; push one half into each marshmallow for a beak. Press marshmallow heads onto cupcakes. Press 5 more gummy fish into each cupcake to make tail feathers. Sprinkle toasted coconut over cupcakes to cover completely. Decorated cupcakes can be stored up to 1 day at room temperature in airtight containers.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
• For the cupcakes: Stir together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar and eggs together in a large bowl until smooth and light. Whisk in the oil until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin until completely smooth. Add the dry ingredients and fold until the batter is just smooth.
• Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the muffins comes out just clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool on the rack completely.
• For the chocolate buttercream: Sift the confectioners' sugar and cocoa onto a piece of parchment paper. Beat the butter and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners' sugar mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon cream. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, adding more cream as needed to make a light, spreadable frosting.
• Generously frost the cupcakes. Use an offset spatula to make the tops smooth and flat.
• For decorating: Combine the confectioners' sugar and a tablespoon of lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk with a fork until smooth. Add more lemon juice, as needed, to make a frosting the consistency of glue.
• Use the confectioners' sugar glue to adhere 7 peanut butter candies to each ginger cookie like the feathers of a turkey's tail (make a row of 5, then place 2 underneath). Lay flat until set, about 15 minutes.
• To make the heads, cut a small slice from the side of each doughnut hole so the heads will sit flat on the cupcakes. Glue 2 eyeballs to each head. Cut the yellow end from each piece of candy corn and discard it. Use a paring knife to cut a slit just below the eyes in a head and stick in a candy corn to make a beak. Repeat with the remaining heads. Cut each of the 4 red jelly candies into 3 half-moons. Glue each to the side of the candy corn for the wattles.
• Cut two "wings" from each peanut butter cookie by laying the cookie horizontally and cutting each side on an angle to make 2 wings; a triangular piece of cookie will be left over in the middle (snack on it, or save it for another use).
• Stick the tails into the back of the cupcakes at a slight angle. Add the heads on top and the wings on the sides.