The latest issue of the Hello, Cupcake What’s News letter features a Bootiful Mummy Cupcakes! The cupcakes which are by the creators of the Hello, Cupcake and What’s New Cupcake Cookbooks, have marshmallows hidden under red fruit roll-ups which looks like blood under the melted frosting.  Gory, I know but it’s Halloween after all! For tips on how to make the mummy visit the candy corner and for help with the spider webs seen in the image below check out the technique of the month and for directions look below!

For 2 Mummies

12 chocolate cupcakes baked in brown paper liners

14 marshmallows
1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
4 rolls strawberry fruit leather (e.g. Fruit by the Foot)
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (e.g. Oreos, Famous Chocolate Wafers), optional

1. Cut the marshmallows in half lengthwise with clean scissors. Cut 1 half in half again to make the 2 eye brows. Cut 2 halves into triangles to make the 2 noses. Cut the red fruit leather into 3 inch pieces and cut each piece into uneven strips from 1/8 inch to 1/2 inch wide to make the bandages.

2. Spread a thin layer of vanilla frosting on top of the cupcakes. Arrange 6 cupcakes in the shape of a mummy (1 for the head, 2 for the arms and then 3 in a row for the body and feet). Repeat with the remaining 6 cupcakes to make another mummy.

3. Place  the marshmallows, cut side down, on top of the cupcakes, to make a mummy body (see Candy Corner for photo). For the face place the quarter piece of marshmallow crosswise on top half of the cupcake. Place the triangular marshmallow as the nose under the eyebrow, pointed end touching the eyebrow.

4. Lightly brush one side of the fruit strips and arrange, haphazardly, over the top of the marshmallows and frosting to make the bandages. Place the cupcakes in the freezer for 10 minutes to set slightly.

5. Spoon the remaining vanilla frosting into a 1 cup glass measuring cup. Microwave the vanilla frosting, stirring frequently, until the texture of slightly whipped cream, about 15 to 20 seconds.

6. Dipping one chilled cupcake at a time, hold the paper liner and dip cupcake into the vanilla frosting just up to the paper liner. Allow the excess frosting to dip off. Invert and let stand. Reheat the frosting for several seconds in the microwave, stirring well, if becomes too thick to dip.

7. Reassemble the mummies onto a serving platter. Spoon any remaining of the heated vanilla frosting into a ziplock bag. Snip a small corner from the bag and drizzle the frosting, using a back and forth motion, over the tops of the cupcakes to create texture on the bandages. Lightly dust the top of the cupcakes with the cocoa powder.

For Spider Webs and Flies

6 chocolate cupcakes baked in brown paper liners
12 mini chocolate cupcakes baked in brown paper liners

1/2 cup canned vanilla frosting
Orange food coloring
1 can (16 ounces) dark chocolate frosting
18 chocolate coated raisins (e.g. Raisinettes)
36 sliced natural almonds

1. Tint 2 tablespoons of the vanilla frosting orange with the food coloring ans spoon into a ziplock bag. Spoon the remaining vanilla frosting into a ziplock bag.

2. Spread the tops of the cupcakes with the dark chocolate frosting and smooth. Snip a small corner (1/16 inch), from the bag with the vanilla frosting. Starting in the center of the cupcakes pipe concentric circles or a spiral over the top of the cupcakes (see Technique of the Month for photo). Starting in the center, lightly pull a toothpick through the two frosting colors to the outer edge of the cupcakes. Repeat the toothpick pull six or seven times, spaced to create thesymmetrical web design.

3. Place the chocolate covered raisins randomly on top of webs. Add the sliced almonds, inserting them under the chocolate raisins for the wings. Snip a very small corner from bag with the orange frosting and pipe 2 dots on chocolate raisins for the eyes.

Makes 6 standard and 12 mini cupcakes