Chocolate Monster Cupcakes

Halloween is such a fun holiday.  There are so many fun costumes, decorations, and you guessed it, desserts.  My daycare provider gave me this idea and it has been a huge hit.  Not only do they look cute, but they taste great!  They are perfect for any Halloween party.

Bake and cool 2 dozen cupcakes from your favorite recipe.  I found that the smaller cupcakes worked better for this recipe.

Prepare a 3.4-ounce box of vanilla-flavored instant pudding. Stir in drops of green food coloring until you have a shade you like, then place it in the refrigerator to chill.

Next, microwave 1 cup of green melting candy until completely melted.  Get your marshmallow station ready.  I used a colander to stick the skewers in while the coating dried.

One at a time, spear 24 large marshmallows with a skewer and roll them in the melted candy, coating the sides. Addmini chocolate chips for eyes.  Let sit until the coating has completely hardened.

With a small serrated knife, remove a 1-inch-wide chunk from the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a tablespoon or so of the pudding, then spread chocolate frosting around each pudding hole.

Cover each pool of pudding with a chilled marshmallow. Add black gel facial features and 2 green Tic Tac mints for bolts.  Finally, top each monster head with a bit of frosting and muss with your finger or a fork.

Chocolate Monster Cupcakes
1.  Bake and cool 2 dozen cupcakes from your favorite recipe.
2.  Prepare a 3.4-ounce box of vanilla-flavored instant pudding. Stir in drops of green food coloring until you have a shade you like, then place it in the refrigerator to chill.

3.  Next, microwave 1 cup of green melting candy (available at party supply stores) for 1 minute at 50 percent power, then stir. If necessary, heat in 15-second intervals until completely melted. Get your marshmallow station ready. I used a colander to stick the skewers in while the coating dried.
4.  One at a time, spear 24 large marshmallows with a skewer and roll them in the melted candy, coating the sides. Add mini chocolate chips for eyes.  Let sit until coating has completely hardened.

5.  With a small serrated knife, remove a 1-inch-wide chunk from the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a tablespoon or so of the pudding, then spread chocolate frosting around each pudding hole.
Cover each pool of pudding with a chilled marshmallow. Add black gel facial features and 2 green Tic Tac mints for bolts. Finally, top each monster head with a bit of frosting and muss with your finger or a fork. Keep the cupcakes chilled until serving time.