Hello, cupcakers and fellow candy lovers. We have a special treat today!

Jack O'Lantern Cupcakes!

By now we hope you have seen our cupcaking app Hello, Cupcake! where we use stop action animation and video to teach you how to make projects from our books. We have just added four new projects to the App. Jack O'Lanterns for Halloween, Larry the Turkey for Thanksgiving, Edible Ornaments for Christmas, & Frosty Mugs for New Year's.

In the App we use hundreds of step by step images and animation made from candy to make cupcaking as easy as...well, as easy as cupcakes! But we thought it would be fun to teach you our Halloween cupcake project by selecting frames from the App that show you step by step how to make Jack O'Lantern Cupcakes! 

- 6 jumbo cupcakes baked in orange liners
- 1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
- ½ teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder (Hershey’s)
- Yellow and red food coloring
- 16 chocolate chews (Tootsie Rolls)
- 16 yellow fruit chews (Tootsie Fruit Rolls, Starburst, Laffy Taffy)
- 3 wheat twist pretzels (Rold Gold)

Tint the vanilla frosting deep orange with the cocoa powder, and yellow and red food coloring.

Divide the frosting and spoon it into two resealable freezer-grade storage bags. Press out the excess air, and seal.

Squeegee the frosting to the corner.

Snip a ¼-inch corner from the bags.

Soften several chocolate chews at a time (you can put them in the microwave for 2 to 3 seconds if needed). Flatten the chews slightly. Press several chews together and roll out on a piece of wax paper to a ⅛-inch thickness.

Using the outer line of the templates, cut out chocolate shapes using a small paring knife or scissors. Reheat and re-roll the scraps as necessary to make all of the shapes.

Trim templates down to the inner line and repeat with the yellow fruit chews.

Place the yellow pieces on top of the chocolate pieces to make the eyes, mouths, and noses; set aside on wax paper.

Make enough face parts for all of your cupcakes, you can even create your own.

Starting at the top of a cupcake, pipe a thick line of frosting down the center.

To make the pumpkin’s ribs, pipe vertical lines on either side of the center line, tapering them slightly at the top and bottom. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

For the stems, break the wheat twist pretzels in half crosswise. Insert the broken ends into the top of the cupcakes.

Arrange the face parts on top of the cupcakes.

Repeat with the remaining cupcakes and faces.

Have a Bootiful Halloween!

Alan and Karen

p.s. - For more candy decorating ideas, please check out our books and newsletter at www.hellocupcakebook.com.

Recipe and images copyright 2012 Hello, Cupcake! App.