Death By Chocolate Cupcakes with Milano Cookie Headstones
These cupcakes are so rich and luscious you could die. They are also Vegan and Gluten Free. You’d never know it, though because they taste seriously decadent. Try making these year-round and forego the garnishes (or don’t!—-whatever…) delicious treat any time.
Death By Chocolate Cupcakes with Milano Cookie Headstone Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Yield: 8 Cupcakes
Cupcake Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (sometimes I use cinnamon applesauce)
⅓ cup Turbinado sugar
1 tsp real Vanilla extract
1 tsp Almond extract
1 tsp canola oil
¾ cup oat flour
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
⅔ cup mini-chocolate chips
Cupcake Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a muffin or cupcake tin with cooking spray or put liners into a muffin or cupcake tin.
2. In a small bowl, combine the applesauce, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and canola oil. Stir and set aside to allow the sugar crystals to dissolve.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the applesauce mixture and stir until everything is combined. Fold in the mini-chocolate chips.
4. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, portion the batter into the tin to make 8 cupcakes. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are firm to the touch.
Sinful Chocolate Frosting Ingredients
1/2 C butter (or sub Crisco to make Vegan)
2 C Confectioner’s sugar
1 T vanilla extract
2 T skim milk (or favorite nut milk)
1/2 C cocoa powder
pinch of salt
Frosting Directions
Mix all ingredients with electric mixer by beating butter and vanilla until creamy and slowly adding cocoa powder then sugar cup by cup. Add salt, and then milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.
Ice cupcakes with a knife; if garnishing with Halloween toppers as recommended below, it doesn’t need to be pretty because it will be covered up! Otherwise, you could pipe onto cupcakes with whatever piping tip you prefer.
Garnishes
Milano cookies (really any flavor you prefer. Or use this graveyard decorating kit from Wilton for a gluten free headstone option)
knife , meat cleaver, or axe cupcake toppers
Oreo Thin Crisps, crushed (you could use chocolate wafers or chocolate Teddy Grahams)
Penzey’s Raspberry Enlightenment
Garnishing Directions
Decide what you want to write on your headstones. Using the food color marker, write on the smooth side of the cookie. (one side always has a little bump) You can simply write “RIP” on all of them or think of clever messages like “Probably In Hell” “About Time” and “Oops” or names like “Ben Dover”, “Hugh Jass”, or “ Wee G Bord”.
After you frost the cupcakes, sprinkle on crushed Oreo thin crisps as dirt.
Pierce each cupcake vertically with a large knife (this will give the Milano Cookie a little “pocket” to slide into). I recommend doing this a little off-center so there is more room in the foreground for the bones and cupcake topper.
Insert Milano cookie into the pocket you just created.
Garnish with cupcake topper of choice, bone sprinkles, and drizzle (sparingly) with Raspberry Enlightenment for blood. Enjoy!
Let me know if you make these and be sure to tag @prettyextrablog and #prettyextrahalloween on instagram when you do!
