Candy-filled Cupcakes

Looking for a simple attention-getter? Make this effortless variation to your regular cupcake recipes. Kids love having a surprise inside the cupcakes, and what better surprise than a piece of candy? The type of candy you use is important. The candy will sink into the cupcakes just a little, and will be totally covered when you frost them.

Obviously, you wouldn’t want to use something that is hard or brittle, because people could damage their teeth when unexpectedly biting into it. You want something soft, and light, to get the desired effect. Things I’ve had success with are cut-up pieces of: York Peppermint Patties, Reese’s Cups, Nestle Crunch, Almond Joy or Mounds, and Caramello. Other similar bars should also work. Heavy bars, such as Snickers, Mars, etc., can settle to the bottom of some batters and stick to the cupcake papers.

To make the cupcakes: Cut pieces of candy into bite-size pieces, and have them laid out on your table or counter, ready to be used. Bake one 12-well cupcake pan at a time. Line the wells with cupcake liners and fill them with batter as usual. Bake the cupcakes for 5 minutes. Quickly remove the pan from the oven and place it next to the cut-up candy. As fast as possible, put one piece of candy on top of each cupcake. Return the pan to the oven and continue baking. It may take some batters an additional minute or two to bake completely. Cool in the pans for 3 or 4 minutes, then carefully remove the cupcakes from the pans and cool them on a wire rack.

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