Spider cupcakes is an Orange and black are the classic colors of Halloween. Orange represents the bounty of the fall harvest and black represents the darkness of death and the coming winter.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup chopped pecans

FROSTING:

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel

Orange paste food coloring

2 to 4 teaspoons orange juice

1/2 cup chocolate frosting

Black shoestring licorice

12 black gumdrops

Method

1 In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Beat in the applesauce, vanilla and orange peel. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in pecans.

2 Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

3 For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioners’ sugar. Add orange peel, food coloring and enough orange juice to achieve spreading consistency. Set aside 1/4 cup orange frosting. Frost cupcakes.

4 Transfer chocolate frosting to a heavy-duty resealable bag; cut a small hole in a corner of bag. Pipe a circle of chocolate in center of each cupcake. Pipe evenly spaced thin concentric circles about 1/4 in. apart. Beginning with the center circle, gently pull a toothpick through circles toward outer edge. Wipe toothpick clean. Repeat to complete web pattern.

5 Cut licorice into 2-in. pieces; press eight pieces into each gumdrop for legs. Place reserved orange frosting in a heavy-duty resealable bag; cut a small hole in a corner of the bag. Pipe eyes on each spider gumdrop. Position on cupcakes. Yield: 1 dozen.