Spooktacular chocolate cupcakes

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

2 c all-purpose flour
2 c sugar
3/4 c cocoa
1 ts baking soda
1 ts salt
1/2 ts baking powder
3/4 c shortening
3/4 c buttermilk
3/4 c water
2 eggs
1 ts vanilla extract : Assorted candies (optional) : Peanut Butter Cream : Filling:
2 3 Oz Package cream cheese : sofrened
2/3 c creamy peanut butter
1/4 c milk
1 ts vanilla extract
3 c powdered sugar

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin cups which are 2 1/2" in diameter with paper baking cups. Stir together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add shortening buttermilk water eggs and vanilla. Beat on low speed of electric mixer 30 seconds scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes scraping bowl occasionally. Fill muffin cups 1/3 full with batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Prepare Peanut Butter Cream Filling: Beat cream cheese and peanut butter in a large bowl until well blended. Add milk and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add powdered sugar beating until smooth. Add additional milk 1 tsp. at a time until desired consistency. Place peanut butter cream filling into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Insert tip into center of cupcakes; pipe filling into cupcake. Remove tip from cake; garnish top with swirl of filling. Decorate with candies if desired. Cover; refrigerate leftover cupcakes. Yields about 3 dozen cupcakes. Source: Daily Breeze Food Section - October 26 1994 Recipe By : Date: Sun 20 Oct 1996 07:13:09 ~0700