Surprise Cookies

To stack cookies, wait until frosting dries, then place waxed paper in between the layers to keep the frosting from smearing.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally
• Chocolate Frosting for Surprise Cookies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
3. Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begins to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
5. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

Candy Corn Surprise

Candy corn is always a Halloween favorite-make it even better when you mix with pecans and white candy bark.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 cup Halloween candy corn
• 1 1/2 pounds white chocolate candy bark, coarsely chopped
• 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast pecans, in a layer, in a shallow pan for 8-10 minutes. Line a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan with lightly greased foil. Microwave candy bark, sweetened condensed milk, and salt in a 2-quart microwave safe bowl on high for 3-4 minutes, stirring at 1 minute intervals. Stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla, candy corn and pecans. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Cool; cover and chill at least 2 hours or until set. Turn candy out onto cutting board and cut into squares. Store, covered, at room temperature.

Hidden Surprise Cupcakes

Prep Time: 25 mins / Total Time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam, chilled
• 1/2 cup diced strawberries
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 3 oz chilled cream cheese
• 3/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
• 12 whole strawberries

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 regular-size (2 1/2-in. diameter) muffin cups with paper liners. Have ready a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/4- to 1/2-in. round piping tip.
2. Beat butter, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl with mixer on high speed 1 minute, or until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until combined. On low speed, beat in milk and vanilla (batter will look curdled), then beat in flour just until blended. Spoon into lined cups.
3. Bake 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in centers of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes before removing from pan to rack to cool completely.
4. Spoon jam into pastry bag. Insert pastry tip into top of each cupcake and carefully pipe as much jam into center of each as possible (tops of cupcakes will bulge slightly).
5. Frosting: Stir strawberries and sugar in a large bowl; let stand 2 minutes. Beat with mixer until mashed. Add cream cheese; beat 2 minutes until well blended. Add cream and beat until stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted.
6. Up to 2 hours before serving: Spoon Frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-in. round piping tip. Pipe frosting on cupcakes. Garnish each with a berry and refrigerate.

Mini Oreo Surprise Cupcakes

Prep Time: 10 min / Total Time: 52 min

Makes: 24 servings

What you need!

• 1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 48 Mini OREO Bite Size Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
• 1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

Make It!

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Mix cream cheese, egg and sugar until well blended.

Spoon half the cake batter into 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Top each with about 1-1/2 tsp. cream cheese mixture and 1 cookie; cover with remaining cake batter.

Bake 19 to 22 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 15 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Frost with COOL WHIP. Top with remaining cookies. Frosted cupcakes can be stored in refrigerator up to 3 days.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

SIZE-WISE: at 24 servings, these are the perfect sweet treats to serve at your next party.

MAKE IT EASY: for easy portioning of cream cheese mixture into cake batter, spoon cream cheese mixture into large resealable plastic bag; seal bag securely. Snip small corner of bag with scissors. Squeeze about 1-1/2 tsp. of the cream cheese mixture over batter in each muffin cup.