Critter Cupcakes

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 16 muffin-tin compartments with paper cupcake liners.

• In medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Set aside.

• Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and creamy - about 3-4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in pumpkin purée. On low speed, alternately stir flour mixture and milk into butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.

• Pour the batter into prepared cupcake liners, filling each 3⁄4 full. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes; they're done when a toothpick poked into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean, with no batter clinging to it.

• Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely.

• To decorate lion critter: Tint canned vanilla icing with orange food colouring. Smooth icing overtop cupcakes. Use toasted flaked almonds to create the lion's mane. Then cut a gumdrop in half for cheeks, and create eyes with semi-sweet chocolate chips. Use a small pink candy for the nose and black licorice for whiskers. (Have fun creating your own critters by adapting these instructions.)

• Makes 16 cupcakes.

• In 1 cupcake: 271 calories, 3.0 g protein, 9.6 g fat, 44.2 g carbohydrates, 33 mg calcium