Hocus Pocus Book of Spells Halloween Cupcakes

Directions

1. Prepare the brownie mix following the instructions on the box, then let them cool completely.
2. With a 2-inch rectangular cookie cutter, cut the brownies into rectangles and set them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Fill a piping bag fitted with a #4 tip with black cake frosting. Pipe a tiny amount onto the back of each edible eyeball, then press the eye onto the brownie.
4. Using the same bag, pipe a wavy line on the side opposite the eye to form the book's spine.
5. Add a straight line adjacent to the spine, then pipe another wavy line on top of that straight line.
6. Decorate the corners with half-circle shapes. Then pipe two small dots on the brownie between the wavy lines and the eye.
7. Repeat the decorating process for all brownies. Let them set while you prepare the cupcakes.
8. Let your cupcakes cool completely while you prepare a batch of simple buttercream frosting.
9. Transfer about 1½ cups of buttercream to a small bowl and stir in a few drops of purple gel food coloring. To the remaining frosting in the main bowl, add a few drops of green gel food coloring.
10. Fit a medium piping bag with a star tip. Spoon half of the green frosting into one side of the bag, then spoon the purple frosting into the other side.
11. Fill a large piping bag fitted with an open star tip with the remaining green frosting.
12. With the large piping bag of green frosting, pipe a ring around the top edge of each cupcake. Immediately sprinkle green sprinkles over the frosting.
13. Using the medium piping bag with the green and purple frostings, pipe a medium-sized dollop in the center of the cupcake. Gently set a book of spells brownie on top of the swirled frosting dollop.