Colorful Skeleton Cookie Cupcakes

Directions

1. Prepare the brownie cupcakes: Set your oven to 350°F and line 24 mini muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Coarsely chop 1/4 cup of M&M’S Peanut Chocolate Candies Ghoul’s Mix.
3. In a small heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, combine 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 2 oz finely chopped unsweetened baker’s chocolate. Stir occasionally until completely melted. Take off the heat and mix in 2 tbsp granulated sugar and 1 tbsp brown sugar. Allow to cool slightly.
4. Stir in 2 eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then add 1 tsp vanilla extract and stir.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/4 tsp salt.
6. Fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until just combined. Then fold in the chopped M&M’S. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Let the cupcakes cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
8. While the cupcakes cool, prepare the skeleton cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt.
9. In a large bowl, use a handheld electric mixer to beat 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/3 cup softened unsalted butter until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 egg until well blended, then beat in 1 tsp vanilla extract.
10. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until a dough forms. Shape the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
11. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
12. Lightly flour your work surface. Roll out the chilled dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a 2-inch mini gingerbread man or Halloween skeleton cookie cutter to cut out 24 cookies, rerolling scraps as necessary.
13. Place the cut-out cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Freeze the cookies for 10 to 15 minutes.
14. Bake one sheet at a time, rotating the pan halfway through, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops are set and the bottoms are lightly golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
15. Using white royal icing, pipe a skeleton shape onto each cookie. Let stand until the icing is firm.
16. Spoon or pipe a dollop of cream cheese frosting onto each cupcake. Top each with a single color of the remaining M&M’S for a colorful look. Garnish each cupcake with a skeleton cookie.