Chocolate Spider Cupcakes

Directions

1. CUPCAKE: Adjust 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds. Lightly grease and flour 16 cupcake forms. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa; set aside. Cream the butter with an electric mixer; add in the vanilla and sugar and beat to mix. Add in the large eggs, one at a time. On the lowest speed alternately add in the dry ingredients in 3 additions with the lowfat milk in 2 additions. Beat just till smooth. Spoon into the prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 min. Cool a couple min in the pans. Run a knife around the edges and invert onto a rack. Cool completely.ICING: Put the chocolate, cream, sugar, and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, till the chocolate is partially melted. Remove from the heat and stir till completely melted. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Hold a cupcake upside down and pipe the top into the icing. Twirl the cake slightly and set aside. Repeat with the remaining cupcake and icing. Chill.
2. SPIDERS: Place the chocolate chips and oil in the top of a double boiler set over hot water. When the chips have almost melted remove from the heat and stir till completely melted. Cool 10 min, stirring occasionally. Spoon the melted chocolate into a pastry bag fitted with an 1/8 inch tip. (Or possibly use a parchment paper cone.) On a baking sheet lined with wax parchment paper start piping out spiders about 2 inches apart. Make an oval body about 1/2 inch long with 4 legs on each side; the top and bottom legs should be lightly longer. Chill 20 min. Peel the spiders from the paper; keep refrigerated.
3. WEBS: In a double boiler set over medium low heat heat the chocolate and oil together. Remove from the heat and cool 5 min, stirring occasionally. Spoon the chocolate into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/8 inch tip. (Or possibly use a parchment paper cone.) In the center of a cupcake make a small dot of the chocolate; from the center pipe out 8 lines, evenly spaced, to the outer edge. Pipe out 4 circles, evenly spaced, over the lines. The cupcakes can be made 24 hrs in advance. Hold in refrigerator in tins or possibly loosely covered. Remove from refrigeration 1-2 hrs before serving. Before serving place a couple of the spiders on top of each cupcake.