1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup milk
Purple sprinkles, for topping (optional)
For Frosting:
4 Red Vines® Grape Twists, cut into pieces
¼ cup water
¼ cup butter, softened
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
Preheat your oven to 350˚ F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking power and salt.
Beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the eggs until well combined, then add the vanilla extract.
Turn your mixer to low. Add in half of the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.
Add the milk, followed by the rest of the dry ingredients. Stir by hand or beat on low until the ingredients are just combined.
Be careful not to over-mix or your cupcakes will come out dense instead of light and fluffy.
Spoon the cupcake batter into the muffin tin slots, filling each about ¾ full. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to sit for 10 minutes, then transfer them to your counter top or a wire rack to cool.
To make the frosting, combine the Red Vines Grape Twists and a splash of water in a skillet over low heat.
Cook until the candy is melted, adding more water to prevent it from sticking to the pan, about 10 minutes.
When done, it should be the consistency of jelly.
In a large bowl, beat the butter on low until creamy. Add in the melted Red Vines Grape Twists and some of the confectioners sugar and beat until well combined.
Add a tablespoon of milk or cream and the rest of the confectioners sugar and continue to beat. Add enough heavy cream to achieve a smooth, spreadable consistency.
Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag and pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Top each with sprinkles.
12 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed in a food processor
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 8-oz package of cream cheese, softened
¼ cup plain greek yogurt
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
12 Red Vines Original Twists, chopped into pieces
½ cup water
½ cup vanilla frosting
Preheat your oven to 350F degrees and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Combine the crushed cookies and melted butter in a bowl and mix. Add a heaping tablespoon to each muffin tin slot and use a spoon or your fingers to press down. Bake for 6 minutes, then set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese, greek yogurt, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and beat at medium speed until completely smooth. Add the egg and beat on low until just combined; do not overmix.
Divide the cheesecake filling between the muffin tin slots and set aside.
In a small skillet, combine the Red Vines Original Twists and ¼ cup of water and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Stir frequently, adding more water as needed to prevent the candy from sticking to the pan. Continue to simmer the Red Vines until sticky and soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Place the vanilla frosting in a large bowl along with the melted Red Vines. Beat on high until completely smooth. If any large chunks remain, transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and blend. Scoop the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a small tip.
To create spider webs, make a spiral on top of each cheesecake - it’s okay if they’re not perfect. Then use a toothpick to make lines, dragging the Red Vines frosting from the center of the cheesecake outwards.
Bake the mini cheesecakes for 18 to 20 minutes, until just the center of each cheesecake jiggles when you shake the muffin tin. Cool on a wire rack for an hour, then transfer the mini cheesecakes to the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
