1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

Decoration items:

12 cupcakes

Short bread cookies

Chocolate frosting

Candy corn

White icing

Black decorators gel

Red fruit roll ups

Cupcake foil

How to prepare:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; line the cups of a standard muffin tin with foil liners. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt- set aside. In a measuring cup, mix milk and vanilla; set aside.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. With mixer on low speed, add half of dry ingredients, followed by milk-vanilla mixture, then remaining dry ingredients.

Add batter in muffin cups. Bake cupcake for 20 to 25 minutes. You can use a toothpick to place in the center, if the toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are done.

How to Decorate:

Frost each cupcake, then press in a cookie head and 2 cookies for the wings.

Press in a row or two of candy corn for the tail feathers.

To make an eye, add a small dot of white icing to the head, then add a dot of black decorators' gel for a pupil.

For a beak, cut the white tip from a piece of candy corn and press it in place.

To make the wattle, cut a 1-inch square of fruit leather. Roll it into a tube and stick it in place over the beak.