Mini More - Almond Joy Cupcakes

27 years.

I've been alive for 27 YEARS - and this Halloween was the first time that I experienced the wonder that is an Almond Joy.

Chocolate. Coconut. Almond.

Best combination EVER.

My baking routine has been thrown for a loop lately - I'm currently homeless.  In preparation for a big move (which I'll post about later), I sold my house and have been camping out at my parents' home while they reside at an undisclosed location (hint: somewhere in South Carolina).

While there are many drawbacks to not having a place of your own, my mom's house comes with at least one benefit: her stockpile of food.  My mom is a coupon queen.  She has no greater joy than getting things for practically free.  Therefore her pantry could feed a family of four for several months.

Or as my friend Krista calls it: diabetes in a closet.

She's not wrong.  But hey - we love to bake.  As I was foraging through her multitudes of baking supplies, I came across a package of Almond Joy instant pudding mix.

I immediately had two questions:

1. How did I not know that this existed?
2. How can I incorporate this into a cupcake?

I used my Mini Banana Pudding Cupcakes as a recipe base, and twisted it to become these Mini Almond Joy Cupcakes.

And trust me - they are fabulous.

PREP/DECO TIME: 45 minutes

BAKE TIME: 15 minutes

MAKES: roughly 75 mini cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

• Chocolate fudge cake mix (plus ingredients listed on box)
• FILLING
• Small box instant Almond Joy pudding*
• 1 3/4 cup cold milk
• FROSTING
• 1 cup cold milk
• Small box coconut cream pudding
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 4 oz. whipped cream cheese
• 8 oz. whipped topping (thawed)
• Almonds (optional)
• Chocolate shavings for garnish (optional)

WHIP IT UP

1. First prepare the frosting (it takes an hour to firm in the fridge).  In a large bowl, whisk together milk, coconut cream pudding mix and powdered sugar until thick and smooth.
2. Whisk in whipped cream cheese until blended.
3. Fold in whipped topping and place in the refrigerator for an hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line your mini cupcake pans with paper liners.
5. Prepare cupcake batter as called for on box and fill each mini liner 2/3 of the way full.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
7. While cupcakes are baking, prepare the filling.  In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and Almond Joy (or your own version) pudding mix until thick.
8. Place pudding in refrigerator to set.
9. Once cupcakes are fully cooled, cut a small circle in the center of each cupcake and fill with Almond Joy pudding. (Tip: use an apple corer to "core" each cupcake.)
10. Once frosting has firmed, pipe onto the top of each cupcake.
11. Garnish the top of each cupcake with chocolate shavings and an almond.
12. Store any uneaten cupcakes in the refrigerator.

*If you can't find the Almond Joy pudding mix, you can always create your own.  It is essentially chocolate pudding with coconut and almond mixed in. So just place some coconut and slivered almonds in a food processor, chop down to a fine mix, and add to your chocolate pudding mix before allowing to set.  This might actually work better if you are finicky about coconut/nuts - you can omit anything you don't like, or add extra coconut if you are that kind of person (I definitely am).

Enjoy!

Jordan