Lorraine Pascale's chocolate muffin spiders recipe

• 300 g (10.6oz) cream cheese
• 50 g (1.8oz) creme fraiche
• 3 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
• 2 drops vanilla extract, or seeds from 1/2 a vanilla pod
• 275 g (9.7oz) self-raising flour
• 50 g (1.8oz) dark chocolate chips
• 50 g (1.8oz) caster sugar
• 25 g (0.9oz) cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 275 ml (9.7fl oz) semi-skimmed milk
• 50 ml (1.8fl oz) sunflower oil
• 50 g (1.8oz) strawberry or cola laces (sweets, cut into 96 x 5cm lengths
• 24 M&M's or Smarties

1. Preheat the oven to 210C/fan 190C/ gas mark 6 1/2.
2. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases.
3. Put the flour, chocolate chips, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarb into a medium bowl.
4. Toss together briefly and make a well in the centre.
5. Beat the egg and egg whites together briefly in a small bowl to combine and pour them into the centre of the dry ingredients.
6. Add the milk and sunflower oil also and mix everything together until well combined and smooth.
7. Using two spoons, divide the mixture evenly among the paper cases.
8. They should be filled just over halfway in the case.
9. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
10. Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool.
11. Meanwhile, prepare the icing.
12. Simply beat the cream cheese, creme fraiche, icing sugar and vanilla seeds (or extract) together in a medium bowl until smooth.
13. Cover and leave in the fridge until ready to use.
14. Once cool, place the muffins onto a serving plate.
15. Divide the icing among the twelve muffins and use a small palette knife or round-bladed knife to spread as evenly as possible over the top of each one.
16. Stick one strawberry or cola lace piece into the icing, near the centre, and leave it hanging down so it reaches to the plate.
17. Repeat to give four legs on each side of every cupcake.
18. Stick on the M&Ms or Smarties for the eyes just before serving (any earlier and they will bleed onto the icing).

cream cheese, creme fraiche, icing sugar, vanilla, flour, chocolate chips, caster sugar, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate, egg, egg whites, milk, sunflower oil, strawberry, smarties

Taken from www.lovefood.com/guide/recipes/45450/lorraine-pascales-chocolate-muffin-spiders-recipe (may not work)