Festive Red Velvet-Peppermint Cupcakes

• 1 pkg. (2-layer size) red velvet cake mix
• 1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding
• 1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped
• 1 tsp. peppermint extract
• 1 cup crushed hard peppermint candies, divided
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
• 1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

1. Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package for 24 cupcakes, blending dry pudding mix, chopped chocolate and peppermint extract into batter before spooning into prepared muffin cups, and sprinkling batter evenly with half the crushed candies before baking.
2. Cool.
3. Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl with mixer until blended.
4. Gradually beat in sugar.
5. Whisk in COOL WHIP.
6. Spoon 1-1/2 cups cream cheese frosting into freezer-weight resealable plastic bag; seal bag.
7. Cut 1 small corner off bottom of bag.
8. Insert tip of bag into top of each cupcake to pipe about 1 Tbsp.
9. frosting into center of cupcake.
10. Spread cupcakes with remaining frosting.
11. Garnish with remaining crushed candies just before serving.

red velvet cake mix, chocolate, peppermint, peppermint candies, philadelphia cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar

Taken from www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/festive-red-velvet-peppermint-cupcakes-158515.aspx (may not work)