Monkey Business Cupcakes

Makes 18 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

12⁄3 cups white whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup mashed bananas, about 2 large

1⁄3 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup canola oil

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2⁄3 cup chocolate chips (mini chips are ideal)

Topping:

½ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1½ cups chocolate chips

18 gingersnap cookies

18 mini Oreos

1 tube (4.25 ounces) white decorating frosting

36 mini brown M&Ms

Method:

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Line 18 muffin cups. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, blend bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat in oil and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add banana mixture to flour mixture, stirring gently to combine. Stir in chocolate chips.

2 Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

3 To decorate, heat cream and corn syrup in a saucepan until mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat; add chocolate chips. Cover; let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Glaze cupcakes with chocolate. Spoon extra into a plastic bag and refrigerate.

4 Cut gingersnaps to make a mouth. For ears, separate Oreo tops and bottoms and remove filling. Pipe on white frosting for eyes and top with M&Ms. Snip a small corner from bag of chocolate; pipe on hair and nostrils.

Nutrition per cupcake: 364 calories; 4g protein; 18g fat (7g saturated fat); 50g carbohydrate; 3g fiber; 52mg calcium; 2mg iron; 175mg sodium.

Monkey Business Cupcakes