Caramel Apple Cupcakes

1 box Spice Cake Mix
1 cup Apple Juice
1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
3 Eggs
1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled cored and shredded
10 oz Caramels (about 36)
1/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
24 wooden sticks


Preheat oven to 350.  Line muffin pan with paper liners.  Combine cake mix, apple juice, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large bowl.  Mix until well blended.  Mix in shredded apple, and fill the prepared liners about 2/3 full.  Bake about 20 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Allow cooling.  Melt the caramels with milk over low heat until smooth, stirring constantly.  Spread melted caramel over the cupcakes.  Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and insert a wooden stick into the center of each.

Comments:  My daughter sent this recipe and I have no idea where she found it.  What I do know is that it is so good.  When I went to the grocery store I couldn't find a spice cake mix.  Don't know if they were out or if it isn't one that is bought often enough to keep stocked.  So I used a yellow cake mix and added cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg until I got the taste I wanted.  (I used about 1/8 tsp. of each.)  I didn't use the wooden sticks because I thought it would be harder to eat so I made them true cupcakes.  When I iced them I took the paper liners off, placed them on paper plates, not letting them touch and spooned the caramel over the tops and then sprinkled with the chopped nuts.  The recipe didn't specifically say what kind of peanuts to use so I used salted.  This gave me a sweet/salty taste which I love.  This recipe is just in time for Halloween and Thanksgiving so you'll want to add it to your menus.