Hello My Friends,

Every since I was young, Halloween has been one of my favorite Celebrations. When we were growing up, it was still safe to go out door-to-door Trick or Treating. We lived out in the country, so we quite often walked a mile or two visiting the Neighbors and almost all had goodies for us. I usually carried one of Mom's pillowcases and by the time we got home, it was full. Those were Good Times!

These days, it's not quite as safe to go Trick or Treating but we still get our share of the little Ghosts & Goblins stopping by for candy and I so enjoy seeing those cute little kids having fun. Also, there's usually a Halloween Party or two, either at the Church or at one of the Community Centers, so there's plenty of fun to be had on Halloween.

I thought that you all might like to have a few delicious treats to share with the kids, or even with the Adults, so that everyone could have a Happy Halloween. I thought that we would start with a few Cupcakes. Later, we'll have some of my favorite Cookies and Party food, and finally we'll finish up next week with a few recipes to use up some of that leftover Halloween Candy.

Desserts with a dark side are coming soon to a kitchen near you, just in time for Halloween. I must admit that these were borrowed from Martha Stewart, since only Martha could devise these devilishly ingenious cupcake recipes and decorations, including eerie eyeballs, taffy tentacles, and buttercream bandages.

Each recipe in this section requires one batch of Vanilla Cupcakes or One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes and one batch of Swiss Meringue Buttercream as follows...

Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients
end ingredients_header

• 1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 8 tablespoon(s) (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup(s) sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup(s) milk

---

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time; scrape down bowl, and beat in vanilla.
3. Add flour mixture and milk alternatively, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
4. Divide batter evenly among liners, about three-quarters full each. Bake until golden and tops spring back to touch, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer pans to wire rack; cool completely. Yields 1 Dozen Cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients
end ingredients_header

• 3/4 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup(s) sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup(s) warm water
• 3/4 cup(s) buttermilk
• 3 tablespoon(s) safflower oil
• 1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract

---

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
2. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Yields 18-24 Cupcakes

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing

Ingredients
end ingredients_header

• 2 1/2 cup(s) sugar
• 10 large egg whites
• 4 cup(s) (8 sticks or 2 pounds) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract

---

Directions

1. Place sugar and egg whites in the heat-proof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers; it should feel completely smooth.
2. Transfer bowl to mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until mixture has cooled completely and formed stiff and glossy peaks, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated after each addition. Don't worry if the buttercream appears curdled after all the butter has been added; it will become smooth again with continued beating. Add vanilla and beat just until combined.
4. Switch to the paddle attachment, and beat on the lowest speed to eliminate any air pockets, about 5 minutes. If using buttercream within several hours, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature in a cool environment. Or transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator, up to 3 days. Before using, bring buttercream to room temperature and beat on the lowest speed with the paddle attachment until smooth, about 5 minutes. Yield 9 Cups, or enough for 24-30 Cupcakes.

Big-Eyed Alien

Prepare the vanilla or chocolate cupcake recipe. Spread each cupcake with a thin layer of meringue buttercream tinted with a few drops of green food coloring. For the small eye, attach a mini marshmallow and create a pupil by painting on melted chocolate (microwave 1/2 cup chocolate chips for 1 minute). For the large eye, push the chocolate chip, tip down, into a regular-size marshmallow, then cut Gummi tape for an eyelid. For teeth, place 5 mini marshmallows along the bottom of the cupcake.

Stenciled Chocolate Cupcakes

Use store-bought stencils to make a bevy of bats, a swarm of spiders, or an assortment of other scary designs atop these luscious homemade cupcakes.

Spiders

Prepare batter for vanilla or chocolate cupcakes, pouring batter into 2 1/2 mini muffin tins with paper liners. Once they are baked and cooled, ice mini cupcakes with meringue buttercream and coat icing with black sanding sugar. Use cinnamon candy for eyes. For legs, attach 8 pieces of black licorice. For fangs, cut out tiny cone shapes from a marshmallow and attach.

Tentacle Alien

Prepare the vanilla or chocolate cupcake recipe. Spread each cupcake with a thin layer of meringue buttercream tinted with a few drops of green food coloring. Cut strips of green taffy and attach around the top of each cupcake. For the eye, slice a yellow gumdrop in half and press into the top of the cupcake. A piece of black licorice attached in front of the gumdrop completes the creepy gaze.

Monster Cupcakes

Ingredients
end ingredients_header

• Vanilla or Chocolate Cupcakes
• Swiss Meringue Buttercream
• 3 cup(s) sweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted
• Assorted candies, for decorating

---

Directions

1. Frost tops of cupcakes with a smooth, even layer of buttercream. Place toasted coconut in a bowl. Holding cupcake at an angle over the bowl, press coconut into frosted top of cupcake, letting excess fall back into bowl. Add candies to create facial features.

And finally, last but certainly not least...

Brains

Prepare the chocolate cupcake recipe. Using a medium round tip (such as Ateco #12), pipe a mound of meringue buttercream in the center of each cupcake, then outline and pipe a brain design over it.

I hope that you'll try some of these Tasty Goodies and that they will add a little something swet to you Spooktacular Celebrations for Halloween.

In case you haven't decided on a Costume just yet, you might consider checking with these folks...

They've got something for everyone, from Toddlers and Teenagers all of the way up to us Old Folks.

Have A Wonderfully Happy Halloween My Friends,

Phil

Phil,

These are wonderful inventions. I particularly like the spiders.

Roger

I like this one Phil!!! Creepy but I am sure delicious!!

Happy Halloween and Saturday night!!

Sara

Hi Roger & Sara,

So glad that you stopped by and I certainly hope that you have tried a Cupcake or two from our last Post and are enjoying them. You really don't have to wait for Halloween you know!

Anyway, today we'll be doing some Halloween Cookies for your enjoyment. Anyone can transform sweet, easy cookies into Halloween-inspired masterpieces with these spooky and sophisticated recipes. From pumpkin-flavored ghosts and gingerbread bats to cakey pumpkin whoopie pies and sugar-cookie leaves, there's a treat for every type of Halloween celebration.

Halloween Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 2 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon(s) pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 cup(s) mild molasses
• 1/4 cup(s) boiling water
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1/2 cup(s) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup(s) (packed) brown sugar
• 1/3 cup(s) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg

Decorations & Filling:

• Black and red tube icing
• 1 package(s) (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup(s) marshmallow cream

---

Directions

1. To make the cookies: In a bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, spice, baking powder, and salt. In a cup, stir together molasses, water, and baking soda. In a large bowl, with mixer on medium, beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in egg until blended. With mixer on low, alternately beat in flour mixture and molasses mixture until dough forms. Divide dough in half; place each half between sheets of waxed paper. Roll out to 1/8-inch thickness. Stack on baking sheet; freeze 30 minutes, until firm.
2. Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment. Working with 1 portion of dough at a time, peel away 1 sheet of the waxed paper to completely release from dough; pat paper back into place. Turn dough over; peel off second sheet and discard. Using 3-inch Halloween-shaped cutters, cut out 20 cookies. Transfer cookies from waxed paper to prepared cookie sheets with a small spatula, spacing them 1 1/2 inches apart. (For bat, use a skewer to cut out eyes; for jack-o'-lantern, use a small knife.) Reroll scraps; freeze. Cut out the remaining 20 bottom cookies.
3. Bake each sheet 8 minutes. Cool on sheet 2 minutes; remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
4. To make the filling: Beat cream cheese and marshmallow cream until smooth. Spread a heaping tablespoon of filling on each of bottom cookies; place top cookies over filling; gently sandwich together. Decorate with icing.

Skeleton Scarecrows

This skeleton scarecrow recipe can be used to make many different creepy Halloween cookie shapes, such as bats, skulls, spiders, or pumpkins.

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon(s) pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1 cup(s) (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup(s) sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• Wooden skewers
• Black and purple food coloring
• 2 cup(s) Royal Frosting*
• Black and purple decorating sugars

---

Directions

1. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and blend. Beat butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; mix in vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture and beat until just smooth. Divide dough into 2 discs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
2. Brush wooden skewers with black food coloring, if desired.
3. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Working on 1 dough disc at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a scant 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out shape with a scarecrow cookie cutter. Transfer shapes to prepared cookie sheets. Insert tinted wooden skewers about 2 inches into the dough between the legs. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake until cookies are golden brown around edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely.
4. Prepare Royal Frosting.
5. Divide Royal Frosting into 3 bowls. Tint one bowl black and one deep purple; leave one white. Transfer half of each color batch to separate pastry bags fitted with a plain number 1 tip. Thin the remaining frosting with a few teaspoons of water to the consistency of slightly whipped cream. Transfer each thinned color to separate resealable bags.
6. Outline each scarecrow in the desired colors with the thicker frostings. Snip a small corner from bags with the thinner frostings and fill in outlines. Allow cookies to dry at least 1 hour. Pipe other decorations on top of dried frosting with the thicker frosting. Add sugars, if desired. Let cookies dry completely, about 3 hours. Yields 2 Dozen Cookies.

*Royal Frosting

1 box(es) (16-ounce) confectioners’ sugar

3 tablespoon(s) meringue powder or egg white powder (Wilton or Just Whites)

5 tablespoon(s) (or more, as needed) warm water

---

Combine confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and 5 tablespoons of the water in a medium bowl. Beat, adding an additional tablespoon water if too thick, with an electric mixer until thick and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to separate bowls and tint according to directions in the recipe.

Pumpkin Ghosts

Ingredients

• 1 box(es) (14-ounce) pumpkin quick bread
• 1 cup(s) milk
• 1/3 cup(s) vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can(s) (16-ounce) vanilla frosting
• Black round sprinkles

---

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease the inside of 2 mini-ghost pans ($11.99 each, wilton.com and place them on a cookie sheet.
2. Prepare quick bread according to package directions using milk, vegetable oil, and eggs. Divide batter evenly between the ghost pans. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; invert and cool completely.
3. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Place a wire rack on top of cookie sheet. Trim tops of ghosts to make level and trim to make ghost shape. Arrange ghosts, cut side down, on wire rack about 2 inches apart.
4. Spoon vanilla frosting into a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Microwave on high, stirring frequently, until frosting is the texture of slightly whipped cream, about 15 to 20 seconds. (Do not overheat.)
5. Pour frosting over ghost cakes to cover completely. Reuse drippings if necessary; reheat and pour over cakes. Let cakes stand about 30 minutes to set. Carefully transfer to a serving platter. Add black sprinkles as the eyes. Yield 1 Dozen Cookies.

Count Dracula Fingers

Be careful, looks are deceiving! These cookies appear to be Dracula's fingers, but they taste like rich, dreamy peanut butter.

Ingredients

• 3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 3/4 cup(s) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup(s) creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/3 cup(s) confectioners' sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) almond extract
• Egg white from 1 large egg, for brushing
• Sliced almonds
• 1 tube black writing gel
• 1 tube red writing gel

---

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment or reusable nonstick liners. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, with mixer on medium, beat butter and peanut butter until smooth and creamy. With mixer on low, beat in sugar, eggs, and extracts until well blended. Beat in flour mixture until dough forms a ball. Chill dough 30 minutes.
3. For each finger, with floured hands, roll 1 tablespoon slightly rounded dough into a 4 1/2- to 5-inch rope; transfer to prepared cookie sheet (if rope breaks, just squeeze back together). Continue making ropes to fill sheet, spacing fingers 1 1/2 inches apart. Use the back of a small knife to make knuckle marks on fingers. Brush fingers with egg white and press an almond "nail" in place. Paint "nails" with gel; let dry.
4. Bake 18 minutes, or until lightly golden and cracked in places. Cool on sheet 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Make remaining fingers. Yields 40 Cookies.

And finally, for my favorite, even when it's not Halloween...

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 can(s) (15-oz. solid-pack) pumpkin
• 2 cup(s) (packed) brown sugar
• 1 cup(s) vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 3 cup(s) flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) cinnamon
• 11/2 teaspoon(s) ginger
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) (ground) cloves

Filling

• 1/2 cup(s) vegetable shortening, softened
• 2 cup(s) confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 2 large egg whites

---

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or grease with vegetable shortening. In large bowl, beat together pumpkin, brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla extract with electric mixer until blended.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cloves. Add to pumpkin mixture and beat until smooth.
3. Drop batter by tablespoons onto prepared pans. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, beat together all filling ingredients with electric mixer on high speed until fluffy. Spread 1/2 tsp. filling onto flat side of one cookie and top with another. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Yield 36 Pies.

Halloween Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies