Check out these thrillingly delicious Halloween treats! They’ll be sure to make all your celebrations spooky, yet sweet! Happy baking!
#1 Reese’s Frankenstein Cupcakes
Recipe:
Chocolate Cake
1 devil’s food cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk or milk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, (or an extra 1/2 cup butter, softened)
3-4 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoon milk
Green Food Coloring
For Decorations:
Reese’s Cups (20)
White chocolate melts (1/3 Cup)
Chocolate M&M’s (40) or you can use any of the colors or Junior Mints!
Chocolate Chips (40)
Chocolate Jimmy Sprinkles
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.
2. Sift cake mix into a large bowl and add eggs, oil, sour crème, buttermilk and vanilla extract and stir until smooth.
3. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 14-17 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
4. Let cool.
5. Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk. Continue to add in more powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Add more milk if it becomes too thick and add food coloring.
6. To Make Eyes: (see photo) Melt white chocolate melts, pour into a small bag to make a mini piping bag, pipe dime-sized circles onto wax paper then immediately place a brown M&M on top and let set for a few minutes.
7. Pipe green frosting onto cupcakes (see photo) and shape the frosting into Frank’s head. You can make it as square-shaped as you like! Place a Reese’s Cup on top, put eyes on and then chocolate chips as “bolts” and use the Jimmies to give eyebrows and a mouth!
http://www.yourcupofcake.com/2014/10/reeses-frankenstein-cupcakes.html
#2 Halloween Candy Bark
Recipe:
1 pound vanilla candy bark, candy melts, or white chocolate
Mini pretzel twists
Chocolate Oreos with orange filling
Candy corn
Assorted sprinkles
Additional candies of your choice
Directions:
1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a silicone liner or parchment paper. Chop or break any larger candies, cookies, or pretzels. Melt the vanilla candy bark (or white chocolate) as directed on package. If heating in the microwave, use 50% power to prevent overheating the candy/chocolate.
2. Pour about half of the melted chocolate onto the lined baking sheet, then spread about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Working quickly, add an assortment of pretzels, cookie pieces, and candy corn (or other candies) in a single layer.
4. Pour the remaining melted chocolate on top of the pretzels and cookies, then add additional toppings, including sprinkles.
5. Set aside and allow the chocolate to cool fully. You can place the entire baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes to speed up the process. Once the chocolate is fully set and cool, break the candy bark into pieces and enjoy!
http://www.bhg.com/recipes/desserts/candy/halloween-candy-bark/
#3 Witch Hat Mint Chocolate Cupcake
Recipe:
1 box of devil’s food cake mix
1 cup of butter milk
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup of chopped mint chocolates (Amdex Crème de Menthe Thins)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (very soft but NOT melted)
8 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of peppermint mint extract
Green food coloring
Yellow food coloring
24 chocolate ice cream cones (if you can’t find chocolate, you can “paint” regular cones with melted chocolate)
4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
24 chocolate wafer cookies (Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Line the muffin cups with paper liners.
3. Put the cake mix in your mixing bowl.
4. Add in the buttermilk, vegetable, oil, and eggs.
5. Beat until moistened – about 30 seconds.
6. Increase the speed to high and beat until thick – about another 2 minutes.
7. Fold the chopped mint chocolates into the batter.
8. Spoon the mix into the liners filling the cups about 2/3 of the way to the top.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes – until a toothpick poked into the cupcake centers comes out clean.
10. Remove the cupcakes from the baking plans and allow to cool completely before frosting.
The mint frosting
1. Add 4 cups of sugar, milk, vanilla and peppermint extract.
2. Add butter and beat until smooth and creamy.
3. Slowly add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time until it’s a good spreading consistency.
4. Remove a small amount of frosting and add yellow food coloring.
5. Add a few drops of green food coloring to the remaining icing and mix thoroughly.
Decorate the cupcakes:
1. Melt the chocolate.
2. Dip open end of each ice cream cone into melted chocolate.
3. Attach to chocolate wafer cookies to make the witch’s hat.
4. Let stand 30 minutes to allow chocolate to harden.
5. Spoon some of the green mint frosting into a pastry bag with a flat tip and add a single band around the bottom of the hat (like a ribbon).
6. Using the smallest pastry tip, pipe a square of the yellow frosting on each hat to make the buckle.
7. Frost the cupcakes with the remaining green frosting.
8. Place a witch hat on the top of each cupcake.
#4 Tombstone Cookies
Recipe:
2 tablespoons cocoa (or cacao) nibs
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling cookies
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Melted semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a blender, whirl cocoa nibs until each is about the size of a grain of rice.
2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar until creamy; beat in egg and vanilla.
3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa nibs; gradually add to butter mixture, blending thoroughly, to form soft dough. Divide dough into thirds, cover each portion tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm (at least 1 hour), or up to 3 days.
4. On a floured board, roll out dough, a portion at a time, to a thickness of 1/8 in. (keep dough refrigerated when not in use). With a sharp knife, cut out free-form tombstone shapes (about 1 1/2 by 3 in.; cut bottom edges at an angle to make them easier to poke into the pots de crème), and place slightly apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle generously with sugar.
5. Bake cookies until edges are lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool completely before handling.
6. Using a pastry bag with a very fine tip, pipe the letters “RIP” in chocolate on the cookies. Stick these cookies into the Dark Chocolate Graveyard Pots de Crème and serve the rest of the cookies alongside.
(Recipe for the “Graveyard Pots de Crème” is not included in the above cookie recipe! But, it can be found at http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/dark-chocolate-graveyard-pots-de-crme)
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/tombstone-cookies
#5 Slimy One-Eyed Monster Cupcakes
Recipe:
Baked Cupcakes
Buttercream
Lime Green Coloring
Green Wilton Sparkle Gel (Piping Icing)
Candy Eyeballs
Directions:
1. Bake regular chocolate or vanilla style cupcakes, whichever you prefer- find pre made mixes at your local grocery store or use your own recipe if you want to start from scratch!
2. Dye your buttercream green.
3. Frost your cupcakes- for easy and clean design use an icing piping bag- also can be found at your local grocery store.
4. Just squeeze a little “slime” on to the top of the cupcakes then add eyeballs – or whatever creepy little things you’d like!
http://makebakecelebrate.com/slimy-cupcakes/?preview=true
#6 “Poison” Candy Apples
Recipe:
12 baby Granny Smith apples
12 wooden candy apple sticks or dowels
11/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon black gel paste food coloring
Directions:
1. Wash and dry apples thoroughly. Place on a baking sheet and poke firmly with dowels. Line a second baking sheet with buttered parchment paper, and set aside.
2. Place a candy thermometer in a medium saucepan and add sugar, 3/4 cups water, and corn syrup. Place over medium heat; whisk until sugar is dissolved. Let the temperature rise without stirring until it reaches the hard-crack mark at 310 degrees F. Remove pan from heat. Carefully remove thermometer, and add food coloring.
3. Swirl pan to mix in the color completely. Swipe and twirl the apple through the candy, shake off excess, and place on buttered baking sheet. Repeat with remaining apples.
http://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/recipes/a5710/poison-candy-apples-recipe-clx1014/
#7 Candy Corn and White Chocolate Soft Batch Cookies
Recipe:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, soften
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cream or half-and-half
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 teaspoon baking soda pinch salt, optional and to taste
1 1/2 cups candy corn (1o to 11 ounces)
1 cup white chocolate chips (or salted peanuts)
Directions:
1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large bowl and electric hand mixer), cream together the first 5 ingredients (through vanilla) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the next 5 ingredients (through optional salt), and mix on low speed until just incorporated, about 1 minute.
3. Add the candy corn, white chocolate chips (or peanuts), and mix until just incorporated.
4. Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping two-tablespoon mounds (I made 20). Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds slightly, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter. Important note – Strategically place candy corn so that it’s not baking directly on cookie sheet because it will melt, burn, or turn runny if it is. The candy corn pieces need to be in the interior of the cookies, shielded and buffered by dough.
5. Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Do not over bake because cookies will firm up as they cool. Baking longer than 10 minutes could result in cookies with overly browned undersides. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooking. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
http://www.averiecooks.com/2013/10/candy-corn-and-white-chocolate-softbatch-cookies.html
#8 Halloween Popcorn Pumpkins
Recipe:
5 cups popcorn
1 cup candy corn
1 cup chopped salted peanuts
1/2 cup butter
3 cups miniature marshmallows
4 drops red food coloring
3 drops yellow food coloring
4 sticks red or black licorice, cut into thirds
Directions:
1. Grease a muffin pan and set aside. Place popcorn, candy corn and peanuts into a large bowl and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in marshmallows, red food coloring and yellow food coloring, adjusting color if needed to get a nice shade of orange. When the marshmallows are completely melted, pour over the popcorn and stir to evenly distribute the candy, nuts and marshmallow.
3. Use a greased spoon to fill the muffin cups. Insert a piece of licorice to act as the stem, and mold the popcorn around it. Let stand until firm, 10 to 15 minutes, and then pull the pumpkins out by their stems and admire your pumpkin patch!
#9 White Chocolate Strawberry Ghosts
Recipe:
30 fresh strawberries
8 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon shortening
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Wash strawberries and gently pat with paper towels until completely dry. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate and shortening at 50% power; stir until smooth. Stir in extract.
2. Dip strawberries in chocolate mixture; place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet, allowing excess chocolate to form the ghosts’ tails. Immediately press chocolate chips into coating for eyes. Freeze 5 minutes.
3. In microwave, melt remaining chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Dip a toothpick into melted chocolate and draw a mouth on each ghost. Refrigerate leftovers.
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/strawberry-ghosts
#10 Gingerbread Skeleton Cookies
Recipe:
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
3 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 container (1 lb.) Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
Directions:
1. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, molasses and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. On low speed, beat in flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt and cloves. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface; gather into a ball and press into a flat disk. Wrap with plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
2. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with floured 4- to 5-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Reroll dough and cut additional cookies.
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched in center. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. Remove lid and foil seal from frosting container. Microwave on High 30 seconds; stir until smooth. Spoon frosting into resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut off tiny corner of bag. Twist bag above frosting; squeeze bag to pipe frosting in skeleton design on cookies!
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/gingerbread-skeletons/460299ab-cc2c-47b0-b127-98b72b5dcad1