Category: Halloween

Mummy Cupcakes

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Serves 36 standard cupcakes

Ingredients

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup boiling water
CHERRY COMPOTE
  • 300g cherries in Kirsch
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 tsp cornflour- cornstarch mixed with 3 tsp cold water
ALMOND BUTTERCREAM
  • 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup heavy cream

Instructions

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
  1. Prepare two 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom, and grease the sides.
  2. Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together.
  3. Add eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients and mix well.
  4. Add vanilla to boiling water and add to mixture. Mix well.
  5. Pour into cakes pans and bake at 300 degrees for about 38-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
  6. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
CHERRY COMPOTE
  1. Cook cherries and almond extract over stovetop on low temperature, when bubbling, stir in cornflour mixture. Allow cherries to continue cooking over low for about 10 minutes. Once compote has thickened, allow to completely cool down before filling cupcakes.
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
  1. In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add in room temperature unsalted butter. Whip the butter for 5 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides occasionally. The butter will be light, fluffy, and pale in color.
  2. Add one half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed setting until fully combined. Add remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low until incorporated.
  3. Add almond extract, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low until combined.
  4. Increase speed to medium on the mixer and slowly drizzle in the heavy cream. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure the frosting is well mixed.
  5. Turn the speed on the mixer to high and whip for an additional 3-5 minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
  6. If desired, switch to a paddle attachment on the stand mixer and mix buttercream on low speed for 2 additional minutes to remove air bubbles to create smooth frosting.

Note: This buttercream makes approximately 4 cups. It will ice approximately 3 dozen cupcakes.

ASSEMBLY
  1. Once the cupcakes have cooled, core them with a cupcake corer. Fill each cupcake with the cherry compote.
  2. Place the candy eyes on the cupcake to create a pair of eyes.
  3. Ice the cupcakes using a #44 icing tip to draw thin strips across the cupcake in various directions. Avoid covering the eyes.

Thank you to the big community of food visionaries out there in the world, working together to inspire and pass on food traditions and flavors. The recipe found on this page started here and here.

Halloween Menu

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Finding Halloween dishes that are not only delicious, but kid-friendly was a challenge for me during the planning for my son’s first birthday. He was born on October 23rd, and I’m assuming every year that birthday plans will include something surrounding fall or Halloween. This year I decided to do a “Monster Smash”, with the consideration that most first birthday parties include a smash cake.

A monster themed cake and cupcakes was not that difficult to find, but kid-friendly foods that I could pull off myself, was a bit more challenging. So, after hours of planning and executing (a pretty awesome party), I decided to write this post in the hopes that others would benefit from it.

I also included a few dishes I put together the week of Halloween that might be tasty to include in your next 31st get together or family meal, enjoy!

Spooky Spiderweb Seven Layer Dip

A spooktacular dish to have at your next Halloween bash. Easy to throw together and delicious. Unfortunately there wasn’t any left because it was so darn yummy. Happy Halloween! Recipe here.

Wrapped Up Mummy Dogs

Wow these went quick at my last get together. Easy, delicious, quick, and kid-friendly! A perfect appetizer or pairing for a main dish during an October get together. Let us know how it goes. Recipe here.

Mummy Cupcakes

Cute and delicious! Dark chocolate cupcakes with a cherry compote filling and almond buttercream! Recipe here.

Monster Mac and Cheese

This recipe is simple, yes… but it just makes sense. Kids love mac and cheese! This recipe is easy and my suggestion is to make one box per 4-6 guests depending on whether it is a main dish to fill people up or if it is more like a side. If you want to save yourself some time and prep ahead, make this dish and put it into a crockpot on warm until guests arrive. Recipe here.

Halloween Candy Nachos

What to do with all that leftover Halloween candy, make dessert nachos! A good mix of sweet and salty in a fix. Recipe here.

Monster Macaroni and Cheese

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Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1 box of kraft mac and cheese, prepared
  • green food coloring
  • edible candy eyes

Instructions

  1. Prepare the box of mac and cheese as directed on the box.
  2. Stir in green food coloring until desired color has been reached.
  3. Plate or put into a crockpot to keep warm.
  4. When ready to serve, top with edible candy eyeballs.

Thank you to the big community of food visionaries out there in the world, working together to inspire and pass on food traditions and flavors. The recipe found on this page started here.

Halloween Candy Nachos

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Ingredients

Serves 12

  • 1 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 4 large green, red, or a mixture of apples, cored and sliced (skin on)
  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup various Halloween candy, chopped (any chocolate candy, candy corn, etc.)
  • 1/4 cup chopped pretzels
  • 1 ounce edible candy eyes
  • alternative option: instead of apples as your “nachos”, consider using any variety of graham crackers, sweet pita chips, or cookies

Instructions

  1. Select a circular serving platter to plate ingredients. Place the apples onto your serving platter in an even layer.
  2. In a microwave safe bowl microwave the marshmallow fluff for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the marshmallow is able to spread easily over the apples.
  3. In additional microwave safe bowls, microwave the peanut butter for about 30 seconds. Stir to check the consistency. It should be a little runny to allow for easy spreading across the apples.
  4. Spoon or using a ziplock baggy with the corner trimmed, spread the marshmallow mixture and peanut butter over the apples.
  5. Top with chopped Halloween candy, pretzels, and candy eyes. Serve immediately.

Thank you to the big community of food visionaries out there in the world, working together to inspire and pass on food traditions and flavors.

Wrapped Up Mummy Dogs

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Serves 8-10

Ingredients

  • 1 package (8-10-count) hotdogs
  • 1 can of refrigerated crescent roll sheets 
  • edible candy eyes
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • optional: relish and mustard

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Unroll the crescent dough onto a large cutting board.
  3. Using a knife or pizza wheel, cut the crescent dough into 1/4th inch slices (with the length of the dough to make the longest strips possible).
  4. Starting at one end, wrap the dough randomly around the hot dog. Repeat with a second strip so that each hot dog has two strips creating a mummy wrapped look. While wrapping, think about where you want to place the eyes and leave a gap for them. You can put the eyes at one end or in the middle of the hot dog depending on what direction you want the mummies to face.
  5. Place the crescent wrapped hot dogs on the prepared baking sheet and place into the oven. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the dough is golden brown. Keep an eye on them to make sure they do not overcook. Cooking time will depend on how accurate your cuts are.
  6. Remove the mummies from the cookie sheet and place on a serving platter.
  7. Put a small dot of mustard or ketchup to glue on two eyes per hot dog.
  8. Optional Ketchup/Relish Dip: Fill a small serving container (around the outer edge) in a circular motion with ketchup. Fill the center with green relish. Randomly place eyes on top.

Thank you to the big community of food visionaries out there in the world, working together to inspire and pass on food traditions and flavors. The recipe found on this page started here.

Spooky Spiderweb Seven Layer Dip

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Serves 10-12

Ingredients

  • 1 can of Frito Lay Bean Dip (found in the chip aisle)
  • 1 cup of prepared guacamole
  • 1 cup of sour cream + 1/2 cup for the decorative spider web.
  • 1 ounce pouch of taco seasoning (2 tablespoons)
  • 8 to 10 black olives sliced in half, reserve two whole olives to make the spider
  • 1 cup of cheddar cheese
  • 1 tomato, seeded and diced
  • 1 cup of kale, shredded thinly
  • chips for serving (corn tortilla or blue corn chips)

Instructions

  1. Use a circular or round tray for platting the dip. Start by spreading the bean dip across the plate in an even layer, making sure to leave a 1-2” perimeter of open plate (this will be for your sour cream mixture).
  2. In a small bowl, mix 1 cup of sour cream with the taco seasoning. Spread the sour cream mixture around the perimeter of the plate surrounding your bean dip.
  3. On top of the beans and just in the center of the sour cream ring, spread the prepared guacamole.
  4. Put 1/2 cup of sour cream into a small ziplock. Using scissors, cut a small piece off the corner and use the bag to draw the spider web on top of the guacamole.
  5. Sprinkle kale, cheese, tomato and olives on top of the sour cream.
  6. To make an olive spider, place one whole black olive in the center of the web, then slice the other olive into 8 thin strips to make the legs.
  7. Serve with your favorite chips! I enjoy corn tortilla or blue corn chips.

Thank you to the big community of food visionaries out there in the world, working together to inspire and pass on food traditions and flavors. The recipe found on this page started here.