Fun Fall Treats

No matter how old my children get, they never get tired of holiday treats. I still make them hand made Valentines, Shamrock cookies, and Easter baskets, and Halloween is another favorite holiday for festive treats. Here are a couple of fun ideas that travel well, so they are perfect for sending to kids who are off at college, or a friend who you know would love a little holiday spirit. Both of these are coated in candy melts which help to seal them and keep them fresh during their travels.

These mice cakes are also a chance to use the egg cake mold that I only use at Easter. They are easy and cute and my kids have loved these since they were little, Make your favorite cupcakes and bake them in the egg mold pan. I like to chill the fully baked cakes in the refrigerator for an hour or so to help firm them up before dipping in grey candy melts. I use 80 % white to 20 % black candy melts to make gray. Once they are dipped, use sliced almonds for the ears, mini chocolate chip for the nose, and licorice whips for the tail, with red non perils for the eyes. when dry use a food writer to draw on the whiskers, and you have yourself the only mouse you ever want to see in your kitchen.

We all love anything involving peanut butter, so when I saw these a few years ago I knew they would make the perfect addition to a Halloween care package to send to Mini Me. The pumpkins are Ritz crackers with peanut butter sandwiched in between and dipped in orange candy melts. Once they dry, draw on the face details with a food writer or  black candy melts.

In addition to these, I usually tuck in some caramel corn, granola and spiced nuts for a great package of homemade treats that gets everyone ready for fall!

Link foodie Friday

Mummy Cupakes

 In the fall I can't get enough of pumpkin. We make pumpkin bread, cupcakes, mousse, and cheesecakes, to name a few. When a friend needed something for her bake sale, I knew I was going to make pumpkin cupcakes, but I was still searching for a fun decoration idea. While searching for Halloween themes, I saw these mummy cupcakes, and decided to give them a try. I started with a simple pumpkin cupcake, used my favorite white butter cream frosting for the bandages, and red and green gummy worms for the eyes and mouth, with a black non-peril for detail. 

The pumpkin cupcakes were soft, moist, and full of the flavors of fall. Make sure not to fill them too full before baking- you want them to bake with a flat top instead of a dome. If it does puff up, just use a serrated knife to cut a flat top, and use a crumb coat to keep everything neat. The assembly of the mummy itself is pretty easy. First, frost the top of the cup cake in a thin layer of white. Cut the red gummy worms in 1/2 or 1/3's and cut the green gummy worm in to 1/2 inch pieces. Place a segment of a red gummy worm on the cupcake for the mouth and place the green gummy worms cut side up where you want the eyes, add the non-peril to the center of the eye. Then have at it creating bandages in random strips all over the top of the cupcake. There is no right or wrong pattern, just layer and cross them as you go. I used a #47 tip (the one used for basket weave). The back side of the tip is smooth so turn the teeth side down and you have smooth even strips for bandages. These were tasty and quick to make, and a big hit at the bake sale. They would make a great addition to any Halloween party, or a fun kid-friendly project for a rainy day!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Makes 9 cupcakes

1 cup All Purpose Four
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch cloves
2.5 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
 1.In small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Set aside.
2.Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy with an electric mixer. 3.Add the egg and continue beating until incorporated. Add pumpkin puree and mix well. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 additions of buttermilk. Mix well; batter will be fluffy.
4.Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes until golden. Let cool completely before frosting.
Printable Recipe

American Butter Cream Frosting

1 cup softened butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup milk
pinch of salt
4 cups of sifted powdered sugar
Color as desired

1. Cream the butter and slowly add powdered sugar and beat until fairly well incorporated, mixture will be crumbly.
2.Add milk and vanilla beat at medium-low speed until combined and then up your speed to med-high and beat until light and fluffy.
printable recipe

Links: These Chicks Cook
Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum