Frightful Friday: "Monster Mash" White Chocolate & Candy Corn Haystacks

Welcome to Frightful Friday!... on a Saturday.  And one week later.

I had a wonderful idea and intentions for last Friday's post, but it was a total bust.   The batter for the cake roll I was making turned out horrible and ended up going straight to the trash.  I planned on making something Friday night or Saturday morning, but ended up running out of time.  I was leaving to go out of town to run my ninth (!!!) half marathon and that took precedent over baking and photographing some yummy desserts.  And if you are curious, my race was amazing.  I ended up setting a new personal record by over twenty minutes despite all the crazy hills that were part of the course.  It's safe to say my confidence is fully restored in my running ability and I can't wait until my next big race!

But I am back (although a day late) with a super quick, easy, and yummy dessert!  You can whip up this dessert in about five minutes.  The sweet and salty combination of these haystacks just hit the spot!  You could always substitute thin pretzel sticks for the chow mein noodles or use any type of nuts in place of peanuts.  

"Monster Mash" White Chocolate and Candy Corn Haystacks

12 ounces white chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanuts, salted or unsalted

2 cups chow mein noodles

1/4 cup candy corn, slightly chopped

1. Melt white chocolate over a double boiler.
2. Add peanuts and chow mein noodles to melted chocolate and stir until completely covered. I did this while keeping it over the double boiler.
3. Mix in candy corn until evenly dispersed.
4. Working quickly, drop mixture by spoonfuls (or use your hands to form small balls) on wax or parchment paper.
5. Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it!  And don't forget to check out the other Frightful Friday posts on my blog!

Frightful Friday: "Bloody Mary" Cupcakes

"Bloody Mary.. Bloody Mary.. Bloody Mary.."

We've all heard of the Bloody Mary legend and probably have tried it ourselves during middle school sleepovers.  Legend has it that if you say her name three times while looking in a mirror and holding a candle, she will appear in the mirror standing behind you.  There are many versions of the effects of chanting her name, from the apparition simply appearing disfigured to attacking those who invoke her.  What is mysterious still is where the legend began.  The Bloody Mary legend can be linked back to Queen Mary I, the Salem Witch Trials, or a girl who in a fatal car accident.

I'm all about the cute side of Halloween, but the eerie and spooky is just as exciting. These cupcakes definitely side with the latter.  I used a box of white cake mix to speed of the process, but you can use your favorite from scratch recipe if you choose.  I really wanted to use a pomegranate jello for this batch of cupcakes, but unfortunately that does not exist.  This is something that needs to be fixed!

The hardest part about this recipe is the glass shards.  I'm not going to lie, my patience was tested.  I also discovered my candy thermometer is a piece of junk.  However, the final product was definitely worth the time and effort.  You will definitely want to make the sugar glass first since it needs an hour or two to set before you can break it apart.  I used a 9x13 casserole dish to let my sugar glass set.  This made the glass very thick.  If you want thinner shards, use a larger pan or dish when preparing.

Sugar Glass Shards

1 cup corn syrup

2 cups water

3 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Line a 9x13 or larger dish (larger is recommended, but work with what you have) or pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan and heat over medium heat.
3. Bring sugar mix to a gentle, rolling boil until the mixture reaches 300˚. Continue to stir throughout the heating process.
4. When the mixture reaches 300˚, pour into prepared pan or dish.
5. Let sit for about an hour to two hours or until completely solid. Once solid, gently break the sugar glass into shards using a hammer covered with a paper towel - do not use the hammer directly on the sugar glass. Only choose two or three spots to create your crack in order to create large pieces.  Continue to make smaller cracks if desired.

White Poke Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix

1 1/4 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 egg whites

3 ounce package raspberry jello, or red flavor of your choice

1 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350˚. Line cupcake pan with white liners.
2. Prepare cake mix according to directions on box.
3. Pour two tablespoons of mix into lined cupcake pan.
4. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes in pan.
6. Using a toothpick, poke about 10 holes in each cupcake.
7. Combine boiling water and jello and stir for about 2 minutes.
8. Spoon jello mix* on top of cupcakes (I did about 2 large spoonfuls per cupcake).
9. Place cupcake pan in fridge and allow to chill for about 30 minutes.
10. Remove from fridge and prepare to frost cupcakes.

* You will have some jello mix left over.  I combined 1/2 cup of the remaining mix with 1/2 cup cold water for some actual jello. 

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-2 tablespoons milk

1. Cream butter until smooth in stand mixer.
2. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until combined.
3. Add vanilla and salt and mix until combined.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of milk and mix. If desired, add an additional tablespoon of milk.

To assemble cupcakes: Frost each cupcake with a generous amount of frosting, as desired.  Place cupcakes in the fridge until frosting is chilled (this helps to keep the sugar glass in place).  Remove from fridge and lace a small shard of the sugar glass vertically into each cupcake.

Adapted from Kraft; Bake Then Eat; Add A Pinch.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it!  And don't forget to check out the other Frightful Friday posts on my blog!

This post was also included at Tatertots & Jello's Link Party Palooza!

Frightful Friday: Dark Chocolate Spider Cupcakes

 

Halloween is by far my favorite holiday of the year.  Halloween is just not one day for me, but the entire month of October!  I'm not afraid to admit that I already had a few decorations up by mid September in my house.  In honor of this spooky and fun month, this will be the first in a series of "Frightful Friday" posts dedicated to Halloween treats and sweets.

The main appeal of these cupcakes are these adorable spider cupcake holders.  I bought mine last year at Target (yay for after Halloween sales!).  This year I have seen these cupcake holders in Michaels stores, but if you can't find any locally you can purchase a set of fourfrom Amazon.

These cupcakes are SUPER rich therefore I decided to make a small batch of cupcakes.  The frosting will make more than enough to frost a dozen cupcakes.  You can use regular cocoa powder if you choose, but I used the dark cocoa powder to make the cupcakes and frosting as dark as possible without adding any additional food coloring.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup water, boiling

1/3 cup dark cocoa powder, such as Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Cocoa

1. Preheat oven to 350˚. Line cupcake pan with 12 black cupcake liners.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
4. In a third bowl, combine boiling water and cocoa powder. Stir until mixed - it will be thick and hot!
5. Alternate and gradually add flour mixture and cocoa mixture to mixing bowl until fully combined.
6. Fill cupcake pan 2/3 of the way full (or about 2 1/2 tablespoons of mix).
7. Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

Yield: 2 cups (more than enough to generously frost the cupcakes)

1/2 cup butter, melted

2/3 cup dark cocoa powder, such as Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a small bowl, mix melted butter and dark cocoa powder.  This will create a thick chocolate paste.  
2. Place chocolate mix into a mixing bowl and gradually add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until combined. Between each 1/2 cup, turn mixer up on high for about 10 seconds. Repeat until all powdered sugar has been added.
3. Add milk and vanilla extract and mix until frosting is at a smooth consistency.  Add more milk, if desired, to reach your preferred frosting consistency.  

Cupcakes adapted from Betty Crocker; Frosting adapted from Hershey's

This post was also part of the Link Party Palooza at Tatertots & Jello!  Go check out some of the other super creative and festive holiday treats and DIY projects!