Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts

Friday, October 11, 2013

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Perfect Pumpkin Dessert




Ingredients
  • 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
  • ¾ cup butter, melted
  • 1½ cups chopped walnuts
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
  2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and spice. Mix well, and pour into a 9×13 inch pan.
  3. Sprinkle dry cake mix over the top, then drizzle with melted butter. Top with walnuts.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Continue reading Perfect Pumpkin Dessert
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Maine Pumpkin Bread




Ingredients
  • 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • ⅔ cup water
  • 3 cups white sugar
  • 3½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
  3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Continue reading Maine Pumpkin Bread

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

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Candy Corn Cupcakes




Ingredients
  • 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
  • 1 cup water
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 14 drops red food coloring, or as needed – divided
  • 22 drops yellow food coloring, or as needed – divided
  • 6 drops green food coloring, or as needed
  • 2 cups prepared white frosting
  • 12 pieces of yellow, orange, and white candy corn
  • 12 pieces of brown, orange, and white candy corn
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.
  2. Place cake mix in a bowl, and pour in water and vegetable oil; add 3 eggs. With electric mixer on low speed, beat the cake mix with water, oil, and eggs until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. Pour half the cake mix into a second bowl; divide the remaining cake mix in half, and place into 2 separate small bowls.
  3. Color the largest portion of the cake mix orange by mixing in 4 drops of red food coloring and 6 drops of yellow food coloring. Into a second, smaller bowl of cake mix, mix in 10 drops of red food coloring, 12 drops of yellow food coloring, and 6 drops of green food coloring, to color that bowl brown. Into the last remaining small bowl of cake mix, stir in 5 drops of yellow food coloring to color that bowl yellow.
  4. Spoon yellow cake batter into the bottoms of 12 prepared cupcake cups, filling them about ⅓ full. Spoon the brown batter into the bottoms of the remaining 12 prepared cupcake cups, filling them about ⅓ full. Spoon orange cupcake mix over the yellow and brown layers, filling the cupcakes about ⅔ full. Try not to jar or shake the filled cupcakes, to avoid mixing layers.
  5. Carefully place cupcakes into the preheated oven, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Allow to cool.
  6. Frost each cooled cupcake with the white frosting; place a piece of yellow, orange, and white candy corn on top of each yellow and orange cupcake. Place a brown, orange, and white piece of candy corn on top of each brown and orange cupcake.
Continue reading Candy Corn Cupcakes

Friday, October 4, 2013

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Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes







Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant butterscotch pudding mix
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
Instructions
  1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. Whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, cloves, and crystallized ginger in a bowl; set aside.
  2. Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla and pumpkin puree with the last egg. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
Continue reading Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes
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Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake





Ingredients:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed


Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.

Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.


Continue reading Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake
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Caramel Apple Cake






Ingredients:

Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups sugar, plus 1/4 cup for the apples
1 1/2 teaspoons ground apple or pumpkin pie spice blend
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
4 large golden delicious apples, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped (about 5 cups)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream
Finely grated zest from 1 orange
Juice of 1 orange (about 1/3 cup)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Caramel Glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Special equipment: 10 cup bundt pan


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter and flour the bundt pan.
Whisk the flour, 1 1/3 cup of the sugar, 1 teaspoon of the pie spice, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.

Toss the apples with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon pie spice and set aside.

Whisk the eggs and oil together in another bowl. Whisk in the sour cream, orange zest and juice, and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined but still a bit lumpy.

Using a slotted spoon, scatter about 1/2 cup of the apples in the bottom of the bundt pan. Put about 1/3 of the batter on top. Repeat, alternating with the remaining apples and batter, ending with the batter.

Bake the cake until it pulls away for the sides of the pan and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and invert onto a rack placed over a baking sheet. Cool. (The cake can be prepared to this point a day ahead.)

To make the caramel: Stir the sugar, corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, swirling the pan but not stirring, until the sugar is dark amber-colored caramel, about 15 minutes. Pull pan from the heat and carefully pour in the cream (take care it will splatter). Stir in the pecans, vanilla, and salt. Cool until caramel becomes thick and syrupy, then evenly pour over the cake and cool until set.



Continue reading Caramel Apple Cake

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

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Caramel Apple Nachos





Ingredients:

30 large marshmallows
5 Tbsp butter
35 caramels
1 Tbsp water
4-5 apples, sliced
toppings (peanuts, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, crushed candy bars, etc)


Directions:

Melt the marshmallows and butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Stir periodically until completely melted and smooth.
Combine the caramels and water in a bowl and microwave until melted. ( It works best to microwave in 30-45 second intervals, stirring in between until the caramel was smooth.)
Arrange the sliced apples on a plate and pour the caramel and marshmallow mixtures over them.
Add any additional toppings and serve immediately!


Continue reading Caramel Apple Nachos
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Pumpkin Bars







Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 2/3 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until thoroughly combined.

Spread the batter evenly into an ungreased 10x15 inch jellyroll pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven. Cool before frosting.

To make the frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in vanilla. Add confectioners' sugar a little at a time, beating until mixture is smooth. Spread evenly on top of the cooled bars. Cut into squares.

Continue reading Pumpkin Bars
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Pumpkin Turkey Chili








Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 dash salt
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream



Directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and garlic until tender.
Stir in the turkey, and cook until evenly brown.
Drain, and mix in tomatoes and pumpkin.
Season with chili powder, pepper, and salt.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
Serve topped with Cheddar cheese and sour cream.


Continue reading Pumpkin Turkey Chili
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Sweet Potato Cupcakes





Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup milk, room temperature

Marshmallow Frosting:
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 pinch salt
2 egg whites
3 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup marshmallow creme


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 12 muffin cups with cupcake liners.
Beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Blend in vanilla extract and sweet potatoes.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a bowl. Add half the flour to the sweet potato mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Blend in the milk and the remaining flour mixture.

Scoop batter into prepared cupcake pan and bake in preheated oven until tops spring back when touched lightly with a finger and a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool on rack.

To make frosting, combine white sugar, cream of tartar, a pinch of salt, egg whites, and cold water in a heatproof mixing bowl. Set the mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is very hot to the touch and stiff peaks have formed, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat 1 minute more. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and marshmallow creme and beat until combined.

To frost the cupcakes, fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip with frosting; pipe mini marshmallow-shaped dots all over the cupcakes. Alternatively, use a knife and frost them generously with lots of swoops and swirls.

Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.

Arrange 3 or 4 cupcakes on a baking sheet and place them in the oven under the broiler. Toast until the frosting has started to brown, about 90 seconds (check every 20 seconds and rearrange the baking sheet, if necessary). Repeat with the remaining cupcakes until all are toasted.



Note:  If you have a handheld creme brulee torch, you can use that to brown the topping instead of your oven's broiler.
You can also use miniature marshmallows instead of making the cream.

Continue reading Sweet Potato Cupcakes
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Pumpkin Fudge







Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup white chocolate chips
7 ounces marshmallow creme
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions:

Line a 9x9 inch pan with aluminum foil, and set aside.
In a 3 quart saucepan, heat milk and sugar over medium heat.
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Mix in pumpkin puree and cinnamon; bring back to a boil.
Stir in marshmallow creme and butter.
Bring to a rolling boil.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for 18 minutes.
Remove from heat, and add white chocolate chips and vanilla.
Stir until creamy and all chips are melted.
Pour into prepared pan.
Cool, remove from pan, and cut into squares.
Store in a cool, dry place.


Continue reading Pumpkin Fudge
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Chocolate Chip pumpkin Cookies








Ingredients:

1 cup shortening
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


Directions:

 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and white sugar until smooth.
Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Stir in the vanilla and pumpkin until well blended.
Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir into the pumpkin mixture.
Mix in the chocolate chips.
Stir in the walnuts if desired.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until edges begin to brown.
Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Continue reading Chocolate Chip pumpkin Cookies
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Iced Pumpkin Cookies







Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar.
Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy.
Mix in dry ingredients.
Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven.
Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.
To Make Glaze:
Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.


Continue reading Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Friday, September 27, 2013

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"Eyeball" Cupcakes









Ingredients:

1 pkg.  (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix
1 pkg.  (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
1 pkg.  (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup  butter, softened
1 tsp.  vanilla
1 pkg.  (16 oz.) powdered sugar, sifted
24 ring-shaped chewy fruit snacks
24 miniature candy-coated chocolate pieces
1 tube  (19.28 g) red decorating gel
 
 
Directions:
 
PREPARE cake batter as directed on package. Add dry pudding mix; mix well. Spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake as directed on package for cupcakes; cool completely.  
BEAT cream cheese, butter and vanilla in medium bowl with mixer until well blended. Gradually beat in sugar. Spread onto cupcakes. 
 
DECORATE with remaining ingredients to resemble photo. 



Substitute
Prepare using your favorite flavor of cake mix.
 





Source:   http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/eyeball-cupcakes-94568.aspx
Continue reading "Eyeball" Cupcakes

Monday, September 9, 2013

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FALL CHEESE BALL






Ingredients:

6oz cream cheese, room temp
 
2 cups cheddar cheese

 
3 tbsp minced onion

 
3 tbsp salsa


1 tsp ground cumin


2 cups nacho cheese chips


crumbled top of 1 bell pepper for stem garnish


Directions:
 
1. With a mixer, combine cream cheese, cheddar, onion, salsa and cumin. Mix until creamy.


2. Scoop mixture onto plastic wrap and use wrap to form a ball and chill for at least 2 hours.



3. When ready to serve, roll ball into the crushed nacho chips and place bell pepper stem on top. 


Serve with chips, vegetables or pretzels!

Enjoy !


Continue reading FALL CHEESE BALL

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

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Scary Spiderweb Cupcakes



Perfect for a Halloween party, these rich, chocolaty cupcakes are fun to make.



1box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® devil's food cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
1container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
3drops red food color
4to 5 drops yellow food color
1tube (0.68 ounce) Betty Crocker® black decorating gel
48large black gumdrops
  1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make and cool cupcakes as directed on box for 24 cupcakes.
  2. Tint frosting with red and yellow food colors to make orange frosting. Spread frosting over tops of cupcakes.
  3. Squeeze circles of decorating gel on each cupcake; pull knife through gel from center outward to make web. To make each spider, roll out 1 gumdrop and cut out 8 strips for legs; place another gumdrop on top. Place spider on cupcake. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

IDEA:
Turn these into Holly Wreath Cupcakes by using green-tinted frosting instead of orange. Squeeze circles of red decorating gel on each cupcake, and decorate with small red cinnamon candy "berries."




Continue reading Scary Spiderweb Cupcakes

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

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Graveyard Cake


So spooktacular, this sweet cemetery will have everyone digging for more!

Graveyard Cake
1 (18.25-ounce) package devil's food or yellow cake mix
1 (16-ounce) container prepared vanilla frosting
12 NESTLÉ CRUNCH Fun-Size Candy Bars
1 small tube white decorator icing
1 (1.76 ounces) NESTLÉ BUTTERFINGER CRISP Candy Bar, chopped
Gummy bugs or worms

  1. Prepare cake mix according to package directions using one 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Cool completely in pan. Invert cake onto serving platter. Frost cake, using a little more frosting than usual on top ("tombstones" will be pushed into frosting).
  2. Write spooky words such as "RIP" or "BOO" on Crunch bars using tube icing. Let sit for a few minutes to dry.
  3. Press Crunch bars into cake to create "tombstones". Sprinkle chopped Butterfinger Crisp bar next to tombstones to create "dirt". Creatively place gummy bugs over top of cake.
Makes 12 servings.
Preparation - 30 min | Cooking - 28 min | Cooling Time - 30 min cooling |




Continue reading Graveyard Cake