It's time for another cupcake adventure this month from the Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book. This one is a bonus selection, a free choice in cupcake flavor with a decorated Halloween theme.
We all know how creative I am NOT. I looked at probably a thousand different pictures of decorated cupcakes for Halloween and didn't feel moved to duplicate any of them. Maybe I'm just not that into Halloween, not sure, could be.
One of my fellow bakers said, "Just close your eyes and think of all the things you have seen and read lately and what is the most frightening thing you can think of for Halloween, like a costume or something?" I closed my eyes and responded, "The most frightening costume I can think of would be Thomas Jefferson dressed up as a Federalist." Groans from my friend, "Be serious." "Okay, the only other thing that is coming to mind would be John C. Calhoun and John Quincy Adams having a good old boy embrace over cocktails in Braintree (Quincy)." More groans. I guess she didn't realize that all I have been reading and seeing lately are books on Jacksonian-era politics. Maybe she had something different in mind, like maybe Andrew Jackson exiting the First National Bank with a big smile, checkbook in one hand, and free gifts for opening a new savings account in the other, maybe something along those lines.
I have never liked the ghoulishness of the whole Halloween season, so I am not sure why I thought I would do this bonus recipe, except that it would give me a chance to make another of the cupcake recipes in the book. Cathy has been raving about the One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes (p. 152) and since the guys did not get a chocolate dessert this week, I figured this would be a good time to try out the recipe.
Results: they loved the cupcakes and enjoyed the chocolate frosting (p. 302) with accompanying sprinkles. Matt, for instance, returned home, saw a plate of three and said, "Are these for me? Great, thanks!" He downed all three within three minutes. Guess swim practice must have been tough tonight.
Since I am not a chocolate fan (at all), I figured this chocolate/chocolate/chocolate concoction was frightening enough just as it was. And then it hit me: "This is IT! This is absolutely the most horrible, dark, sinister, unpleasant thing I could ever have thought of: Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Icing and Chocolate Sprinkles!" I did it...I came up with a scary theme for Halloween! And it was there all the time, on pages 152 and 302!
Okay, you aren't buying that (even though it is totally legit), so Cathy agreed to let me borrow her witches, straight out of the MSC book, see photo left. While I was busy hemming and hawing about how to possibly decorate some Halloween cupcakes for the bonus blog along, Cathy (who is not a member of the group but who has baked a far greater number of the recipes in the book than anyone I know), got busy and created the little witch cupcakes shown in the book for her children and their friends. She wasn't going to get a chance to blog them (I can't imagine why not since she is a full-time wife and mother, has three children ages 7 and under, is a lawyer, and runs marathons), and my blog was going to be pretty dull, so we worked out a deal where her witches could guest star over here and ghoul things up a bit. Aren't they frighteningly cute?
After you finish admiring Cathy's little witches, go check in with the other participants on the blogroll to see just what Halloween creativity is all about!
Next month's pick is from Karen at Karen's Cookies, Cakes, & More, who chose Candied Sweet Potato Cupcakes, found on 243. Blogroll and Schedule found here.