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HALLOWEEN |
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So many recipes can be
baked for Halloween. Here are some of my favorites. Also, have fun
making my
Halloween Characters
to decorate any table with.
Candy Apples
are always well received! |
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HALLOWEEN CUPCAKE TREE
This year I am going to make a Halloween Cupcake Tree
for my Neighborhood Halloween Party. Every year my family and I host the
party. I'll purchase the cupcake tree form from
http://www.cupcaketree.com It holds from 50 to 100 cupcakes.
Find recipes at
http://www.baking911recipes.com. |
 QUESTION:
Can you tell me what to use to preserve a carved pumpkin so it will last
at least a week or so?
ANSWER: Realistically speaking, you
should be able to get anywhere from 4 to 7 days out of your carved Jack
O'Lantern.
| The reasons a
carved pumpkin decays sooner than a uncarved pumpkin are:
A. Other organisms (fungi,
bacteria, protozoans, insects, etc.) can now enter easily and steal
the stored up high energy molecules of the pumpkin. This process is
called rotting.
B. Oxygen can easily enter and cause oxidation.
C. Dehydration will begin when the pumpkin is carved. Low humidity.
D. Light can now enter as well as dust and other particles. |
TIPS TO PREVENT EARLY DECAYING:
| Rub vegetable oil or petroleum
jelly onto freshly cut areas to delay aging. After carving your
pumpkin, wipe the inside with bleach to deter the growth of mould.
After 30 minutes, rub the cut areas and the inside with a dry cloth,
then coat with petroleum jelly or vegetable oil. To keep the
jack-o’-lantern from drying out, cover it with a damp towel when
it’s not on display.
If you have a spare refrigerator, you can empty it out and keep
them in it over night to slow down decomposition.
Another way to keep them fresh is to use a pumpkin dip that is
available at most grocery stores or stands that sell pumpkins during
the Halloween season. Pumpkin dip is mixed with water in a large
container and the pumpkins are submerged in it, sometimes over
night, in order to preserve them. This is a tedious and messy way to
keep your pumpkins fresh as you have to do it every night after they
have been carved.
If all else fails and you still find your carving starting to
shrivel, submerse the pumpkin in cold water to rehydrate the
carving. It should soak anywhere from about 1/2 an hour to 2 hours,
depending the amount of shriveling that has occurred and the
intricacy of the carving. from whatscookinginamerica.net |
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 How
about making meringue ghosts? They are so much fun and easy to make!! If
making up to 1 week ahead, cool, then store airtight at room temperature.
Handle gently – ghosts are fragile.
Meringue Ghosts
PREP AND COOK TIME: About 2 hours, plus 1 hour to cool in oven
NOTES: If making up to 1 week ahead, cool, then store airtight at room
temperature. Handle gently – ghosts are fragile.
MAKES: 8 to 12 ghosts
3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
16 to 24 miniature semisweet chocolate chips or pieces semisweet chocolate
1. Line 2 baking sheets (each 14 by
17 in.) with cooking parchment, or butter sheets and dust with flour.
2. In a deep bowl, with a mixer at
high speed, whip egg whites and cream of tartar to a thick foam.
Continuing to beat, add sugar, 1 tablespoon every 30 seconds, then whip
until meringue holds very stiff peaks.
3. Beat in vanilla. If using cooking
parchment, smear a little meringue on the underside of each corner to make
it stick to baking sheets.
4. Spoon meringue into a pastry bag
fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (or spoon into a gallon-size heavy
plastic food bag, then cut off 1 corner to make a 1/2-inch-wide opening).
Pipe meringue onto baking sheets into ghostly shapes about 1/4 to 1/2 inch
thick, 2 to 4 inches wide, and 4 to 6 inches long, spacing about 2 inches
apart. To make eyes (noses and mouths, if desired) press chocolate chips
lightly into meringue.
5. Bake in a 200° oven until
meringues begin to turn pale gold and are firm to touch, 11/4 to 11/2
hours (1 to 11/4 hours in a convection oven); switch pan positions halfway
through baking. Turn off heat and leave meringues in closed oven for 1
hour.
6. Slide a spatula under meringues to
release.
Per ghost: 59 cal., 4.6% (2.7
cal.) from fat; 0.9 g protein; 0.3 g fat (0.2 g sat.); 13 g carbo (0 g
fiber); 14 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.
from Sunset.com |
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RECIPES FROM BAKING911.COM: |
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Every year, for my family
and friends, I make a
Coconut Layer Cake and
tint the coconut orange !!
I then place black "dots" candy on
the top of the cake like polka-dots. The cake looks so festive for
Halloween ! |
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An easy cake to make is
the
Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Ring.
The
colors of the cake, being orange and black, are just perfect for a
Halloween celebration and besides, its baked with applesauce, instead
of large amounts of oil ! |
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A
Black and Orange Trifle is so
easy to make (my kind of recipe).
Trifle is an English
dessert, made with the layering of cake, custard, whipped cream and
fresh fruit in a trifle or large glass dish.
After you assemble
the Trifle, sprinkle chocolate sprinkles on top and serve !! Viola !!
Some options
are:
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Instead of a
white cake or pound called for in the recipe, make a
Dark
Chocolate Fudge Cake or an
Orange Pound Cake, or buy an already made one.
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Tint the whipped
cream in the recipe with orange food coloring, added right
before you start to whip it. Use orange extract to flavor
it. |
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Or, you can tint
the custard orange, as well. If making it from scratch, add
the coloring to it when you add in the vanilla extract, or
instead use orange. You can also tint Instant Vanilla
Pudding Mix. Add it in with the milk.
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You can
substitute the custard filling with Instant Chocolate
Pudding made from a mix and use it with an Orange Pound
Cake. |
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Or, substitute
raspberry jam with apricot chunky fruit spread or orange
marmalade. Use canned Mandarin Oranges instead of fresh
strawberries or raspberries.
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No Bake Chocolate Drops are always fun
to make. Top with a Halloween corn candy.
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Search for a
recipe. You may find something you'd
like to make for Halloween. |
Pumpkin Seed Recipe:
Don't throw out the seeds when
making Jack-O-Lanterns or cooking fresh
pumpkins, they make great
snacks that are rich in fiber as well as vitamins B and E. Kids
especially love them. (For how to make pumpkin pies from fresh
pumpkin,
click here.)
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1
1/2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds, cleaned (place seeds in a
colander. Clean by running cold water over them, and by hand,
separating the pulp. Place cleaned seeds on a paper towel to
drain. Pat to somewhat dry)
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2 teaspoons butter, melted or vegetable oil (I like to use
flavored vegetable oil, such as Garlic or Roasted Red Pepper. Do
not add garlic salt, below).
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1 teaspoon salt or to taste (use garlic salt, celery salt,
seasoned salt, onion salt, cayenne pepper etc. for a different
taste.) |
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150
degrees C). Toss dried seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and
salt. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake
for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until seeds are dry and crisp; stir
occasionally. Remove pan from oven with potholders. Set on
heat-proof surface until seeds cool. |
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Some Fun Halloween Recipe Links
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