Halloween Cupcake Crazy

 Nothing is as fun as a Halloween cupcake. Home bakers can have a field day with creating all sorts of fun decorations  from witches hats to mummies. Yet you start out with the right icing and topping to create an Insta ready little cake (it big cake if you want ).It just takes patience and a flair for fun.

The first thing is do you use a store bought or homemade frosting (keep in mind that frosting and icing are interchangeable words but they are different. Frostings have some ki nd of fat, - whether butter, plant butter  cream cheese, whipped cream or eggs  in them while icings are just confectioners sugar , milk cream juice or egg whites. ) Store bought frosting is denser while homemade is lighter and airier thanks to it constantly being whipped. However you can lessen the density of the store bought kind just by whipping air into it. One important tool you will need is either wax or parchment paper. Tear off a good sized sheet (about six inches long ) and cut into squares. Use them when you have to flatten the puffs of icing into a workable canvas. A n icing spatula can also come in handy when smoothing a frosting's surface and sides. If you're planning on using sprinkles  make sure you have a bowl for them. This also makes it easier to roll the cupcakes in them for decorated edgea.

Decorating is the fun part once all the cupcakes or cakes are iced.Reese's mini peanut butter  cups can double as witches hats or as the bottom of a broom, once iced. Mini ice cream cones can also work well as a crone's hat too. Just thoroughly dip these in either dark or milk chocolate , let set and them place on the cupcakes. Use black gel icing for the band around the base of the cone part and add yellow or gold icing to create a belt. A broom us made by inserting a pretzel stick in the center of a mini peanut butter cup and then using brown or dark yellow icing draw lines up and down to simulate straw. YOu can also create either white, dark ro milk chocolate spider web ls by pouring chocolate in thin, concentric circles and then attaching them .Let dry and stick on the top of  the cakes, Spiders are made just by putting two blobs or black icing together and then drawing eight legs out from the body. Use candy eyes for the eyes. You may have to use tweezers for this. A spooky cupcake might have a tombstone on top. Use Pepperidge Farms Milano cookies for this. Write RIP on them and just stick into the icing. Add a gummy work or two for more creepiness.

Halloween cupcakes are always a nice addition to any holiday party. Go wild with decorating.It wil only add to the day.

A Briny Barbecue

Summer barbecues are always tasty. Yet they can get boring , thanks to the same old menu.Change it up some with an all seafood barbecue. It's a different take on classic grilled with a splash of the ocean or lake added.

If you're new at barbecuing seafood, then go for the easiest  - shrimp. It's a quick cook on the grill and can be marinated with a wide variety of marinades.Do they have to be boiled or parboiled before being placed on a hot grill? No. They can go from the fridge or the freezer and onto the hot coals. Just remember that they cook up fairly quick - two minutes on each side.What's a good marinade? Go for something citrus-y with zing. Start with one third of a cup of olive or vegetable oil. Add to it a quarter of a cup fresh lemon juice and grated zest (use a microhasp for a finer zest). Dried basil and thyme leaves give it color and a small dose of dried hot pepper shakes. Another easy grill are scallops.They're first washed and then patted dry with a paper towel. Scallops can be put on skewers and can be barbecued with cherry tomatoes and pepper chunks. They too can bathe in a variety of different marinades. Most home chefs prefer a citrus one but a Asian influenced one is also delicious. Try soy blended with freshly grated ginger and minced scallions. Again a micro hasp works well with grating the ginger .

Larger pieces of fish can also be part of a barbecue. any catch can work. Just remember to buy a special kind of spatula that has a very wide end with narrow slots . Try fillets, particularly salmon. It's very flavorful and a crowd favorite. Remember to buy it with the skin still on and to get it in steak form.This keeps the meat together and doesn't stick to the grill. Place the steaks on an oiled grill. Cook the skin side first for a nice, crispy crust and then the skinless side. Keep the pieces evenly spaced so they all cook evenly.The salmon should be cooked for about ten minutes  before it's plated. Fresh water fish also work. Trout makes a lovely change of pace from the typical fare. If you're adventurous you can stuff it with a tart but fiery lemon filling. This is simply lemon slices mixed with a va riety of herbs such as thyme and rosemary  gives it more flavor while chili pepper flakes give it a hearty bite.Plain barbecue trout is also very good. Use a basket to roast it about five to seven minutes.

A fishy barbecue? Why not. There's nothing as delicious as grilled seafood or fish. It's the perfect change for the hot days ahead.

My Little Cake Shop

One more piece of my bake shop puzzle arrived today. The Ohuhu cake stand arrived, thanks to Amazon.

Soon I will have my icing spatula and icing comb to create those professional looking lines on the iced sides of a cake. I also have my Wilson icer

Thanks to my new , and sadly overworked oven, I will be trying all sorts of fun recipes and decorating. This week I will be making homemade fudge along with carrot cake cupcakes and banana bread.What I am looking forward to is making my friend's favorite cake - butter with chocolate buttercream. This will my masterpiece. It will have combed sides along with delicate puffs of icing along with  pink buttercream roses and pale green leaves.

My baking days are starting up again.I'm looking forward to all sorts of creations, from coconut macarons to chocolate chip cookies to elegantly iced cakes.

And a few fudge bars too.

Get Ready For The Baking Season

December 1st is just around the corner and that means the prep season for Christmas baking. The number one complaint of all bakers is that they have to make time to buy ingredients. If you start your arsenal now, then you will have all the minutes needed to create those holiday batches.

The most important ingredient is flour. Stock up on it now. Some grocery stores are offering buy two for the price of one so buy as much as you think you’ll need. Another ingredient worth keeping up on is sugar both granulated and confectioner’s. You’ll need one fro baking and the other for icings. What else should you stock up on ? Chocolate chips in all sizes along with nonpareils, and sprinkles. You may also want to buy some oatmeal raisins, peanut butter and shredded coconut. Also think about adding some Baker’s chocolate (Unsweetened bars) as well as cocoa mix such as Droste. You can stock up on milk, butte rand eggs a few days before you bake.


This is also the time to look over your cookie sheets and cutters to see if you need new ones. If the last is plastic and cracked you can always buy some news ones at your local dollar store, grocery store , Target K-Mart or Wal-Mart. Check your spatulas to make sure they can handle stiff cookie dough. Buy a timer if you don’t; already have one as well as cooling racks. If you’re making brownies or bar cookies, look over your baking pans to see if they’re up to snuff.

Another thing is decide whether you’re going to bake alone or need help. Carve out a day in your calendar and devote the whole day t o baking. This way you’re not multitasking or rushed to finish your baking project quickly. Get help if you need it. Delegate and write down who will do what for a smoother operation.


The holidays will be here sooner than you think (or even wish for that matter). The demand for sweets will be great. Get your self ready ahead of time for the big baking project that lies ahead of you.