Howling for Halloween

Happy Monday everyone! I am back to the blog while my baby sleeps nearby...and while I know I should be napping (no need to remind me), since the little guy is about to wake up I figure I've got a few minutes to share some recipes! Halloween is only a few weeks away so it's time to start brewing up some treats (see what I did there?). While it's not the holiday for "pretty" cakes, like this one for my husband's birthday:

Almond cake with cannoli cream filling, topped with
classic vanilla buttercream.
www.lizzybeesbakery.com (local deliveries only!)

...we can still enjoy looking at one, can't we? Ready for dessert yet? Let's do it, Halloween-style!

Devil's Food Cupcakes with Espresso Meringue

Karen Hatfield for Food & Wine

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil spray
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 1/4 cups boiling water
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 pound), softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso, plus more for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Lightly spray the paper liners with vegetable oil spray. In a small bowl, mix the chocolate and 1/4 cup of cocoa. Add the boiling water and let melt, then whisk until smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla, then slowly beat in the dry ingredients and the chocolate mixture in 3 alternating batches.
2. Fill the muffin cups three-fourths full with the batter. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, shifting the pans halfway through, until the cupcakes are springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then unmold them and transfer to a rack to cool completely.
3. Mix the egg whites, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon of espresso in a medium stainless steel bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and heat the whites, whisking constantly, until hot to the touch (165°). Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a whisk and beat at high speed until the meringue is stiff and glossy, about 5 minutes; if using a handheld mixer, beat for about 8 minutes.
4. Scoop half of the espresso meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a large (3/4-inch) plain tip and pipe the meringue onto half of the cupcakes. Repeat with the remaining espresso meringue and cupcakes. Lightly sprinkle the meringue with cocoa and espresso powder and serve.

MAKE AHEAD: The frosted devil's food cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container overnight.

"Candy Corn" Pumpkin Blondies

Genevieve Ko

Ingredients

For the blondies:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
• One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the icing:

• One (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Orange and yellow food coloring (preferably gel paste) for decorating

Directions

Make the blondies:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9- by 13-inch baking pan, line with parchment paper, and butter again.
2. In a medium saucepan, cook the pumpkin over medium heat, stirring frequently, until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the pumpkin pie spice and butter until the butter melts. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Let stand until room temperature, about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the brown sugar into the pumpkin mixture, then stir in the eggs and vanilla until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and stir until smooth. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
4. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
5. Place a large cutting board on top of the pan of blondies. Invert the pan and cutting board together, then lift off the pan and peel off the parchment paper. Cut the blondies into 3 even strips lengthwise, then cut each strip into 10 triangles with approximately 2-inch bases (you will have 1 smaller triangle on each end). Transfer the triangles to a large serving platter, flat bottom sides up.

Make the icing:

1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice, and salt. Beat on low speed until well-mixed, then raise the speed to medium-high and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

Decorate the blondies:

1. Transfer half of the icing to another large bowl and tint with orange. Transfer two thirds of the remaining to another bowl and tint yellow. Divide the orange, yellow, and white icings among 3 piping bags or resealable plastic bags. Snip small holes in the corner of each. Pipe the icings on the blondies in stripes to resemble candy corn: a thin strip of yellow along the wide end, a thick strip of orange in the center, and a small white tip. Let stand until set.

Do ahead:

1. The blondies can be tightly wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. The iced blondies can be kept at room temperature for up to 4 hours.

Coconut-and-Almond Candy

Anita Chu

Ingredients

• 7 fluid ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 14 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted
• 16 ounces milk chocolate or coating chocolate

Directions

1. Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with foil and coat it with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine condensed milk, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl.
3. Add confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time and stir with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated.
4. Add coconut and stir until combined.
5. Pour the mixture into the baking pan and press it into an even layer. Then press the almonds into the mixture in even rows. Chill candy in refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.
6. Using a sharp chef's knife, cut the candy into small rectangles.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
8. Melt and temper the chocolate, or simply melt the coating chocolate.
9. Dip the bars into the chocolate, covering completely, and place them on the prepared sheet.
10. Refrigerate candy for 30 minutes or until the chocolate has set.

Storage: Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 week.

Happy spooky baking!