Ghouly Cupcakes Food

RAINBOW CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with white paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Stir together the milk, lemon juice and vanilla in a small bowl; set aside (the milk will curdle). Beat the butter, 3/4 cup sugar and the lemon zest in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk mixture in two batches, until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat briefly until smooth.
• Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with a mixer on high speed until foamy. Gradually beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar; continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form, about 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold the beaten egg whites into the batter in two batches. Divide the batter evenly among 6 small bowls; tint each with 1 to 3 drops gel food coloring, stirring to distribute the color.
• Divide the purple batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups (about 1 1/2 teaspoons per cup) and gently spread to cover the bottom; layer the blue, green, yellow, orange and red batters on top, gently spreading each color but making sure not to swirl the colors together. (The liners will be full.) Bake until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Whisk the sugar, egg whites, water, vanilla, cream of tartar and salt in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until combined (do not let the bowl touch the water). With the bowl still over the simmering water, beat the mixture with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and let cool 5 minutes. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Generously pipe onto the cupcakes.

MILK-AND-COOKIES CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners. Combine the butter, 2/3 cup condensed milk, the granulated sugar, egg, vanilla and salt in a food processor. Process until smooth and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda and pulse a few times until blended. Drizzle in 1/4 cup whole milk, pulsing a few times, until smooth.
• Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters of the way; sprinkle the mini chocolate chips on top. Bake until the tops of the cupcakes are golden and spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack. Poke the warm cupcakes all over with a toothpick. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons each condensed milk and whole milk; brush evenly over the warm cupcakes. Let cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Put the milk chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Let cool slightly. Combine the butter, melted chocolate, 1/4 cup condensed milk and the salt in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides occasionally. Add the confectioners' sugar and process until smooth, about 1 more minute. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until firm but still spreadable, about 20 minutes.
• Spread the frosting on the cupcakes, making a small well in the middle; fill each with 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon condensed milk. Top with cookies.

CUPCAKE GARDEN

Steps:

• Press a cupcake into a flowerpot. Insert the flower cookie stick in the center and decorate the cupcake with 2 green M&M'S® Brand Peanut Chocolate Candies.
• What to Do For Cookie Flowers:
• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet pans with parchment paper.
• 2. Knead the flour into the dough, and roll it out to a 1/4-inch thickness. Using the printable template, cut out 12 cookies, re-rolling the scraps. Transfer cookies to cookie sheet and slip lollipop stick underneath each one.
• 3. Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven, transfer to wire rack and let cool completely.
• 4. Beat the confectioner's sugar, egg white powder and water until fluffy. Spoon 1/2 cup of the frosting in a resealable plastic bag with a small corner snipped. Set aside. Divide the remaining frosting into 3 cups and tint one yellow, one orange and one red. Spread cookies with frosting.
• 5. Pipe a small circle of white frosting in the center of each cookie and decorate with M&M'S® Brand Peanut Chocolate Candies using the photograph as guide. Set aside.
• What to Do For Cupcakes:
• 6. Meanwhile, line the cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners. Set pans aside. Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake pans. Bake for approximately 19-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Spread the top of the cupcake with the chocolate frosting.
• 7. Press a nugget of floral clay into the bottom of each flower pot. Press a cupcake into a flowerpot. Insert the flower cookie stick in the center. anchoring it in the clay for support. Decorate the cupcake with 2 green M&M'S® Brand Peanut Chocolate Candies.
• TIP: You can also make jumbo cupcakes as well as miniature cupcakes for a varitey of "plant" sizes.

GHOULISH HALLOWEEN CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cases. Gently melt the butter, chocolate, sugar and 100ml hot water together in a large saucepan, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool a little.
• Stir the egg and vanilla into the chocolate mixture. Put the flour in a large mixing bowl, then add the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Divide the mixture evenly between the paper cases; they should be about three-quarters full. Bake on a low shelf in the oven for 20-22 mins. Press on the cupcakes to check if they're cooked; the tops should spring back. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
• Use the image above as a guide to decorating the cupcakes. Packet fondant can often be quite sticky; if yours is, pat walnut-sized lumps of fondant over the surface of each cake, rather than trying to roll it all out. Knead yellow and red fondant together to make orange icing. Make extra decorations, like hair and mouths, out of fondant and stick them on using a little water. Use the icing pens to draw lines in the fondant. Add icing eyes wherever you like.