Halloween Gingerbread Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Beat in water and molasses. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and allspice; add to the creamed mixture. Beat on low speed until combined. Beat on medium for 2 minutes., Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely., For frosting, in a small bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese, brown sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in maple syrup and vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Place Reynolds Baking Cups in each of 18 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, 1/2 cup butter, the molasses and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the allspice and water. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup.
• Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, the lemon peel, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and the vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth. Beat in milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until spreadable.
• Pipe or spread a generous amount of frosting on top of each cupcake. Store covered in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Line eight 2 1/2 inch muffin cups with paper bake cups.
• In a medium mixing bowl stir together th flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, soda, and salt.
• Set aside.
• In a small mixing bowl stir together the egg white, molasses, water, and oil.
• All molasses mixture to dry mixture, stirring just until moistened.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when pressed lightly in center.
• Remove from pan.
• Serve warm, or cool on a wire rack.

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Sift 3 cups of flour, the ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and molasses. Mix until combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until a thick dough forms. If the dough is sticky, mix in the remaining flour a little at a time until the dough can easily be handled without it sticking to your fingers. You may not have to use all of the flour.
• Gather the dough into a ball; divide in half. Roll each dough piece flat to 1/4-inch thickness between parchment paper sheets. Transfer the dough inside the sheets to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Print the Haunted Gingerbread House Walls and Roof Template (link below) and cut the shapes out with scissors. When the dough is well chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and peel back the top sheets of parchment. Lay the templates on the dough and cut around them using a flat-edged knife (do not discard the templates). Transfer the dough shapes to the prepared baking sheets. Leftover dough can be re-rolled and cut into cookies, or you can shape it into a baton and store it in your freezer for up to 1 month.
• Bake the shapes for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges. While the cookies are still warm, lay the templates on top of the baked cookies and re-cut them using a knife. This will help the shapes fit together perfectly when you are assembling the house.
• Assemble the house: Place the white candy wafers in a heatproof bowl and cook at 100 percent power in the microwave at 30-second intervals. Stir well after each interval until the candy is smooth (this should take about 1 minute total cook time). Transfer the candy to a disposable piping bag with a small hole in the end snipped (you may also use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped). Use cans from your pantry to help prop the house pieces up as you work. Glue the sides, front and back of the house together using the white melted candy. Let stand until dry, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the landscape: Spread half of the chocolate frosting over a 14-inch cake board or serving platter. Sprinkle the surface with the cookie crumbs and press them down slightly with flattened palms. Save leftover cookie crumbs and frosting for later use.
• When the candy holding the gingerbread walls together is dry, gently lift the assembled house and place it in the center of the prepared board. Pipe white melted candy along the top edges of the house and attach the roof; hold the pieces steady with your hands until they hold on their own, about 2 minutes. Pipe extra candy around the roof edges and walls to fill in any visible gaps.
• Place the corn cereal in a bowl or zip-top bag and add the cocoa powder. Mix together until the cereal pieces are well coated with cocoa. Pipe a line of candy on the bottom edge of a roof piece and place cereal pieces end-to-end in a single layer to make roof tiles. Pipe another line of candy just above the first row of cereal and add another row, slightly overlapping the first. It's okay to use broken cereal pieces, as this will add to the character of the haunted house. Cover the entire rooftop with cereal. Pipe candy on the front and back top edges of the house and line with cereal squares. Allow the house to stand at room temperature until the candy is set, about 15 minutes.
• Make the windows and door: Print the Haunted Gingerbread House Windows Template (link below). Place the template on a flat work surface and cover it with a large sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Melt the black candy wafers in a heatproof bowl and cook at 100 percent power in the microwave at 30-second intervals. Stir well after each interval until the candy is smooth (this should take about 1 minute total cook time). Transfer the candy to a disposable piping bag with the tip snipped. Pipe the candy over the black boxes (windows and doors) on the template. Use a toothpick to push the candy into small corners and to fill in gaps. Make as many windows as you wish for your haunted house by moving the template under a new sheet of parchment paper. Place candy buttons in each of the smaller windows before the candy is set. Use a food color marker to draw on eyeballs. Allow the candy to stand until set, about 15 minutes at room temperature or 5 minutes in the refrigerator. Peel the candy boxes with eyes off of the parchment and use a little melted candy to attach them to the top front of the house. Position each window tilted inward slightly. Attach the larger candy rectangle below the 2 windows to create the door. Use the white melted candy (reheat if necessary) to pipe dots on the top and bottom edges of the door. Use a toothpick to pull the melted candy into points to create fangs.
• Make the monster arms: Melt green candy wafers as previously directed with the white and black candy wafers. Transfer the candy to a disposable piping bag with the tip snipped. Lay a sheet of parchment on a work surface. Pipe a 4-inch L shape on the parchment paper with the green candy. Use a toothpick to smooth the candy into an arm shape. Use the toothpick end to pull the bottom of the L shape into fingers. Pour green sanding sugar over the top portion of the arm, leaving the hand uncovered. Place a chocolate sprinkle on each finger to create long claws. Allow the shapes to set until firm. When the candy is firm, peel it off of the parchment and shake the excess sugar off of the arm. Repeat this process with a backwards L shape so that you have 2 monster arms. Attach a candy window with melted candy to each side of the house and hold until set, about 2 minutes. Attach an arm to each window and hold until set. Further decorate the sides and back of the house with more windows.
• Create boards for the windows: Knead 2 chocolate chews together and roll flat with a rolling pin (if the chews are too firm to flatten, heat them in the microwave for 5 seconds). Cut small board shapes (about 1/4 inch by 1 inch) from the candy using a knife. Use the end of a toothpick to striate the pieces. Use the pointed end of the toothpick to poke 2 small holes in each end, creating nail holes on the boards. Attach the pieces over the windows using melted candy.
• Make candy pumpkins: Carefully poke holes in the gumballs using a metal skewer or knife, and thread them onto the pointed ends of toothpicks. Melt the orange candy wafers as previously directed. Dip the gumballs into the candy and place them on parchment paper. Remove the toothpick. Use leftover chocolate chews to fashion small pumpkin stems. Place them standing upright on top of the pumpkins. Allow to stand until set, about 15 minutes.
• Make scary trees: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use the black melted candy (reheat as needed) to pipe 3 well-spaced lines on the cookie sheets. Place a rolled wafer cookie on top of each line. Use the black candy to completely cover the wafers. Draw tree branches with the candy coming off of both sides and the top ends of the wafers. Cover with black sanding sugar. Let stand until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the pretzel ladder: Break 2 of the pretzel sticks in half. Place 2 whole pretzel sticks parallel to each other. Attach the broken pretzel rungs to the whole pretzel sticks using melted candy. Let stand until set. When firm, lean the ladder against the house, preferably leading up to a window with eyeballs peering out.
• When the trees are firm, lift them from the parchment and shake away excess sugar. Place each snack cake on the cake board upside-down and press a candy tree in its center. Cover the snack cakes with leftover cookie crumbs, if desired.
• Make tombstones: Place leftover chocolate frosting in a piping bag. Break the chocolate bars at their perforations. Pipe a small dot of frosting onto the crumb-covered cake board and press an upright turned chocolate piece into the frosting. Repeat with remaining chocolate pieces to create a graveyard.
• Finishing touches: Use melted white candy to pipe spider webs onto the house. Use the food color marker to draw cracks on the house, and spiders near their webs. Place the pumpkin decorations on the landscape and around the house as desired.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with 12 to 18 Reynolds® StayBrite® Baking Cups with a black swirl design.
• Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping down sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
• Whisk together the milk and molasses in a medium bowl. Alternately add flour and milk mixture to the butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Carefully remove cupcakes from pans; cool completely on a wire rack.
• Frost with Cinnamon Vanilla Frosting. Sprinkle colored decorating sugars.
• Cinnamon Vanilla Frosting: Combine butter, sour cream, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Gradually beat in powdered sugar and ground cinnamon. Thin with 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, if needed to reach desired consistency.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl until well combined.
• Whisk molasses and hot water together.
• Cream the margarine and sugar. Whip the mixture with the optional egg until light and fluffy.
• Add part of the molasses mixture and part of the margarine and sugar mixture to the dry ingredients. Begin to combine. As the ingredients come together, add more of the margarine mixture and more of the molasses mixture until everything has been incorporated. Whisk to remove lumps, but do not over-mix.
• Pour the batter evenly into cupcake molds (you should get an even dozen, just fill them almost to the top).
• Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean, or the top of the cake, when touched, springs back. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
• Prepare frosting by beating all of the frosting ingredients in a stand mixer until well combined and fluffy. Frost cupcakes and enjoy!

Steps:

• Heat the butter, syrup, treacle and sugar in a medium saucepan over a low heat for 6-8 mins until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, and leave to cool for 10 mins.
• Briefly whisk the bicarb, ginger, cinnamon, mixed spice and plain flour in a large bowl to combine. Add a pinch of salt, and the butter and sugar to the mixture. Mix briefly with a spoon, then knead to a rough ball in the bowl. Add 1 tbsp water to bring to the dough together, if you need to. Tip out onto a worksurface and knead briefly again until you have a soft, pliable dough. Press out to a flat disk, wrap and freeze for 15 mins or chill for 30 mins.
• Roll the dough out on a lightly floured worksurface, split the dough into sections and work in batches if you need to. Roll out to 5mm thick. Cut out using a gingerbread person cutter. Reroll the offcuts. You'll get 20-25 depending on the size of your cutter.
• Transfer the biscuits to a parchment lined tray with a little room in-between and chill again for 10 mins.
• Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Bake the gingerbread for 10-15 mins until the edges and lightly golden. Cool on the tray for 5 mins then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Mix icing sugar with ½-1 tbsp water to make a thick, pipeable icing. Transfer half of the icing to a piping bag and cut a very small hole in the bottom.
• To make the ghostsUsing the piping bag icing to make an outline around the gingerbread people and leave to set. Once set, add a drop more water to the remaining icing in the bowl to loosen slightly, then use to fill the ghost shapes. Use a cocktail stick to smooth out the icing right up to the set outline. Leave to set again. Add two black dots for the eyes, then an oval for the open mouth.
• To make the mummiesSnip a slightly larger hole in the piping bag at an angle, and go back and forth over the remaining gingerbread people, so it looks like bandages. Add two white dots as eyes and leave to dry. Add pupils to the white dots once set with the black writing icing.