sprinkles

Chocolate Popcorn Halloween Cupcakes

October 28, 2016 by Marisa 23 Comments

I’ve got a fun afternoon project involving cupcakes, frosting, popcorn and lots of sprinkles! Say hello to Chocolate Popcorn Halloween Cupcakes!

Who doesn’t love sprinkles, right! You can get right down funky with some Halloween sprinkles here by using as many or as little as you like.

If you are pressed for time, store bought cupcakes with frosting and even ready popped popcorn can be substituted in a pinch.

However if you prefer to prepare everything from scratch, here is a go to, no fail chocolate cupcake recipe from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook…a wonderful cookbook allowing you a little peak into their irresistible bakery!

The cupcake itself is light, moist and gets a lovely dark color and chocolate kick from the cocoa powder. Also, I topped it with a fluffy chocolate frosting, simply because I believe one can never have enough chocolate!

I substituted the whole milk for almond milk in this recipe as I rarely have cow’s milk on hand and used a large egg instead of a medium sized one as stipulated in the cookbook, (I always bake with large eggs) which did not compromise the recipe at all. Absolutely delicious!

Here is where all the fun begins and if you love popcorn you will appreciate this!

I used 1/2 cup of kernels which yielded approximately 8 cups of popcorn and tossed them with a sprinkle of salt and few tablespoons of slightly cooled candy melts.

There is some serious sweet and salty happening here!

Once I achieved the desired shade of orange, I then divided the popcorn between 2 prepared cookie sheets lined with a silpat mat and spread them out into a single layer. More of the melted and cooled candy is drizzled over the popcorn layers, sprinkled generously with Halloween sprinkles and then set aside till the candy melts harden.

When the popcorn mixture set and dried, I broke them off into small pieces and started topping the frosted cupcakes from the bottom outer layer while working my way up.

Any gaps were easily covered with smaller pieces of popcorn by dipping them first into a little of the melted candy, which acted as glue and then filled into the empty spaces.

Consequently, …you will not need all 8 cups of Halloween popcorn but I am leaving it in because, and trust me on this, as you are assembling these Chocolate Popcorn Halloween Cupcakes, you will also be greedily munching away on the sweet and salty popcorn.

HELPFUL TIPS;

The chocolate cupcakes with the frosting can be made ahead of time, however I would prepare and assemble the popcorn as close to serving time as possible because the popcorn is at it’s crunchiest when freshly popped.

I have used many different brands of candy melts and realized that they do not all have the same consistency once melted. Therefore if you find that your melted candy is too thick for drizzling, simply stir in some vegetable oil to thin it out.

Also, for another cute Halloween treat, check out these adorable Mini Brownie Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Above all, make these Chocolate Popcorn Halloween Cupcakes today and have a fun filled time in your own kitchen!

Chocolate Popcorn Halloween Cupcakes

Course Cupcake

Servings 12

Author Marisa

Ingredients

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of salt I used fine sea salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup almond milk or whole milk
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE ICING
2 1/3 cups icing sugar sifted
6 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
2 tablespoons almond milk or whole milk
HALLOWEEN POPCORN
8 cups popped plain popcorn
Pink Himalayan Salt for sprinkling on popcorn
Halloween sprinkles.
340 grams or 12 oz of orange candy melts

Instructions

FOR THE CUPCAKES
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, salt and the softened butter in a large mixing bowl.
Start beating on low speed just until everything is combined. It will have the appearance of coarse sand.
In a small measuring bowl whisk together the milk, egg, and the vanilla together and then slowly pour half of this mixture into the flour mixture.
Beat on low speed till combined then increase the speed to high speed. This will get rid of any lumps.
Turn the mixer back down to slow speed and pour in the rest of the milk mixture.
Continue to mix for a couple of more minutes until the batter looks smooth. Do now over mix.
Scoop the batter in the prepared muffin pan, filling two thirds full.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the cupcake bounces back when lightly touched. You can also test to see if it's done by inserting a toothpick in the center and if it comes back clean then they are ready.
Let the cupcakes cool slightly in the pan then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, before icing.
FOR THE CHOCOLATE ICING
In a large bowl, beat together the icing sugar, softened butter and cocoa powder on low speed, just until it comes together.
Add the milk, a couple of teaspoons at a time, while on low speed.
Once the milk is fully mixed in, switch to high speed and continue to mix until the icing is light and fluffy. This should take about 5 minutes.
The longer you mix the icing, you will note that the lighter and fluffier it becomes. YUMMY!
When ready spoon the icing over the cupcakes or simply use a piping bag if you prefer.
HALLOWEEN POPCORN
Prepare 2 cookie baking sheets with silpat baking mats or parchment paper and set aside.
Place the candy melts in a small microwaveable bowl or container.
Melt on 50% power for 1 minute and then stir the candy melts very well.
Return the candy melts to the microwave and continue to melt and stir at 15 to 20 second intervals.
Sprinkle a few pinches of salt over the popcorn. (you can use any salt you prefer)
Toss together the salted popcorn with a few tablespoons at a time of melted chocolate until you get the desired color. Make sure to toss very well.
Divide the popcorn between the 2 prepared cookie baking sheets and spread them out evenly in one single layer.
Drizzle more melted chocolate over the layers of popcorn and quickly sprinkle generously with your choice of Halloween sprinkles so that the sprinkles have a chance to adhere to the melted chocolate. (make sure to set aside a little of the melted chocolate to assemble the popcorn over the cupcakes)
Let set till the chocolate hardens.
Special note: You can thin the melted chocolate with vegetable oil, one teaspoon at a time, for easy drizzling.
ASSEMBLING THE POPCORN
Once the popcorn is set, break off into small pieces and strategically place over the iced cupcakes, starting at the outer part of the cupcake working yourself to the top.
You can fill in any gaps with smaller pieces of popcorn by dipping them first in a little bit of melted chocolate (this will act as a glue) and then insert into the gaps.

Recipe Notes

Partially adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

Chocolate Zucchini Doughnuts

April 16, 2016 by Marisa 25 Comments

I have shared a couple of doughnut recipes here on the blog before and both of the deep fried variety. Such as these Zeppole, Ricotta Doughnuts and more recently my Castagnole Fritte. However, my chocolate zucchini doughnuts featured today are of a completely different variety. They are baked not fried and with the addition of grated zucchini and finely chopped walnuts.

These chocolate zucchini doughnuts have a cake like texture and are super moist made more so after being dunked in a decadent chocolate glaze.

This is a simple snacking cake recipe given to me by a friend which I have tweaked and converted into doughnuts. I think it’s a fun way of giving an old recipe new life. If you love easy to make desserts and have an extra zucchini hanging out in your fridge then these doughnuts are for you.

One will barely notice the zucchini in the doughnut because it just melts into the batter as it bakes, which is a great thing if there are finicky eaters in the family. It is one more wonderful way to hide the vegetables, in my opinion, when cooking or baking.

I used 2, 3 inch round doughnut hole pans for this recipe which yields 24 doughnuts. Each pan has 6 doughnut ring shapes which I let cool and resprayed with non-stick baking spray between batches.

Alternately, you may use a 9 inch square baking pan and bake the cake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F, for about 40 minutes or till a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. You will only need half the quantity of chocolate glaze if opting to bake it in a cake form.

A few notes to help you along: Use the 6 to 8 minutes bake time as a general guideline and always check to see if they are done at the minimum amount of time as not all ovens are the same. Mine is a gas oven and my baked goods are usually ready at the minimum amount of time requested in most recipes.

Do use a piping bag or resealable plastic bag, snipped at one end, to fill the doughnut pans for perfectly round shaped doughnuts.

Fill only half way through (the doughnut rings) as the batter doubles in size once baked.

Let the doughnuts cool in the pan for a few minutes before loosening them around the edges and inverting them onto a cooling rack.

Last but not least top the doughnuts with lots and lots of sprinkles 🙂

Chocolate Zucchini Doughnuts

Course Dessert

Servings 24 doughnuts

Author Marisa

Ingredients

DOUGHNUTS
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 whole cup milk
1 cup grated zucchini from 1 small zucchini
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
Chocolate Glaze
2 cups icing sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
4 tablespoons whole milk
chocolate sprinkles or any other of your choice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 2 inch doughnut pan with a nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In a large size bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy.
Add in the eggs, vanilla and beat until well combined.
Stir in the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Stating and ending with the flour mixture.
Add in the zucchini and the nuts. Stir till combined.
Spoon the doughnut batter into a large resealable plastic bag. Snip off one corner of the bag and pipe the batter into the prepared pans, filling the doughnut rings only half way through.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly touched.
When ready, let the doughnuts rest in the pan for a few minutes then gently loosen around the edges and carefully invert onto a cooling rack.
Cool and spray the doughnut pans with nonstick spray between batches.
CHOCOLATE GLAZE
In a large bowl, whisk together the icing sugar, cocoa powder, corn syrup and whole milk.
To coat the doughnuts with the chocolate glaze you can either dunk them in the glaze, letting any excess drip off or simply spoon the chocolate glaze over the doughnuts.
Place the doughnuts on a wire rack with a cookie sheet underneath to catch any drippings.
Top with the sprinkles of your choice.

Mini Brownie Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting

October 29, 2015 by Marisa 46 Comments

These Mini Brownie Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting are a two bite marvel and an absolute delicious addition to any Halloween Party!

When it comes to Halloween baking, I am not really much into the creepy, spooky or ghoulish treats but rather something that has the cutesy factor. These adorable mini brownie bites sure do and some! They are rich, chocolaty and dense in texture without being overly sweet.

If you are fairly new to baking, you will find them delightfully easy to make. And if piping the frosting seems somewhat intimidating to you, simply give it a try by practicing first. Set a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper on a counter. Fit any piping tip of your choice into a pastry bag, fill with frosting and start piping directly onto your parchment lined cookie sheet. Then simply scrape off the frosting back into the pastry bag and your good to go. Easy right!

The brownie recipe comes from one of my very own favorite magazines, Better Homes and Garden. I tweaked it somewhat, simply for personal taste, by using my favorite cream cheese frosting and tinted it with orange icing color and switched it up to give it a Halloween flare. I just adore the chocolate and cream cheese combination!

On that note, wishing you all, happy baking and a safe fun filled Halloween 🙂

Ingredients:

2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

Cream Cheese Frosting:

3 ounces cream cheese
1/4 pound butter
1/2 pound icing sugar
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
orange icing color ( I used Wilton’s)

Chocolate Glaze:

1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 teaspoons corn syrup (light colored)
nonpareils

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Grease mini muffin pans (you will need 36, 1 and 3/4 inch). Set aside.

Place the flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl, stir and set it aside.

Beat sugar and eggs together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, on medium to high speed for about 2 minutes. It should look thick and pale yellow.

Next beat in the flour mixture just until smooth. Add in the 1/2 cup of melted butter and stir until combined. Drop about 1 teaspoon of the batter into each prepared muffin cup.

Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes. When a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean, you will know it’s ready. Let them cool in the pan for about 5 minutes then carefully remove the brownies and transfer on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat until combined. You can also use a food processor to mix the frosting ingredients together. Tint the icing with Wilton’s orange icing color. A little goes a long way so start with a little bit at a time, just until you get the desired color. I used barely 1/8 of a teaspoon.

Use a large pastry bag fitted with a star tip to pipe the frosting onto each brownie. (I used the 1M tip from Wilton). Refrigerate for 30 minutes, this will set the frosting making it easier to dip.

For the chocolate glaze, place 1/4 cup of cubed butter, 2 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate in a small sauce pan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth, then remove it from the heat and stir in the corn syrup. Set it aside to cool for about 10 minutes.

Once cooled, dip the top of each brownie into the chocolate glaze. Sprinkle the mini brownies with nonpareils and refrigerate till the chocolate is set for about 15 minutes.

These mini brownie bites with cream cheese frosting store very well in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Makes 36 adorable mini brownies!

Ciambelle, Italian Ring Cookies

April 4, 2015 by Marisa 8 Comments

Ciambelle, Italian ring cookies with a distinctive round shape.

Many regions in Italy have their own version of this ever popular cookie. The savory ciambelle, made with red or white wine and oil, are much crunchier and suited to dunking in a glass of sweet wine. The sweeter version is often made with butter, scented with vanilla and has a tender bite.

Other baked goods shaped in a ring such as cakes or even doughnuts are also called ciambelle or ciambellone, referring to it’s much bigger form. I remember my mom baking the ciambellone (doughnut shaped ones). They were very similar to a panettone in texture. She would serve them to us with a big glass of milk…they were just begging to be dipped! When she was not looking I would dip them in her coffee. Hence, my love of coffee!!!

I found this ciambelle cookie recipe years ago on the Martha Stewart website. They looked just like my mom’s but smaller, so of coarse I just had to give them a try. Since then they have graced every holiday cookie tray. They are so adorably elegant making them perfect for weddings, baby showers or even baptisms.

These cookies are not difficult to make and the dough is very forgiving and easy to work with. You can dress them up to suit any holiday celebration simply by tinting the icing with your favorite food colors and sprinkles of your choice.

Yields 6 dozen cookies

Ingredients; Cookies

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbs baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbs + 1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Ingredients; Lemon Glaze

3 cups icing sugar
4 to 6 tbs fresh lemon juice
nonpareils of your choice, for sprinkling
food coloring of you choice (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl , stir together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Pulse together the sugar and lemon zest in a food processor for about 2 minutes.

In a stand mixer or hand held mixer, beat the sugar-lemon zest mixture with the butter on medium speed until it turns pale and fluffy. For about 2 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. If using a stand mixer, make sure to scrap down the bowl a couple of times. Beat in the vanilla and the lemon juice.

Reduce the speed to low and start adding the flour mixture a bit at a time until it is combined.

Using a small ice-cream scoop of about 1 1/4 inch in size, scoop out dough onto a lightly floured counter. If you don’t have an ice-cream scoop, a tablespoon will do. Roll the dough into a rope, not more than 4 inches. You can roll them on your counter but I found it easier to roll between the palm of my hands, lightly dusted with flour. Bring the ends together, slightly overlapping and pressing to form a ring.

Transfer to your prepared cookie sheet and repeat with the remaining dough leaving about 1 inch space between each cookie. These cookies do not spread while baking but will expand somewhat. Bake one pan at a time in a preheated oven at 350* for about 15 to 18 minutes. The cookies should have a pale golden look when done. Transfer cookies on a cooling rack. Let cool completely before icing.

For the glaze; In a small bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and lemon juice till smooth. Dunk the top part of the cookie into the icing and let any excess drip off. Place the cookie on a wire rack and sprinkle with the nonpareils of your choice. Let the cookies dry completely. These cookies keep well in an airtight container lined with wax paper between each layer and stored in a cool dry place and freeze very well.

Simply because it’s Easter, I separated the lemon glaze into 4 small bowls and stirred in 1 drop of yellow, red and green food coloring into each bowl. I kept the 4th bowl white. Gel food colors work best, they will not thin out the glaze.