Happy Halloween!!

Part One!

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays! I have some of  the best memories from my childhood around Halloween. Deciding what costume to wear, putting it altogether, going trick or treating with my friends and of course having a big bag full of sweets at the end of the day!! But I have to say my fondest memory was decorating the house with my Mum. She went all out at Halloween. We had a porch at the front of the house and she used to make it into a cave. I don't think any description I could give you now would do it any justice but we always got so many compliments on the cave and we had so much fun doing it. I remember we used to pester my Dad for days (probably weeks) before Halloween to go up into the attic to get the costumes and decorations. The day was then spent planning and putting together our costumes, carving the pumpkin and then helping Mum put up all the decorations in the cave. I just won't mention how one Halloween I nearly set the house on fire... sorry again Mum and Dad! I definitely think I get my creativeness from my Mum and she's the best when it comes to holidays! 

Me- Halloween 2012

Things haven't really changed since I've grown up. I still absolutely love Halloween and adore getting dressed up every year. That said I just had to do a Halloween special on Breaking into Baking. For the Shattered Glass Cupcakes you can use my classic vanilla cupcake recipe with the vanilla frosting or feel free to use a box mix for the cupcakes and ready made icing which is what I did here. I used the Betty Crocker vanilla cupcake mix and the Betty Crocker vanilla buttercream icing. For my Graveyard Brownies I used my chocolate brownie recipe and some Betty Crocker chocolate buttercream icing but you can also use a box mix for the brownies. As this blog is called 'Breaking into Baking' I wanted to show you on this post that even if you don't posses the best baking skills that these two recipes are so easy to do that anyone can give them a go. If you have kids they are so much fun to make.. although maybe the cupcakes are not so suitable for children! 

Shattered Glass Cupcakes

You will need:

Vanilla Cupcakes

Vanilla Buttercream frosting

Glacier Mints (such as foxes)

Liquid Glucose (I used 1 Dr. Oetker tube)

1 tsp of Cornflour

2/3 tbs Water

Red Gel Food Colouring

Blue Gel Food Colouring

For the Glass:

Place your glacier mints on a baking tray covered in parchment paper. Put them in the oven at 180C to melt. They will only take a few minutes. Keep an eye on them. Once they have melted take out and leave to cool. Once cooled (again won't take very long) use a rolling pin or some other big utensil to smash the "glass". Set aside until ready to use.

For the Blood:

Put your glucose and cornflour into a bowl. Mix until well combined. Add a couple of drops of water to make the mixture slacker. Then add your red food colouring. I added about 10/12 drops of red and 2/3 drops of blue but you will know yourself when you get the desired colour. Then add more water until you have reached a thick syrupy consistency similar to blood. 

Once your cupcakes have cooled ice them with your vanilla buttercream (be as messy as you want here). Then start sticking your shards of "glass" in the top and pour on your blood over. 

Viola!

I hope you have as much fun making these cupcakes as I did. Check out part two of my Halloween special tomorrow for some spooky Graveyard Brownies. Here's a sneak peek...

As always you can find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you do try these cupcakes please share some pictures with me on any of those sites or you can always leave me a comment below.

Happy Baking and Happy Halloween!!

O x

Oreo Cupcake (by Cupcake Jemma)

I made these cupcakes last week for a friend in work. He had asked me to bake some cakes for him to bring in for his birthday (I still think that tradition is weird!). After sampling some of the previous bakes I had brought into work he requested my Jam and Cream Swiss Roll and Passion Fruit Cheesecake. He then asked me to bring in something else and left it up to me to decide. I had recently seen a video on YouTube belonging to Cupcake Jemma. Jemma Wilson is the founder and owner of Crumbs and Doilies Cupcakes and shares the most delicious recipes on her YouTube channel. Head over to her website and have a look at some of the amazing cupcakes and cakes she bakes.. delicious!! 

So I decided to make these cupcakes and even though I hadn't made them before after watching Jemma's video a few times I decided to crack on and just do it! They turned out perfectly and they were so delicious! They are by far the nicest cupcake I have ever had.. but don't take my word for it.. try them yourself!! Just a quick apology.. I didn't take any pictures of these cupcakes myself as i was absolutely shattered after an evening of baking. My flatmate took one that I stole from Snapchat (below) that those of you who follow me on facebook, instagram or twitter will have already seen! 

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

85g Self Raising Flour

25g Malt Powder (Horlicks or Ovaltine Malt Drink)

15g Cocoa Powder

1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

Pinch of Salt

125g Caster Sugar

135g Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)

2 Large Free Range Eggs

1 & 1/2 tbsp of Whole Milk

1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Packets of Oreo Cookies

Frosting

200g Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)

450g Icing Sugar

3 tbsp Whole Milk

1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 Packet of Oreo Cookies (crumbed)

Prepare:

Line a cupcake / muffin tin with cupcake liners (recipe makes 12 cupcakes) and preheat the oven to 170C.

Method:

Sieve together your flour, horlicks, cocoa powder, bicarb, salt and sugar in your mixing bowl. Add your butter and eggs and mix on a medium speed. Once well combined add your milk and vanilla extract and mix for a further minute. 

Place one whole Oreo cookie in the bottom of each cupcake case then fill the cupcake case 3/4 way full with your mixture (about a heaped tablespoon). Place in the oven to bake for about 22mins or until a cocktail stick stuck in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack while you make your frosting. 

Start by placing your butter in your mixer and beat for about 5 mins on a medium speed until the butter is pale and fluffy. Add in half of your icing sugar and mix until combined. Repeat with the second half of the icing sugar and mix for a couple of minutes. Turn down the mixer to a slow speed and add the milk and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Turn off your mixer and Fold in your Oreo Crumbs. I crumbed my Oreo cookies in a food processor until I got a fine crumb but you can also put them into a Ziploc bag and bash with a rolling pin! 

Put your icing into a piping bag and pipe onto your cupcakes or simply spread the delicious frosting all over the top of the cupcake. I then decorated the cupcakes with half an Oreo cookie  (or use a whole cookie) stuck into the frosting. You can never have too many Oreos in one cupcake!! 

(image from Google image search)

I hope you do try these cupcakes.. believe me they are to die for!! Have a look at Jemma's YouTube video too for a better look at these yummy cupcakes! 

Happy Baking! 

O x