Halloween Recipes

Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 1 dozen cupcakes.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup gf flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of freshly ground nutmeg
1/3 cup plain yogurt

For the frosting:
1-3/4 cup powdered sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons toasted walnuts, chopped

Directions
Make the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar with mashed banana; set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the remaining 1/2 cup sugar with butter and vanilla extract until well blended, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the banana mixture to the sugar mixture, beating well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the gf flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients alternately with the yogurt, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients; mix after each addition.

Spoon the batter int the lined muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the frosting:
In a medium bowl, beat the powdered sugar, chilled cream cheese and vanilla at medium speed just until blended. Spread frosting over the tops of each cupcake. Sprinkle with toasted walnuts. 

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Orange Pumpkins

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 large oranges
3 eggs
2 cups gf vanilla ice cream
1/2-1 tablespoon sugar

Directions
Carve pumpkin faces on the oranges. Cut off top of oranges and scoop out orange segments, being careful to leave orange pieces as intact as possible. Cut a small slice off bottom of oranges so they will sit up straight and not roll.

Separate egg whites and place in deep bowl. Beat with electric mixer until stiff peaks form; add sugar to taste.

Preheat broiler. Layer and fill orange shells with ice cream and orange segments. Dollop tops of oranges with meringue.

Place oranges on cookie sheet and broil 1-2 minutes or until just lightly browned. Serve immediately.  

 
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Caramel Apples

Makes 6 apples.

Ingredients
6 apples, thoroughly dried
2 Tablespoons water
60 Hershey's Classic Caramels
6 popsicle sticks
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts

Directions
Melt caramel and water in microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir and continue to heat caramel in 30 second increments until melted and smooth.

Place sticks in stem end of apple. Dip apples, 1 at a time in caramel, spooning caramel over apple to coat completely. Dip bottom of coated apples in chopped peanuts. Place caramel apples in a cool place to dry.
 
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Pumpkin Cupcakes w/Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
For cupcakes:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups gf flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk

For frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Using a handheld mixer, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin and vanilla; beat until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together gf flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt.

Stir half dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture. Add milk and stir until just blended. Add remaining dry ingredients; stir until just incorporated.

Spoon batter into 12 standard size muffin cups.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool in muffin pans on racks for 5 minutes.

Remove cupcakes and let cool completely on wire racks.

Meanwhile, make cream cheese frosting. In a food processor add (cold) cream cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar together; pulse until smooth. Add food coloring if desired.

Refrigerate for about 30 minutes prior to frosting cupcakes.
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Maple Pecan Popcorn

Makes about 10 cups

Ingredients
1 cup pecans
8 cups popped plain popcorn
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup pure maple syrup
Salt

Directions
Place pecans in a dry skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pecans are toasted and fragrant. Remove pecans from skillet. Allow to cool, then coarsely chop.

Toss pecans and popcorn together in a large bowl.

Line a shallow baking pan with foil. Lightly oil foil.
Lightly oil a wooden spoon.

In a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add syrup and about 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, without stirring, until mixture registers 300°F, about 15-20 minutes.

Pour syrup over pecans and popcorn; stirring quickly with the oiled spoon to coat.

Immediately spread popcorn mixture into prepared baking pan. Cool completely.

Break into bite size pieces and serve. 
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