Haunted Gingerbread House Ideas

Happy Halloween!

My mom loves decorating gingerbread houses. She does one at Christmas and one for Halloween. Last Christmas I did my own gingerbread house and couldn't believe how much fun I had with it. This fall, I did my very first haunted gingerbread house. It was more fun than the Christmas gingerbread house. Now, I don't bake my own gingerbread. One day maybe. For now, I buy the kit at Target. It comes with white, green, and black icing; a gingerbread tombstone; candy corn; candy bats; candy skulls; little candy balls; and a gummy witch's head. I went out and bought more candy for decorating: M&M's, chocolate Twizzlers, fruit slices, extra candy corn, Oreos, pumpkin marshmallows, some Halloween sprinkles, and Wilton Black Gel, and Wilton Red Gel.

Target Kit

The haunted house came in pieces so I asked Eric to put the house together for me since he has more patience for those types of things than me. Wilson kept him company. Now, I have to admit that I wasn't thrilled with the icing that came with the kit. It didn't hold the greatest.

I covered the bottom cardboard in green royal icing I made. The roof and front path are autumn M&Ms. I lined and filled in the windows and door with Wilton gels. The bricks are outlined in neon green royal frosting and filled in with more red gel.

 In the window you see little ghost sprinkles. I used a toothpick and black gel to draw on faces. The grave is crushed Oreo cookies. In the corner is a chocolate Twizzler tree. They are super easy to make. Just cut the candy along the grooves with a pair of scissors. However, if you make the branches too long, they droop.

The witch is my favorite part of the haunted gingerbread house. 

Her head came with the kit. I then used purple/grape fruit slices for her body and arms. Though sticky, you can manipulate gel kind of like molding chocolate. I used green/lime fruit slices for her hands. The broom is made out of a yellow/lemon fruit slice and a piece of Twizzler. 

The jack o' lantern is an adaptation of this Pillsbury recipe.

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups white chocolate chips
16-oz can orange Halloween frosting
small pieces of chocolate Twizzlers


Directions:
In a saucepan, melt the white chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in frosting. Refrigerate for approximately 1 hour.

Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Shape the chocolate mixture into falls. Use a toothpick to make a groves in the pumpkin or to carve a face. Insert a piece of Twizzler in the top of each pumpkin as the stem.

I was working with odds and ends (a handful of leftover chips, a little bit of leftover frosting) so my pumpkins didn't come out as nice as they could have. I carved faces in the pumpkins then filled the features in with black gel. I also added a green frosting leaf on top.

Side

Side

Back

 

On the back of the house I molded a ghost out of the cream filling from the Oreos I used to make the grave in the front of the house. I used the black gel to draw on the face.

I also attempted to make a second kind of pumpkin. With more practice I think they could come really cool. Eric made a snowman out of marshmallows for my Christmas gingerbread house. I used the same idea to make these out of orange marshmallows. If you pull on marshmallow like taffy, it turns into a very sticky, malleable substance. So I pulled on the marshmallow, rolled it into balls then froze it in the freezer for about 30 minutes. I then rolled them in orange sugar and stuck a piece of Twizzler in the top. Mine turned out pretty lumpy. I had been working on my house for 6 hours. I was tired and didn't have the patience to make better pumpkins. Next year they'll be better, I promise.

I have a bit of an announcement. This has been an amazing autumn. Beautiful weather, colorful foliage, delicious food . . . but what really made it amazing was that Eric and I got engaged! A fall engagement and hopefully a fall wedding next year.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

For more autumn recipes, click here.

Spiked Apple Cider Bon-bons

So yesterday I promised to show you what I did with the scooped out middles of my apple cider cupcakes. Years ago before cake pops became a trend, I found a recipe on Betty Crocker for bon-bons. Made from cake and frosting, they're basically cake pops without the stick. I made a ton of them that year and gave them as Christmas gifts. They were a huge hit. Well, I had cupcake centers and a little bit of leftover spiced rum frosting. Why not make a spiked apple cider cake balls? They are the perfect grown-up Halloween candy.

Since I was dealing with leftovers, I don't have any real measurements for you. (Maybe 1 cup of crumbled cake and a 1/8 cup frosting? I came out with 7 cake balls total) But I will give you the measurements if you were making bon-bons (or cake pops) from an entire cake

Ingredients:
1 apple cider cake
2 cups spiced rum buttercream frosting
4-5 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Prepare the apple cider cake and the spiced rum buttercream frosting according to the directions in the links. While the cake is still warm but cool enough to handle, crumble it into a bowl. Mix in the frosting. Freeze the mixture for approximately 1 hour. Shape 1 tablespoon of the mixture into a ball. Place on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet or plate. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. Freeze the balls for at least 30 minutes.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave. So not to burn the chocolate, microwave the chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Working in batches, remove the balls from the freeze, coat in chocolate, set on wax paper-lined cookie sheet, and place back in freeze. Melt more chocolate as needed. Freeze the the chocolate-coated balls for 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

For more autumn recipes, click here.

Shortcut Caramel Sauce

Whenever I make caramel, whether its sea salt caramels, pumpkin caramels, or caramel sauce, I have to use a candy thermometer. One day I hope to gain that sixth sense that warns you when the caramel is about to burn. As of yet I do not have. The couple of times I've tried to do caramel without a thermometer, I burnt it.

I wanted to make apple cider cupcakes with a caramel filling and spiced rum frosting. I also wanted to use homemade caramel sauce, but I didn't want to get my candy thermometer out. As much as I love caramel, I mind it a little nerve-wracking to watch the degrees go up one by one on the thermometer, positive the moment I look away, it will burn. I know you can make caramel with condensed milk in the microwave, but I'm not a huge fan of condensed milk. I'm not totally sure why. But I found another short-cut caramel recipe you can make in the microwave that doesn't call for condensed milk! I still think caramel made on the stove top tastes better, but this is pretty damn good and damn easy.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
In a medium glass bowl, mix the sugar, corn syrup, and lemon juice together. Microwave the caramel until it just barely has an amber color, 5-8 minutes. If you microwave it for too long, you can burn the sugar. Allow the caramel to sit for about 5 minutes. As it does, you'll see the caramel continue to darken. I microwaved mine for 5 minutes, waited 5 minutes, and got this result:

Next time I may try to microwave it for longer to see if I can get a more intense color and flavor. Keep in mind that all microwaves cook differently.

While waiting for the caramel to darken, heat the whipping cream and vanilla extract in a small sauce pan. You don't need to bring it to a boil, just warm it so it doesn't cause the caramel to seize up.

Add the cream to the caramel a few tablespoons at a time. Beware that the sauce will bubble as you do this. Stir.

Once the cream is incorporated, stir in the butter until its melted and well combined. Allow to cool, pour into jar, and store in the fridge.

Like I said, so easy.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

For more autumn recipes, click here.

Apple Cider Cupcakes with Caramel Filling and Spiced Rum Frosting

Last February I made Eric an apple cider birthday cake. However, apple cider was not in-season so I used powdered apple cider mix. The cake turned out delicious, but I just knew it'd be better with real apple cider so I have impatiently been waiting for the fall drink to come back into season. But instead of a cake, I made them into cupcakes. Every time Eric hears the word cupcake he tells me that I should make those cupcakes again, the one with the chocolate ganache filling. He's referring to my St. Paddy's Day cupcakes. He loves cupcakes with filling. So I gave the apple cider cupcakes a caramel buttercream filling and topped them with a spiced rum buttercream frosting. It was a lot of buttercream, so next time I will use caramel sauce as filling. The spiced rum butter cream was the perfect pairing for this cupcake. I have to say, the cake is so much better with real apple cider.

Apple Cider Cupcakes
You can make this cake two ways. The easiest way is to just substitute out the water in a spice cake mix for apple cider. Or you can use the doctored cake mix recipe listed below:

Ingredients:
1 spice cake mix
1 3-ounce package instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, pour into cupcake pans that are greased or lined with cupcake wrappers. Bake according to package directions. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

Caramel Sauce
I made my own caramel sauce to use in the buttercream frosting. I didn't feel like getting my candy thermometer out so I tested out this new recipe where you make caramel sauce in the microwave. It actually works. But . . . you don't have control over the color of the caramel sauce like you do when you make it on the stove top. In other words, my caramel sauce wasn't rich enough for my taste. Next time I make caramel buttercream, I'm going to make my caramel sauce on the stove top. But I will keep this microwave caramel sauce in my back pocket because it really is convenient to have. You could also use store bought caramel sauce.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
In a medium glass bowl, mix the sugar, corn syrup, and lemon juice together. Microwave the caramel until it just barely has an amber color, 5-8 minutes. If you microwave it for too long, you can burn the sugar. Allow the caramel to sit for about 5 minutes. As it does, you'll see the caramel continue to darken. I microwaved mine for 5 minutes, waited 5 minutes, and got this result:

Next time I may try to microwave it for longer to see if I can get a more intense color and flavor. Keep in mind that all microwaves cook differently.

While waiting for the caramel to darken, heat the whipping cream and vanilla extract in a small sauce pan. You don't need to bring it to a boil, just warm it so it doesn't cause the caramel to seize up.

Add the cream to the caramel a few tablespoons at a time. Beware that the sauce will bubble as you do this. Stir.

Once the cream is incorporated, stir in the butter until it's melted and well combined. Allow to cool, pour into a jar, and store in the fridge.

Basic Buttercream Frosting
You will use this buttercream frosting for the base of both the caramel filling and the spiced rum frosting.

Ingredients:

3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk, half and half, or whipping cream


Directions:
Place the the butter into a large bowl and cream with a hand mixer or standing mixer. Add vanilla and mix. Add 1 cup of sugar and blend on low speed until well incorporated. Then add another cup of sugar and beat until well blended. By now your buttercream is getting thick. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk and mix. Blend in the the final cup of sugar. To get light, smooth buttercream you need to blend the buttercream for 15 to 20 minutes on low. This is when I really wish I had a standing mixer. Doing it with a hand mixer is tedious but worth it in the end. 

Caramel Buttercream
Even though I wouldn't use this caramel buttercream as filling for apple cider cupcakes again, I will definitely use the caramel buttercream again.


Place about a third of your prepared buttercream into a medium bowl. Add the caramel sauce a few tablespoons at a time, blending it into the buttercream, until you reach the desired flavor. I had to use all the caramel sauce I made (about 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups--sorry, I forgot to measure it out) to give the buttercream a caramel flavor. However, I think if I used a different caramel sauce or made the sauce darker, I could have used less.

Spiced Rum Buttercream
You can make the spiced rum buttercream as strong or weak as you'd like. I used 4 tablespoons of Captain Morgan and my frosting had quite the kick to it. 2 tablespoons of rum should do nicely for a less boozy frosting. Just add the spiced rum to the buttercream and blend.

Assemble
When your cupcakes are completely cooled, use a 1/2 tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop out the center of the cupcakes. Reserve the centers for another use. Spoon or pipe the caramel buttercream (or caramel sauce) into the cupcake. Frost the top with the spiced rum buttercream.

Now I know these cupcakes look like a ton of work, but they're really not that bad. Tomorrow, I will tell you what you can do with the scooped out cupcake middles.

These cupcakes were a huge hit with everyone.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

For more autumn recipes, click here.

Slow Cooker: Pumpkin Butter

One of the drawbacks of always testing out and coming up with new recipes is that you rarely get to make the dishes you already know and love. Eric and I went up north last weekend to see the fall colors and relax. Most of the trip was cold and rainy but absolutely beautiful.

We also made some of your favorite dishes. Eric made parmesan-seared chicken for us one night and I made baked potato soup for us another night. For dessert I prepared Eric his favorite fall treat: pumpkin dip with cinnamon-sugar pastries. He gets giddy like a little kid every time I make it. But me being me, I had to test out at least one new recipe: pumpkin butter.

My parents are big pumpkin butter fans. Sadly, it's ridiculously expensive to buy, but it's relatively inexpensive to make. And my mom kept telling how much better it tasted than the store-bought.

Ingredients:
15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup of apple cider
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients in a small crock pot. Set on low and cook for 2 to 3 hours. Once the pumpkin butter reaches the consistency you desire, place it in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator.

Makes about 2 cups.

My dad puts pumpkin butter on toast. My mom likes it on peanut butter sandwiches. I like it on pancakes. You can put it on bagels, muffins, French toasts, waffles, oatmeal, graham crackers . . . whatever you'd like.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

For more autumn recipes, click here.

Homemade Candy Corn

Candy corn. It's a love it or hate it kind of candy. My mom loves it. Eric could eat it by the truck load. One small handful and I'm good until next year. But I have friends who venomously hate this autumn candy, who can go on a ten minute rant about how much they hate this candy. However, this homemade candy might just change their minds. They taste like candy corn, but like a better vanilla-y, buttery version. Plus, there's a great versatility to these candies. Swap out the vanilla extract for peppermint extract, change the colors, and you have candy corn for Christmas.

I found this recipe on a few different websites, but here's the one I used with a few minor changes.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup non-fat milk powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Red food coloring
Yellow food coloring

Directions:
In a large bowl, sift powdered sugar, milk powder, and salt. (Sifting is very important) Set aside.

Over high heat bring corn syrup, granulated sugar, butter, and vanilla extract to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. When the mixture just begins to boil, reduce heat to medium-high. Stirring frequently, bring the mixture to 228 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove pan from heat.

Gradually stir in the sugar mixture until it's completely incorporated. Now I'm going to be honest with you, doing this with a spatula wasn't easy. I finally got to the point to where I kneaded the rest of the sugar mixture into the dough (for lack of a better word). If you decided to do this, be very careful. The dough is still quite hot and can burn you. I only handled it for maybe 10-15 seconds at a time.

Once the sugar mixture is completely incorporated, place the dough on a piece of wax paper for 10-15 minutes or until the dough is cool enough to handle.

I halved the recipe so you'd half twice as much dough if you prepare the entire recipe.

Divide the dough into three equal pieces and place each in its own bowl. Add about 3 drops of yellow food coloring to one of the bowls and knead the color into the dough. If you're worried about staining your hands, use gloves, but the food coloring washed right off my hands. Add about 2 drops of yellow food coloring and 2 drops of red food coloring to the second bowl and knead it into the dough to make orange dough. Leave the third bowl uncolored.

Roll out a large piece of wax paper over your work area. If you want, you can roll three ridiculously long, thin ropes of dough (one in each color) or you can do what I did and work in batches. If working in batches, make sure to cover any unused dough with plastic wrap or else it will dry out. Line the ropes up so they form a long rectangle with white on top, yellow in the middle, and orange on the bottom. Press the ropes together and flatten them a little. Using a knife, cut the rope into little triangles. Half of your pieces will look like normal candy corn (white-yellow-orange) and the other half with look like inverted candy corns (orange-yellow-white). I won't lie, this is a time consuming process, but the end result is so cute and delicious, it's worth the effort.

Aren't  they cute?

Store the candy corn in an airtight container, making sure to separate the layers with waxed paper. Keep container at room temperature.

The original recipe says that this makes 100 pieces. However, that all depends on how thin you roll your ropes. With each batch my candy corns kept getting bigger and bigger.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

Also Check These Fall Recipes:  
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Applesauce Cookies with Caramel Frosting
Cheese Tortellini in a Pumpkin Sauce
Cinnamon-Sugar Pastry with Pumpkin Dip
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Pumpkin Caramels
Pumpkin-Black Bean Stew with Spicy Sausage
Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Brownies

Slow Cooker Recipe: Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

 Last Friday was both a good and bad day in the kitchen. I tested out of new pumpkin oatmeal cookie recipe that I was super excited about. A pumpkin cookie and oatmeal cookie combined, it sounded like a match made in heaven. However, I wasn't impressed with the cookies. Not only did they have no pumpkin flavor, they were bland all around, at least in my opinion, but I hold oatmeal cookies to a very high standard. Eric wasn't thrilled with them either. But Chuck and Edye, his parents, loved them--though they couldn't taste any pumpkin either. I'm still in love with the idea of pumpkin oatmeal cookies so I'll have to invent my own eventually, but probably not until next fall.

Now onto the good--kind of. I have wanted to make squash soup for years; I just never got around to it. I've also always wanted to carved a butternut squash into a jack 'o lantern a la Martha Stewart.

But after cubing and peeling a butternut squash, I lost that desire. As much as I love to use fresh ingredients, next time I think I'm using frozen squash cubes. Anyway, this squash soup turned out superb. I did have some mishaps while making it though. I've mentioned before that I have carpel tunnel. While as I was pouring the soup into the food processor, I dropped it. Squash soup went everywhere--the counter, the wall, the floor, my hair, down the front of me. Luckily, most of the soup was already in the food processor. Sigh.

I paired the soup with my southwestern chicken paninis. I also think the soup would really go good with Paula Dean's Grilled Apple, Bacon, and Cheddar Sandwich with Red Onion Mayo. I've made this sandwich before and it's divine. However, I use my own red onion mayo recipe.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
2 pound butternut squash, peeled and cubed
3 to 4 cups chicken stock*
1 tablespoon dried basil**
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
6 ounces low fat cream cheese, cubed

Directions:
In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute.


Add onions, squash, 3 cups chicken stock, and basil to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. In batches, pour the soup into a food process and blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the slow cooker and add the cream cheese. Some people like a thicker soup, other prefer a thinner soup. Add the remaining chicken stock until you reach the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 30 to 60 minutes. Stir occasionally.

*Reduce the chicken stock to around 2 to 3 cups and you have a yummy squash sauce to pour over pasta, chicken breasts, cheese ravioli, or to use in a lasagna or casserole.

**You can change up the flavor of this recipe so easily. Just sub out the basil for oregano, sage, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice. I also think that a little bacon crumbled on top of a bowl of this soup would be delicious.

Between all the cooking I did today, I think the recipe that stole the day was the  roasted winter squash seeds. I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but I had forgotten that butternut squash even had seeds until I opened it up. I immediately wondered if I could roast them. Guess what? You can and there are delicious. So next time you have butternut or acorn squash, save the seeds and roast them!

Enjoy!

~Krissy

Also Check These Fall Recipes:  
Apple Rings
Applesauce Cookies with Caramel Frosting
Cheese Tortellini in a Pumpkin Sauce
Cinnamon-Sugar Pastry with Pumpkin Dip
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Baked Apple Chips
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
Pumpkin Caramels!

Roasted Butternut Squash Seeds

I love love love roasted pumpkin seeds. But I just may like roasted butternut squash seeds a little bit better. Eric says they taste like popcorn. And they do have a buttery flavor to them. They're also a bit nutty. The only bad thing about these squash seeds . . . a 2-pound squash only produces a handful of seeds.

Ingredients:
butternut squash seeds, cleaned and dried
cooking spray
kosher salt

Directions:
Heat the oven to 275 degrees.

Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Scatter the seeds in a single layer on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the seeds are crisp. Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

Also Check These Fall Recipes:  
Apple Rings
Mini Pies
Cheese Tortellini in a Pumpkin Sauce
Cinnamon-Sugar Pastry with Pumpkin Dip
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Baked Apple Chips
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
Pumpkin Caramels!

Apple Rings!

Source

I can tell you right now that these apple rings are going to become a yearly tradition in our house. It's kind of like eating apple pie but in onion ring form. They are best right out of the oven, hot and crispy, and everything a fall treat should be. I found the recipe here, changed it just a little, and reduced the servings since these delectable treats are best right out of the oven and don't keep for long. Two apples fed four of us.

Ingredients:
2 apples
1 large egg white
1/3 cup water
splash of vanilla
1/3 cup flour
pinch of salt
canola oil for frying
cinnamon-sugar*

Cinnamon Glaze:
1 tablespoon, butter, melted
large pinch of cinnamon
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-3 tablespoons of milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg white until foamy. Whisk in the water and vanilla. Set aside. In another medium bowl whisk together flour and salt. Set aside. Pour cinnamon-sugar in a shallow dish. Set aside.

Peel your apples. If you have a coring device, core your apples then slice them into 1/2-inch slices. If you don't have an apple corer--I don't--slice your apples into 1/2-inch slices then use a paring knife to cut the centers out of each apple slice. It didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would.

Heat your oil over medium-high heat. Dip each apple slice in the egg mixture, then the flour, and carefully set it in the oil. Working in small batches, repeat with the rest of the apple rings. When the rings turns a golden brown, place them on a towel paper-lined plate. Once the rings have cooled enough to handle, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Place the apple rings on a cookies sheet and place them in the oven to crisp up. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until the rings become crisp.

While the rings are in the oven, make the glaze. Mix all the ingredients together except for the milk. Add the milk a tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Remove the apple rings from the oven and drizzle the glaze over them. Serve warm.

I went a little heavy on the glaze since I was making the plate up for Eric.

*We usually have cinnamon-sugar on hand. Mix 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.

Next time I makes these, I plan on doing two things differently.

Number 1: Have Eric do the frying since he is the superior fryer (I may or may not have filled the kitchen with smoke while making these)

Number 2: Eat these amazing fall treats with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

Also Check These Fall Recipes:  
Acorn Donuts
Applesauce Cookies with Caramel Frosting
Cheese Tortellini in a Pumpkin Sauce
Cinnamon-Sugar Pastry with Pumpkin Dip
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Baked Apple Chips
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
                                                      Pumpkin Caramels!