Halloween Bleeding Cupcakes

Happy Halloween!!

These gory cupcakes caught my attention in October's Martha Stewart Living, and I just had to make them myself! So I cued up the Top Chef Just Desserts finale and got baking to work.

Sugar work is always impressive to me, but in this recipe the sugar work is so easy and creates a creepy illusion that definitely gets some oooohs and aaaahhhs.

They appear to be bleeding from "glass" shards sticking out of the top, it doesn't get much more chilling than that. I made some for the management group in my apartment building and they were a hit, obviously.

I've been absolutely petrified of bugs as long as I can remember, so creepy crawly cakes and cookies really don't jive well with me. Blood, however, not so much a problem, and these cupcakes drove home the chill factor without making me lose my appetite.

You can use any cupcake recipe, and top them with a cream cheese or butter cream frosting. Martha recommends using strained cherry preserves for the "blood," but I didn't have any and red food coloring (just a couple drops) did the trick just fine. Get it. Trick.

The glass is just caramelized sugar that hasn't been allowed to achieve it's golden caramel color. Poured into a thin sheet, it looks like glass shards when shattered. Too... cute?

Has anyone else created some creepy Halloween desserts, tricks, or treats? Stay safe, and remember kids, don't use real glass! Muahahahaha!

Pumpkin Carving

Hello, everyone. The trees are starting to change color and the smell of the cool air makes me want to have a glass of apple cider. This year, with a little inspiration from Martha Stewart, I decided to carve some pretty pumpkins on my roof deck, and a pleasant Saturday afternoon, while my boyfriend was at work and none of my roommates were around. Delightful. See?

Not bad for a first timer, huh? That cat took seriously, like two hours.. even with Martha's help. Okay, fine, so I probably carved pumpkins as a kid with my Mom, but this was the first time on my own. All I remember from childhood pumpkin carving was that we saved the seeds and baked them. Of course my memory lies with the edible stuff.

One flavor I've never really liked growing up, and tend not to work with a lot now is... pumpkin. I know, weird. Who doesn't like pumpkin pie? I feel like every Thanksgiving dinner I go to, I need to defend myself. Seriously, pie lovers get hostile with me. I often change the subject to a more affable indulgence (like chocolate, or cheese, or wine), and dance around the pumpkin question. I just don't like it. I'm sorry. Now, hand over a slice of that apple pie! God, I love apples.

Happy Halloween, everyone!