Halloween Winner

Random generator picked 2, which means TexasQuilter won! Thanks to all who entered :)

Halloween Truffles

I love holiday baking. Every time a store has its holiday section up, I go
and scout the baking supplies. I don’t know why. I have such a huge
collection of sprinkles and cupcake liners that I don’t need any more.



Last month I experienced a lot of change, and not in a good way. My friend
knew I was having a tough time, so she decided to surprise me with a few
baking presents from Amazon. I really wish she lived nearby so we could
bake together and have coffee dates



These Halloween truffles are dedicated to her because she gave me Halloween
sprinkles and liners. If they wouldn’t melt, I’d mail her some. Does anyone
have experience in mailing goodies?



They were simple (and messy) to make. You melt the three ingredients
together then chill until scoopable. Then you scoop into small balls and
roll them in sprinkles. For uniformity, I used a cookie scoop; however, you
can use a regular spoon.



Have a Halloween party soon? These truffles are perfect because you can
make a ton in such a short time. Even the kids can help (assuming you don’t
mind chocolate handprints in the kitchen ;) )

Halloween Truffles


6 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Sprinkles to roll in
Mini cupcake liners

Put chocolate and butter in a bowl. Heat cream in a saucepan until it just comes to a boil. Pour over chocolate mixture; let stand 2 minutes. Stir with wire whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until firm enough to shape (an hour or so)

With a scoop or spoon, shape one level tablespoon of chocolate into a ball. Roll in sprinkles then place in a mini liner. Repeat. If the mixture gets too soft, refrigerate for 15 minutes then try again.

Place truffles in an air-tight container and refrigerate until firm. Store refrigerated.

Makes roughly 15 truffles.
Source: Land O Lakes

McCormick Halloween Giveaway

Halloween is a great time to dress up your favorite desserts. I love
cupcakes, so it was only fitting to decorate those for the holiday. Did you
know that McCormick makes black food coloring? Perfect to create black
cats, spiders, and Black Velvet Cupcakes.



This Halloween, McCormick wants to make your holiday baking full of color,
flavor, and fun with their Tricks for your Treats kit. They provide food
coloring, candy, and ideas. You provide the creativity and fun.

McCormick supplied me with one of their baking kits, asking if I could
review their products. Of course! I am always a fan of McCormick.



The kit includes:

- Food coloring, both assorted and black
- Vanilla extract
- Wilton cupcake liners
- Orange oven mitt
- Silicone baking sheet
- Mini spatula
- Candy corn, Tootsie Rolls, and Dots (for decoration)
- And a list of Halloween ideas

I had the toughest time trying to decide what to make. The cat cookies? The
eyeball cupcakes? The vampire cupcakes? Finally I decided on Candy Corn Cupcakes, which I posted about earlier in the week. I used the assorted food coloring and candy corn to make them festive.



I also really wanted to use the black food coloring. I mean, how often do
you get the chance to use it? I was debating on the black cat cookies, but
while I was surfing online, I found a recipe for a black velvet trifle. I
was originally going to make that, but because I had leftover icing from
the other cupcakes, I decided to do Black Velvet Cupcakes.

McCormick wants to help you celebrate Halloween by sending one lucky reader
her (or his) own Tricks for your Treats kit! To enter, leave one comment on this blog post answering this question: What is your favorite part about Halloween?

There are also some extra entries you can earn. Leave one comment for each
item completed. You must answer the Halloween question before any of these extra comments will count:

1. Follow me on Twitter @chocolatemoosey and retweet the giveaway. Come back here and tell me you did so.

2. Like me on my Facebook fan page. Write on my wall – say hi, tell me your favorite recipe, show me what you baked, anything nice you can think of. Come back here and tell me you did so.

3. Like McCormick on their Facebook fan page. Tell them Chocolate Moosey sent you. Then come back here and tell me you did so.

4. Blog about my giveaway. Come back here and tell me you did so, providing the link as well.

5. Share either my Candy Corn Cupcake recipe or Black Velvet Cupcake recipe (or both, but only one will count) on either Facebook or Twitter (or both, but again only one will count). Tag Chocolate Moosey in it. Then come back here and tell me you did so.

The deadline is Saturday, October 22 at midnight EST. Only open to US
residents only.

Black Velvet Cupcakes

Fall is in the air. Leaves are changing colors. Days are getting cooler (and darker). Halloween is almost around the corner, and stores are filled with black and orange.



Black and orange. Such iconic colors for Halloween. Orange desserts are pretty easy to make. Just add red and yellow food coloring. But what about black? Growing up, black was never food coloring you used.



Now McCormick offers black food coloring, which works very well. My hands and nails can attest to it haha I was surfing online when I got the idea for black velvet cupcakes. Just like red velvet but subbing the coloring.

When I took them to work, we discovered they also stain your lips and teeth. Don't worry! It goes away after drinking some water. For the frosting I just used leftover whipped cream w orange coloring added.

Black Velvet Cupcakes



4 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ounce black food coloring
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp vinegar

Preheat oven to 350F. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add egg and beat until incorporated.

In a separate bowl mix together cocoa, vanilla and black food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter, mixing until completely combined.

Slowly add half of the buttermilk to the batter. Add half of the flour and salt and mix until combined. Repeat with the remaining milk and flour. Beat until smooth.

Add baking soda and white vinegar. Beat a few more minutes.
Spoon batter into cupcake liners and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then place them on cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Makes 12 cupcakes
Source: Cupcakes from Java Cupcake; Frosting from Candy Corn Cupcakes

Candy Corn Cupcakes

What is one of the best things about Halloween? CANDY CORN! I'm sure by now you have seen plenty of candy corn-related recipes. I am following Peabody on Twitter, and she posted a link to her candy corn whipped cream frosting. I just knew I wanted to make it, so I did.



I've learned you either love candy corn or you don't. What's nice about these cupcakes is it doesn't taste much like candy corn. Really it's just vanilla cake with food coloring. As for the frosting, I'm highly disappointed I didn't get a strong candy corn flavor. Honestly, if I didn't know any better, I would've thought it was regular whipped cream.



Then again, I didn't follow directions very well. I halved the recipe but failed to realize I was supposed to only use half of the cream to infuse with the candy corn. Whoops. Of course I didn't discover this until after I whipped it, so I just beat it a little longer with the powdered sugar. I wonder how much of a difference the plain cream and cornstarch would have made? Below I posted how I made it. You can view Peabody's recipe if you want the original version.



I have leftover frosting, even after halving it, so I need to find some more treats to bake. I did see a recipe for black velvet cake, so that may be coming soon.

What is your favorite Halloween candy?

Candy Corn Cupcakes


12 Cupcakes:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
Pinch salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 egg whites
1 tsp almond extract
2/3 cup buttermilk
Red and yellow food coloring

Frosting Will need to sit overnight!
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
1/2 cup candy corn plus 12 for garnish
1/2 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line cupcake pan with fun Halloween liners.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until well combined. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in almond extract. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of flour and two of buttermilk, beating until smooth.

3. Divide the batter into 3 parts. Leave one untouched. For the second bowl, add a few drops of yellow until it looks like mustard. For the third bowl, add a few drops of red and yellow until it is orange. Layer the batter into each cup, starting with the yellow, then orange, then white.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove from the pan to cool completely.

5. For the frosting, put the 1/2 cup of candy corn in a bowl with the cream. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready, strain into a mixing bowl. Beat the cream until soft peaks form. Slowly add in powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Pipe onto cooled cupcake. Top with sprinkles and a candy corn.

Makes 12 cupcakes
Source: Cupcake from 125 Cupcakes by Julie Hasson; Frosting adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Baked Potato Soup

I knew after waking up for work this past week, I was going to eat soup for dinner because I've been blowing my nose and sneezing for a few days. What really surprised me was the energy I had when I got home from work. Usually when I felt like this, I would make some ramen and call it a night. However, I decided to take advantage of it.


Sooo...how DO you make brown soup look appealing?

My first plan was kohlrabi soup. However, my kohlrabi was moldy!! Blahhhh. Almost grabbed the ramen, but then the bacon stopped me. Bacon and potatoes. How time consuming would baked potato soup be? I looked up some recipes real quick online. Most call for an already-baked potato. Nah, don't have time for that. What if I just cooked the potatoes right in the soup?



Normally, I peel my potatoes because by the time I use them, eyes are growing everywhere. Since these were still fresh, I left the skins on. I didn't cook the bacon until crispy, mainly because I LOVE when it's still slightly chewy.

Baked Potato Soup



3 strips bacon
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp flour
1 tsp dried chives
Salt and pepper
3 cups chicken broth
2 large baking potatoes, cubed (peeling optional)
1/2 cup milk or cream
Chives for garnish (fresh or dried)

In a large pot, sauté bacon until crisp. Drain but leave the bacon
drippings. Sauté onion for a few minutes in the drippings then sauté garlic
for another minute. Add flour, chives, salt, and pepper; mix well.
Gradually add broth and scrape up the brown bits (keep them – they add
flavor). Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes (broth should
thicken). Add potatoes. Cover and boil for 15-20 minutes. Stir every few
minutes because the potatoes may stick to the bottom. When potatoes are
done, add milk or cream; heat but do not boil. Garnish with chives on top.

Makes 4 servings

Source: Adapted by me