Vampires Invade!
It’s fright night! Vampire-themed goodies cast a spooky spell on ghoulish guests this Halloween. To charm your gathering long past dawn, entertaining experts from Wilton recommend serving an array of lip-smacking snacks and a sip of “blood red” Strawberry Cooler. These supernatural recipe sensations are sure to summon vampires of all ages to enjoy your devilishly delicious treats … and maybe a few tricks.
Vicious-Delicious Vampire Cake
Makes about 16 servings
Pound Cake (recipe available at www.wilton.com)
Dimensions 3-D Skull Pan
Buttercream icing
Black Icing Color
Red Sparkle Gel
Black string licorice
Prepare pound cake in Skull Pan following recipe instructions. Cool completely. Assemble skull halves, attaching with icing, on cake board or serving plate.
Tint small amount of icing black with icing color. Tint remainder of icing gray with small amount of black icing color.
Fill in indented mouth and eye area with black icing; smooth with finger dipped in cornstarch. Build up cheeks and nose with gray tinted icing. Cover skull with tip 18 gray stars. Add tip 8 black outline eyebrows. Pipe tip 5 white teeth, fangs and eye highlights. Add red Sparkle Gel lips. Insert licorice for hair.
Vampire Fang Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen cookies
Roll-Out Cookie Dough (recipe available at www.wilton.com)
Lips Comfort-Grip Cutter
Royal icing
Black Icing Color
Red Icing Color
White spice drops
Granulated sugar
White candy-coated gum pieces
Red Sparkle Gel
Prepare and roll out cookie dough. Cut cookies using Lips Comfort-Grip Cutter. Bake and cool.
Tint royal icing black and red. Use tip 8 and outline lips with red royal icing; fill in with tip 3 black icing; pat smooth with finger dipped in cornstarch. Roll out spice drops on surface sprinkled with granulated sugar; cut into triangles for fangs. Arrange gum “teeth” and spice drop fangs. Overpipe red lips with red Sparkle Gel.
Fright Nite Cupcakes
Each serves 1
Favorite cupcake recipe or mix
Buttercream icing
Knife Royal Icing Decorations
Red Decorating Gel
Bake favorite cupcakes in Halloween baking cups. Cool completely. Spatula ice cupcake top. Insert knife icing decoration; add red decorating gel.
Vampire’s Bite Cupcakes
Each serves 1
Favorite cupcake recipe or mix
Take A Bite Mark baking cups
Buttercream icing
Red Decorating Gel
Red Colored Sugar
Bake favorite cupcakes in Take A Bite Mark baking cups. Cool completely. Pipe tip 22 white buttercream swirl on cupcake top. Add red decorating gel to cut area on baking cup. Sprinkle with red colored sugar.
Freaky Fingers Strawberry Cooler
Make about 6-1/2 cups
1 package (16 ounces) frozen strawberries with no sugar added, thawed but still cool
1 package (.14 ounce) unsweetened strawberry soft drink mix
4 cups water
1-1/2 cups lemon-lime soda
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Freaky Fingers Candy Straws (see below)
In the bowl of food processor, pulse frozen strawberries until completely pureed. Strain strawberries to remove seeds.
In large pitcher, combine strawberry puree, soft drink mix, water, lemon-lime soda and sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Pour into glasses; add ice, if desired, and Freaky Fingers Candy Straws. To drink, bite end from finger candy and sip.
Freaky Fingers Candy Straws
Makes 6 fingers per mold
White Candy Melts
Skeleton Fingers Pretzel Mold
Drinking straws
Melt Candy Melts following package instructions; pour into Skeleton Fingers Mold. Insert drinking straw where pretzel fits in mold; rotate straw to cover with melted candy. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. Remove from mold.
Werewolves Are on the Prowl!
To raise a few hairs at your Halloween bash, add a collection of werewolf treats that are sure to satisfy your hungry pack. Party guests will be digging their fangs into Wickedly Wonderful Werewolf Pops and Werewolf Furry Finger Cookies. So bring your appetite because the Wilton Test Kitchen has baked up a cauldron of confections for this spooky season … take a bite.
Wickedly Wonderful Werewolf Pops
Makes about 8 pops
Round Cookie Pop Pan
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 cups miniature marshmallows
3 cups crisp chocolate-coated rice cereal
8 8-inch Cookie Sticks
Dark Cocoa Candy Melts
Yellow Candy Melts
Brown candy-coated chocolates
Candy corn
Spray Round Cookie Pop Pan and spatula or wooden spoon with vegetable pan spray.
In large microwave-safe bowl, melt margarine and marshmallows together; stir to combine. Add cereal; stir until well coated. Press into prepared pan, leaving top edge uneven. Insert Cookie Sticks. Let cool; remove from pan. Repeat with remaining cereal mixture, reheating mixture in microwave if needed to make it easier to work with. Reserve any leftover cereal.
With knife, cut dark cocoa Candy Melts into fourths; with melted candy, attach 2 to the top of each pop, pointed side up, for ears. Cut 1/4 off yellow Candy Melts; attach 2 larger pieces with melted candy for eyes. Attach candy-coated chocolate pupils and nose. Cut pointed end from candy corn; attach for teeth with melted candy. Add additional small pieces of cereal mixture for eyebrows. Arrange pops in seasonal container.
Frightfully Fun Werewolf Cake
Makes about 16 servings
Pound Cake (recipe available at www.wilton.com)
3-D Cuddly Bear Set
White Rolled Fondant
2 dowel rods
Chocolate Buttercream
Icing (recipe available at www.wilton.com)
Rotary Cutter
2 each Bright Green and Purple Sugar Sheets!
Edible Decorating Paper
Piping Gel (optional)
1 each Bright Yellow, Light Pink, White and Black Sugar Sheets!
Edible Decorating Paper
Flaked coconut
Brown and Black Icing Color
Bake and cool pound cake recipe in 3-D Cuddly Bear baking pan following pan instructions. Cool completely. Roll two 3 inch x 1-1/4-inch fondant logs; insert dowel rods, leaving 2 inches of dowel rod exposed. Insert into cake for arms.
Spatula ice cake and arms with chocolate buttercream icing, building up ears to a point at top of head. With Rotary Cutter, cut two purple shirt shapes and two green pants shapes from Sugar Sheets! Attach to front and back of bear, wrapping around to meet, using piping gel, if desired. Cut out pink triangles for ears, yellow eyes, black circle pupils and nose, black mouth and white triangle fangs; attach.
Tint coconut with brown and black icing color; press into icing for fur. Tint small amount of chocolate icing black; add tip 22 pull-out star claws on ends of arms.
Werewolf Furry Finger Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen cookies
Finger Cookie Pan
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
Flaked coconut
Brown Icing Color
Black spice drops
Preheat oven to 350∞F. Lightly spray Finger Cookie Pan cavities with vegetable pan spray.
In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Beat in egg and extracts; mix well. Combine flour, salt and cocoa powder; add to butter mixture. Beat until well blended. Press dough into prepared pan cavities, filling 2/3 full.
Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until light brown around edges. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn pan over; lightly tap pan to remove cookies. Cool completely on cooling grid.
In resealable plastic bag, place coconut with icing color; knead until color is evenly blended. Dry on parchment or waxed paper. Attach in small clumps on cooled cookies with melted candy. Roll out spice drops on surface sprinkled with granulated sugar; cut into fingernail shapes. Attach to cookies with melted candy.
For additional Halloween ideas and directions for making all your vampire and werewolf goodies, go to www.wilton.com.
Source: Wilton Enterprises
Courtesy of Family Features
