Wilton Gingerbread Pan Cake

521385_10151175990553107_395788152_nKeep the kids busy at a party by having a cake made with Wilton’s gingerbread man shaped pan. Ice and pipe the white on. Have bowls of candy to the side and let the kids help decorate it. Great party activity and then everyone can eat it.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • MAPLE FROSTING:
  • 1/3 cup butter, softened
  • 1 ounce cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • Dash salt
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions

  • In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Beat in water and molasses. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and allspice; add to the creamed mixture. Beat on low speed until combined. Beat on medium for 2 minutes.
  • Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • For frosting, in a small bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese, brown sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in maple syrup and vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Frost cupcakes and pipe a gingerbread man on the top or top it with a cookie gingerbread man. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 1 dozen.

Cake In A Jar

Ingredients

  • 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
  • 8 straight-sided wide-mouth pint canning jars with lids and rings
  • Icing

Directions

  1. Prepare the cake according to package instructions, or use any cake recipe.
  2. In pint size, straight-sided wide-mouth jars, put 1 cup of batter in each greased jar. Make sure to keep the rims of the jars clean. Put in preheated oven 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place jars on a cookie sheet to keep from tipping over while baking.
  3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
  4. While they are baking, have your jar lids boiling in a pan of water. When the cake is done, take one jar out at a time and add the hot lid and screw on your jar ring and let set and cool.
  5. It will seal as it cools. Place the jars on the counter and listen for them to ‘ping’ as they seal. If you miss the ‘ping’, wait until they are completely cool and press on the top of the lid. If it doesn’t move at all, it’s sealed.
  6. After it cools it will pull away from the jar and when you are ready to eat, open and pop out the cake and enjoy.
  7. Unsealed jars should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within 2 weeks. Sealed jars may be stored in a freezer.

 

Icing: If sending this to a loved one include a small amount of icing in a can. If you give this to someone in person you can top the jar with icing right before you give it to them.

If mailing these wrap securely with bubble wrap!

When giving as a gift, top with a ten inch square fabric tied on with a ribbon and tag. You can also attach a little baggie with sprinkles, chocolate chips etc.

Halloween Harvest Moon Lollipops


These make a perfect party project for kids. (Help younger children in­sert the lollipop sticks.)

Arrange lol­lipops in a container filled with florist foam for an impressive cen­terpiece, or wrap individually in cel­lophane and give as party favors.

MATERIALS
12(10-to 12-inch-long) lollipop sticks
1 (24-ounce) package Chocolate Flavor Moon Pies
1 (14-ounce) package orange candy melts
wax paper Halloween candies
decorator icing ribbon (optional)

Step 1: Insert 1 lollipop stick 2 to 3 inches into marshmallow center of Moon Pie.

Step 2: Microwave candy melts in a glass bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 minute or until melted, stirring once; spoon into plastic bag, and seal.

Step 3: Snip a small hole in 1 cor­ner of the bag; pipe melted candy around where stick meets Moon Pie to secure. Lay flat on wax paper, and let stand until firm.

Step 4: Pipe fun border of melted candy around edges. Attach can­dies and/or cake decorations with decorator icing. Tie ribbons around tops of sticks, if desired.

An Interior Desgners Gingerbread House

AN INTERIOR DESIGNER’S GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Every year James Deartron makes a ginger­bread house part of his holiday decora­tions. His professional experience gives him lots of good ideas for decorating the delicious structure, and he has become known around town for these clever cre­ations. Here are some of his tips.

Cotton batting is perfect for smoke com­ing out of the chimney.

Un-shelled sunflower seeds give the look of flagstones.

Chocolate-covered   graham   crackers pave the walkway outside the house.

White frosting makes good snow; to cre­ate the effect of rooftop icicles, allow frosting to drip down eaves.

Powdered sugar resembles the freshly fallen snow.

Pine cones provide some outdoor land­scaping (tip them with frosting for snow).

A red-and-white  peppermint drop is a good stained-glass window.

Meringue latticework is used for the doors and windows, which are glued to gingerbread pillars with royal icing (a mix­ture of egg whites and powdered sugar).