Halloween Crafts

Feeling bored, I looked around my craft studio and decided to take some styrofoam and Sculpeys and create a pear-headed goon I saw in a magazine.  I wrapped the styrofoam balls in foil, rolled out the clay with my roller and went to town, wide smile, chunky arms and monster feet and all. I used carving tools to make the indentations that make up the eyes, nose, mouth, and creases on the arms, fingers and toes.  The I brought out the features of the face and body with different colors of acrylic paint.  Isn't it adorable?

I then thought I'd take more styrofoam, since I had plenty, and some felt and make a mummy.  Of course, this mummy had to have wings and a peace sign over its heart, giving it a much more friendly appearance.  I added a few splatters of blood here and there, and drew a cute bat on one of the wings.

Lastly, I had a Halloween Card that a good friend gave to me many years ago.  I really liked the silhouette on the front and bring the card out every year.  I wanted to make a decoration from it, but didn't have the hear to actually cut up the card, so I transferred with my copy machine onto a piece of mylar.  I then filled in the moon with silver glitter glue and made an outline around the edge with orange glitter glue.  I glue it to the front of a picture frame easel and there you have it!

Spooktacular if I must say so myself!

Buttermilk Pie with Pecan Crust

Ingredients:

1 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c pecans
1 1/4 c plus 3 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 T butter, cold and cut into small pieces
5 T butter, melted
4 large eggs
3 T cornstarch
1 1/3 c buttermilk
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1. In a food processor pulse flour, pecans, 3 T sugar and salt until the nuts are finely ground. Add cold butter pieces and 1 egg and pulse until the dough holds together when pinched but does not form a ball. Pat dough into a flat disk; wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 12" round. Transfer to a 9" pie pan, pressing the dough against the bottom and sides without stretching it. Using a paring knife, rim the dough to a 2" overhang. Fold the overhand in to make a double layer of dough, and with your fingers, crimp all around. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (to prevent dough from shrinking).
3. Preheat oven to 400*F. Meanwhile cover prepared pie shell with parchment, leaving a bit of overhang, and add enough pie weights or dried beans to cover. Bake for 15 minutes; remove the parchment and weights, and bake until shell is golden, about 10 more minutes. Remove pan from oven and reduce oven temperature to 325*F.
4. In a food processor, pulse cornstarch and remaining sugar to combine. Add buttermilk, melted butter, lemon zest, nutmeg and remaining eggs, and pulse to combine. Pour the filling into the warm pie shell and bake until the filling is set and just slightly wobbly in the center, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Note: If your crust is already nice and brown before adding the filling, you may want to cover the edges with aluminum foil before returning it to the oven. Remove pie from oven and let cool before serving.

The lemony custard together with the pecan crust is totally awesome!

Hazelnut Zebra Cheesecake

I needed a dessert to bring to a Halloween Party and decided on a Hazelnut Zebra Cheesecake decorated on top with a chocolate web and a glittery spider.  I love the "zebra" effect, which can be done to any 2-tone cheesecake.  Halloween design on top can be changed up appropriately or omitted completely.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c graham crackers
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa
1/3 c granulated sugar
5 T melted butter

5 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, room temperature
3 T flour
2/3 c granulated sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 c + 2 T Frangelico, divided
1/4 c heavy cream, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c hazelnut spread
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp shortening
14 Hazelnut Pirouette cookies, cut in half

Heat oven to 500*F.

Combine first 4 ingredients and mix until moistened.  Press into the bottom and halfway up sides of a 10" springform pan.  Wrap the pan with 2 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil.  Place in a roasting pan and set aside.  In the meantime, heat up enough water to come half way up the sides of the cheesecake pan.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and flour until smooth.  Add eggs 1 at a time alternating with sugar.  Mix well after each addition. With mixer on low, add 1/2 c Frangelico, heavy cream and vanilla. Mix until combined.
Remove a little more than half of the batter into a separate bowl.  To the original bowl of batter add remaining 1/3 c Frangelico and the hazelnut spread.  Mix on low until well combined. Amounts of each batter should be about equal.  With a large muffin scoop or 1/2 c measuring cup, start with white batter and pour 1 measure into center of crust, then carefully add the chocolate batter using the same measurement to the center of the white.  Add the same measurement of white to the middle of the chocolate and so on, alternating until all the batter is used.  This technique pushes the batter of each circle towards the edge of the pan.  It takes a while to do, but the result is worth it. DO NOT shake the pan or move the batter or it will disturb the "zebra" effect.  When you slice the cheesecake, you will see the zebra affect shown in the photos.
Please roasting pan with cheesecake on middle rack in oven.  Slowly pour the hot water into the roasting pan. Bake the cheesecake for 10 minutes.  Lower heat to 300*F and continue baking for an additional hour and 10 minutes.  Turn off oven and let cheesecake sit inside for an hour.  Remove cheesecake from roasting pan and place on oven rack with door propped open for an additional hour.  Refrigerate cheesecake for 4 hours or overnight.
Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Take half a Hazelnut Pirouette cookie, and with a knife spread some melted chocolate on the side of the bottom half and attach cookie to side of cheesecake.  The chocolate works like glue so the cookies will stick to the cheesecake. Take a 2nd cookie with melted chocolate and attach that directly across from the first cookie.  Continue, placing each cookie halfway between 2 cookies until cookies go around entire cheesecake at even intervals.  You can make it as close together or spaced apart as you like.  I left a little bit of space.  Decorate or serve with dollops of sweetened whipped cream if desired.

 Say CHEESEcake!

Candied Bacon & Pecan Buttermilk Scones

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In a previous post I shared a recipe on how to make Slow Cooker Salted Caramel Apple & Pear Butter.  It made me think about what I could make that would compliment it perfectly.  I came up with this recipe, and they were great together.  These scones are so moist and tender and tasty.  You have the sweet 'n salty taste of the candied bacon and the nuttiness of toasted pecans all rolled into a rich, buttermilk dough.  Serve with the Slow Cooker Salted Caramel Apple & Pear butter or a favorite curd or jam.  Not overly sweet, so perfect on a chilly autumn morning.

Ingredients:

3 1/4 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 T granulated sugar
4 T cold unsalted butter, diced
4 T vegetable shortening
1 1/4 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
6 strips candied thick sliced bacon (recipe below)
1/2 c toasted pecans, chopped
1 egg, beaten with a tsp of water for an egg wash

Candied Bacon:
5 strips thick sliced bacon cut into thirds
1/2 c dark brown sugar
2 T pure maple syrup

Heat oven to 350*F.  Line a cookie sheet w foil and place a rack on top.  Place the cut bacon on the rack, set aside.
Mix brown sugar and maple syrup together.  Cover the bacon slices with the mixture.  I use my fingers and drop pieces on the bacon and smooth it out with the back of a spoon.  Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until crisp.  Cool completely, then dice with a sharp knife. Set aside. Try not to eat too much of it while you are preparing the scone batter! ;)

Place flour, baking soda & granulated sugar in a large bowl and whisk to get any lumps out.  Add butter and shortening and with your fingers, work the mixture until the butter and shortening and pea size.  Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk all at once along with the vanilla.  Combine just until blended.  Toss in the diced bacon and pecan pieces.

Prepare the scone batter:
Cover a large cookie sheet w parchment paper, set aside.
On a lightly floured surface pat the dough out to about 1 1/2" thickness.  Using a floured biscuit cutter; one with a fluted edge will look nicer, cut out the scones and place them on the prepared cookie sheet.  It is okay if they touch.  With a pastry brush, brush the egg was all over the scones.  This will give them a nice browned color as they bake.
Bake approximately 12 minutes or until golden brown, but still tender to the touch.

Brilliant!  Absolutely Brilliant!

Slow Cooker Salted Caramel Apple & Pear Butter

I had apples and pears on my counter aging by the day.  What to make, what to make?  Then I remembered this recipe.  It's so easy it's fool-proof.  I know it doesn't make any sense, but I actually had to go out and buy a couple more apples and a couple more pears to make a full pot.

Here's what you do:

Peel, core and dice up 8 apples (I used a mixture of Granny Smith, Macoun & Cortland)
Peel, core and dice up 6 pears (I used Bosc)
1 1/2 c dark brown sugar
1/2 c apple cider
2 T boiled cider (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Put all ingredients in a slow cooker and set the control to low.  Do not remove lid or stir for 12 hours.  After 12 hours, mash with a potato masher or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth.  Prop up the lid by placing the handle of a wooden spoon under it and continue to cook for another 6 hours.  Check the consistency.  If you want it thicker continue to cook up to a total of 24 hours, check every couple of hours for consistency.

Divide into jars with lids and cool completely.  Place in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.  Alternatively you use a canning method with a hot water bath.

Apple-Pear Butter is good on biscuits, english muffins, toast, pancakes or waffles or scones.  You can put it on ice cream, in granola, in place of jelly on a PBJ, or any other time you would normally use jam, jelly or applesauce.  Bake it into cookie bars, breads or bundt cakes.  There are many recipes on line.  I served mine with Glazed Bacon & Pecan Buttermilk Scones.  So so yummy!

If you are interested in my recipe for the Candied Bacon & Pecan Buttermilk Scones, this link will take you to my post.

As always, thank you for taking the time to visit!

Felt Rosettes Heart & Wreath

Supplies:

8" x 8" frame covered with burlap (I purchased mine at JoAnn's)
12" x 12" squares of felt in various colors
Scissor
Hot Glue Gun
Glue Sticks

Cut strips across the felt squares in varying widths.  Roll up, glue end and attach to frame with hot glue.  I made mine different heights and rolled some tight and others loose (see photo).  I rolled approximately 36 strips in total (3 each of 12 colors).  I used about 20 to make the heart shape and added a 2nd row on top of the first.  I made one strip very loose and attached that as the middle point of the heart where the 2 sides come together.  I then crafted a 5-petal flower using 3 colors; each one slightly smaller than the first.  For the middle I cut a very thin strip, snipped it along the entire edge with scissors, rolled it up tightly and glued in the center.  Unfortunately, the lighting doesn't reflect the true colors.  They are somewhat darker than what appears in the photos here.

Variation:  I have also made grapevine wreaths covered with felt rosettes.

8" grapevine wreath with felt rosettes & flower

Have fun!

Banana Zucchini Cupcakes With a Caramel Center & Browned Butter Pecan Frosting

I had a zucchini that I needed to use and 3 very ripe bananas.  Put them together and whaddya get? A fall-feel cupcake full of flavor with gooey caramel and a brown butter frosting.  I only needed 2 bananas so I shared one of the bananas with my doggie.

  

Ingredients:

2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of cloves
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 c grated zucchini (about 1 small squash) with moisture squeezed out in towel
1 c mashed ripe bananas (2 small)
1/2 c caramel chips

Caramel:

1/3 c heavy cream
2/3 c caramel chips

Browned Butter Frosting:

6 T butter
1/4 c heavy cream
4 c sifted confectioners' sugar
1/ 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
3/4 c finely chopped pecans (I toasted mine, but not necessary)

Heat oven to 350*F.  Line 16 cupcake cups with liners.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl place flour, baking soda salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.  Whisk together and set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar and oil until well blended.  Add bean paste & blend. Add flour mixture little at a time.  On the lowest speed add zucchini, bananas & caramel chips. Mix until combined.

Using a muffin scoop, fill each cupcake cup 3/4 full.  Place on middle rack in oven and back for approximately 20-25 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean.  Cool completely on wire rack.

In the meantime, in a large saucepan melt butter over medium-high heat until it turns an amber color. Remove from heat and slowly pour in heavy cream.  It will bubble up.  Stir in sifted confectioners' sugar and beat until creamy; add pecans. Set aside.

With a sharp knife, remove about a 1" hole halfway down in the center of each cupcake. Reserve the removed cake.

Make the caramel: Heat the heavy cream and the caramel chips in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Continue stirring until all the chips are dissolved and you have a nice, smooth caramel.  Cool slightly.

Spoon the caramel into hole in each cupcake and replace with the reserved cake center.

Add frosting to piping bag fitted with large star tip.  Pipe frosting onto cupcakes.

Drizzle with melted caramel and add a pecan half and banana chip if desired.

Makes 16.

Written and composed by The Sugar Faerie herself!