halloween cupcakes | amotherworld

I’m not crafty by any means.

Last year I bought a sewing machine, thinking I’d make the boys their costumes. But when they decided to go dressed up as superheros, there was no way I could sew their costumes from scratch.

This Halloween, I got a little brave…

The Destroyer wanted to be the guy from the movie Scream while the Boss chose to dress up as a zombie. I figured, easy enough – right?

Well, after a little effort (okay, an afternoon’s worth), I did it!

SCREAM/ GRIM REAPER

I bought two metres of black fabric in a light cotton/polyester. I took measurements from a hoodie and drew up a quick pattern for the body, sleeves and hoodie. I sewed the robe together quite quickly – although don’t look at the seams closely as they are quite crooked!

ZOMBIE

For this costume, I used an old, worn-out pair of pants and a long sleeve shirt. I bought some mesh fabric from the dollar store actually, in the Halloween aisle! I used it to glue – yes, with hot glue – onto the pants and shirt. With a red marker, I coloured some of the holes in, and underneath on the pants and shirt.

The boys aren’t allowed to wear masks to school so I had to paint their faces… lightly though because I’m afraid of a reaction from the make-up.

Here is a simple vanilla cupcake recipe you can use to make these phant-astic Halloween cupcakes for your little critters this Halloween. These are spooktacular!

Phant-astic Halloween Cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
Halloween cupcakes
1 ½ cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 egg whites from large eggs
½ cup shortening
1 cup 2% milk
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, shortening, milk and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix at low speed for 2 minutes. Scrape bowl. Add eggs and egg whites and mix at high speed until fluffy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Fill liners ½ to 2/3 full of batter. Don’t overfill. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in pan then remove, place on wire racks to cool.

Frost and decorate!

Butter Cream Frosting

5 oz butter (150 g) butter softened
1 cup icing sugar (8 oz)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp hot water

Beat together butter and sugar in a stand mixer or electric hand-beater. Add vanilla and water. Beat until smooth and creaming. Makes enough frosting for 12 cupcakes.

Spiders

Make spiders by combining 2 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips and ¼ cup milk in a glass bowl. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring until smooth. Stir in peanuts or cereal and or chow mein noodles. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper. Stick on extra noodles for spider legs and chill. Top each frosted cupcake with a spider.

Ghosts

Melt marshmallow in the microwave for a few seconds and sculpt into a ghost shape. Once cooled, add facial features with black gel/icing and top cupcake.

Worms

Place a pile of black gummy worms on top of the cupcake.

Pumpkins

Add orange food coloring to icing and frost. Use candy or frosting to make faces.