Candy Corn

Happy Halloween! I have been knee deep in DIY this week so only managed to squeeze in one Halloween treat...

When I lived in New York I discovered candy corn and loved it! It can be bought in the UK but only from stores that specialize in American candy. So this year I decided to make my own in colours to match my Halloween theme of pink, black & white. As well as the traditional triangle shape I also made a few pumpkins, bones, skulls and roses.

Candy Corn (makes about 80 pieces)

Ingredients
280g icing sugar ( confectioners sugar)
225g caster sugar
20g (1/4 cup) dry powdered milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
242g (3/4 cup) glucose syrup or golden syrup (corn syrup)
76g (1/3 cup ) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Hot pink food colouring
Black food colouring

Cooking instructions

1. Place icing sugar, powdered milk and salt in a separate bowl and set to one side.
   
2. Place caster sugar, syrup and butter into a heavy based saucepan and bring to boil over high heat continually stirring.
3. Reduce heat to medium and cook for a further 5 mins.
4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla essence.
5. Add powdered milk mixture to saucepan and stir till combined. Leave till mixture is warm to the touch
   
6. Separate mixture into three bowls
7. Add pink food colouring to one portion of dough and knead till colour is even.
8. Add black food colouring to one portion of dough and knead till colour is even.
9. Roll each piece into a thin rope.
10. Push the three ropes together to create a long rectangle.
11. Gently press them together with a rolling pin.
12. Cut into small triangle pieces and in your fingers roll into desired shape.
13. Leave to dry for one hour on sheets of baking paper.
14. Store in an airtight container, in layers separated with baking paper.
    

To make the tiny roses I used my rose mould from Nabby

Happy Halloween!

Bakerella's Halloween cake pops

This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you some Halloween cake pops from the Queen of cake pops Bakerella. To see more of Bakerella's gorgeous cake pops check out her blog, Bakerella.

Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites:

• Black Cat Cake Pops
• Pumpkin Pops
• Skull Cake Pops
• Mummy Cake Pops

Have a sweet day!

Halloween recipes

Blackberry cupcakes, Halloween cake, Maple & apple cupcakes, Leopard print cake pops, Candy apples, Skull candy

Halloween is less than a week away and I have been so busy with my house renovations I haven't done a thing except buy some Halloween cupcake wrappers! How are you Halloween preparations going?

Have a sweet day!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Chic

Page 1

• House of Smith's
  

Page 2

• Skeleton Candle Decorations, Better Homes and Gardens
• Petrifying Perched Birds, Better Homes and Gardens
• Spiderweb Chandelier, Better Homes and Gardens
  
• Putrid Potion Arrangement, Better Homes and Gardens

Page 3

• Haunted Gathering, Better Homes and Gardens
• Ghoulish Glasses, Better Homes and Gardens
• Good Housekeeping
• Jacket Required, Better Homes and Gardens

Page 4

• House of Smith's
• Pottery Barn
• Pottery Barn
• Unnerving Napkins, Better Homes and Gardens

This week on Scrapbook Dreams, I share with you the gorgeous images I have found of chic Halloween decorations. A palette of black and white with touches of greens and browns. Maybe a look for Halloween next year?!

Have a sweet day!

Halloween Treats

This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you some delightful Halloween cupcakes with these gorgeous pics. Check back soon for some more of the most inspirational photographers on Flickr.

Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites (clockwise from top left):

• The cool chocolate skeleton reservoir dogs by simon.anderson
  
• The yummy looking lolly kebabs by The Bird Bath
  
• The wonderfully iced Mummy Cookie by Pinwheel Bakery
• The cute Bride & Groom ghosts by sophisticatedcupcake
  

Have a sweet day!

Skull decor

1. Glitter bones skeleton
2. Small silver skull
3. Mortius skull cruet set
4. Mother of Pearl skull tray
5. Paper chain kit skulls, Skull and crossbones garland
6. Glitter skull

This week in my series of posts, "Fridays Finds", I bring you a selection of Skull decor.

Have a sweet day!

Creepy meringues

White chocolate & blackberry meringues

Ingredients
125g double cream (heavy cream)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
50g blackberries, blended
100g white chocolate
24 Mini meringue shells

Cooking instructions

1. Bring cream to the boil in a small saucepan.
2. Remove from heat immediately and stir in chocolate until melted.
3. Stir in blackberries and vanilla essence until glossy.
4. Refrigerate for about 25 mins.
5. Spoon a teaspoon of ganache onto back of meringue and place another one on top to form the ganache sandwich.
6. Spoon excess ganache over the join of the meringues and let drip down.

I made these for my candy table last year. I love how quick and easy they are to make and how effective they turned out.

Have a sweet day!

Blood red Halloween

Page 1

• Martha Stewart Crafts

Page 2

• Bakerella
• Martha Stewart Crafts
• Matt Bites
• Martha Stewart Crafts

Page 3

• Showbiz Gossips
• Martha Stewart Crafts
• Urban Materials
• Bakerella

This week on Scrapbook Dreams, I share with you the gorgeous images I have found of blood red Halloween decorations. I am especially loving the toffee apples with twig sticks. Maybe a look for Halloween next year?!

Have a sweet day!

Halloween Cupcakes

This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you some delightful Halloween cupcakes with these gorgeous pics. Check back soon for some more of the most inspirational photographers on Flickr.

Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites (clockwise from top left):

• The cute spooky Ghosts of Cupcakes Past by A Baked Creation
  
• The cool Halloween cupcakes - Bloody Red Velvet by kristin_a (Meringue Bake Shop)
  
• The adorable spidery halloween cupcakes by janislo
• The wonderfully piped ghostly cupcakes by julochka
  

Have a sweet day!

Halloween candle light

1. Haunted house tea light holder; Pink tea light
2. Skull candle
3. Black glitter candlebra
4. Skull head candles
5. Black skull candle
6. Haunted house tea light holder

This week in my series of posts, "Fridays Finds", I bring you a selection of Halloween candles.

Have a sweet day!

Candy apple supplies

This week on Wonderful World of Etsy I bring you black, white and pink candy apple supplies. I need to get some of those bright pink jimmies!

1. Edible silver sanding sugar sprinkles
2. Editions de Tokyo tape, set of 3
3. Bakers twine in black and white
4. Edible black sanding sugar sprinkles
5. Trick or treat cupcake liners
6. Pearlized silver jimmies
7. Double-faced hot pink satin ribbon
8. Edible pink jimmies cookie and cupcake sprinkles

Have a sweet day!

Candy apples

Toffee Apples (makes 9 apples)

Ingredients
9 apples (I used Braeburn)
9 wooden sticks
192g caster sugar (1.5 cups superfine sugar)
255g glucose syrup (3/4 cups light corn syrup)
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons pink liquid food colouring

Cooking instructions

1. Wash apples and remove the stems. Push a stick into the apples.
2. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
3. Place water, sugar and glucose syrup into a heavy based saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
4. Place candy thermometer in pan and boil until temperature reaches hard crack (300 deg F).
5. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in food colouring.
6. Dip apples into the syrup one at a time, tip pan to completely coat apple.
7. Place on baking sheets to set at room temperature.
8. Sprinkle with glitter, sprinkles and push marshmallows or mini chocolate beans into the sides.

Coating the toffee apples in chocolate

Ingredients
Dark chocolate
white & pink M&M's
Pink edible glitter

1. Temper dark chocolate (click for instructions).
2. Spoon chocolate over apples.
3. Sprinkle with pink glitter.
4. Push M&M's into chocolate.
5. Leave to dry.

I used the black & white stripe masking tape to cover the sticks, and the lace tape to seal the small sandwich bags around the candy apples that I had placed in cupcake cases.

For more of my Halloween candy ideas, check out my Halloween page.

Have a candy sweet day!

Stylish Halloween

Page 1

• Pottery Barn, 2008
  

Page 2

• Pottery Barn
• Save On Crafts
• Save On Crafts
• Pottery Barn Kids

Page 3

• Pottery Barn
• Pottery Barn
• Martha Stewart Crafts
• Good House Keeping

This week on Scrapbook Dreams, I share with you the gorgeous images I have found of stylish Halloween decorations. A palette of black, white and cream with touches of Autumnal orange and lots of white pumpkins. Maybe a look for Halloween next year?!

Have a sweet day!

Ghostly White Treats

This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you ghostly white treats for Halloween with these gorgeous pics. Check back soon for some more of the most inspirational photographers on Flickr.

Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites (clockwise from top left):

• The detailed Halloween Skull Cookie by mommawants1more
  
• The quirky Mummy Cupcakes by tineypics
  
• The adorable :O by Laura-Elizabeth
• The fun Nightmare Before Christmas Cupcakes by DolceDanielle

Have a sweet day!

Skull & bones ice cubes

Make your ice cubes super creepy by adding a little dash of natural pink food colouring to your water when making ice cubes.

Halloween party skull ice cube tray

Pour sprite over the ice and add a skeleton straw to finish off!

Have a sweet day!

Spider decor

1. Spider web cake stand
2. Spider tea light holder
3. Felt spider web placemat
4. Spider web bowl
5. Spider web lantern
6. Spider Halloween Candle

This week in my series of posts, "Fridays Finds", I bring you a selection of creepy spider decor for Halloween.

Have a sweet day!

Halloween cupcake supplies

This week on Wonderful World of Etsy I bring you black, white and pink cupcake supplies from Sweet Estelle's Baking Supply, all of which I would love for my Halloween cupcakes!

1. Pink sprinkles for decorating cupcakes and cookies
2. Skull ring toppers
3. Black cat picks
4. Pink sanding sugar for decorating cupcakes, cookies and cakes
5. Black sanding sugar for decorating cupcakes, cookies and cakes
6. Black mix cupcake liners
7. Pink dot and black cupcake liners mix
8. Black sprinkles for decorating cupcakes and cookies

Have a sweet day!

My Halloween cake

Halloween Cake Stand

Over the weekend I decorated a traditional fruit cake for a dear friend of mine, Halloween style!

After marzipanning and icing the cake I had made earlier in the week, I carefully pushed small silver balls all the way around the base of the cake. Using a lace embosser I lighty pressed a lace pattern into the sides. The bones were made by rolling out grey sugar paste and cutting bones out of it using bone shaped cookie cutters. I then lightly painted them with grey fondant icing and covered them in silver sprinkles. The dripping blood was made by dripping bright pink fondant icing round the top edge and sprinkling edible pink glitter onto it. The house and birds were made in a similar manner to the bones and were attached to the cake using cocktail sticks.

Edible art cake glitter in Disco Mulberry
Bird cutter

Haunted House cookie cutter

Have a sweet day!

Halloween candy table

Page 1

• Image by Liam McCormick
  

Page 2

• Halloween Stuff
• Torie Jayne
• Annies Eats
• Bakerella

Page 3

• Not Martha
• Image by Liam McCormick
• The Knot
• Country Living

Yippee! It's October which means it's time for all things Halloween. Well, almost! Last Halloween I put together a pink, silver, black and white candy table and decorations. So, I thought I'd share with you some of the new treats I have found, as well as some old favorites!

Unfortunately this year I will be away for Halloween traveling with work so I am going to use my decorations from last year to get me in the mood. I will also be doing some baking for friends and family before I go so look out for more later in the month!

Have a sweet day!