Candy Blog

Hello, cupcakers and fellow candy lovers. We have a special treat today! Alan Richardson and Karen Tack, the folks who write the Hello, Cupcake! books are guest blogging about their latest DIY Halloween cupcakes.

Candy.com met Alan and Karen at the 2012 Sweets & Snacks show in Chicago, and saw first-hand how they cleverly use candy and snacks to create cupcakes with serious “Wow!” power. The duo recently created a “cupcaking” app that makes cupcaking with candy even more fun and easy …

Fresh from the Hello Cupcake! app are Jack-O-Lantern cupcakes. Here’s the how-to  from Alan and Karen …

We used Tootsie Rolls and Laffy Taffy for the glowing yellow eyes, and a Honey Twist Pretzel for the stem. But the beauty of being a Candy Detective is that you could just as easily use any chocolate or yellow taffy for the eyes, and a bread stick, a Kit Kat, or another brown candy or snack for the stem.

To get started, here’s what you’ll need to make one pumpkin patch with six jumbo cupcakes …

- 6 jumbo cupcakes baked in orange liners
- 1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
- ½ teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder (Hershey’s)
- Yellow and red food coloring
- 16 chocolate chews (Tootsie Rolls)
- 16 yellow fruit chews (Tootsie Fruit Rolls, Starburst, Laffy Taffy)
- 3 wheat twist pretzels (Rold Gold)

Tint the vanilla frosting deep orange with the cocoa powder, and yellow and red food coloring.

Divide the frosting and spoon it into two resealable freezer-grade storage bags. Press out the excess air, and seal.

Squeegee the frosting to the corner.

Snip a ¼-inch corner from the bags.

Soften several chocolate chews at a time (you can put them in the microwave for 2 to 3 seconds if needed). Flatten the chews slightly. Press several chews together and roll out on a piece of wax paper to a ⅛-inch thickness.

Next, you’ll need to download a printable version of the Jack O’Lantern template.

Using the outer line of the templates, cut out chocolate shapes using a small paring knife or scissors. Reheat and re-roll the scraps as necessary to make all of the shapes.

Trim templates down to the inner line and repeat with the yellow fruit chews.

Place the yellow pieces on top of the chocolate pieces to make the eyes, mouths, and noses; set aside on wax paper.

Make enough face parts for all of your cupcakes, you can even create your own.

Starting at the top of a cupcake, pipe a thick line of frosting down the center.

To make the pumpkin’s ribs, pipe vertical lines on either side of the center line, tapering them slightly at the top and bottom. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

For the stems, break the wheat twist pretzels in half crosswise. Insert the broken ends into the top of the cupcakes.

Arrange the face parts on top of the cupcakes.

Repeat with the remaining cupcakes and faces.

Have a Bootiful Halloween!

Alan and Karen

p.s. - For more candy decorating ideas, please check out our books and newsletter at www.hellocupcakebook.com.

Recipe and images copyright 2012 Hello, Cupcake! App.