I prefer my rattler with extra Nutella or nothing at all!

I'm officially changing my name to Halloween Queen.  I had way too much fun making all the Halloween recipes you've seen this week.  I have no idea where some of my ideas come from, but I was fooling around in the kitchen and before you know it I was making a s'mores rattlesnake.

I wanted it to be easy enough for a kid to make with a little help.  Take a large square of graham cracker and cut the corners off to make a diagonal shaped head. Cut graham cracker squares down the center into rectangles. Cut a tail piece out of a rectangular piece of graham cracker.

Smear Nutella on the pieces and cut marshmallows in half with kitchen scissors and place them cut side down on the snake.  For the tail piece pipe a few stripes of peanut butter with peanut butter placed in a disposable piping bag and add a few chocolate chips as rattles.

Then blister the top of your marshmallows under a broiler or use a kitchen torch.  Just be careful not to melt the marshmallows, just give your snake a nice sunburn.  Attach a few snake scales (toasted sliced almonds) with the peanut butter in the piping bag.  Give your snake a couple of candy eyes and a licorice mouth.

I decided to have my rattler snake around the celery and carrot sticks but you could have him slither anywhere you'd like.

I have to get on costume making duty for the next couple of days, but hope to have the final two recipes up for you next week so we can keep this party going.

Enjoy,

Gina

S'mores Cupcakes

My brother texted me a photo late the other evening of S'mores Cupcakes.  He asked me if I could make him some.  "Tonight I'm assuming?", was my response.  I probably would went have went out that night to get the ingredients I needed except I was already in my I'm not going anywhere gear.  I hope my brother is happy though because I think I lost a little sleep thinking about these that night.

I had to be sure and make it clear to him, these cupcakes were to be removed from my premises promptly before I'd make them.  I've been trying to cut back on sweets (feel free to laugh, I did) and I really didn't need these cupcakes staring at me mocking.  "Eat me, you know you want me!"  "It will be completely painless when you go and try on swimsuits!"

Dark Chocolate Cake

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cups + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.  

In a mixer combine, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, egg, milk, oil, and vanilla extract, mix on low-speed until combined.  Slowly add water and mix until combined.

Divide the mixture between the 12 muffin cups.  They will end up about 3/4 full.

Bake 14-16 minutes.  Let cool.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder

1/8 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add butter to a mixer or bowl and beat for 1-2 minutes until butter starts to get fluffy.  Add cocoa powder and mix. Add powder sugar, milk, vanilla and beat on low speed until light and fluffy.

Frost cupcakes.

S'mores Topping

2 cups Golden Grahams cereal

2 cups miniature marshmallows

6 ounces dark chocolate (or semi-sweet, or milk chocolate it's your call)

3 tablespoons heavy cream

I used a muffin pan to shape the toppers, but I would suggest just doing them on parchment instead for easier removal.  (My muffin pan has the scars to prove it.)

Combine the chocolate and heavy cream in a heat-proof bowl and melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water.  Or on half-power in the microwave.

Smear a 2-inch circle of chocolate on the bottom and add a few marshmallows and a few pieces of golden grahams.  Drizzle over that a little bit more of the melted chocolate and then add more marshmallows and more cereal.  Place in the fridge until hardened up.  Place the toppers on the frosted cupcakes.

I just hit the marshmallows with a kitchen torch to toast them.

I'm warning my brother right now, he has until 3:30 to come and get these or they are going out on the curb with this sign.  

I'd suggest driving by my house really slowly about 3:31 just to check!

Enjoy,

Gina