I love Halloween. I forewarned a few weeks ago there would be a pause in my usual simple, healthier cuisine to post some unexpected fare and projects honoring this ghoulish season. The Halloween Trick-or-Treat Wreath and Candy Corn Martini were a sampling!
This is a big decorating holiday at my house as well. As with many things, I don’t like to go mainstream. A number of years ago I learned about a craft of primitive folk art, or ‘Prim’ that celebrates this holiday like none other. Their projects are often made from muslin fabric dyed with black tea, papier mache in imperfect forms of skeletons, black cats and witches. You can find these wares on eBay or Etsy and their rustic form is perfect for the holiday.
Halloween gatherings are always fun. I find however as much as I’d like to delve into extensive preparation I rarely have the time. There are some fun foods that mark the holiday and don’t take hours of preparation. A favorite for us is Graveyard Cupcakes. Using your favorite cake and frosting mixes, they can be made by older children or adults. Presenting like little dirt graveyards, complete with creepy worms, they are a great treat for a school or personal party, or an unexpected surprise.
As much as I love baking from scratch, I just can’t always manage it. Being gluten free, my personal favorite mixes by far are from Pamela’s. Available widely in stores and online at Amazon.com, I find they are not only delicious but with an indistinguishable end result from gluten products. For those at altitude, they bake without flaw. I’ve tried many mixes during my gluten free tenure, many of which have disappointed; and there is nothing worse than experimenting with a new mix and having it fail. Not only do the Pamela’s mixes bake as you’d expect, but the flavors are rich and well rounded. I’m not a spokesperson or advertiser for Pamela’s but want to share my consistently positive experience with their products for all gluten free bakers out there in the event you have not tried them.
Graveyard Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 batch of chocolate cupcakes (preferably baked in Halloween themed cupcake papers)
- 1 batch of chocolate frosting
- Chocolate cookies/wafers , processed in a blender/chopper/food processor to yield 1/2-3/4 cups
- 1-2 pieces white cardstock
- Lollipop sticks (note: I used 6 inch sticks, cut in half and each half worked great)
- Tape
- Gummy worms (one package)
- Chopstick (or other implement the width of a gummy worm to make a hole in the cupcake)
Instructions
- Using this link, print the tombstones on the white cardstock. Cut out the tombstones and tape a lollipop stick to the back, ensuring when inserted into the cupcake the paper tombstone sits flush with the top of the cupcake.
- Place ground cookies crumbs in a small bowl.
- Frost the cupcakes one by one. When frosted, place the frosted top of the cupcake in the cookie crumbs. Gently turn the cupcake until the top is covered and no frosting is showing.
- Insert a tombstone in the cupcake. With the chopstick make a hole in a desired location and insert one end of a gummy worm into the hole.
Lisa @ Tarte du Jour says
Well you have just about the most fortunate children around!! Those cupcakes look like so much fun to make and to eat! I love the tip on Pamela’s mix. It was so good to hear from you recently! I’ve been very busy too …mostly catering and trying to blog when I can find the time. I have a subscription to your blog too and I always look forward to seeing what my friend in Boulder is up to! Enjoy your fall!!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Hi Lisa! Thank you for your kind comment on the cupcakes. I always find this a fun time of year but will admit to be pretty spent on the holiday spirit by the time Easter rolls around! Glad to hear a word from you too! Assumed you have been busy. Such is the school year!
Helene Dsouza I Masala Herb says
I wish I was your neighbor and that Halloween was celebrated here. Your cupcakes are so cute and creative and the idea with the gummiworm is awesome. Very nice photography, I feel inspired! Thanks for this nice post.
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Oh Helene! You are so sweet! I’m definitely in the Halloween mood and decided to share some of our favorites this year despite them not being the norm for my blog! Loving having your Halloween Pinterest board to see other ideas and share these. Wish you were my neighbor too!
Jenny (vintagesugarcube) says
Toni,
You are officially SUPERMOM! Darn lucky kiddos you have. The photos are scary and gorgeous (all at the same time). Happy Halloween to YOU! 🙂
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Thanks Jenny! I have a hunch you do it big for Halloween too! The tray that the cupcakes are on with the skeleton talks, the skeleton does that is. It’s motion sensitive so it’s pretty creepy to reach for a treat and have the skull start jawing at you! Hope all is going well for you! Always love a visit from you.
Swathi says
Really spooky, love it. Great tips.
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
I’m so glad Swathi! Hopefully it’s spooky in a fun way!
Brooks at Cakewalker says
Toni, What a ghoulishly delightful post from start to finish! I’ve never heard of Prim until now and I agree it is perfect for this holiday. The graveyard cupcakes, however, with their headstone markers are spot on…clever, creative and creepy. Brava!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Brooks, thank you! I love them because they are quick and easy as well! It always seems I have more ideas than time in October so this cupcake really helps.
Ashley says
Definitely making this graveyard cupcakes this year!! 🙂
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
I hope you will Ashley! It never disappoints.
Debra says
Wow–what great ideas. I love those homey decorations and those cupcakes simply rock! I saw some tombstones made out of Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies that I think I am going to copy.
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Thanks Debra. What a cute and perfect idea to make tombstones out of cookies! Being gluten free we could not do that with Milano cookies but I love the idea of it (and the shape of the cookie is perfect).
Gloria says
My daughter is making this for her class 🙂
Kate says
Thanks for the recipe. Great cake. My children love so much