Halloween on the Boo-Boo Cue

Halloween is the perfect time of the year to get creative and push the boundaries of your conventional meal. I mean if people and pets can dress up, why not dress up your meals. From the kooky to strange, let’s embrace Halloween with these tasty treats thanks to a few culinary tricks.
Cupcakes have evolved leaps and bounds from your High School bake sales. This is a thriving market for home bakers who are looking to establish their name and turn a profit. This first series of dishes puts a spin on two classic cupcake recipes which, in reality, really comes down to presentation as much as taste.

Red Velvet Heart Cupcakes
Let’s be honest here, a huge time saver is to use a box of cupcake mix. Make your own cream cheese icing and roll out your fondant. The biggest challenge for most people is getting used to working with fondant. You can make it at home if you have the time, or buy a box in the baking section of your grocery store or bulk food outlet. Humidity can kill you, so do not make in a stuffy kitchen. Some patience, red and blue food colouring plus cherry compote will go a long way in making these look like anatomical hearts. Plus, you will notice a secret ingredient that may scare children if you told them it is in here, but red beets offer natural sweetness and the colour to get a perfect cupcake every time without the use of food colouring for the batter. The little bones I used to decorate the final plating here ae just a couple marshmallows jammed onto a pretzel stick and dipped in melted white chocolate.

6 small roasted beets (roasted, diced and tossed in a food processor to make a thick liquid)
1 stick unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
¼ C coconut oil
¾ C buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs (lightly beaten in a bowl)
2 ½ C cake flour (sifted)
¾ C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ C sugar (sifted)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp sea salt

Pre-heat over to 350F
Take your liquefied beets and add ALL remaining wet ingredients into your food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.
In a separate bowl sift together ALL dry ingredients and mix to incorporate each ingredient.
Slowly mix the wet into the dry ingredients until everything is together and the batter is complete.
Spoon into a prepared cupcake pan with liners (try to ensure each cupcake contains the same amount of batter.)
Bake for 15-20 minutes (when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean you know they are done)
Set aside and let cool completely.

Cream Cheese Icing
8oz of cream cheese (1 package at room temperature)
1 small orange zested (you only want the zest)
1 ¼ C icing sugar
¼ C Sour Cream

Whip together the 4 ingredients until smooth. You will be using this as the paste to hold the fondant to the cupcake.
Buy a brick of white fondant.
Tear a small ball of fondant off the main brick and add a few drops of red food colouring.
Pull and knead the ball to mix in the colour. (Try to leave a few white streaks for the final product.)
Roll out that small ball of fondant into a thin sheet about 6 inches by 6 inches.
Take the paper off a cupcake and coat the entire cupcake with the cream cheese icing (about 2 Tbsps).
Gently mold the fondant around the cupcake and seal all the edges while shaping it into an oval.
Pull and pinch a section to create the aorta and vena cava.
Set aside.
To finish take a toothpick with blue food colouring on the tip and draw a few veins. Finally drizzle a cherry compote (yes you can also use any red jam) to give the appearance of blood.
Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Coffee Cupcakes with Irish Cream Icing

Chocolate cupcakes are a natural choice for Halloween. But adding some coffee, Irish Cream and sugar glass elevate these to a whole new level. The sugar work will require some time, effort and a sugar thermometer but produces a stunning visual cupcake themed perfectly for this time of year. Much like the previous recipe you can go simple and take the time saving route with a box of cupcake mix, but this recipe is definitely one to try even if you do not fancy yourself a baker.

1 ¾ C all-purpose flour (sifted)
1 C unsalted butter
1 C sour cream
4 large eggs
1 ½ C sugar
4 oz dark chocolate (chopped into small slivers)
¾ C unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp espresso powder (or any instant coffee)
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350F
Combine the butter, cocoa powder, chocolate and instant coffee in a sauce pan set to low heat.
Stir constantly until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat, set aside and let cool for 20 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs at medium-high speed with a mixer until fluffy (do not over beat or your cupcakes will be dense).
Take a second bowl and combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Gradually add to the sugar/egg mixture, gently folding it in until combined.
Fold in the chocolate mixture until smooth.
Fold in the sour cream to finish the batter.
Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake cups.
Bake 12-16 minutes (until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean)

Irish Cream Icing
1 brick of cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
4 Tbsp unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
3 C icing sugar
3 – 4 Tbsp Irish Cream
Whip together all ingredients. Remember if you put this icing in the fridge it will harden, so bring it back to room temperature before frosting the cupcakes if you do make it in advance.
Frost the cupcakes and set aside.

Sugar Glass
This can be a frustrating process but if done properly will produce a great decoration with a huge amount of visual impact. Much like fondant, humidity is not your friend. Refrigerate these or you may discover your glass shards had vanished by the time to serve them rolls around. Keep that candy thermometer handy because reaching the correct temperature is key.
1 ½ C sugar
½ C water
½ C white corn syrup (NOT the dark kind)

Combine sugar, water and syrup into heavy saucepan.
Set candy thermometer on pan. Stir constantly.
When candy thermometer reaches 300 degrees (hard crack), immediately pour into buttered 9×12 inch pan (depending on how thick you want the pieces of candy eyeball the thickness as your pour).
Let cool completely and ensure it is set and hard before taking a kitchen mallet to the sugar glass to shatter it and make shards.
Place a few droplets of some type of red berry jam into the center of the white frosted cupcakes. Jam a shard pf candy glass into the centre of the jam and enjoy your creation! (Remember to keep cool or the sugar glass just might melt)

Scary monsters and beasts that live under your bed…in your closet…and in your head need to be celebrated at Halloween. Taking a couple ingredients that may require a bit of effort to source out can produce a feast of the beasts! Consider this a special occasion which allows you to push your culinary boundaries.

Croctopus
The mythical ½ octopus and ½ crocodile beast is terrifying to imagine crossing your path, unless it is prepared in a delicious and simple dish that will truly make it a legendary encounter for your taste buds. You will need a sous vide machine/water circulator or a good pot with a thermometer to monitor your cooking temperature precisely.

1 medium sized octopus (cleaned)
2 lbs crocodile tail filet
20 baby potatoes (tri-coloured if you can find a bag)
1 lbs snap peas
1 chorizo sausage (cut into ¼ inch slices)
3 garlic cloves (peeled and diced)
7 sprigs of thyme (fresh)
3 sprigs of rosemary (fresh)
5 bay leaves (fresh is ideal but can use dried)
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 red chili (dried)
2 C EVO
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Spread out the octopus, sucker side down, and cut off the 8 complete tentacles.
Trim away the webbed skin that hangs from the sides of the tentacles and rinse them in cold water (make sure you drain them thoroughly.)
Mix the EVO plus salt and pepper (to taste) in a bowl as a marinade for the octopus. Place marinade in a sealable container with octopus and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.
Place marinated octopus along with 1 sprig of thyme, 1 sprig of rosemary, red chili, coriander and cumin in an air tight bag (use a vacu sealer if you have one or just a good Ziploc bag).
Sous vide at 77C/170.6F for 5 hours. Make sure your water is at temperature before placing the bag in the water.
Let the octopus cool in the bag just enough so you can handle it and then drain them well. (The liquid is loaded full of flavour and can be saved for another use like a seafood chowder.)
Trim the tentacles with a small knife, scraping away the top flesh plus the thin membranes, including the suckers. (you want a very clean, smooth pieces of octopus.)
Boil potatoes about 20-30 minutes (until done), quarter and toss in EVO with some sea salt.
Blanch snap peas and sauté with the chorizo, potatoes and remaining herbs, garlic and spices until cooked and potatoes are golden.
Place octopus on BBQ to establish grill marks and slice into ½ in pieces.
Season your crocodile filet with salt, pepper and a pinch of chili powder. Brush with EVO.
BBQ over direct heat the crocodile filet until done to desired temperature. Let rest and then slick into strips.

Salsa Verde
1 C pistachios (shelled)
1 C basil (fresh)
1 tsp capers
1 C cilantro (fresh)
1 C parsley (fresh)
¼ tsp coriander (ground)
¼ tsp cumin (ground)
Lemon juice to taste (fresh)
Sea salt to taste.

Mix everything in a blender (or food processor until combined. The lemon juice will help to keep it bright green so it can be made in advance.
Mix the sauté pan contents with the crocodile slices and cut up octopus.
Drizzle with the Salsa Verde and enjoy!

Squrabken
Unleash the Squrabken on your next dinner party! Part squid, part crab and part chicken this abomination will be tamed by a lemon beurre blanc sauce and have your guests questing for the recipe without the fear of being pulled into the cold ocean depths by the creature itself.
6 Chicken legs (skin removed)
6 baby squid (cleaned and whole)
1 cup Crab meat (shredded)
¼ C cream cheese
1 Tbsp onion (diced)
1 Tbsp celery (diced)
1 Tbsp carrot (diced)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 tsp thyme (fresh)
¼ C panko bread crumbs
1 lemon (zested)
1 Tbsp EVO
½ C white wine
Sea salt and white pepper to taste

French cut each chicken leg (run knife along the bone and turn meat inside out to create a lollipop of meat). Season with sea salt and white pepper and set aside.
Mix the crab, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, thyme, breadcrumbs, cream cheese and lemon zest in a bowl (season to taste)
Rinse and pat dry each squid. Carefully thread the chicken leg bone through the sliced under belly of the squid and through the hole by the head. Be VERY careful not to rip it or you will need to get a new squid.
Carefully stuff each squid with the crab filling then press against the chicken leg meat (Seal the stuffing inside).
Pre-heat oven to 350F
Fry the chicken bone side up in a heavy bottom pan until partially cooked and golden crust has formed on the bottom of each leg.
Pour the white wine into the pan and place in a pre-heated oven for 15-20 minute (squid should look opaque…be careful not to overcook the squid or it will be rubbery). Ultimate test is to ensure your chicken legs are cooked to an internal temperature of 160F (use your meat thermometer)
Set aside and let your sqrabken rest.

Lemon Beurre Blanc

2 Shallots (chopped fine)
1 C white wine
¼ C lemon juice (fresh)
1 Tbsp heavy cream
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cubed)
Salt and white pepper to taste

Place the shallots, white wine, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over high heat and reduce to 2 Tbsp. (basically make a reduction)
Add the cream to the reduction.
Once the liquid bubbles, reduce the heat to low.
Whisk in 1 cube of butter at a time alternating between on the heat and then off the heat. Continue whisking butter into the reduction until the mixture is fully incorporated and has reached a rich sauce consistency.
Season with sea salt and white pepper to taste.

Place some oven roasted carrots strips and brocolini on a plate. Set a Squrabken on top of your roasted veggies.
Drizzle the lemon Beurre Blanc over your dish and enjoy!