Graveyard Cookies

Normally I don't really get into baking cookies with a Halloween theme, but my turn for cookie night came up so here's my attempt. The concept for this cookie is a cup cake graveyard with cookie headstones.

The ingredients:

1 Chocolate Fudge cake mix.

8 oz Bittersweet chocolate (or Chocolate squeeze tube icing).
1 cup water
1/3 cup milk

1/2 light veg oil

1 cup ground pecans

1 tub chocolate icing
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp magic powder5 large eggs
3/4 cup butter (melted)
1 tbsp Orange zest

2 tbsp Orange Juice

Preparation of the cup cake grave yard involves using a standard cake mix to produce a few dozen cupcakes, then icing their tops and rolling them in ground pecans. The effect I'm going for here is to mimic graveyard soil on the surface of the cup cake.

Cup Cake Ingredients:

1 Chocolate Fudge cake mix.

3 eggs

1 cup water

1/3 cup milk

1/2 light veg oil

1 tub chocolate icing

1 cup ground pecans

Follow the directions of your cake mix to make the cup cakes. Then grind whole pecans and place the result in a bowl. Use your chocolate icing to top the cup cakes, then roll them in the pecans. When this operation is done you'll want to use a knife to start an opening on the surface to allow the head stone cookie to be easily inserted into the cake.

The cookie head stones are made from a simple recipe as seen in my apple cookies.

Cookie Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp magic powder
2 large eggs
3/4 cup butter (melted)
1 tbsp Orange zest
2 tbsp Orange Juice.

All the ingredients are well mixed together, then the dough is placed in the fridge to chill for a half hour, then the dough is rolled out on to a flat, floured surface for cutting. The shape we're going for here is a basic tomb stone. One end is rounded, while the other is tapered to allow for easy insertion into the cup cake. The cookie is baked at 375 F for approximately 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

So you may be wondering what 'Cookie Night' is all about? Cookie night is a way to have a group of friends take turns baking cookies once a week for the crowd. The baker chooses their own cookie and so can control the difficulty and costs that go into their creation. Many of the posts on this blog come from the cookies I've made for my crowd.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe!

ClassCastException: "German Beer Coffee Cake" is not a cookie.

So this recipe isn't for a cookie, but I enjoyed it so I'm including it in my blog anyway :P

Couldn't find a German beer so had to settle for Heineken (such is life on the Rock, can't find ingredients we want all the time).

I made this cake for an Oktoberfest dinner party with my friends. I think it went over well :)

Ingredients (Cake):

1 cup unsalted butter

2 cups dark brown sugar

2 eggs

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp ground cloves

2 cups beer (German beer)

2 cups raisins

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.

Cream butter and sugar together, then add eggs and beat well.

In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients.

Now incorporate the dry and wet mixes together. While combining add in small quantities of the beer until all are mixed thoroughly. Once these are well mixed you may add in the raisins and nuts.

The next step is to grease and flour a bundt pan (this will allow you to remove the finished cake later on). Bake the cake at 350F for 75 minutes. Poke with a tooth pick to determine when done. Let the finished cake stand for 10/15 minutes, then wrap in tin foil and let it sit for 24 hours (this stabilizes the cake).

With the cake prepared you may now put together the spread.

Ingredients (Spread):

1/2 cup unsalted butter.

2 shots of Rum

To make Rum butter spread all you need to do is whip butter and Rum together in a mixer until it appears light and fluffy. Place the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate to keep until you serve the cake.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! :)

Whisky Raisin Cookies... I'm seeing a trend here...

So time for another cookie recipe, this time it'll be for Whisky Raisin cookies.

I find that soaking dried fruits in liquor seems to always turn out nicely.

The ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 cup Whisky
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

The key step to this recipe is soaking the half cup of raisins over night in Whisky (or Rum, Vodka, which ever liquor you prefer). The dried fruit will soak up the majority of the liquid and transfer the flavor to your finished cookies. The next step is to combine the ingredients in mixing bowl, saving aside vanilla, one egg, and cream for cookie wash.

Once fully combined let the mixture sit for a few minutes. Then with a lightly floured surface and rolling pin begin rolling out the dough. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the shapes you desire, then place on a cookie sheet.

Preheat the oven to 350F, and prepare the cookie wash. For this recipe the wash consists of heavy cream, an egg, and vanilla extract to taste. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

I hope you enjoyed this cookie! :)