This Halloween you can make devilishly creative Halloween recipes that can double as party decorations. Thanks to Duncan Hines, YOU  can get in on the fun and bake like the pros. The chefs at Duncan Hines and best-selling authors Karen Tack and Alan Richardson of Hello, Cupcake and What’s New, Cupcake share their original ideas for to make you a Halloween superstar!

*Karen Tack and Alan Richardson Original

Hands-On Time: 1 hour and 30 min

Howlingly delicious! – If you have a monster appetite for baking adventures, then this is the project for you! Scare up some friends to join in the werewolf cupcake fun! Use Duncan Hines Devil’s Food cake mix to get started.

Ingredients

• 12 Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Devil’s Food cupcakes baked in brown paper liners
• ½ cup Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Classic Vanilla frosting
• 1 cup Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Dark Chocolate Fudge frosting
• Black food coloring
• 1 can Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Milk Chocolate frosting
• 24 marshmallows
• Red leather fruit
• 24 orange, yellow and green candy coated chocolates (M&M)
• 12 black jelly beans

Baking instructions

1. Spoon the vanilla frosting into a ziplock bag. Tint the dark chocolate frosting black with the food coloring. Spoon half of the black frosting (about 1/2 cup), up one side of a ziplock bag. Spoon half of the Classic Chocolate frosting (about 3/4 cup) up the other half of the bag. Repeat process with another ziplock bag.

2. Cut 1 inch corners from each side of the 12 marshmallows to make the ears. Cut a 1/2 to a 1 inch V shape notch from the remaining 12 marshmallows to make the muzzles (see step photo). The size of the notch will determine the size of the howling mouth.

3. Snip a small corner (1/8 inch) from the bag with the chocolate frostings. Pipe a small dot of chocolate frosting to attach the marshmallow ears and muzzle on top of the cupcakes. Cut 2 inch ovals from the red fruit leather and press onto cut notch of marshmallow muzzles to stick. Trim any excess fruit leather.

4. Pipe several vertical lines of chocolate frosting to cover the marshmallow ears. Starting along the outer edge of cupcakes, pipe the fur, about 1/2 inch in from edge to go completely around cupcake. Pipe another row of fur in from first row, slightly overlapping. Continue piping rows of fur with the chocolate frosting to cover the cupcake and marshmallow just up to the red fruit leather. Continue with remaining cupcakes and chocolate frosting.

5. Add 2 like colored M&M’s, pressing them lengthwise, into the frosting at an angle to make the glowing eyes. Snip a very small corner (1/16 inch) from the bag with the vanilla frosting and pipe fangs all around the mouth at the edge of fruit leather using a squeeze and pull motion. Add the black jellybean to make the nose.

Makes 12 werewolf cupcakes

We recently celebrated my father in law’s birthday and ordered some Longevity Peach Buns as he was 70+ years old. Most Chinese believe that the older the person is, the bigger the celebration should be, especially when one is past 70 years old. As “peaches” signify long life, it is one of the essential food to be served. Nevertheless, these peaches are actually steamed buns with tau sar (red bean) paste as the filling. We call these peaches Sou Tau which literally translates to “longevity peach”.

Katie Rousonelous a local Madison, WI resident was recently announced Grand Champion of the Duncan Hines Red Carpet Cupcake Challenge. Katie’s prize-winning recipe for Red Carpet Glamour won her a trip for two to Los Angeles, California and two seats to Fans in the Stands, the best seat in the house for all the red carpet excitement in anticipation of the Primetime Emmy Awards. She will also have her cupcake creation sampled by the Emmy Award nominees and guests who will all be in attendance at this year’s Performers Nominees Reception on August 27th. Over a quarter of a million people voted for the recipes they liked and that is how Katie’s recipes was able to make it into the Top 10 and then it was voted number ONE by the panel of judges!

Thanks to Pinnacle Foods and Duncan Hines, I am able to share this award winning recipe with you.

Ingredients

Cupcake Batter
1 pkg Duncan Hines® Red Velvet Cake Mix
1 1/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
3 tsp Raspberry flavoring
1/2 c Sour Cream

Chocolate Ganache Filling
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/2 c heavy cream
1 tbs confectioner sugar

Vanilla Bean Frosting
1 Container Duncan Hines Buttercream Frosting
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and insides scraped out
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz. Cream Cheese

Instructions

1. Add the ingredients for filling in a medium microwave safe bowl. Heat until mixture is warm (20-30 seconds on high) Whisk until smooth, put in refrigerator to stand until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease muffin pans or line with paper baking cups.

3. Blend dry mix, water, oil and eggs in large bowl at low speed until moistened (about 30 seconds). Then add sour cream and raspberry flavoring. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Spoon batter into muffin pan or paper cups.

4. Place one rounded teaspoon of filling on the top of each cupcake.

5. Bake cupcakes for 19-22 minutes. Add 3-5 minutes to bake time for dark or coated pans. Cupcakes are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

6. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

7. To make the frosting, add the canned frosting, cream cheese, vanilla bean, and vanilla extract together. Beat until mixed, about 1 minute.
Refrigerate frosting for 30 minutes. Frost and decorate cupcakes as desired.
 

Did you know that National Root Beer Float Day is on August 6th? Three Olives Vodka recently released the world’s first Root Beer flavored vodka, perfect for celebrating the little known holiday! Over a century ago, Root Beer was introduced as an alcoholic beverage, and Three Olives is thrilled to be the first to put the booze back into this all-American classic.

Please find recipes below for the Three-O Root Beer Float and the Root Beer Floatini to use on this delicious day.

Three-O Root Beer Float
2 oz. Three Olives Root Beer Vodka
4 oz. root beer
Float 1 scoop vanilla ice cream on top

Root Beer Floatini
1.5 oz. Three Olives Root Beer Vodka
.5 oz. Amaretto liqueur
Shake hard over ice & strain into glass
Float a melon-ball size scoop of vanilla ice cream in center
 

Ingredients:

Makes roughly four half-pint jars

• 35 oz. Driscoll’s strawberries washed, hulled and cubed
• 35 oz. granulated white sugar
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 packet pectin, such as CERTO or Sure-Jell
• 1 Tbsp butter (to reduce foaming)

Method:

1. Combine the strawberries and sugar in a large, nonreactive pot; enamel or stainless steel are best. Let stand for at least 20 minutes, up to two hours.
2. Stir the contents of the pot well, and put over medium-high heat. Add the lemons, pectin and butter. Stir frequently, taking care not to burn the sugar. Bring to a boil and maintain a rolling boil. Skim away any foam that forms; if there is too much foam, add a little more butter.
3. Once a boil has been reached, take the temperature with a quick-read thermometer. Continue boiling and stirring until the mixture consistently reads 220ºF. Turn off the heat. Remove the lemon slices. If canning, process immediately (see On Canning, below). Otherwise, allow to cool, then pack in jars and refrigerate, or freezer-safe containers or bags if freezing.

Variations

For an extra berry punch, replace some of the strawberries with an equal amount of Driscoll’s® organic raspberries, blueberries or blackberries.

Or, once the jam reaches the target temperature, try giving yours a twist by adding one of the following:

1 Tbsp real balsamic and a few fresh cracks of black pepper
2 Tbsp Campari
A handful of mint or basil, finely chopped
Seeds from a vanilla bean
Whatever you like

Equipment

Before you start cooking up your berries, make sure you have the following items:

A large pot *
A rack that fits in the bottom of the pot *
A pair of canning tongs *
A magnetic lid wand *
A jar funnel *
A ladle *
A quick-read thermometer
A kitchen scale
Cooling racks to set the hot jars on
Plenty of kitchen towels
Plenty of jars, rings and unused lids
Patience, and a sense of humor

Most of these items, as well as a variety of jars, lids and rings, are readily available in most hardware stores, as well as some grocery stores.

* You can often find kits that have all these elements together, rather than purchasing them separately.  

Recipe courtesy of Driscoll’s.

Ingredients:

• Chunky California Chicken Salad (chicken salad prepared with, raisins, almonds and dried cranberries)
• Crisp bacon slices
• Finlandia Swiss cheese
• Submarine sandwich roll

Method:

Pile Chunky California Chicken Salad on a sub roll. Top with generous slices of crisp bacon and smother with Finlandia Swiss. Grill sandwich in pan or in the oven until cheese melts. Serve.

Makes 1 sandwich
Recipe courtesy of Finlandia® Cheese, the #1 imported cheese in the country

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. apple butter
• 1 Tsp whole grain mustard
• 2 slices marbled rye bread
• ¼ cup shredded coleslaw
• 2 oz. thinly sliced turkey breast
• 2 oz. sliced Finlandia Swiss Cheese
• 2 slices red apple

Method:

1. Mix apple butter and mustard. Toast bread, if desired.
2. Spread apple butter mixture on each slice of bread. Then layer one slice of bread with coleslaw, turkey, Finlandia Swiss and apple slices.
3. Top with remaining bread slice.

Serves 1 sandwich.

Recipe courtesy of Finlandia® Cheese, the #1 imported cheese in the country

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. king crab leg meat
• 5 oz. Finlandia Swiss cheese
• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
• 3 oz. diced Bermuda onion
• 1 small Habanero pepper
• 1 tbsp. diced red peppers
• 1 tbsp. diced green peppers
• 1 tbsp. diced yellow peppers
• 2 oz. alfalfa sprouts
• 8 leaves red leaf lettuce
• 16 slices Tuscan bread
• Olive oil needed for Panini grill

Method:

1. Blend mayonnaise, Habanero, one avocado and ½ of the Bermuda onion in blender.
2. Roughly chop crab meat and toss in a mixing bowl with remaining onions, tri-color peppers and avocado mayonnaise. Chill mixture for 15-20 minutes.
3. Lay out slices of Tuscan bread and lightly spray each side with olive oil. Layer 1 lettuce leaf, 2 slices of Finlandia Swiss cheese, 4 oz. of crab mixture, 3 slices of avocado, 2 slices of Finlandia Swiss cheese, sprouts and top layer of bread.
4. Toast sandwich on Panini grill for 6 to 8 minutes until bread is toasted well and cheese is melted thought.
5. Cut in half and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Finlandia® Cheese, the #1 imported cheese in the country

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ pounds lean ground beef
• 1 ¼ cup chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Suggested Finlandia Cheese: Swiss, Muenster or Gouda
• 4 sesame seed buns or hard rolls

Method:

1. Combine lean ground beef with onion, ketchup, horseradish, mustard, salt and pepper.
2. Gently mix with hands till all ingredients are just blended. Shape into 4 patties about ½ inch thick.
3. Grill or broil to desired doneness. Pile high with your favorite Finlandia cheese.

Recipe courtesy of Finlandia® Cheese, the #1 imported cheese in the country.

Prep Time: 5 min. Cook Time: 15 min. Marinate Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 4 (1 inch thick) bone-in or boneless loin steaks
• 2/3 cup FRANK’S® REDHOT® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce or Frank’s® REDHOT® Buffalo Wings Sauce

Method:

1. MARINATE steaks in Frank’s RedHot Sauce in deep dish. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 3 hours. Drain and season as desired.
2. GRILL steaks over high direct heat, about 15 min. for medium-rare, turning once.
3. LET steaks rest 10 min. before slicing. Splash on more Frank’s RedHot Sauce to taste.

Makes 4 servings
Tip: Substitute other tender steaks such as boneless sirloin, flank or flat iron steak.

Recipe courtesy of Frank’s RedHot.