Desserts for a Halloween tea

You're probably getting tired of week two of my "Wicked tea" posts (especially since it is now November), but I've saved the best for last...dessert!  Including salted caramel apple cupcakes!  These are good all fall, so just ignore the pumpkin sticking out of it :).

These cupcakes are quite yummy if I do say so myself.

Apple cupcakes

(modified from Chow)



 

1 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cardamom

4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 + 2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 1/2 cup grated apple (put apple in a paper towel and squeeze moisture out)

 

1.  Heat oven to 350.  Prepare mini-cupcake tins

2.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.  Whisk well.

3.  Beat butter until a light color. Add sugar and vanilla. Continue beating until light and airy.  Add egg, beating afterwards.

4.  With mixer on, add buttermilk slowly.  Batter will look curdled.  Add the flour until just combined. 

5.  Fold in apples.

6.  Mini-cupcakes took about 15 minutes for me.

 



 Salted Caramel Buttercream

 

1/2 cup salted butter

2 cups confectioner's sugar

pinch of salt

1/4 cup caramel sauce

 

Beat together butter, sugar, and salt until smooth.  Add caramel sauce and beat until smooth. 

 

 

In addition to the cupcakes, I had all sorts of witchy treats.  I used a chocolate frog mold and made hazelnut chocolate frogs using very small pieces of hazelnut and a bit of chocolate hazelnut spread.  To add a filing with a chocolate mold, but some of the melted chocolate in the mold, top with the nuts and nutella and then cover with more melted chocolate.

 

I also had witch's broom, which are small reeses cups with a pretzel stick handle.  The witches hats are chocolate covered mint oreos with a Hershey kiss attached with chocolate icing and some green piped around as the band on the hat.  I don't normally do "ready made" things for my tea parties, but the brooms and witches' hats were too cute!