Tricks, treats, costumes, jack-o-lanterns…everything about Halloween just screams for a party. These tempting treats will please adults as well as the kids at your next Halloween Party.
Halloween calls for sweet treats like these delicious caramel sugar pears and pumpkin spice cupcakes. If you like some salty with your sweet, serve spiced, salted nuts alongside these treats.
Caramel Sugar Pears
Dip ripe sugar pears in melted caramel candies for a spin on traditional Halloween caramel apples… but this recipe works for apples as well.
- 6 sugar pears, washed and dried
- 1 bag wrapped caramel candy
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 6 craft (Popsicle) sticks
Use wax paper sprayed with cooking spray or parchment paper to line a baking sheet. Remove the stem from each pear and gently push a craft stick into the top of each pear, do not push it all the way through.
Place caramels into a saucepan. Add the water. Cook on low to medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until caramel is completely melted, stirring constantly.
Dip pears into the hot caramel or spoon over until the pears are evenly coated. You can double dip if necessary. Allow excess caramel to drip off and scrape the caramel from the bottom of pear and place on prepared baking sheet. Chill at least one hour. Remove from the refrigerator a few minutes before serving.
Roll in nuts, drizzle with chocolate, or add candies to the warm caramel to decorate.
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Ginger Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients for 24 cupcakes:
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 2-1/2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
- 2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup buttermilk
Ingredients for the icing:
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 4 cups Confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon crystallized ginger, grated
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin. Combine the flour, pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and ginger; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the Confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, ginger, and cinnamon; beat until smooth. If you are going to dip or pipe the icing onto the cupcakes, it also helps if the icing is slightly stiff so you may need to add more Confectioners’ sugar to achieve desired results. Grate a little crystallized ginger onto the top of the cupcakes as garnish.
(Article & Photography by Martie Duncan of MartieKnowsParties.com.)
