In the realm of Halloween treats, Haunted Cookie Mansion stands as a masterpiece, a haunted house made entirely of cookies that will send shivers down your spine and delight your taste buds. This edible haunted house is a combination of five delectable recipes, each contributing a unique element to the overall spooky spectacle.
The foundation of this haunted mansion is a batch of Crisp Graveyard Cookies, their dark chocolate exteriors resembling tombstones, topped with eerie inscriptions. Next, we have the Spooky Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, two rich chocolate cookies sandwiched together with a layer of marshmallow fluff, creating a ghostly filling. To add some crunch and texture, Candy Corn Crunch Cookies are scattered throughout the mansion, their festive colors adding a touch of cheer to the haunted theme.
No haunted house is complete without its inhabitants, and in this case, they take the form of Witch Finger Cookies. These eerie treats are made from sugar cookies shaped like fingers, complete with almond "nails" and drizzles of red icing resembling blood. And finally, the crowning glory of the Haunted Cookie Mansion is the Gingerbread Roof, a classic gingerbread cookie recipe that adds a touch of warmth and nostalgia to this spooky creation.
Each recipe in this Haunted Cookie Mansion collection is meticulously detailed, ensuring that even novice bakers can create this edible masterpiece. Step-by-step instructions, ingredient lists, and helpful tips guide you through the process of making each component, from the crisp graveyard cookies to the spooky chocolate sandwich cookies. With careful attention to detail and a dash of creativity, you can assemble this haunted mansion and impress your friends and family with a truly unforgettable Halloween treat.
HAUNTED-HOUSE CHOCOLATE COOKIES
These cookies are used to make our Haunted-House Cake. For cookie dimensions: Photocopy the haunted-house template at 125 percent. Photocopy the spooky tree template at 100 percent. Photocopy the door, tombstone, and triangle stand templates at 100 percent.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes
Yield Makes 1 haunted house, 2 doors, 1 spooky tree, 2 triangle stands, and assorted tombstones
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Make the cookies: Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in whole egg, yolk, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in three additions. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2 hours (or up to 1 day).
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove 1 disk of dough from refrigerator, and let stand until room temperature. Lightly dust two large sheets of parchment with cocoa powder, and roll out disk of dough between sheets to a 1/4-inch thickness. Transfer to a baking sheet, and freeze until very firm, about 15 minutes. Remove top parchment sheet, and place haunted-house template on dough. Using a craft knife, cut out house. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough and templates.
- Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer parchment with cookies to wire racks, and let cool completely.
- Decorate the cookies: Place a large sheet of parchment on a baking sheet, and lightly butter parchment. Transfer cookie house and doors to parchment.
- For the windows, prepare an ice-water bath. Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Continue to cook, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, until syrup comes to a boil. Boil, swirling pan occasionally, until syrup turns medium amber. Immediately remove from heat, and place pan in ice bath. Working quickly, carefully pour some caramel into haunted-house windows, doorway, and door windows, filling each flush with top of cookie. Let stand until cool and hardened.
- For the roof, fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip (#802) with melted bittersweet chocolate. Starting at base of roof, pipe 1 line of chocolate along entire edge, then press shelled sunflower seeds into chocolate in a straight row, pointed edges down. Repeat with chocolate and remaining seeds, "tiling" both roofs, and slightly overlapping rows of seeds.
- Decorate the windows and doors: Cut remaining licorice laces to match dimensions of windows. Halve each lace lengthwise. Pipe thin lines of melted chocolate along window panes. Press licorice into chocolate. Pipe a thin line of chocolate over doorway, and press 4 shelled sunflower seeds into chocolate, centering the unshelled seed in middle. Let set.
- Make the chimney and spires: Cut 1 licorice lace diagonally into 1-inch pieces. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a fine plain tip (#1) with royal icing. Carefully flip house over. Make a vertical 1/2-inch cut in bottom half of licorice twist, then cut off 1 flap; insert a piece of licorice lace into top hole of licorice twist. Pipe a 1/2-inch-long vertical line of icing just below edge of top roof, and press flat end of licorice twist against house into icing. Pipe a horizontal line of icing just below top edge of lower roof. Press 1 end of each halved licorice lace into icing to form a row of spires. Let stand until set, about 10 minutes.
- Assemble the cookie house: Using a small offset spatula, spread a thick line of royal icing along the long, straight edge of haunted-house triangle stand. Gently press triangle against back of haunted-house cookie on left-hand side, supporting cookie between two large cans. Repeat with second triangle on right-hand side, and let stand until icing is set, about 30 minutes. Cookie house will keep at room temperature up to 1 week.
- Make the windows and doors: Cut remaining licorice laces to match dimensions of windows. Halve each lace lengthwise. Pipe thin lines of chocolate along window panes. Press licorice into chocolate. Pipe a thin line of chocolate over doorway, and press 4 shelled sunflower seeds into chocolate, centering the unshelled seed in middle. Let stand until set.
- Using a small offset spatula, spread a thick line of royal icing along long, straight edge of haunted-house triangle stand. Gently press triangle against back of haunted-house cookie on left-hand side, supporting cookie between 2 large cans. Repeat with second triangle on right-hand side, and let stand until icing is set, about 30 minutes. (Cookie will keep at room temperature for up to 1 week.)
HAUNTED COOKIE HOUSE
You'll want to eat this haunted cookie house even before you're done assembling it.
Categories dessert
Time 1h20m
Yield 1 serving
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Knead flour, cocoa, and cinnamon into cookie dough, working in batches if necessary, until combined and smooth.
- Divide dough into quarters and roll out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper or foil. Cut out windows and doors. Leave house pieces on the paper or foil and transfer to baking sheets.
- Bake until golden and firm to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes depending on size of the pieces. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough and pattern.
- Meanwhile beat confectioners' sugar, egg white powder, and 3/4 cup water in a large bowl with an electric mixeruntil thick and smooth.
- Transfer 1 cup frosting to a resealable bag. Tint 2 cups frosting brown, 1/2 cup orange, and 1 1/2 cups purple. Spoon each color into a separate resealable bag and set aside. Cover remaining frosting well with a moist paper towel and plastic wrap. (This will be used for the assembly.)
- Snip small corners from the bags with purple, white, and orange frosting. Pipe around windows and doors on sides of house. Let dry about 1 hour.
- To assemble (for a quick non-edible centerpiece, use a glue gun instead of frosting): Pipe generous lines of white frosting on vertical sides of piece A, B, C, and D (large house), and stick sides together. Use cans to support all sides, inside and out. Let dry about 1 hour. Pipe generous lines on vertical sides of pieces E, F, G, and H (second story) and attach using cans to support. Let dry at least 1 hour.
- Attach the roof pieces I and J to the large house with frosting and let dry about 1 hour. Support the roof with a box or cans. Pipe lines along small roof edge and add pieces K and L. Let dry about 1 hour. Pipe decorative lines on the outside of both stories with purple frosting. Pipe bone decoration with white frosting along the sides of the second story
- Use a serrated knife to trim 1 /12 inch from bottom of two of the brown cones. Stack remaining three brown cones and add one trimmed cone on top. Place one of the chocolate cones on top of that to create the tower next to the house. Secure tower with some purple frosting.
- Trim remaining brown cone to fit on top of the second-story roof. Cut a V shape on either side of cone with a serrated knife. Attach cone to the small roof with some brown frosting.
- Place the larger house on a serving platter. Pipe a generous line of brown frosting along bottom edge of second story. Place on top of larger house and press slightly to secure.
- Spread a 2-inch-wide band of brown frosting along bottom roof edge I. Add unwrapped Hugs as close as possible in rows. Repeat, adding more frosting and Hugs, trimming candy if necessary. Repeat with roof piece J.
- Spread brown frosting on roof piece K. Arrange swirled chips to cover roof, starting at the bottom edge. Repeat with roof piece L.
- Attach one or two decorated cookies to house if desired using some remaining frosting. Hold cookie for several minutes to make sure that it sets.
- Spread chocolate cookie crumbs around house. Add other decorated cookies and candy pumpkins around house.
HAUNTED-HOUSE CAKE
This haunted house's towering cookie facade, candy details, and golden caramel windows are guaranteed to become the stuff of legend-that is, should anyone who ventures near live to tell the tale. A winding nougat staircase leads up the chocolate buttercream grounds to the entrance, where a construction-paper caretaker hovers just inside, waiting for the next unsuspecting visitor.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cake Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- To assemble the cake: Secure one 11-inch cake layer to corresponding-size round foam board with a dab of chocolate buttercream. Spread 2 cups buttercream on top. Stack another 11-inch cake on top of buttercream, and frost as before. Top with remaining 11-inch cake. Spread 1 cup buttercream over top and sides of tier, scraping lightly to create a thin layer, or crumb coat, and refrigerate until frosting is firm, about 30 minutes. Spread 2 cups buttercream over entire tier until smooth.
- Repeat with 9-inch cake layers on second foam board, using 1 cup frosting between layers, 1/2 cup for crumb coat, and 1 cup for the final coat.
- Trim 5 dowels to height of 9-inch tier and 6 to height of 11-inch tier. Insert dowels in corresponding tiers in a circle, 2 1/2 inches from the edge of cake. Center 9-inch tier over 11-inch tier, pressing gently to secure. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (#806) with remaining buttercream. Pipe pearls around bottoms of tiers for a border, as shown below. (Cake can be refrigerated up to 3 days before proceeding.)
- Make the steps: Fill a small bowl with cocoa powder. Cut torrone into 2-to 2 1/2-inch-long blocks. Cut toothpicks in half (1 for each block). Roll torrone in cocoa powder to coat. Insert toothpicks into torrone blocks, and push blocks into cake, starting from top of 9-inch tier and curving to bottom of 11-inch tier. Using a vegetable peeler, shave milk chocolate; sprinkle over tops of tiers.
- Finish the cake: Carefully transfer assembled cookie house to top of cake. Press cookie doors into cake in front of house. Decorate cake with cookie tree, tombstones, and candy cats, if desired. Press caretaker cutout onto top of cake, behind door. Arrange a flashlight behind cake to shine through door and windows.
Tips:
- Mise en Place: Before you start baking, make sure you have all the necessary ingredients and tools ready. This will help you stay organized and prevent any scrambling later on.
- Measure Accurately: Baking is a science, so accurate measurements are essential. Use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients for the most precise results.
- Follow the Recipe: Don't deviate from the recipe unless you know exactly what you're doing. Even small changes can affect the final outcome of your baked goods.
- Don't Overmix: Overmixing can toughen your baked goods. Mix just until the ingredients are combined. If you're unsure whether or not you've mixed enough, it's better to err on the side of caution and stop mixing.
- Use Fresh Ingredients: The fresher your ingredients, the better your baked goods will taste. If possible, use organic and locally-sourced ingredients.
- Be Patient: Baking takes time. Don't rush the process. Let your dough or batter rest for the specified amount of time. This will help it develop the proper texture and flavor.
- Have Fun: Baking should be enjoyable! Don't be afraid to experiment and try new things. The more you bake, the more comfortable you'll become in the kitchen.
Conclusion:
With a little practice, you can master the art of baking and create delicious treats that will delight your family and friends. The Haunted Cookie Mansion, in particular, is a fun and festive recipe that is perfect for Halloween or any other spooky occasion. So gather your ingredients, put on your apron, and get ready to bake up some spooky treats!
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