Halloween 2017 is pretty much here, and Halloween party ideas should be basically set. Still scrambling around for what to make for dessert for your ghoulish guests? Pumpkin flavor is a huge trend and it seems to have gone to extremes this year with pumpkin-flavored food items cropping up in places they haven’t before: cereal, breath mints, potato chips and even yogurt.
So it’s safe to say that most guests will love to sink their teeth into a pumpkin cupcake or a slice of pumpkin cheesecake with white (or dark) chocolate. The recipes for these two desserts are straight forward and don’t require too much skill or time to prepare, but they will taste like you spent all afternoon in the kitchen.
Quick and Tasty Dessert Recipes for Your Halloween Party
Pumpkin Cupcakes
You will need: 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, *1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, *1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon salt, 2/3 cup chopped walnuts (not necessary), 1 cup raisins (not necessary), 1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin (about 1 3/4 cups), 1 cup sugar, 1 cup dark brown sugar, 1 cup canola oil, 4 eggs.
*In place of the nutmeg and cloves, you can add ½ teaspoon of pumpkin spice.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners. You can buy Halloween-themed liners to make them more fitting for the party. In a bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the walnuts and raisins (if adding to the recipe) and toss with the flour mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sugars, and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after you add each one. Add the flour mixture in three batches. Stir until just combined each time.
Fill the muffin cups three-fourths full, and bake until golden brown and a wooden toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center. Plan on about 25 minutes of cooking time. Frost and decorate the cupcakes to make them suitable for Halloween. Black or orange frosting would work well here, and top with ghost, pumpkin, or spider candies you can find in the baking aisle of the grocery store.
Pumpkin Cheesecake with White Chocolate
You will need: 150g butter, 250g cream cheese block, 250g ricotta, Cinnamon, Ground nutmeg, 200g sugar, 200g pumpkin puree (canned or made from scratch), ½ block white chocolate, 4 eggs, ½ lemon, 100ml milk, 250g ginger biscuits (if can’t find, use Graham crackers).
Melt butter in the microwave for between 30-50 seconds, or on the stove in a pot. Put the biscuits inside the bag and place it on the chopping board. Flatten it out so the biscuits are lying down. This makes it easier to crush them into a powder.
Hit the biscuits with a rolling pin until they turn into a fine powder. Place the crushed biscuits into a mixing bowl and add the melted butter, mixing with a spoon. Using a kitchen brush, brush the baking tray with the remaining butter. Get out a large piece of baking paper. Cut a circle out of it that is the same size as the base of your tray.
Pour the biscuit mix into the tray. Put in the fridge for half an hour to firm up. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. In a bowl, add the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and pumpkin puree. Then add the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, the juice of half a lemon, and two eggs. The other two eggs need to be separated and only the yolks added to the batter from these two. Add the milk and mix well.
Pour this mixture on top of the base that has hardened in the fridge. Put the cake in the oven and cook for 60 minutes, but check on it at the 45-minute mark to make sure it isn’t browning too fast. Every oven is different.
When the cake is ready, remove it from the oven and let it cool for a good 30 minutes. Melt the white chocolate (or dark, as you prefer) and pour it over the top of the cheesecake. Spread it out evenly to cover the cake. Allow to sit until the chocolate hardens. Decorate the top of the cheesecake with plastic Halloween creatures for a creepy effect.
Sources:
Hautman, N., “Crazy Halloween Pumpkin Cheesecake with White Chocolate,” Huffington Post web site, October 26, 2016; http://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/crazy-halloween-pumpkin-c_b_12652204, last accessed October 28, 2016.
