Black and White Halloween Cupcakes (and shards of sugar glass)

The owl inspected his surroundings, and was content with what he found. 

              

                 

He found the tornado cupcake, a graveyard cupcake, a black flag cupcake, and a nest with black eggs that looked more like spaghetti and meatballs cupcake.   

(meatballs/eggs = chocolate covered cranberries dipped in candy)

He then moved onto the next series of cupcakes, and was equally impressed. 

If you look carefully, you'll see that there are pieces of "broken glass" (or delicious sugar candy!!)
stuck into each mound of icing. 

The owl hoarded all of the cupcakes to himself, and enjoyed each and every one of them. 

It was his happiest Halloween yet.

The End.

Halloween Candy Apples and Cakes

I ADORE CANDY APPLES!!!!

And those shouting capital letters are not an exaggeration. 

The bright glassy skin of a candied apple is so pretty that it's nearly hypnotic,

so don't judge if you catch me staring mindlessly at one for a few minutes.  

If you want to try these for yourselves, I've included a few pointers 

and a basic recipe at the bottom of this post.

Under the layer of vanilla bean icing lies four scrumptious layers of espresso chocolate cake, filled with sweet vanilla custard.  The chocolate glaze is made from a mixture of dark chocolate, a touch of corn syrup, and cream. To add extra contrast, the chocolate glaze has been subtly tinted 

with a pinch of black gel colouring.  

Pouring this glaze over a white cake is infinitely satisfying, I can't express how fun 

it is to watch the drippy globs form and set! 

 Picking your own fresh local apples is best when making candy apples - If you're using store bought, make sure you wash them clean from any waxy film used to coat the apples. After washing, wipe dry with a cloth - any residual water will cause bubbles to form under the candy coating. After dipping the apples, let them sit on parchment paper for a few minutes until the candy sets. I don't recommend having kids around for this project, nope, making candy can be dangerous.  OUCHY! 

Basic Candy Recipe for Apples:

3 cups of granulated sugar

1/2 cup of light corn syrup

1/2 cup of water

1 tsp of cinnamon

 red and black food colouring. 

Bring sugar, syrup and water to a boil. Brush sides of pot with water 

so that sugar does not crystallize. When mixture reaches 250 on your candy thermometer, add the colour and favouring. Stir quickly to incorporate. Remove from heat and dip apples by rotating the skewered apple at an angle. Allow excess to drip for a few seconds, then place on parchment to set.
Stare, chomp, and enjoy! 

Close Your Eyes, And Take A Bite...

Because these beauties are delicious. 

That's right boys and girls, these BRAINCAKES and SEVERED FINGER COOKIES make the perfect, not so wholesome snack. 

I'll need to conduct further scientific tests, but my initial findings indicate that I experienced increased brain function and manual dexterity after consuming these treats. Want to further test my results? Go ahead, and bite in for yourselves.... 

I adapted my severed finger cookie recipe from Coffee and Vanilla, but replaced the almonds with peanut halves because I thought they looked more sickly. I also set the fingernail into the cookie before baking, then secured it after baking with red royal icing (brush excess icing along the edges of the nail, and the base of the cookie) 

Want Gateaux Rose to take care of your Halloween treatery? 

contact me for your custom cakes and cupcakes! 

www.gateaux.rose@gmail.com

C'est L'Halloween!

If you're hosting (or attending) a Halloween party on October 29th, 30th or 31st, make sure you're well prepared. Why not spook your friends with deliciously gruesome cupcakes or a stunningly evil cake? Let Gateaux Rose set the stage for your night with delectable fresh baked treats designed to 

horrify and delight.   

Recent Cakery

And there's so sO SO SOOO much more to come!!! 

I've really been interested in texturing cakes with different pastry tips. Above are a few examples, and below is the most recent, where I've piped the cake using a regular petal tip. 

TRY IT! The effect is really lovely.  

Nectarine Tart with Almond Nougatine

Here's a simple and delicious recipe that your family might enjoy as canadian thanksgiving nears.

A Peach and nectarine tart with crisp almond nougatine makes a perfect afternoon indulgence alongside a good cup of coffee or tea.  

Peach and Nectarine Tart with Almond Nougatine (adapted from David Lebovitz)
*substitute with other stone fruits or try with rhubarb, pears, or apples!

The Dough
3/4 sticks unsalted cold butter
1/2 cups of sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

The Filling
5 medium sized nectarines
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cream
tiny pinch of sea salt

Nougatine
2 large egg whites
1/4 cups of dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups of sliced almonds (I added more, but now feel 1 1/2 cups is plenty)

Grease the bottom of a 9" spring form pan, or pie plate.

In a medium sized bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth, then mix in egg yolks. Add sifted flour and salt and mix at low speed until just incorporated.  Spread the dough into the base of your pie plate or pan using the palm of your hands. Rest the dough in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Wash, and cut nectarines int small wedges and place in a medium bowl. mix cream, vanilla and salt in a small bowl, then toss gently with nectarines.

Remove pan from freezer, and line with foil. Lay in a layer of pie weights (or dried beans) and bake for 5-10 minutes until dough has browned. Remove from oven and let cool.

Nougatine: Beat egg whites and brown sugar using a fork, add almonds and mix until almonds are coated in the mixture.

When the tart shell has cooled, add nectarine filling and top with Nougatine. Bake for 40 min until the nougatine is crisp.