Ghost Cheese Cupcakes for Halloween

    Halloween...

It's creepy and it's kooky,

mysterious and spooky...

But isn't it fun?!

Colorful, decorative, with memories that make you shiver, laugh, and howl.

Did you run down the street when you went trick or treating?


 Did you play pranks or were you the polite person who said please and thank you after "Trick or treat"?

Did you love wearing masks? Did you shun them because you couldn't breathe?

Did you have the one friend who loved to jump from around corners and scare the spit out of you?

What was your favorite candy? What candy did you absolutely hate?

Did you ever perform in a Halloween play? Do you like books about ghouls, ghosts, witches, the paranormal? Do you like a regular book that has a slightly paranormal element?  Did you love the TV show Bewitched?

Have these questions made you wade through memories? If so, mission accomplished. I did, too. And I've been smiling throughout.

One of the other things I remember is having Halloween parties. Pizza, candy, orange-colored everything.  Cupcakes should always be part of a party, don't you think? And if you can make them "spooky" for Halloween, all the better.

I got these cute cupcake liners (up, to the left) at, of all places, Barnes and Noble bookstore. Aren't they adorable? There were enough for 2 dozen cupcakes. I made one dozen cupcakes and a 9 x 9 sheet cake, so I still have a dozen cupcake decorations for next year. Yay!

Note: This recipe will make 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 dozen cupcakes and one 9 x 9 cake. Perfect for kids and adults.

GHOST CHEESE CUPCAKES

GLUTEN-FREE

INGREDIENTS:

         1 1/2 cups sweet white rice flour

         3/4 cup tapioca flour

         1 teaspoon Kosher salt

         1 teaspoon baking soda

         3 teaspoons baking powder

         1 teaspoon xanthan gum

         4 eggs

         1 1/4 cups white sugar

         2/3 cup Best Foods mayonnaise (GF)

         1 cup milk

         2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Mix the sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and xanthan gum together and set aside.

Mix the eggs, sugar, and mayonnaise until fluffy. 

Add milk and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture. Mix well again.

Using soup ladle, pour batter into the cupcakes liners. 

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15-17 minutes. 

Cakes are done when they spring back when lightly touched 

or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Put on wire rack to cool so they don’t get “moist” on the bottom.

Let cool completely then frost, if desired.

FROSTING:

4 oz. goat cheese  - room temperature

3 oz. cream cheese – room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar (more if necessary)

½ cup pure maple syrup

Mix all in a blender. 

May be saved in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.


NOTE: this recipe can be made "normally". Just replace the flour with regular flour and don't use the xanthan gum. And you can use real vanilla. 

 Boo!

We're having mini-CONTESTS some days this week. 

Leave a comment TODAY answering one of the questions above, 

and you'll be entered for today's contest. 
I'm giving away these perfect-for-fall coasters! 
Absorbent, made by "Counter Art."
Not scary at all.

The winner will be announced in a post right before midnight tonight, EDT.

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