Trick and Treat (but Mostly Trick) Cupcakes

Trick or treat, a phrase that is deeply rooted at the heart of Halloween. This is its catch phrase, slogan, and most popular phrase during halloween. It isn't halloween, without trick or treat. But, it seems as if we have gone away from the trick in the name of safety, making halloween more about the treat instead. I propose going back to those days of having both trick and treat. Now, I don't want anything to destructive. Just something that looks delectably sweet, with a sinister twist. This is the recipe for such an idea! (Mwhahahahhahahhaha!!!!)

Step 1: Ingredients

(This is just a plain cupcake recipe, so if you have a recipe that you would like to do instead, go for it!)

1 1/2 cups of white flour

3/4 cup of white granulated sugar

1/4 cup of spreadable butter

1/2 cup of vegetable oil (you can substitute the fats for 3/4 cup of stick butter)

1 tablespoon of baking powder

3 eggs

a pinch of salt

A nasty bunch of flavors to add later. (i.e cayenne pepper, black pepper, basil, dill, blue cheese, soy sauce, lemon to give them hope, garum masala, curry powder, cumin, benito flakes, peppermint oil, pigs blood, vinegar, moonshine, etc)

Cupcake liners

Cupcake tin

measuring cups

Spoons

Step 2: To Make the Batter

1. Combine all of the flour, Baking powder and salt in a bowl. Sift it if you feel like it, but it is not needed. Lightly mix together.

2. Stir in all of the eggs, butter, oil and sugar into the dry ingredients in the bowl. stir until you cannot see any lumps of flour or flour that is not combined with the mixture.

3. Line a cupcake tin with the cupcake liners. Pour the mixture into the liners so that cupcakes are to the point that they are about 7/8 of the way filled. Do this until you are either out of liners or batter.

Step 3: Maniacal Mixings

1. At this point, preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Put a generous amount of flavoring into each cup, you want to use a different flavoring for each cup . (I cannot give a specific measurement, but put in enough to get the flavor across, but not enough to have it be completely inedible or overflowing out of the cup. Put as much as you want in, basically.)

3. Very Important, When mixing the flavoring into the individual cupcake, use a different stirring utensil for each cup. That is why I recommend spoons for this part. You probably will have a lot of spoons, so you should have enough. Stir until combined.

4. Bake for anywhere from 15 minutes to 23 minutes, or until a tooth pick can come out cleanly and they are not burnt (depends on the oven, how many cakes you are making and other random factors)

5. After cooking, place on a spooky platter and eat. (can't really say enjoy).

Step 4: You Want More???

If your party is a little bit stale after the delectably odd cupcakes, then why not have some great decor to go along with it. Something to draw the eye without being to difficult to make. Maybe an artifact, something to represent a civilization from long ago.

Step 5: Materials

One piece of 16x16x1/4 in. piece of wood

Super glue

Something to cut wood with (I suggest a laser cutter)

Something to draw on the wood with (thus the laser cutter)

(if using a laser cutter, than you need a computer)

Step 6: Design

(if you are not using a laser cutter, than most of this doesn't apply to you. Still read it to get measurements though)

1. Create 3 circles with diameters of 8, 7, and 4. In the circle with a diameter of 4, create a 3 in. long by 1/2 in wide rectangle in the upper half of the circle

2. Create 4 4x2 in. rectangles slanted upwards at about 15 degrees. Put a design in the rectangles (I did snake hieroglyphics for this part.)

3. Create an outline of a skull (look at the picture above) and put your own design in it (I did the eye of Ra)

4. Create 4 2x2 squares in the program (these are the weird square like things in the picture above.

Step 7: Cut and Build

1. Cut and engrave the pieces of wood as previously explained in the last step.

2. Take the eight inch circle and glue the four squares (or square like objects) in the center of the side that looks best. For best results do a diamond formation (one on top, two in the center, and 1 on the bottom)

3. Glue the 7 in circle onto the squares onto the 8 in circle. You want this to be centered onto the circle, so it looks like steps from all sides going up (look above)

4. Glue the slanted rectangles onto the 7 in. circle 1 in. away from center in a circle around center. The slants should be facing up into the stars.

5. Place the 4 in. circle with the slit in it on to the slanted rectangles. You want the slit to be uncovered so you can fit the final piece into it. If need be, glue the circle down.

6. Put the skull outline into the slit so that the design is still visible. It should fit perfectly, but if not then try and glue it down.

7. Enjoy the new decor!

(look above for pictures of how to do it)