HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Posted in Cake, Cookies by sallybr

Trying to control my tears, allow me to just focus on the festivities, not the cruel fact that we will have to wait another 365 days to embrace the creepy and scary… I share four different bakes to celebrate the day: two types of cookies, cupcakes, and Chocolate-Covered Oreos.

LINZER-STYLE GHOST COOKIES

LINZER-STYLE NUTELLA GHOST COOKIES
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

300 g all-purpose flour (2½ cups, spooned and leveled)
200 g unsalted butter, softened but still cool
100 g powdered sugar (about ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon)
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine salt

Filling and finishing
Americolor white food gel color
Nutella
black non-pareils

Beat the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy, about 1–2 minutes. Mix in the egg yolk, vanilla and salt. Add the flour and mix just until a soft dough forms. Avoid overmixing.

Divide the dough into two flat discs, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm enough to roll without sticking. Roll the dough between sheets of parchment to about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Cut matching pairs of cookies using a round, fluted, or heart-shaped cutter. Cut a small window in the center of half the cookies. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets.

Paint white Americolor over the cookies that will be the top. Freeze all cookies for 15 minutes then bake at 350F for about 15 minutes, until edges start to get golden. Cool completely on a rack. Fill with Nutella, add little black non-pareils for the eyes.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I wanted to make an almond-free cookie, to avoid having the volunteers at the homeless meal having to deal with possible allergies. This recipe turned out perfect, a similar texture, dough very nice to work with. Yu can use of course seedless raspberry jam instead of Nutella. The idea to paint the white on the top was to avoid having to shower them with powdered sugar. It is nice if you can serve them on a single layer on a platter, but I need to transport them with other cookies in a box, so the powdered sugar is a problem, This was my way to get a similar look without the messy top.

LITTLE SKULL COOKIES

LITTLE SKULL COOKIES
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

4 cups (575 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon orange baking emulsion (LorAnn)
1 teaspoon caramel flavor (LorAnn)
2 large eggs, room temperature

Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Reserve. Whisk the eggs with the flavorings in a small bowl. Reserve.

In the bowl of a KitchenAidd type mixer beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and
fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the agave nectar and beat on low speed until well blended, about 1 minute more.

Add the egg mixture in four installments, beating in low-speed until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and continue mixing until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Divide the dough in two portions, refrigerate for an hour or so.

To make the skulls, add 30g portions to the cavities of a mini skull pan (I used NordicWare). Bake at 350F for about 18 minutes, until the tops are getting golden brown. Remove the cookies to cool on a drying rack. Paint the surface with luster powder purple, brown, gray, or any color you like. You can also just serve them without painting.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Any sugar cookie recipe will work. In this case, because it bakes in the pan, I don’t mind a little baking powder, in fact I prefer to have some leavening agent so that the cookie itself has a lighter texture. You can use vanilla or other flavorings if you like. I often add agave nectar to my cookie dough, a trick I learned from Amber (@sweetambs). The cookies brown a little more and retain moisture longer.

MARSHMALLOW MONSTERS CUPCAKES

Any particular recipe will work, I used Chocolate cupcakes and vanilla buttercream (American style) for the frosting (check recipes in this post of my recent past). A swirl of orange with a 2D piping tip, sprinkles, and a piece of marshmallow decorated with black Royal icing to add the final touch.

CHOCOLATE COVERED OREOS

From top left to bottom right: Orange Dyed Candy Melts + black fondant decorations; Orange Dyed Candy Melts + Black Royal icing; Chocolate Transfer Sheet from Evil Cake Genius; Orange Dyed Candy Melts + Black Royal icing

1 YEAR AGO: Happy Halloween!

2 YEARS AGO: Halloween Brownies, Two Ways

3 YEARS AGO: Revving the Engines for Halloween

4 YEARS AGO: Happy Halloween from my Cookie Blog to You!

5 YEARS AGO: Incredibly Simple Carrots

6 YEARS AGO: Sarah Bernhardt’s Cookies

7 YEARS AGO: A Really Big Announcement

8 YEARS AGO: Stir-Fried Chicken in Sesame-Orange Sauce

9 YEARS AGO: Monday Blues

10 YEARS AGO: A New Way to Roast Veggies

11 YEARS AGO: Two Takes on Raspberries

12 YEARS AGO: Spice Cake with Blackberry Puree

13 YEARS AGO: Own Your Kitchen with Cappuccino Panna Cotta

14 YEARS AGO: Chicken Parmigiana, the Thriller

15 YEARS AGO: Wild Mushroom Risotto

16 YEARS AGO: Tartine Bread: Basic Country Loaf

17 YEARS AGO: Pugliese Bread

19Oct2026

CUPCAKES FOR THE SEASON

Posted in Cake by sallybr

Almost every week I try to donate a batch of cupcakes to the homeless meal in town. This post includes four recent bakes that celebrate the season of Fall and Scary. Because in this bewitching kitchen, we love both vibes…

The fall inspired cupcakes were this basic recipe with 1 tsp pumpkin spice mixture incorporated in the batter. The Halloween cupcakes were chocolate, using this recipe. The frosting for all of them was a straightforward American buttercream, recipe available in this post.

FALL LEAVES CUPCAKES

My first time trying to decorate cupcakes with a stencil and air-brushing. . It is quite simple, you frost the cupcakes with a blob of vanilla buttercream, and lay them upside down on parchment paper, flattening the surface. Place in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove them, carefully lift them right side up, place the stencil over the still frozen surface, and airbrush it.

PUMPKIN SHAPED CUPCAKES

I loved making this design. Frost the cake with orange dyed buttercream, immediately shower it with orange sanding sugar, and use a chospstick to make indentations in the shape of a pmpkin. Add details with green buttercream and a small round piping tip.

SPIDER CUPCAKES

Aren’t they the scariest and sweetest? Super easy design. You need white buttercream to frost the surface using a large French style piping tip. A small amount of black buttercream for the details. Little store bought candy eyes, and Oreo cookies. Once you have all these items, it is pretty straightforward: frost, place Oreo, add details, glue eyes.

LITTLE GHOSTS CUPCAKES

Compared to all other cupcakes, these have little frosting. All you need is white buttercream, first with a large open piping tip, the a small tip for the little arms. Candy corn for the addd cuteness and a very small amount of black frosting for the eyes and mouth.

I hope this post will inspire you to bake some cupcakes before Halloween comes and goes…

1 YEAR AGO: Friendly Ghost Cupcakes (no fondant!)

2 YEARS AGO: Semolina Sourdough

3 YEARS AGO: Incredibly Simple, times three

4 YEARS AGO: Chile Rellenos

5 YEARS AGO: Vietnamese “Pizza”

6 YEARS AGO: Chocolate Bonbons with Mango-Ganache Filling

7 YEARS AGO: Giant Cookie Meets Mousse

8 YEARS AGO: The Brazilian Battenberg

9 YEARS AGO: Salzburg Sourdough

10 YEARS AGO: If I had One Hour

11 YEARS AGO: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cake

12 YEARS AGO: Sourdough Rye Bread with Flaxseeds and Oats

13 YEARS AGO: Apricot-Raspberry Sorbet: A farewell to Summer

14 YEARS AGO: Marcela’s Salpicon

15 YEARS AGO: Pork Kebabs

16 YEARS AGO: Fondant au Chocolat

17 YEARS AGO: Got Spinach? Have a salad!

14Sep2026

OWLSOME CUPCAKES

Posted in Cake, Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Sorry, could not resist the pun… These are chocolate cupcakes, and they are the most fun and adorable project you can definitely do with kids. They will love the process and later consuming all the owlsome calories. Ok, I’ll stop now.

OWLSOME CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

makes 10

for the cupcakes:
50g butter, room temperature
110g all-purpose flour
25g cocoa powder (Dutch-processed)
150g sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
130ml milk at room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
1 + 1/2 tsp baking powder

for buttercream:
120g butter, softened
240g powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
heavy cream to thin consistency, if needed

to decorate:
Oreo cookies, gently open so that the filling stays nicely on one side
brown and orange M&Ms

Make the cupcakes. Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners. I like to sprinkle rice at the bottom of the muffin space before adding the liners on top.

Whisk the egg and milk in a measuring cup with a fork. Reserve.

Put the flour, baking powder, sat, cocoa powder, butter and sugar into the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.Mix on medium speed until the butter forms a sand-like consistency, in very small pieces.

Pour half the mix/egg mixture into the bowl and mix on low speed until incorporated, the increase the speed to high for a minute. Add the remaining milk, and again mix on low, then increase speed to high. Add to the cupcake liners until half full, not more than that,

Bake at 350F for about 15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack before frosting.

Make the buttercream by whisking the butter for about 7 minutes on high speed. Add the powdered sugar in three portions, whisking low at first, then increasing speed. At the last addition, incorporate also the cocoa powder. Whisk on high for a couple of minutes, thin wth heavy cream if needed.

To decorate, spread a layer of buttercream on top of the cupcakes. To the open Oreos add brown M&M to form the eyes, press gently but firmly to attach to the white filing. It is easier to do that before you add the Oreo to the cupcake. Place the Oreos as eyes, then use Oreos without filling cut in half for the eyebrows. Add the orange M&M for the beak.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I cannot take credit for the idea, I saw it somewhere on Pinterest and made a version, as it seemed pretty straightforward. The only thing is, you will need a lot more Oreos than you think, because yes, “there will be breaks”. Also, sometimes when you separate them the filling does not stay nicely on one side. If you try to move it around and fix things, it just won’t work very well. So, be gentle, twist slowly as you open them. Also, when you cut them in half for the eyebrows, it is easy to crumble one of the halves. Anyway, no big deal but make sure you have enough to start with.

.

Not sure how many people will get this quote, but I’ll take the risk…

1 YEAR AGO: Chicken Thighs with Apples and Sage

2 YEARS AGO: Gochujang Grilled Chicken Thighs

3 YEARS AGO: Feta Eggs with Zucchini

4 YEARS AGO: Poilane-Style Bread, a simplified version

5 YEAR AGO: Broccoli Salad with Pomegranate Seeds and Tahini Dressing

6 YEARS AGO: Turkey-Spinach Meatballs with Cardamon-Tomato Sauce

7 YEARS AGO: British Baps, a Technical Challenge

8 YEARS AGO: Japanese-Style Cupcakes with Cherry Blossom Icing

9 YEARS AGO: Quick Weeknight Soups

10 YEARS AGO: Sourdough Loaf with Cranberries and Walnuts

11 YEARS AGO: Sichuan Pork Stir-Fry in Garlic Sauce

12 YEARS AGO: Our Green Trip to Colorado

13 YEARS AGO: Ditalini Pasta Salad

14 YEARS AGO: Celebrate Wednesday with a Thai Seafood Curry

15 YEARS AGO: Post-workout Breakfast

16 YEARS AGO: Semolina Barbecue Buns

17 YEARS AGO: Lavash Crackers

9Sep2026

FOUR GREAT BAKES, AND A COOKBOOK REVIEW!

Posted in Cake, Cookbook Reviews, Cookies, Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Today I have a very special blog post for you. I am very excited to share a short review of the first cookbook by Martin Sorge. Martin won The Great American Baking Show back in 2023 and just published an amazing cookbook that reflects very well his style of baking: attention to detail, focus on things that truly matter to make a recipe shine, and creativity to come up with clever twists in classics. Normally, I would include a recipe but to do so I would have to ask permission from Martin himself and/or the publisher. I wanted this post to be a surprise for Martin so I did not contact him. I will just share photos of the recipes I’ve tried so far, and direct you to his book. If you love to bake, Great Bakes is a total must-have!

Great Bakes: Modern Classic Recipes from the Midwest, by Martin Sorge. To order, click here.

I will start with perhaps my favorite…

LEMON-GINGER SANDWICH COOKIES

This recipe has quite a few clever twists to prevent common issues with sandwich cookies. The filling is pure genius, using clarified butter to reduce the water content, so that it firms up and holds nicely when you bite into the cookie. The cookie dough contains fresh and powdered ginger, the filling a touch of turmeric. You absolutely need to make this… The texture, the taste, the sharpness of the filling, it is perfection in cookie shape!

BLACK FOREST BROWNIES

Fudgy, intense, sweet but with the bursts of sharpness of sour cherries, this recipe is brilliant and very “uncomplicated”. Martin streamlines things whenever possible, it is part of what makes his book so cool and his flawless baking approachable.

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

One of my favorite sections of the book, I made his basic version (although I did add some bells and whistles with the chocolate drizzle and bling), but Martin offers several variations, including one that is calling my name, Toasted Sesame. I even invested in a new pan for this bake… A 9-inch square pan with removable bottom. Because, why resist, right? Click here for the one I got.

ULTRA-OATY OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

This was an OMG type of chocolate chip cookie, and got two thumbs up by the resident critic, who is very picky about cookies with oats and chocolate chips. They MUST contain nuts, and Martin did not disappoint him… In case you are wondering, no raisins were invited to this party.

And now, time for a little walk through his book…

The book is divided in chapters that are quite unusual and fun in their terminology. First comes…

DUMP IT IN A PAN… The chapter opens with a quote from Dolly Parton; There’s no bad way to eat a biscuit. Considering her recent passing, this is a sweet reminder of who she was and how she’s lived her life. This chapter shares recipes for crisps cobbler, cornbread brownies and biscuits. I will have to pick my favorite recipe from this chapter to be his brownies since it was the first recipe I tried from his book. He offers a few variations for this classic but the Black Forest was outstanding. I would love to try the coconut caramel brownies, as well as his strawberry and tarragon shortcake, and his Midwest cornbread, which I am sure will be spectacular.

BALLS OF JOY… That is how Martin classifies cookies, isn’t it adorable? Opening quote by Cookie Monster, you will have to get the book to see which one he chose. Chapter opens with Shortbread, and Martin has very clear ideas about what makes it perfect. Love the variations, and adored his basic version. Crumbly, just the right amount of sweetness. He went on with Spritz cookies, which I definitely intend to try, particularly his Eggnog version. But I am set to trying his Strawberry Magic Macarons, just looking at the picture makes me dream.

STUFF IN CRUST… Opening quote by Carl Sagan, one of my heroes. I had not seen that one, and it gave me a huge smile. I do think Martin excels at pastry, the chapter is a basic, thorough lesson on pie crusts, including many versions of pies that you probably never imagined making. Oe example Apple, Quince and Vanilla Bean Pie. The lattice work on that one is to die for. Apple Strudel is in there and looks fabulous too. I am looking forward to making his Corn, Tomato and Red Pepper Galette, and Sausage Rolls.

NEED TO KNEAD… Opening quote by James Beard. Martin knows how to pick the quotes, I tell you. This is an outstanding chapter, Martin did his homework and each recipe sounds like a winner. I have not made a recipe from his book yet, but a whole wheat loaf from his blog is a favorite in our home. You can check that recipe here. From the book, pretty much everything in this chapter appeals to me: Big Crusty Loaf, Three-Seed No-Knead Bread,Whole Wheat Toast Bread, Honey Emmer Dinner Rolls, just to name a few. But perhaps my favorite section in this chapter is “Breads that Speak German”. He had a chance to practice bread baking in Germany, and shares his expertise with us. Swabian Soft Pretzels, Bungalowbrot, Vollkornbrot (aka Real Rye Bread), Stollen. A wonderful collection indeed.

NICE CAKES… Martin confesses that cake was his nemesis for many years, and since I was a certified cake-o-phobe, I had to smile. Martin is partial to chocolate ganache or whipped cream to decorate cakes, although he shares a Chocolate Cake with Peanut Buttercream that seems amazing. I am absolutely mesmerized by Nirali’s Masala Chai Chocoflan, Nirali was a contestant in the same season of the Bake Off, and they live in the same city, so they kept swapping ideas and baking together. This gorgeous cake is a result of this sweet collaboration.

BEYOND CATEGORIZATION… Opening quote: The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Indeed it is! In this chapter you will find things such as Chocolate Malt Pudding, Lemon Curd (with variations), Pavlova, Choux Pastry and incredibly cool Sweet Corn Cream Puffs.

NEEDLESSLY COMPLICATED… This is a nod to the showstopper component of the Bake Off. Martin starts giving tips on how to tackle a real intimidating, complex baking project. Having won the competition in that tent, he knows what he’s talking about. The chapter opens with S’mores Croquembouche, moves to Bagel and Lox Paris Brest, but I am also super intrigued by his Piña Colada Princess Cake.

I hope you enjoyed this little review, I close this post congratulating Martin not only for the amazing performance in the tent, but for the beautiful job he did composing and publishing this book!

1 YEAR AGO: A Duet of Macarons

2 YEARS AGO: Caramel Sandwich Cookies

3 YEARS AGO: Miso-Caramel Cracker Cookies

4 YEARS AGO: Mooncakes for Mid-Autumn Festival

5 YEARS AGO: Almond-Raspberry Triangles and a Special Cookbook Review

6 YEARS AGO: Sweet and Spicy Roasted Cauliflower

7 YEARS AGO: Roasted Cauliflower Salad over Hummus

8 YEARS AGO: Queen of Sheba

9 YEAR AGO: Brunch Burger

10 YEARS AGO: Mango Salsa with Verjus

11 YEARS AGO: Raspberry Bittersweet Chocolate Chunk Brownies

12 YEARS AGO: Scary Good Pork Burgers

13 YEARS AGO: Review of exercise program Focus25

14 YEARS AGO: Celebrate Wednesday with a Thai Seafood Curry

15 YEARS AGO: Post-workout Breakfast

16 YEARS AGO: Semolina Barbecue Buns

17 YEARS AGO: Lavash Crackers

25Aug2026

FOUR LITTLE CUPCAKES

Posted in Cake by sallybr

Vanilla or Chocolate Cupcakes, all with American Buttercream in different decorating styles. Two designs went tropical, showcasing a plump Brazilian “brigadeiro” on the top.

VANILLA CUPCAKES
(adapted from several sources)

120g all-purpose flour
150g granulated sugar
40g butter, unsalted, removed from the fridge for 30 minutes
1 large egg
120mL milk
1 + 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
1/4 tsp salt

Heat the oven to 350F and line a cupcake pan with paper baking cups. Recipe makes 9 to 10 cupcakes.

Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and butter cut in small pieces in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low until the butter is in very small pieces, almost like sand.

Whisk the egg with the milk and vanilla, add slowly to the mixer running in low-speed. Once it is almost smooth, increase the speed to high for a couple of minutes, scraping the bottom of the bowl once.

Stop the mixer and make sure the batter is fully smooth, mixing by hand with a spatula. Add batter to the 9 cupcakes, filling half-way full only. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.

Leave cool completely before decorating.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

PASTEL TONES CUPCAKES

Vanilla cupcakes were baked then frosted with American buttercream, using this recipe. The batch was divided in three portions, dyed pastel pink, teal, and the last portion left white. Then, it was a matter of having fun with different piping tips and finish them with sprinkles in matching color.

I used a 3D Wilton tip for the large rose swirl, and a tip 20 for the other details. Just have fun with it, no precision needed. I love the end result…

BRAZILIAN-STYLE CUPCAKES, TWO WAYS

I used the same vanilla cupcake recipe, the same American buttercream. Rolled brigadeiros in sprinkles, and used them to decorate the cupcakes right after frosting. I used a large open star tip to make petal-style piping. You can use white frosting, or make a marble type like I did in one of my batches, using pink and white.

These turned out fun and from what I heard, were a big hit when I donated them…

GALAXY CUPCAKES

CHOCOLATE GALAXY CUPCAKES
(inspired by several sources)

for the cupcakes (makes 10):
100g all-purpose flour
20g cocoa powder
140g granulated sugar
40g butter, softened
1/8 tsp salt
1 large egg
120mL milk, full-fat
1 + 1/2 tsp baking powder

Heat oven to 350F and line a tray with cupcake liners.

Mix the milk with egg in a small bowl, whisk, reserve.

Put the flour, cocoa powder, butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until the butter forms a sand consistency. Pour half the milk mixture into the bowl and mix on low-speed for a minute. Increase the speed to medium-high for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining milk mixture, and mix on low-speed until fully incorporated.

Increase the speed for a few seconds, then add the batter to the lined cupcakes. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes clean when inserted in the center.

Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

For the galaxy effect, divide the buttercream in three portions, one of them smaller than the other two (no need for exact measurements, you can eye-ball). The idea is to minimize the amount of the very dark component, otherwise it will overpower the design. Dye the smallest portion black, the other two teal and pink. Add them in straight lines over plastic wrap, roll the wrap like a sausage and insert into a large piping bag fitted with an open star tip. Pipe swirls, and add sprinkles. These would be amazing next to the cookies I blogged about recently, don’t you think?