HALLOWEEN GRAVEYARD CUPCAKES

METHOD

Tombstone Cookies

1. Process the black sesame seeds in a food processor – you can grind it finely or chose to leave some whole for texture.
2. Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cream with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add in the egg yolk and beat until it is fully incorporated.
3. Add in the ground sesame seeds and almond meal. Sift in the flour and salt. Mix until a dough is formed.
4. Divide the dough into two (so that it is easier to handle). Turn out each dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Shape the dough into a tombstone shape – dome on the top and flat on the other 3 sides. Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour (I left mine overnight).
5. Pre-heat the oven to 175C / 350F. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
6. Slice the cookie dough – about ¼ inch thick each – and place the slices on the baking sheet. Bake the cookies for about 13 to 15 minutes until the edges are lightly browned (mine was over-baked a little). Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before storing them in an air-tight container.

   As the recipe makes 40 to 50 cookies, once you have sliced and baked about 30 cookies (make extra just in case), you can freeze the remaining dough and save them for another day when you crave for cookies. The cookie dough can be kept frozen for up to 3 months. The cookies can be made 3 to 5 days in advance.

Chocolate Cooked Flour Frosting

1. Whisk the flour and milk together in a small pot. Heat the milk mixture over medium heat and whisk consistently until it has thickened into a glue-like consistency. Remove from heat and let cool completely. To speed up the process, place the pot over a ice water bath to let it cool faster.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and caster sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract and the cooled milk mixture. Beat with the electric mixer until thoroughly combined. Sift in cocoa powder and beat until fully incorporated.

   Frosting can be made 3 days in advance. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Let it soften at room temperature before using.

Baileys Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 160C / 320F. Line 24-muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. Measure the plain flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Whisk the mixture with a wire whisk to distribute the baking soda and salt evenly.
3. In a small pot, measure the cocoa powder and sugar. Add in the coffee and butter. Heat the mixture on medium heat, and whisk frequently until all the butter has melted, and the cocoa powder and sugar has dissolved. Pour the cocoa-coffee into a large mixing bowl and let it rest for 10 minutes to cool down.
4. Stir in the Baileys. Crack in one egg into the cocoa-coffee mixture and whisk it in until it has been fully incorporated. Whisk in the second egg then whisk in the vanilla extract.
5. Sift in the flour mixture and whisk in gently until all the flour has been incorporated. The cake batter will be thin (very liquidy). Fill cupcake liners until ¾ full. You will end up with about 24 cupcakes. Lift up the tin and drop it on the table counter-top gently 3 to 5 times to remove excess air bubbles.
6. Bake the cupcakes for 20 to 25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Place the muffin tin on a wire rack and let the cupcakes cool completely in the muffin tin before frosting.

   Cupcakes can be made 2 to 3 days in advance.

Decoration

1. Place the cooled chocolate into a piping bag and snip off just a tiny bit at the end. If the chocolate is not thick enough to pipe, refrigerate the chocolate (in the piping bag) for 3 minutes and check the consistency. Chill until you have a thick consistency to pipe. Place the Tombstone Cookies on a baking sheet or a plate. Pipe “RIP” or desired wordings with the chocolate. Refrigerate the cookies until the chocolate has hardened completely.
2. Fill the Chocolate Flour Frosting into a piping bag fitted with a plain tip. Pipe the frosting onto the completely cooled Baileys Cupcakes.
3. Place the crushed chocolate biscuits in a small bowl. Dip the frosting very gently (if you press the frosting too hard, it will flatten the frosting, making it hard for the cookie to stand upright) into the crushed chocolate biscuits to coat. Alternatively, use a spoon and sprinkle the crushed biscuits on top of the frosting.
4. Press a Tombstone Cookie in the middle of the frosting. Refrigerate the cupcakes for 15 minutes so that the frosting can hold the cookie in place before serving.

Serving Idea

1. Place the cupcakes on a black/dark serving tray and sprinkle the remaining cookie crumbs all over the tray.