Marzipan Witch Pumpkins And Cauldron Recipes

Steps:

• Make the cakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat nonstick mini-muffin tins with cooking spray.
• Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisk the sugars and eggs in a medium bowl. Whisk in pumpkin and vanilla. Whisk in butter until combined completely. Fold flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until no trace of flour remains (batter may be lumpy).
• Scoop batter into tins, filling cups 1/2 full. Bake until testers inserted in the centers come out clean, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer to wire racks, and let cool. (Cupcakes can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 days.)
• Make the frosting: Beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, spices, and vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Assemble the pumpkins: Cut tops from 2 cupcakes, and reserve bottoms for another use. Using a small offset spatula, spread 1 teaspoon frosting on the cut side of 1 cupcake top. Sandwich with other cupcake top, creating a round pumpkin shape. Spread 2 teaspoons frosting smoothly on sides of cupcake sandwich, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cupcakes and frosting. Refrigerate until very firm, at least 3 hours (or overnight).
• Knead together equal amounts fondant and marzipan, adding orange or brown food coloring until desired color is reached. (Reserve some fondant and marzipan to make white pumpkins if desired.) Dust a surface lightly with confectioners' sugar, and roll fondant mixture to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 4 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out circles.
• Place 1 pumpkin cake in center of 1 fondant circle. Bring sides of circle over cake, smoothing out folds, and press to enclose. Flip pumpkin over, and using a toothpick, make vertical grooves along sides. Poke a hole on top for a stem, and insert a chocolate stick. Repeat with remaining cakes and fondant. Using a clean, dry pastry brush or paintbrush, brush pumpkins with luster and pearl dusts if desired. These pumpkins will keep at room temperature up to 1 day.

Steps:

• Place marzipan on a clean work surface. Cut in half. Add a few drops of orange food coloring to one half; knead with your hands until uniform in color. Add more food coloring as needed to achieve desired color. Shape into 3/4-inch balls. Use a toothpick to make indents in tops of balls for stems and press creases along outer edges from top to bottom for pumpkin ribs.
• Divide remaining marzipan half into two pieces. Add a few drops of brown food coloring to one piece; knead with your hands until uniform in color. Add more food coloring as needed. Roll into small ropes to use as stems.
• Add a few drops of green food coloring to remaining piece of marzipan; knead with your hands until uniform in color. Add more food coloring as needed. Roll out to a 1/8-inch-thick round. Cut out leaves using a small leaf-shaped cutter. Attach stems and leaves to tops of balls, pressing with a toothpick to adhere.

Steps:

• Place almond paste and fondant in a mixing bowl with the dough hook attachment, set on first speed, beat until soft. Gradually add the syrups, then the powdered sugar to form a nice clay-like dough. Add food coloring by kneading it into the paste, by hand, on a board with a little powdered sugar. Shape into a 1-inch diameter log. Cut into 1-inch pieces and roll into a ball. Take a paring knife and gently make the indentations of the pumpkin.

Steps:

• Blend the confectioner's sugar, finely ground almonds, egg whites, salt, and almond extract in a blender until perfectly blended. Cover and chill until firm, 24 hours.