I've been baking today (because clearly nothing is scarier than cake) in preparation for any of our neighbour's little monsters that might cross our path later, and I seem to be overrun with spiders.
Actually I think we were overrun with slightly more genuine spiders before I started cooking - I've been trying to convince H that my lack of dusting is for atmospheric decor but I loose that excuse tomorrow - time to find the dusters.
These spiders are much more cute and delicious than the other sort.
The base is a chocolate fairy cake, topped with plain white icing and then I've simply repeated last year's moment of inspiration with the Milky Way Magic Stars and a tube of black icing.
You do have to be a little bit careful with the Magic Stars because not all of them have the face in the right orientation to give a head point, and then the 'arms and legs', so I did have the onerous task of sitting down with a dish of Magic Stars and 'disposing' of the ones that don't work - how we creative types suffer for our art!
I love the stars that look surprised so they turn up in abundance.
The fairy cake cases came from Lakeland in Exeter; the nicest sort I saw in the UK.
I did however, have a little help from a friend ....
L went to Las Vegas on holiday a little while back and as she loves cooking as much as I do, she asked whether there was anything that I wanted - I asked for Halloween cup cases, which she brought me in abundance, together with a Haunted House decorating kit.
I made the muffin-sized cupcake (lemon sponge), and covered it with green buttercream, and the kit had the wrought iron fence 'wrapper', and the little houses and moons on toothpicks.
I have a haunted village.
The spiders are for any trick or treaters, the houses are entirely for us!
If you're into any kind of cake decorating, L and I discovered the Squires Kitchen website recently (to add to our obsession with Lakeland and De Cuisine) and they have butterfly cake wrappers. I'm seriously thinking about 30 butterfly cupcakes for my next birthday - maybe H could have matching trains or dinosaurs?
Now then, to important things. I've finished my Snowbird mittens (currently blocking on the ironing board) and this means that, shockingly, my needles are mitten-free. This state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue so I have lined up the next pattern, the Twilight Mittens from Interweave. My quandary is this; for the main colour, I have gorgeous black Regia Wool Silk left over from H's socks, but for the contrast colour should I go for
(a) Dream in Colour Smooshy in Pansy Golightly
(b) Noro Kureyon Sock
Reminiscent of the sunset in the Lake District in September, definitely set off well by the black, but a thick thin yarn, and possibly a little too different in texture to the wool silk.
Which one would you choose?
In the meantime, have a cake.
Thank you,it was yummy. I love the haunted village, too good for kiddos though (I'm on door duty at the moment, I've been to the door four times since I started reading this)
ReplyDeleteI prefer the colours of the Noro sock yarn but I fear that it would let you down in the knitting with unwanted textural effects. I've only knitted with one ball of it and I don't rate it at all.
I'm not a huge halloween fan (impossibly shy as a child, I dreaded trick or treating!)...but I do enjoy the anticipation of what treat you are baking up. These don't disappoint!
ReplyDeleteLove that pattern...I like the top choice the best but I think either will make a great pair of mitts!
Those cakes look yummy, If I'd only known I could have come trick or treating!! I would go for the smooshy, much more comforting than the Noro sock yarn. I'm half way (loosely translated as just started) through a scarf in Noro sock yarn because I fell for the colours, but the yarn, it doesn't do it for me.
ReplyDeleteYum! I will take a spider and a haunted house please:)
ReplyDeleteHope you had a grand time yesterday:) We sure did... now to figure out what to do with all the candy:)
Did you get your goodies yet?
from Marisol:)
Yummmm!
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm - The colors of Noro would be more fun to knit and would look like a sunset behind the trees - The DIC would be safe, but not as much fun. Either way you can't lose - both will be beautiful mitts!