Preparation
The spooky season is nearly upon us, and even if you’re not a fan of scary movies, indulging in sweet treats is one sure to be one of your favorite Halloween traditions. If you’re looking to go the homemade route this year, there are a variety of cake pans and cookie cutters that make it easy to prepare Halloween-themed desserts.
To help ensure your Halloween cakes include all of the lovely details of the pans you use, Penny Stankiewicz, chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, stresses the importance of prep. “There are a couple of ways to do it, but the way I think is easiest is to use melted butter and flour,” she says. First, gently melt some butter in the microwave, keeping it at a temperature that’s just barely warm and not too hot. Using a pastry brush, brush the butter all over the pan, making sure to get into all the little details and crevices. Next, sprinkle some flour into the pan and roll it around to ensure even coverage throughout; once each section is covered, turn the pan upside down over a trash can and tap it to remove any extra flour. Lastly, Stankiewicz recommends chilling the pan for about 15 minutes to reset the butter and keep it in place. “Cocoa powder works well, too, if the cake is chocolate; it helps avoid any visible flour residue on the baked cake,” she says. Without proper prep, parts of your cake can stick to the pan when you’re turning it out and you’ll lose some of the details.
Waiting for the cake to cool is also key. Stankiewicz recommends cooling the cake inside the pan for at least 15 to 20 minutes, preferably on a rack for air circulation. “If you don’t have a rack you can place it on top of a smaller pan that can still support it, but will allow for air flow around the bottom of the pan,” she said. “If you try to take it out while it’s too warm, the structure won’t have set enough, and it can easily break or fall apart.”
When working with cookie cutters or stamps, Stankiewicz recommends keeping a small bowl of flour beside you to dip the cutter into (shaking off any excess) between each press into the dough to ensure crisp, defined edges. To help your cookies hold their shape after baking, chill the cookie dough before cutting shapes into it, and then again before baking. “You’ll want to use a trusted sugar cookie recipe, preferably one that has little to no baking powder in it to help control spread,” Stankiewicz says. “Sablé cookie doughs also work well for this.”
Now that you have the tips you need, it’s time to get shopping. These cake pans and cookie cutters will help you create terrifyingly delicious treat for Halloween.
Best Centerpiece: Nordic Ware Haunted Manor Bundt PanBest Set: Williams Sonoma Halloween Cookie Cutter Storybook SetBest Silicone Option: Halloween Gravestone Silicone MoldBest Stainless Steel Cookie Cutters: Large Halloween Cookie Cutter SetBest Skull Mold: Nordic Ware Skull Pan
