We’re all friends. I mean look at us, hanging around, doing whatever, watching the ridiculously scary new Pretty Little Liars episodes on a usual Saturday night.
All good fun, no problems, lots of food and a great night.
That is how hanging out with friends usually is, honestly, don’t get me wrong. But on Halloween, things start to happen. It usually starts with ‘something evil lurking in the dark’, and then when you turn around, ‘you see a sigh that almost stops your heart’…
When it is not Halloween, you ignore said sight. I mean, it must have been a trick of the dark, the door closing a slight gust of wind, the howling trees just whistles of the night. There can’t really be a faceless man waiting to butcher you, using all the tricks of the trade to build up his sick anticipation. Just doesn’t happen.
But then again… it is Halloween… so how can you possibly ignore it? How can you ignore the shiver that runs down your spine but when you turn around, no one is there. How do you rid yourself of the sensation someone outside your window is glaring at you with a twisted smile on their face… do you dare peak through the window? Or are you too afraid to see Freddie’s clawing hands rip through you like you were a cotton stuffed mannequin?
Or maybe, on Halloween, what you should be most wary of are those who are closest to you… people who you believe are your closest friends yet something about them just isn’t quite right. They are too happy all the time, looking like a glass-eyed doll, a grin plastered on their face, engraved almost like the Joker’s grin has been slashed into his face for the rest of time…
I mean, this lady was obviously not wary enough of her company…
You should be scared for your sanity on Halloween. Just like the werewolves that pierce the air with their long, painful howls, the full moon also affects us. People become different. They act…. Suspicious but not overly so, making you believe it is all in your head. Psychological warfare is their game. And you keep believing it is all in your head until it starts with the simple cut on the finger. ‘Oh sorry, it is an accident’ they claim and you shrug it off because if you don’t, well… you just don’t wish to think of it at all…
You continue on with whatever you are doing, now yourself looking like that haunting plastic doll, a stiff grin forced on your face to show how unaffected you are by the bloody knife which seems to never stop dripping…
Come outside, they sayand ‘you hear the door slam and realize there’s nowhere left to run’… They come closer, approach you and you see that big bloodied knife in their hands, as solemn as a demon child in movies while you ‘wonder if you’ll ever see the sun’
Possessed.
Intent.
Vengeful.
Or are you? Were you really scared? Did the night not enliven your senses, the tingling giving you adrenaline rush? Did you not peak through your fingers at the exorcist and smile, just a touch?
Maybe you were playing their game, following their rules, so you could flip the switch, turn the tables and show them exactly what it means to be
Bloody.
Ruthless.
Insane.
Because after all… it is Halloween…
********************************************************************************
Haha ok, you got me, I lied, JJ (oh yeah, the girl I am ‘about to kill’ is JJ :D) and I did not try to murder each other to celebrate Halloween festivities, nor were we possessed by demonic spirits, witches or any of the kind 🙂
The only dog howling was my neighbours Labrador and that did not last too long either 😉
Admittedly, I pushed her to we both had fun posing with real serrated bread knives and pumpkins and basic creepy stuff because come on… it is fun 😀
The blood you see, as crazy as this sounds I am sure, is actually red food colouring, no biggy at all so I hope no one was hyperventilating over that 😉
Nothing scary, nothing crazy, just a hell-of-a-lot-of-halloween baking!
We made so many different designs of cupcakes, it is scary just thinking about it!
I mean, they are not cute or anything, I mean, damn guys, if I found one of these cupcakes in my room, I would be screaming my head off… truly frightening stuff 😉
Honestly, where to begin, where to begin… oh yes, perhaps the actual cupcake recipe would be a good spot 😀
After all it did make such insanely smooth, soft and deliciously buttery cupcakes. Oh and those frostings which were just so melt-in-mouth style…
Definitely the place to start if you must ask me 😀
Cupcakes
Source: Mastering The Art Of Baking
Makes: 12 + one mini loaf
Ingredients:
- 225g plain flour
- 1 ½ tsp of baking powder
- 150g caster sugar
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- 60ml full cream milk
- 3 eggs, room temperature (ours weren’t)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 100g 70% or more dark chocolate (if want half chocolate batter)
- Decorations as desired
Method:
- Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Line 12 muffin tins with muffin liners + lightly grease one mini bar tin
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl, add sugar, eggs, butter, milk and vanilla
- Use an electric mixer to beat on low speed until combined
- Increase speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes or until well combined and mixture appears paler
- Divide mixture in half. Melt chocolate over low heat in saucepan until smooth
- Pour into half the batter and mix in till well combined.
- Divide mixture evenly among the cases (JJ and I filled them up a little over halfway)
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean from the centre of the cakes
- Cool for 5 minutes in the tin then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (We then refrigerated them immediately since JJ had to leave and we needed time to frost them – not recommended but if no time, it works :D)
- Decorate as desired!
I will tell you all about our decorations in a minute, I promise, but there ain’t no way you are getting anything done without a sweet sweet coating 😀
Now, we made two different types of icing because we are just so pro like that 😉
First up, we have the classic vanilla buttercream:
Vanilla Buttercream
Source: Mastering The Art Of Baking
Makes: Enough for 12 cupcakes (I would say make double, our batch was enough)
Ingredients:
- 100g butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 160g icing sugar (we used icing mixture), sifted
- Full cream Milk, optional if needed (we didn’t)
Method:
- Use an electric beater to beat the butter and vanilla in a small bowl until pale and creamy
- Gradually beat in the icing sugar, about 60g at a time
- Test the consistency – if the frosting is too thick, beat in a little milk, one tbs at a time, until desired consistency
Note:
- Beat in any flavourings required or desired or both according to taste e.g. cocoa powder, citrus peel etc.
Vanilla Glace Icing
Source: Mastering The Art Of Baking
Makes: Enough for 12 cupcakes (again, I recommend doubling the recipe)
Ingredients:
- 180g icing sugar, sifted
- 20g unsalted butter
- 1 tbs water
Method:
- Put all ingredients in a heat-safe bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure base of bowl does not touch water)
- Stir until the butter has melted and the icing is glossy and smooth
Note:
- We found out that the cold version of this icing is ridiculously malleable like fondant so used it to make shapes to decorate with 😀
Now, we made many different types of cupcakes. While some such as a spider and its web are a simple task of drawing, others went through an intense five minute planning session. Legit 😉
So here are some ideas pour vous mes cheris!
- Dye your frostings different colours – We did this in many ways but I personally found my favourite results from doing this came from double colour piping- simply place a barrier in centre of the piping bag out of hard aluminium foil then put equal amounts of each colour on either side. Carefully remove the aluminium barrier and then scrape any icing back into the piping bag. Twist together and voila, use a large tip to pipe away your two-tone frosting!
- For our spidery green slimy cupcakes, we simply used fudge writing to draw on them – but the inside holds a delicious Cadbury milk chocolate ‘scary egg secret’. Basically we took out a small cone from each cupcake and stuffed it with half an egg. Frost over the top and everyone is surprised! We used coloured glace icing for this 🙂
- For our ‘worm dirt’ cupcakes, we stuffed the words inside, dirt inspired us to place sprinklets on top… 🙂
- For the jack o lantern and both Mr Luna ParK and Ms Medusa, we used dried glace icing, coloured it and rolled it into the shape desired – it worked just like fondant :D, rolling easier actually 🙂
- Last we actually did use all white icing, one to make a cute little ghosts (with cachous balls as eyes) as well as a voodoo heads, for which we added chopped cashews for a stitched up mouth 😀
Sweet dreams mes amis, JJ and I say goodnight for now but the fun has obviously just begun… watch out!
Ha ha – I think you had fun 🙂 Love those cupcakes girl!
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The two of you look like you’re having so much fun! I love the spooky photos and those cupcakes are just darling. I want the one with the worms coming out of it.
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That pic of the knife cutting into the finger… once I figured out what it was, yuk, you got me. Truly creepy and fun! Hi to your lovely friends who helped with the baking and tasting. Glad to see you’re having such a good time through your high school years.
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Look fun and delicious…nothing better than cupcakes with friends 🙂
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These are so so cute 🙂 Also I totally made my kids watch the Thriller video in its entirety on Halloween.
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You are too much girl!!
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How fun! What a great time you girls had and the cupcakes look uber scary! 🙂
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Looks like you girls had fun during Halloween!! Spookylicious creations you have here 🙂
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Very creative cupcakes…looks yummy too!
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Hi Uru,
You girls seem to have had loads of fun and are super cute! Your cupcakes look amazing!
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Teehee, so fun! I love how into the decorating side of things you get. I’m always too focused on eating as soon as possible 😉
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you must have had an amazing Halloween, a lot of good fun! I like your spooky cupcakes ….very cute!
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You ladies were clearly having TOO MUCH FUN! 🙂
I adore the pumpkin cupcakes! Just too cuto!
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I think you guys loook pretty cute Uru!
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Cute photos!
I love all the cupcakes you made and they sound delish! 🙂
Glad you had a fun Halloween — not too, too scary!
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Everything looks great
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Thriller never ceases to spook the heck out of me! Thank goodness for cupcakes! 😀 I hope you had a happy and fun halloween! HUGS!
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ah that’s spooky fun! who finish all the cupcakes?
Latest: Menu of the Day: PEBBLES
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Those are some cute cupcakes!
A friend of mine recommended Pretty Little Liars but haven’t had the chance to watch it again. Maybe when I finally finish my damn uni assignments!
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Haha the HSC won’t stop me watching my shows this year 😉
You are much more committed!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Halloween is my favorite holiday, but unfortunately Hurricane Sandy wiped it out this year. However, your post and spooky/yummy cupcakes made me smile AND drool! I love all the photos..you are so cute!
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You and your friend sure know how to have a grand time.
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Your cupcakes turned out adorable! More importantly, it looks like you had way too much fun making them! These sound delicious 🙂
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Happy belated Halloween, my friend! It was canceled around here due to the hurricane, but I’m so happy to see that others were still able to enjoy the evening. 🙂
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I hope you are doing better my friend and will have a candy stuffed halloween soon like no other – do not cancel, just postpone 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Haha love all the photos! You and your friends look like a fun bunch who know how to enjoy/bake delicious treats 🙂
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I am so glad that you and your friend had a spooky and fun Halloween! Two sweet and beautiful young ladies!
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Your halloween cupcakes turned out so fabulous! And it looks like you had a blast with your friend – you two seem like tons of fun. =)
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Looks like you had a blast! Really cute post.
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Looks like you guys had great fun. These cupcake looks cute and sure delicious.
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What a great array of Halloween cupcakes! I love the twisted icing…I need to try that method. You two are so cute…I still love my high school friends 🙂
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Lovely post and looks great! beautiful photography too
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Love the cupcakes!!! 🙂
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What a cute post, you made me smile:) Your photos and cupcakes are so much fun. Hope you had a great Halloween!
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Scary stuff!
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SOO MANY CUPCAKES OMGAAHH! I should have come to your place last night!
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Great fun post! 😛 I can never get my icing right – I don’t know why. I’ll try your instructions next time I do some cupcakes. Have a great weekend!
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What a fun post, Happy Halloween! I love the dirt cupcakes with the worms!
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Love all the seasonal decorations 🙂
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I do love a good cupcake! Looks like you had lots of fun…and I need to check out “Pretty Little Liars” on Netflix sometime.
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Definitely my friend, you will NOT be disappointed 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Sounds like you and your friends had an amazing time!
I love baking with friends, it is so much fun and crazy funny things happen to make it all more memorable
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I second that my friend 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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That thriller video (from back in the day) brings back memories! 🙂
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What an incredible collection of halloweeny goodies! What a fun time you must have had with your bestie.
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Sounds like you had a fun halloween! I do believe I will need to bake something for this occasion next year with all the cute things I’ve seen this year!
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Cute cupcakes! That’s a fantastic way to spend Halloween night.
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No playing with knives!!!! LOL.
But, feel free to play with food to make more Halloween goodies! 😀
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Your cupcakes are amazing! Great job decorating them. I love Halloween it really is so much fun. Unfortunately there is no Halloween in Israel 😦
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Happy Halloween though I’m a day late! you guys made so many different cupcakes! Such colourful goodness! hope that you had as much fun eating them as making them.
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lovely ‘tricky’ treats for Halloween!
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Boo! And what’s Freddy doing in the pix? Did he visit u too?? Scary!! Hahaha! Gosh, u’re so cute! Those cupcakes are adorable!
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Haha only in my dreams my friend 😉
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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You are too cute and funny! I love your stories. Love the photos and those cupcakes are simply amazing!!!
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I knew it would be fun over here tonight! Best time I’ve had all night!
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So cute and spooky, what a great idea! I love halloween it is just so much fun 🙂
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Happy Halloween! I loved your creativity!
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Happy Halloween CCU! What a blast baking with friends… You guys were so creative. Scary eyeballs in my cupcakes… Take care, BAM
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Happy Halloween CCU! I love all your decorated cupcakes – it looks like you guys had a LOT of fun!
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awww! Those cupcakes are super cute Uru!! Great job on your Halloween baking! 🙂
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Cute cupcakes Uru! And Happy Halloween to you!
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What a terrific range of Halloween cupcakes. My favourite clip from the ones you’ve posted has to be Michael Jackson’s Thriller. I remember so well the hype surrounding the release of that video clip. And it so deserved the hype! xx
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I wish I could have been around that hype, it must have been incredible 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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How fun! Have a fun and safe Halloween! I love these cupcakes
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Chippy, you’re so cute. Love the funny pics and the cupcakes look great!
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Love all the pictures! It looks like you two had a great time messing around and baking! I love Halloween, it’s my favorite. Your cupcakes are so cute. Have a Happy Halloween Uru!!
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Hahaha, you’re so cute, Uru. Halloween’s postponed for me 😦 but your cupcakes are wonderful! And I love the green sliminess in the middle of the cupcakes. XD
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I hope everything is getting better my friend and then you guys deserve a HUGE candy blow out!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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your cupcakes are AWESOME! love them!! looks like you had such a fun time 🙂
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You are both adorable 😉 What fun to make cupcakes together and they are fun, fun cupcakes!
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Looks like you had an absolutely amazing time baking!
A
Your cup cakes look really lovely, a lot of imagination clearly went into the designs – I’m impressed.
Have a wonderful Halloween!
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Thank you very very much 😀
Hope you had a spooky and fun Halloween too 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Love the cupcakes! Looks like you two had a blast.
Nazneen
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Happy Halloween CCU!
🙂 Mandy
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LOL! You two are funny! That zombie photo.. priceless! 🙂 I love all your spook-tacular creations!! Well done ladies!
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You’re hilarious lol.
Looove the cupcakes!
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Ghoulish good fun, Uru! 😉
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BOO! Have a Happy one 😉
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Well this is kind of a creepy post…but in a totally festive way! Adorable cupcakes!
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Looks like you had a whole lot of good fun! (And good cupcakes!)
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Looks like like you both had a great time together! Yummy cupcakes, all these designs and decorations look great. Loved your pics!
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they looks terrific!!! very creative Uru!! 🙂
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How freaky was Pretty Little Liars?! I think I was tense throughout the whole episode. Haha. Wow, all of these cupcakes look great! And putting the screme eggs in them? Yum!
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OMG I know right? My friend and I were checked the time after what seemed like a minute and BAM, only 5 minutes left!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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I LOVE your scary Halloween cuppies – and your photos – and your GIFs – excellent post!
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Great cupcakes! Happy Halloween!!
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Insanely scary and insanely tasty! Love it!
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I got to see you at last. Not only the cakes are stunning to coincide with Halloween but you too. At least now I know who I am communicating with, that young pretty girl.
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I love that Halloween is becoming more popular in Australia nowadays! It’s such a great holiday and so different from every other one! 😀
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Happy Halloween! Fabulous, festive and fun post. 🙂
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Loving the new look site and those cupcakes are spookily cute! Happy Halloween.
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Hehee you two are having too much fun, and I love your cupcakes! I miss hanging out with friends and being silly. Happy Halloween~!
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I love these cupcakes! I’m sure they’re tasty, but I can’t get over the fantastic decorations! They’re so awesome! Hope you have a killer Halloween… (muahahahaha)
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You are insane and cute and this is quite the entertaining post. Love these cupcakes- you are too creative- ghoulishly that is :-DD
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I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to sleep tonight after seeing the first pics, I think the cupcakes put me at ease thought. Hope you have a wonderful Halloween, stay away from those horror movies though.
-Gina-
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Haha when scared, eat cupcakes – makes sense 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Very spooky! Love the marble icing trick. Looks like you girls had great night 🙂
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Great looking cupcakes. I love the variety of designs (the spider and web are my favorite though)… Happy Halloween! 🙂
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Worm dirt and cashew teeth! Love it! Excellent post CCU, although the hairs on the back of my neck did stand on end a bit. Have an excellent Halloween. Bwahahahahahah (evil laugh).
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Love the evil laugh my friend, that is creeepy 😉 – sorry Vincent Price you have got competition!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Happy Halloween!
These look absolutely incredible! Such fun designs and perfect for the occasion!
Chloe & Sarah
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Happy Halloween! Great looking cupcakes. 🙂
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Your cupcakes turned out so great! And I loved seeing all the pictures of you and your friend!
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These are adorable! And they look delicious too.What a fun and festive treat for Halloween. Have a great day CCU!
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Hahaha!! Looks like you had a LOT of fun with your friend. Very scary-looking cupcakes – especially the ones with the icky worms.
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Scaryyyyyyy!! Happy Halloween Uru 🙂
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Looks like you had a lot of fun! Halloween is such a cool holiday – it’s one that demands active participation to have the best time. Now, where’s my serrated bread knife? 😉
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Haha now I am scared 😉
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Looks like you had a fun time baking!
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Such adorable cupcakes!
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You crack me up – loved this post! 🙂
And those cupcakes… what I wouldn’t give for one now!
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How fun!! I wish I was over there baking up a cupcake storm with you all 🙂 Yummy!! Happy Halloween!!!
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So nice to see you pretty face! Loved this post…you guys had so much fun with each other and the cupcakes are too cute!
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Haha I would not say pretty but we did have a ton of fun 😀
And the cupcakes were so much part of it!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Halloween cupcakes look awesome… plus it comes with so much fun:)
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Looks like you had a great time, baking and decorating these scaary cupcakes. I like the green slime egg in the cupcake. Trick or Treat!
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Those are some scarilicious cupcakes!! The green slime one takes the (cup)cake!
Happy Halloween, ladies!
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Such a cute post for Halloween! Love all your cupcakes!
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Looked like a fun night !
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Lovely spooky and yummy!
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Oh wow! You did an AWESOME job on those!!!
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By reading your post, no wonder why all kids and teens love Halloween. This year my daughter’s class has put up a haunted house in their school for spooks and squeals. Hope they have a safe Halloween party tomorrow!
I like your special effects on photos and all your creepy creations.
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Oh wow that is so cool – I wish Australia would embrace halloween more!
Thank you 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Too cute! Love the cupcakes: especially the Cadbury surprise! Creative idea : )
Everything was superb, as always!
Happy Halloween and enjoy!!
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Those look great!
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My favourite cupcakes are the ones decorated as pumpkins, spiderweb and spider. I’m old fashioned like that. 🙂
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