Witch's Brooms

Halloween's here! Put on your hat, practice your spells, and get ready to mix this bewitching treat.

Makes 12 to 16 pieces

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cake flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

12 to 16 pretzel sticks for decorating

For the buttercream icing

3/4 cup shortening or butter

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

orange food coloring

green food coloring

Procedure:

1  In a bowl, combine flours, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.

2  In another bowl, combine vegetable oil, milk, vanilla, and egg. 3 Mix dry and wet mixtures together just until combined. Pour into your desired mold for the broom head (see tip below) and bake at 350ºF or until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

4  Make the butter cream icing: Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Divide icing. Color three-fourths of the icing with orange food coloring, and one-fourth with green food coloring.

5  To decorate: Insert a pretzel stick into each cake. Using a small star tip, pipe orange-colored icing on the cake. Use a plain tip to pipe a ribbon on the “bristles” using green icing.

Baking tip: We used a Wilton Silicone Brownie Pop Mold for this recipe. Mini muffin or cupcake molds are good alternatives too.