What is Halloween?

Ok well, it's been a while since I last posted something, and there's a reason for it. I had a surgery on my knee, so I can't be in the kitchen, baking. So, not to drive my self mad from not being able to bake, I decided to find a project to work on to keep me busy.

I will create a set of entries, each one talking about a piece of what Halloween is, where it came from, and what all those images related to Halloween stand for. Why do we use them? There's a history there. So I did my research for the history part, and now with the fun part. With each image I explain, I will come up with some treats I can bake when I can stand by my mixer.

So here we go :)

What IS Halloween? Why do we celebrate it so much?
Most simply put, it's the Eve of All Saint's Day. Hallow means Holy in Old English, therefore, All Hallows Even, which became Hallowe'en, and modernized to Halloween.
It is the night most associated with WITCHcraft, magic, spells, spirits, ghosts. Since it is believed that the veil between realms (the spirits and the alive) is very thin, it is considered the evening that you can summon soulds and communicate with the dead. It is also the perfect evening for doing magical rituals and casting spells.

So since WITCHes and WITCHcraft seem to be out number 1 topic, I went ahead and designed some treats I find accomplishable (I know..not a word, but you get the point). Here we go:

Witch Cookie

No, I don't have a cookie cutter to do this, but I'm pretty sure I can come up with a way. I can make a green sugar cookie and then just use royal icing for the hat. I could make the hair, or I could leave it out. I think in this case licorice would work.

Witch Cupcake

I browsed online and found the chocolate ice cream cone an an option for a witch's  hat on a cupcake. But then I thought of something different:

Witch's Hat Alternative

What if I used Oreo cookies as a base (or a chocolate wafer cookie) and at a dollop of chocolate frosting? Even faster? A Hershey's chocolate kiss.
So I came up with a more abstract version of a cupcake of a witch, with a more "witchy" hat:

Witch Cupcake - Abstract

No eyes, no details, just a Chocolate Cupcake with Green Vanilla Frosting and the Hat on top. I kinda like this version better.
You can't have a flying witch without her broomstick, right?

Broomstick

How will this be accomplished? I figured I can use Peanut Butter cookies and line them with a fork. For the stick, if the PB cookies don't work, I can always stick a pretzel stick.

Witch's Cauldron

At the begining I thought it might be complicated, but it's actually very simple. An upside down chocolate cupcake, dipped in chocolate glaze to make the texture look different. I can make some green marshmallow fluff and add some colored sprinkles to make it seem as if something spooky is brewing. As for the handle, again, I thought I would put licorice, or use some regal ice, shape it and let it sit until it dries.
This last one is my favorite. I don't know why, because it is simple.

Witch's Punch

I found a picture of this online on Google images when I was browsing for ideas. A blueberry in an ice cube tray, to make it look as eyeballs. Then you have an orange-raspberry filling with some yellow coloring, and there you go! Some spooky Punch!

I am adding this on my Fairy Cakes group on facebook so people can vote which ones they like the best. The few winners will be baked for Halloween (I'll be able to stand by then ;) )

I found my information from: The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft by Judika Illes