Sophisticated minds all know that Halloween is pretty much just about one thing: the delicious desserts! Unfortunately though, a patient with braces has to pay extra attention to what he or she eats, which means that many traditional Halloween candies aren’t exactly suitable snacks. Not to worry – as your trusted orthodontists serving the communities in and around Lafayette and Youngsville, LA, we at Oubre Orthodontics would like to give you a few recipes for some braces-friendly treats that’ll put you back into the Halloween spirit!
Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes
It really wouldn’t be this time of year if you didn’t have any scrumptious pumpkin-flavored treats, which is why we offer you this pumpkin ginger cupcake recipe. Pumpkin foods may be cliché during this time of year, but let’s be honest – the status quo never tasted so good!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 (3.4) ounce package instant butterscotch pudding mix
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (15 ounce can) pumpkin puree
Instructions
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. Whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, cloves, and crystallized ginger in a bowl; set aside.
Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla and pumpkin puree with the last egg. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
Black Magic Cake
For the chocolate lovers, we’ve got a recipe that we’re sure you’ll love. This black magic cake recipe will melt-in-your-mouth, which is perfect for both your taste buds and your braces!
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups white sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup strong brewed coffee
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans or one 9x13 inch pan.
In large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center.
Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and finish cooling on a wire rack. Fill and frost as desired.
Halloween JIGGLERS Hands
If you want to make a fun, yet very simple snack, try out this Halloween JIGGLERS hands recipe. It’s the same great JELL-O dessert, only in the shape of jiggling hands. It’s a fun way to eat JELL-O…well…a more fun way, that is!
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups boiling water (do not add cold water)
- 3 (3 ounce) packages JELL-O brand grape flavor gelatin
- 1 (3 ounce) package JELL-O brand orange flavor gelatin
Instructions
Add boiling water to combined gelatin in large bowl, stir 3 min. until completely dissolved. Pour into 13x9-inch pan. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.
Trace outline of hand on piece of paper. Cut out pattern; place on top of gelatin. Cut around pattern with sharp knife, making sure to cut all the way through gelatin to bottom of pan. Repeat with remaining gelatin.
Dip bottom of pan in warm water 15 sec. Carefully remove hand cutouts from pan. Use as a garnish for your favorite Halloween punch or place on individual serving plates. Cut out any remaining gelatin with Halloween cookie cutters. Serve with the JIGGLERS Hands.
Visit Your Lafayette and Youngsville, LA Orthodontists!
If you’d like to stop by and see us sometime, we encourage you to schedule a visit with us. You can do so by filling out our online appointment request form or by giving us a call at (337) 988-2025. We’re looking forward to seeing you and we hope you have a Happy Halloween!