Chef Jamie DeRosa loves making treats for the holidays. (Remember his awesome house-made Peeps tutorial?)
So it's no surprise that tomorrow's second-annual Little Monster Mash at Tongue & Cheek will feature all kinds of sweet and spooky treats, with a few tricks thrown in.
The brunch, which is happening tomorrow, October 25, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., features free eats for boys and ghouls under 12 who have their choice of "gobblin" from a menu that includes grilled cheese, mini burgers, chicken fingers, and spooky white pizzas. Grownup holiday selections include bacon and "devil" eggs, Boo-Berry or pumpkin pancakes, or jack o'lantern s'mores.
Of course, Halloween isn't Halloween without sweets. This time, chef DeRosa has gone all out, serving candied apples, pumpkin fudge, candy corn cupcakes, Boston "scream" donuts, and pumpkin snickerdoodles.
DeRosa has shared his pumpkin snickerdoodle recipe with us, so you can make a batch for your own Halloween party or to snack down on while you wait for trick or treaters.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
- 1 egg
- 8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 8 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
To make the filling
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.
Serve with fresh whipped cream.
If you go to Tongue & Cheek's Little Monster's Bash, please bring non-perishable, kid-friendly food items including, but not limited to, granola bars, raisins, apple sauce, crackers, macaroni and cheese, and canned soups. All items will be donated to Feeding South Florida's Backpack Program, which provides backpacks full of food to children of low-income families throughout Miami-Dade on Friday afternoons. Many times, these backpacks could make the difference between having a healthful meal or not eating at all during the weekend. In return, you'll receive a special Halloween treat as a thank you.
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