Sweet Coffins Recipes

COFFIN CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, leaving foil overhanging at 2 opposite sides of pan. Make and bake brownie mix as directed on box for cakelike brownies, using water, oil and eggs. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour. Freeze 10 minutes.
• Use foil to lift brownies out of pan and invert onto work surface. With 5x2 1/2-inch coffin-shaped cookie cutter, cut 8 coffins from brownies. (Rotate cookie cutter top to bottom and then bottom to top, making cutouts as close together as possible.) Cut each coffin in half horizontally with serrated knife. For each coffin, spread about 2 tablespoons frosting on bottom half of brownie. Arrange 8 bone sprinkles and 1 candy skull on frosting to look like skeleton inside coffin. Outline top of each coffin with white icing. Pipe RIP in center with icing. Place coffin tops, cut sides down and slightly off center, on coffin bottoms.
• Sprinkle cookie crumbs on serving platter to look like dirt. Place coffins on crumbs. Serve or refrigerate.

ALMOND BROWNIE COFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square pan, and line it with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Butter and flour parchment, tapping out excess.
• Combine flour and salt in a small bowl. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sift cocoa powder on top of butter, and whisk to combine. Let cool 3 minutes. Gently whisk in vanilla and eggs, then stir in sugars and flour mixture until just combined. Fold in almonds, then spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
• Bake until the top is firm and set, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove brownies from pan using parchment overhang, and let cool on wire rack. (Brownies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
• Using the large coffin template, cut out brownies. Dust marzipan lightly with cocoa powder, and mix until marbled dark brown. Roll out marzipan to 1/4-inch thickness. Using the small coffin template, cut out 1 marzipan coffin for each brownie. Gently press a coffin on top of each brownie.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with the smallest plain round tip with royal icing. Decorate marzipan with small dots around the edges, and apply 1 fleur-de-lis to each coffin with a small offset spatula, securing each with a dot of royal icing.

BASIC SWEET MUFFINS

Steps:

• Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.
• Stir together egg, milk, and oil until blended. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Spoon batter into lightly greased muffin pans, filling two-thirds full.
• Bake at 400° for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from pans immediately.