DIY spooky Halloween decorations and recipes from Martha Stewart
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These macabre treats, so sweet yet so sinister, will make even the bravest eaters tremble. The marshmallow skulls top madeleines shrouded in bittersweet chocolate.
Martha's vanilla madeleine recipe is a good base for any number of flavors. Madeleine batter can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, and madeleines are best the day they are made, but they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Ingredients
Skull cookies
- Madeleine cookies (see recipe below)
- Marshmallows
- Chocolate sprinkles
- Chocolate glaze (8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 61%), finely chopped, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon light corn syrup)
Vanilla madeleines
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted, plus more, softened, for pans
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Preparation
For the skull cookies:
Make the glaze: Place chocolate in a food processor. Bring cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan, whisking until combined. Pour over chocolate, and process until smooth.
Spoon some of the glaze over each madeleine to coat. Transfer to clean parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until glaze is firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Push sticky side of marshmallow skulls into madeleines, and serve immediately.
For the madeleines:
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
Whisk together eggs and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Sift flour mixture over top in 2 additions, folding in after each addition. Fold in melted butter in 2 additions, then honey and vanilla. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Let batter stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Generously butter 2 standard-size or 2 mini nonstick or aluminum madeleine pans using a pastry brush.
Transfer batter to a pastry bag, and snip tip to create a 1/2-inch opening. Pipe some batter into molds, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake on middle rack until pale gold, 8 to 11 minutes (6 to 8 minutes for mini madeleines). Immediately shake madeleines out. Wash and rebutter molds. Repeat with remaining batter. Dust baked madeleines with confectioners' sugar.
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