Alysha Yoder is the photographer, food stylist, blogger and recipe developer behind A-Yo Kitchen. With a passion for all things food, many of her recipes are inspired by her worldly travels, her many cooking classes abroad and all the veggies and fruits her home gardens produce. She has been a photographer for 15-plus years and previously worked in the corporate food sector for almost 10. She now is a small business owner running her studio, A-Yo Kitchen, out of York, PA, where she serves not only local clients, but those worldwide as well.
ayokitchen.com, ayokitchen@gmail.com, @ayokitchen
HALLOWEEN CAKE POPS
Photography By A-Yo Kitchen
An extra-spooky dessert for all your Halloween party guests!
1 15.25 oz box cake mix of choice (prepared to box specifications)
½ 16 oz container prepared icing (flavor of choice)
3 cups melting white chocolate
Lollipop, cake pop, or popsicle sticks
Optional: Food dye, sprinkles, candy eyes, milk chocolate chips
Instructions
1. Prepare cake according to box instructions.
2. While cake is still warm, mix it with half of the container of icing in a mixing bowl.
3. Once cool to the touch, roll mixture into balls or put into cake pop molds. Place cake pop sticks in the center of each one.
4. Place in freezer for at least two hours, but overnight is preferred.
5. Before removing pops from freezer, melt chocolate according to package instructions.
6. Divide melted chocolate into as many tall cups as colors you’d like, and mix melted chocolate with the food dyes.
7. Dip your cake pops into the melted chocolate cups and decorate with sprinkles or eyes..
8. Allow to set. Serve immediately or place in the fridge until ready to eat.
Tip
• If you’d like to pipe on details, place melted chocolate in a Ziploc bag, cut off a little piece of the corner, and use it as a piping bag to get eyes and mouths for your pops!
CHOCOLATE PRETZEL WEBS
Photography By A-Yo Kitchen
Up your chocolate-covered pretzel game this Halloween with these chocolate pretzel webs!
1 16 oz bag pretzel sticks
1 10 oz bag melting chocolate
Instructions
1. Prepare all of your pretzel webs on wax or parchment paper by snapping three pretzels in half and arranging them evenly in a circle.
2. Melt chocolate and put in a Ziploc or piping bag.
3. Snip a small bit off the end of the bag. Carefully pipe chocolate into the center of each pretzel circle, and then make three circles working outward. Start small and in the center, and then get bigger as you get to the outside.
4. Allow chocolate to cool and set.
5. Plate and enjoy
Tip
• Any leftover melted chocolate can be used to pipe little spiders to place around your pretzel webs!
MUMMY DOG BITES
Photography By A-Yo Kitchen
A cute and easy Halloween app that’s a great project for kids to help with!
2 12-14 oz packages little smokies
1 8 oz package refrigerated crescent rolls
Optional: Mustard, ketchup, or cheese for dipping
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Roll out crescent dough, and with a pizza cutter, cut very thin strips.
3. Wrap dough strips around each little smokie.
4. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Place in oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Remove and serve immediately with dipping sauces. For something extra, add mustard or ketchup drops for eyes.
Tip
• If you want bigger mummy bites, use hot dogs and cut them in half!
