Halloween Cupcakes #4 Spiders

Frost a cupcake with chocolate icing. To form the "legs," dip halved pretzel sticks into melted chocolate, shaking off the excess. On a parchment-lined surface, place the dipped halves together in "L" shapes and freeze until solid. Stick four "legs" into two opposing sides of the cupcake just above the paper rim.

Halloween Cupcakes #3 Vampires

Frost a cupcake with white icing. Poke two holes in the frosting, about 1 inch apart. Using a toothpick, fill the holes with "blood"(red tube gel icing), then drag additional "blood" from each hole to the edge of the cupcake.

Halloween Cupcake #2 Mummys

Frost a cupcake with chocolate icing. Using a pastry bag with a flat nozzle, crisscross white icing "bandages" onto the frosting, leaving room for eyes. To make the eyes, pipe on two dots of pink icing and, using a toothpick, top each with a drop of dark food coloring.

Halloween Cupcake #1 Frankenstein

Frost a cupcake with white icing tinted with green food coloring. Using a toothpick, draw "scars" across the icing and fill these scars with "blood"(red tubed gel icing). Form "stitches" using sliced black licorice laces. Poke a hole on either side of the cupcake and insert pieces of a Tootsie Roll.

Eyeball Highball

1 dozen radishes, trimmed

6 pimento-stuffed green olives, cut in half
16 ounces gin or vodka
1 ounce vermouth

Using a paring knife, scoop out a small circle opening in the larger side of the radish and insert an olive half, cut side facing out. Place radish in ice cube tray. Repeat with remaining radishes and olives. Fill tray with water and freeze.

In a cocktail shaker, fill with ice and add gin or vodka and vermouth. Add desired amount of frozen eyeballs to each of 4 highball glasses. Strain martini and divide evenly between glasses.

Bat Chips

1 large flour tortilla per person
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt

Preheat your broiler. Using Halloween cookie cutters, cut each tortilla into bat and ghost shapes. Lightly brush both sides of each creature with oil. Arrange on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Broil, flipping once when they begin to brown. When brown on both sides, lightly sprinkle with salt.

Pumpkin Pie-sicles

2 1/2 lbs. butternut squash
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2/3 cup light cream
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice


To make a batch, cut a butternut squash into quarters and scoop out the seeds.

Boil, bake, or microwave the squash until it's soft. Let the squash cool a bit before scooping its flesh into a medium-size bowl.

Add pure maple syrup, light cream, and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl. Use a potato masher to mush the squash and blend all of the ingredients.

Spoon the mixture into ice pop molds (makes about 10), add sticks, and freeze for at least 6 hours before serving.

Frozen Frog Eggs

2 Kiwi fruit
1 cup of limeade (we used a natural brand without artificial color)
1 tablespoon of honey
8 3-ounce paper or plastic cups
Popsicle sticks


To make a batch, cut a ripe, peeled kiwi fruit into chunks. Blend the fruit chunks with 1 cup of limeade and a tablespoon or so of honey until the mixture is somewhat smooth (some small lumps are fine).

Slice a second kiwi into eight thin pieces and press them into the bottoms of eight 3-ounce plastic or paper cups. Pour the blended mixture into the cups, filling them each about halfway.

Place the cups in a Pyrex baking dish and cover them with foil. Insert a popsicle stick through the foil and into each cup (the foil will hold the sticks in place) and freeze the pops until solid, about 4 hours.

When you're ready to remove the pops from their molds, you can loosen them by briefly dipping the bottoms of the cups in warm water if necessary. Makes 8.

Melon Brains!

1 small seedless watermelon



Use a vegetable peeler to remove the entire green rind, exposing the inner white rind.

Slice off the bottom of the melon to create a flat base that will keep it from rolling. With a toothpick, outline squiggly furrows that resemble the folded surface of a brain.

Finally, carve narrow channels along the tracings with a sharp paring knife (a parent's job) to expose the pink fruit beneath the rind.

Fall French Onion Soup

4 large onions, thinly sliced

2 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups apple cider
2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 cup shredded Gouda cheese
6 French bread

Set a slow cooker on Low, and put in half of the butter to melt. Add the onions and apples; cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

After the cooking time is up and apples and onions are soft, pour in the brandy, chicken broth and apple cider. Set the slow cooker to High and cook for 1 to 2 hours, until simmering.

Preheat the oven broiler. Mix together the cinnamon, sugar and remaining butter. Spread onto one side of each slice of bread. Place bread cinnamon side up on a baking sheet, and broil until toasted, about 3 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the slices over so the cinnamon is on the bottom. Sprinkle Gouda cheese on the top and return to the broiler until the cheese is melted.

Ladle soup into serving bowls and top with slices of toast, cheese side up to serve.

Spooky Halloween Eyeballs

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
12 ounces white chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons shortening
2 drops blue food coloring
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips


Beat the peanut butter and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the sugar and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll chilled dough into small, eyeball-sized balls and place on 2 baking sheets lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes.

Melt the white chocolate and shortening in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals (on defrost!), stirring after each melting, for 1 to 3 minutes (depending on your microwave). Do not overheat or chocolate will scorch. Dip each eyeball into the white chocolate and transfer to the waxed paper until the chocolate has set. You can chill them in the refrigerator.

Stir a few drops of blue food coloring into the remaining melted white chocolate. Make a round "iris" on the top of the cooled eyeball and press a mini chocolate chip in the center (point side down) for a "pupil." For an extra spooky bloodshot eyeballs take a toothpick dipped in red food coloring and make squiggly lines on the eye.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

1 cup shortening

2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 cups canned cooked pumpkin

Filling:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Dash salt
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shortening
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract



In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger; add to creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets; flatten slightly with the back of a spoon. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-11 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

For filling, combine the flour and salt in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth; cook and stir over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until thickened. Cover and refrigerate until completely cooled.

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening, confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Add chilled milk mixture; beat for 7 minutes or until fluffy. Spread on the bottom of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies. Store in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin Date Bread

1 cup applesauce

1 cup canned pumpkin
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped pecans

Topping:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; mix well. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Stir in dates and pecans. Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans.

Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Black Halloween Punch

1 (.13 ounce) envelope unsweetened grape soft drink mix

1 (.13 ounce) envelope unsweetened orange soft drink mix
2 cups white sugar
3 quarts cold water
1 liter ginger ale
 
Stir together grape soft drink mix, orange soft drink mix, sugar and water until solids are dissolved. Combine with chilled ginger ale just before serving. Float an ice hand in the punch bowl for a ghastly effect.

Scary Cat Cookies

3 oz semisweet baking chocolate

1 cup butter, softened (do not use margarine)

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

Yellow candy sprinkles

15 miniature candy-coated chocolate baking bits

1 package pull-apart yellow licorice twists, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 package pull-apart pink licorice twists, cut into bits

 

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheets with shortening.

In small saucepan, melt chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in melted chocolate, flour, vanilla and egg.

Shape dough into 30 (1-inch) balls. Pull a little bit of dough from each of 15 balls to make tails; set aside. Cut about 1/4-inch slit in same balls, using scissors. Separate dough at slit for cat's ears. Place balls about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.

Place remaining balls below each cat head on cookie sheets for body. Shape small pieces of dough into 15 (2 1/2-inch-long) ropes. Place end of rope under each body.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool 30 minutes.

Use sprinkles to make eyes and baking bits to make noses. Add yellow licorice pieces for whiskers. Add pink licorice for tongues.

Crescent Mummy Dogs

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

2 1/2 slices American cheese, quartered (2.5 oz)

10 large hot dogs

Cooking spray

Mustard or ketchup, if desired

 

Heat oven to 375°F.

Unroll dough; separate at perforations, creating 4 rectangles. Press perforations to seal.

With knife or kitchen scissors, cut each rectangle lengthwise into 10 pieces, making a total of 40 pieces of dough. Slice cheese slices into quarters (1/2 slice cheese, cut in half).

Wrap 4 pieces of dough around each hot dog and 1/4 slice of cheese to look like "bandages," stretching dough slightly to completely cover hot dog. About 1/2 inch from one end of each hot dog, separate "bandages" so hot dog shows through for "face." On ungreased large cookie sheet, place wrapped hot dogs (cheese side down); spray dough lightly with cooking spray.

Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until dough is light golden brown and hot dogs are hot. With mustard, draw features on "face."

Orange Spider Web Tart

1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

1 box (4-serving size) orange-flavored gelatin

3/4 cup boiling water

1 cup orange sherbet, slightly softened

1 cup frozen (thawed) whipped topping

2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil

 

Heat oven to 450°F. Make pie crust as directed on box for One-Crust Baked Shell using 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom or 9-inch glass pie pan. Trim edge if necessary. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

 

Place gelatin in medium bowl. Stir in boiling water until gelatin is completely dissolved. Spoon sherbet into gelatin mixture, stirring until melted. Place in freezer until soft set, about 5 minutes.

Stir sherbet mixture. Stir in whipped topping until well blended. Spoon mixture into cooled baked shell.

In small resealable food-storage plastic bag, place chocolate chips and oil; seal bag. Place bag in bowl of very hot water. Flex bag several times to melt chips. Cut small hole in bottom corner of bag. Working from center to outer edge, pipe chocolate to form spiral design. Working from center of spiral to outer edge, draw tip of knife lightly through spiral to form web design. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes or until serving time.

Pourable Fondant Icing

This recipe is great for all cupcakes and petit fours. You can make amazing Halloween cupcakes with this recipe. Try adding purple (bats), orange (pumpkins), or neon green (slime balls), black (spider webs), and white (ghosts) coloring to it. Once this icing is set you can decorate on top of it with buttercream!

6 cups sifted powdered sugar (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
1/2 cup water
2 Tbs light corn syrup
1 tsp clear almond extract
Icing Colors, if desired

Makes: About 2 1/2 cups of icing.



Cover cupcakes lightly with buttercream icing. Let set 15 minutes. (optional)

Place sugar in saucepan. Combine water and corn syrup; add to sugar and stir until well-mixed. Cook over low heat. Don't allow temperature of mixture to exceed 100°F. Remove from heat; stir in extract and icing color.

Place cooled cupcakes or mini cakes on cooling grid positioned over cookie sheet or pan to catch excess icing. Cupcakes which will be covered completely should be turned bottom side up. Pour icing on center of cupcake using pan or measuring cup. Or, pipe icing from a cut decorating bag. Cover the cupcake completely, or use your coating as a glaze to simply cover tops and drip over the sides. Touch up any bare spots with spatula. Let set.

Excess icing may be reheated just to pouring consistency. Don’t overheat the icing as it will lose its shiny finish.

Pictured: Ghost and Pumpkin were cut out of can baked on a jelly roll pan, using a cookie cutter. To make the spider web cut a cupcake in half, or use a whole cupcake.

Worm Punch

4 cups unsweetened apple juice
4 cups orange juice
2/3 cup thawed lemonade concentrate
2 cups water
20 gummy worms
4-1/3 cups lemon-lime soda, chilled

1. In a punch bowl, combine the apple juice, orange juice and lemonade concentrate. Pour water and 1 cup juice mixture into a 5-cup ring mold; add gummy worms. Freeze until solid. Meanwhile, refrigerate juice mixture until chilled.

2. Just before serving, add soda to juice mixture. Unmold ice ring by wrapping the bottom of the mold in a damp hot dishcloth; invert onto a baking sheet. Place worm side up in punch bowl. Yield: 3 quarts.

Ghouls Night Out Punch

12 gummy spiders
1 vinyl glove
1 gallon tropical fruit punch, chilled
2 liters lemon-lime soda, chilled
1 quart raspberry sherbet

1. Pour water into an ice cube tray; add a gummy spider to each of 12 compartments. Freeze for at least 4 hours. Fill glove with water; tie or seal and freeze for at least 4 hours.

2. In a 7-qt. punch bowl, combine punch and soda. Add sherbet and ice cubes. Remove glove from hand-shaped ice; add to punch. Serve immediately. Yield: 32 servings (6 quarts).

Graveyard Crunch

1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups puffed corn cereal
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup candy corn
1 cup candy pumpkins
1 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces (M&M's)

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).

Mix syrup, butter and cinnamon in large microwavable bowl. Microwave on High 1 minute; stir until butter is completely melted. Add cereal and peanuts; mix lightly.

Spread into lightly greased 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan.

Bake 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Break into pieces and add marshmallows and candies, mix well. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

More Owls! Easy Owl Cupcakes

12 cupcakes baked in paper liners
24 mini cupcakes baked in paper liners
24 cream filled chocolate sandwich cookies (or any creme filled sandwich cookies to your liking)
48 mini cream filled chocolate sandwich cookies (or any creme filled sandwich cookies to your liking)
2 cans (16 ounces) Chocolate frosting
2 tablespoons Vanilla frosting
12 small banana shaped hard candies (Runts)
24 yellow candy coated chocolate covered sunflower seeds
24 mini chocolate covered mints (Junior Mints)
48 brown mini candy coated chocolates (M&M's Minis)

These are just what were used in the above photo, you can get creative and use all kinds of candy!

Split the sandwich cookies, regular and mini, in half crosswise, keeping the cream side hole (microwaving a few cookies at a time for several seconds helps to keep the cream side solid). Use a paring knife to remove any excess crumbs from cream filling.

To form the ears make 2 parallel cuts with a serrated knife in the large plain chocolate cookies 1/2 inch from each rounded side, discarding (or eat :D) the 1/2 inch strip that remains from the center of the cookie. Cut the mini plain cookie in half.

Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate frosting and the 2 tablespoons of the vanilla frosting into separate ziplock bags; set aside. Spread the remaining chocolate frosting on top of the standard and mini cupcakes and smooth.

To make the ears, attach the large cut cookies on top of the 12 standard cupcakes with some of the chocolate frosting, round side facing each other, at an angle, about 1 1/2 inches apart and hanging over edge of cupcake about 3/4 inch. Repeat process with the mini cut cookies and mini cupcakes, with a 1/2 inch overhang.

Place the large cream sided cookies, cream side up, on the upper half of the large cupcakes. Do the same for the mini cupcakes with the mini cookies.

Snip a small corner (1/8 inch) from the bag with the chocolate and vanilla frostings. Pipe the chocolate frosting in vertical lines over the cookie ears to cover. Starting at the outer edge of cupcake pipe the feathers with the chocolate frosting around top of cupcake and under the eyes.

Press the yellow candies in between the cookie eyes as the beak. Attach the chocolate covered mints on top of the cookies with some of the vanilla frosting on the larger cupcakes and the mini brown candies for the smaller cupcakes. Position the eyes in different directions to give the owls character. Pipe a white highlight on the eyes.

Here are some other variations to give you some ideas:

Super Cute Smores Owls

graham crackers
marshmallows
chocolate chips
yellow candy melts
candy corn

1.Cut one marshmallow in half and place both pieces on a large graham cracker (2 stuck together).


2.Put a candy melt on top of the marshmallows.

3.Heat in the microwave for about 2-5 seconds, just enough to make the marshmallows puff up, but not get too hot.

4.Take out of microwave and add a chocolate chip on the yellow candy melt and the candy corn beak while the marshmallows and candy are still warm. Everything should stick together nicely.

5.Let cool and serve! You can make these the night before a party and everything is still very tasty.

Creepy Crow Claws

Each recipe makes 8 Claws

1 egg
1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rounds
32 whole cashews



1.Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix egg and taco seasoning mix with fork until well blended; set aside.


2.Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Separate crescent dough into 8 rounds; unroll into strips. Fold each strip in half; starting at folded end, twist 2 to 3 times, leaving 1 inch untwisted on other end. Place on cookie sheet.

3.Using a paring knife or kitchen scissors, cut each untwisted end to make 4 claws. Cut a small slit in each claw. Place 1 cashew in each slit; press to seal cashew in place to make nail. Brush entire claw with egg mixture. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

4.Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet.

Bones of the Dead Cookies

3 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour


1.In a medium bowl, stir together flour, confectioners' sugar, baking powder, and ground cloves. Add beaten eggs and almond extract; mix well.

2.Roll dough into 1/2 inch balls and place firmly on a well greased cookie sheet. Cover cookies with a tea towel and let stand over night. Cookies will rise and spread.

3.Preheat oven to 325° F (165° C). Bake cookies for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

Triple Ginger Cookies

3/4 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger

1.In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, and salt; stir into the molasses mixture using a wooden spoon. Mix in the fresh and crystallized gingers. Cover, and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours, or overnight.


2.Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C). Shape dough into 1 inch balls, and place about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

3.Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Apple Brownies

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
3 medium apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch baking dish.


2.In a large bowl, beat together the melted butter, sugar, and egg until fluffy. Fold in the apples and walnuts. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture until just blended. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish.

3.Bake 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Spooky Black Magic Cake

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 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
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 
1.Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans or one 9x13 inch pan.


2.In large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center.

3.Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pans.

4.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.

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds

1. Rinse pumpkin seeds under cold water and pick out the pulp and strings. (This is easiest just after you've removed the seeds from the pumpkin, before the pulp has dried.)


2. Place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet, stirring to coat. If you prefer, omit the oil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.

3. Sprinkle with salt and bake at 325°F until toasted, about 25 minutes, checking and stirring after 10 minutes.

Ghoulish Bite!

Apples
Slivered almonds

Just core and quarter an apple, cut a wedge from the skin side of each quarter, then press slivered almonds in place for teeth.


Tip: If you're not going to serve them right away, baste the apples with orange juice to keep them from browning.

Candy Corn Bark

It's October, and this month I'm going to try to bring you amazing recipes that have to deal with Halloween and Fall!

First up is Candy Corn Bark!

16 Halloween-colored chocolate sandwich cookies, chopped
1 1/2 cups broken small pretzels
1/3 cup raisins (can be omitted)
1 1/2 pounds white chocolate, broken into squares
2 cups candy corn
orange and brown sprinkles

1.Spread the cookies, pretzels and raisins evenly onto a lightly greased small baking sheet. Melt chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, or in the microwave, stirring frequently until melted. Remove from the heat while there are still a few chunks, and stir until smooth. White chocolate burns easily.

2.Drizzle chocolate with a spoon over the goodies in the pan, spreading the top flat to coat evenly. Top with candy corn and sprinkles. Let cool until firm. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.