Halloween Is Coming!

[Kitchen Witch]

It may only be September - but Halloween will be here soon and it's not too early to start thinking of your Halloween recipes that wil make your party "SPOOK-TACULAR"!!

Feel free to post your favorite ghoulish-ious dishes, treats, hints and ideas in this thread!

Kitchen Witch

[Kitchen Witch]

The following recipes were previously posted by our wonderful members who shared them with us all. If you are interested in seeing who has posted any of these recipes, or if there were any comments with these, please use SEARCH and type in the recipe title.

Enjoy the recipes!

Have a BOO-tiful, scary and safe Halloween................

Marshmallow Ghosts (Candy)

Marshmallows
4" lollipop sticks
Melting chocolate (your color choice)
Black decorating gel

Stick marshmallows into 4" lollipop sticks and place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes, until they are cold.

While the marshmallows are chilling, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.

Remove the marshmallows from the freezer and dip them lightly in the melted chocolate for a thin coating. To get a mummy look, swirl them a bit to look like layers of white wrapped around it. Ghosts should be dunked to make a little twisted peak on top. Frankenstein can be dunked and a spoon used to flatten the chocolate on top.

Push the sticks into a block of styrofoam to cool. If you stick them in the fridge it shouldn't take long for them to set up.

Add faces after they harden. Using a small tube of black decorating gel, with a small tip, carefully paint on two ghostly eyes onto the marshmallow. Add a little mouth as well.



HARRY POTTERS PUMPKIN MILKSHAKE
Serving size: 2

1 frozen banana, peeled
3 T. orange juice concentrate
3 T. pumpkin puree
1 scoop vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt
1/3 c. water

Cut up frozen banana.
Put all ingredients in a blender.
Blend on high until smooth.
Pour into two tall glasses and serve.

Variations:
Top the shake with whipped cream and a shake of cinnamon.


CHOCOLATE- PEANUT BUTTER COATED APPLES

It is apple picking season, and halloween is approaching here is a family favorite and great for parties and sure cost alot less then those gormet apples you buy in the grocery store. You can use your imagination also the ideas are just endless.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Coated Apples
Ingredients:
10 to 12 wooden popsicle sticks
10 to 12 medium apples, stems removed
1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
MOUNDS Sweetened Coconut Flakes or chopped REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips,Chopped Peanuts(optional)
Directions:
1. Insert wooden stick into each washed and dried apple. Cover tray with wax paper.

2. Stir together peanut butter chips and oil in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1-1/2 minutes or until chips are softened. Stir until melted. If necessary, microwave at HIGH an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred.

3.Stir together powdered sugar and cocoa; gradually add to melted chip mixture, stirring until smooth. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until very warm.

4. Dip apples in mixture; twirl to remove excess coating. (If coating becomes too thick, return to microwave for a few seconds or add additional oil 1 teaspoon at a time.) Roll lower half of coated apple in coconut or chopped chips,Chopped Peanuts if desired. Allow to cool on prepared tray. Refrigerate, if desired. 10 to 12 apples.


Evil Eye's Cream

8 oz. vanilla ice cream
20 maraschino cherries
1 1/2 cup boiling water
1 oz. green jello
3 cups cold water


Using an ice cream scoop, place 2 scoops of ice cream for eyeballs into 10 dessert dishes. Place a cherry on each scoop for the pupil. Freeze for 30 minutes, or until firm.

In a large bowl, stir boiling water into the gelatin around the eyeballs in each dish, leaving the top of the eyeballs exposed. Freeze unitl ready to serve.


HALLOWEEN MAKE-UP

2 teaspoon. white shortening
3 to 4 drops glycerin
Food coloring
5 teaspoon. cornstarch
1 teaspoon. white flour

With rubber spatula, blend shortening, cornstarch and flour to form a smooth paste. Add glycerin for creamy consistency. This should yield enough for a child's face.
This Halloween grease paint can be easily removed after the last trick or treat with shortening, cold cream or baby oil.



Abracadabra Punch
1 gallon orange juice
1 (48 ounce) can pineapple juice
1 quart lime sherbet
1/2 bottle grenadine
1/2 pound dry ice (for bubbling effect)

Combine ingredients, except dry ice. Once guests begin to arrive, add dry ice and serve.

If you dont have dry Ice you can use this:

Gory Hand of Ice
Take a clean rubber glove and fill it with water, tie it and put it in the freezer. Keep it in there until your party. When you're ready, take it out of the glove and put it in the punch bowl instead of ice!


ORANGE-OOZE CUPCAKES

Yield: 36 Cupcakes

--------------------------FILLING-------------------------------
8 oz Cream cheese; softened
1 Egg
1/3 cup Sugar
Yellow and red food coloring
6 oz Chocolate chips

--------------------------CUPCAKES-------------------------------
3 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
1/2 cup Cocoa
2 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 cup Water
1/2 cup Plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tb Cider vinegar
2 ts Vanilla

Preparation time: 20 to 25 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes Utensils:
Measuring cups and spoons, cupcake baking pans, paper cupcake liners,
two small mixing bowls, electric mixer, mixing spoon, large mixing
bowl, oven mitts.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake baking pans with paper cupcake
liners.

In small mixing bowl, use electric mixer to combine cream cheese, egg
and sugar. Blend in 2 drops yellow food coloring and 1 drop red food
coloring, adding more coloring if necessary to reach desired shade.
Use mixing spoon to stir in chocolate chips; set filling aside.

In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and
salt; set aside.

In second small mixing bowl, combine water, vegetable oil, vinegar and
vanilla. Add contents of small mixing bowl to large mixing bowl and
stir with mixing spoon to combine.

Using mixing spoon or soup spoon, fill cupcake liners half full with
cupcake batter, then place 1 teaspoon filling at center of each. As
cupcake bakes, the batter will rise to surround the filling.

Wearing oven mitts, place cupcake pans in oven; bake approximately 25
minutes or until cupcakes test done.

When done, wear oven mitts to remove pan from oven and turn off oven.

If desired, frost with orange icing--or just let the orange filling
ooze out as a surprise.



Glowing Jack-o-Lantern Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon milk
Orange and green food coloring
1 (5.5 ounce) package lemon drops, crushed*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover 3 cookie sheets with foil.

Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and vanilla extract.

Beat in flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk if batter is too stiff. Color all but 1/8 of dough orange and color rest green. Roll 1-inch balls from the orange dough and flatten with your hand to make a pumpkin shape. Place on cookie sheets.

Roll stems out of the green dough and attach to the top of the " pumpkin". Carefully cut out wide spaces for the eyes, nose and mouth with a knife. Fill holes in with crushed lemon candy. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until done. DO NOT ALLOW TO BROWN.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes and carefully peel off foil.

* Crush lemon drops in food processor. If mixture becomes sticky, add a little confectioners' sugar while chopping.

[Kitchen Witch]

Chunks of Glass

INGREDIENTS:
1 (6 ounce) package cherry gelatin
1 (6 ounce) package lime flavored gelatin mix
1 (6 ounce) package orange flavored gelatin mix
1 (6 ounce) package lemon flavored gelatin
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup syrup from canned pineapple
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

DIRECTIONS:
Dissolve the cherry gelatin in 1 cup of boiling water. When dissolved, stir in 1/2 cup of cold water and pour into an eight or nine inch square pan. Refrigerate until firm. Repeat this process with the lime and orange flavors.
In a small sauce pan, mix together the lemon gelatin with the pineapple syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly. When the gelatin is dissolved, set aside and allow to cool to room temperature until thick.
Once the cherry, lime, and orange gelatin is firm, cut into 1 to 2 inch cubes. Beat the whip cream into stiff peaks, and fold it into the lemon pineapple mixture. Fold the gelatin cubes into the whipped cream mixture.
Pour the gelatin and whipped cream mixture into a buttered and graham cracker crumb dusted 9 inch tube pan. Chill for several hours before unmolding.



Halloween Hands

I believe i got this from Martha Stewart, any how i made them for halloween and it was wonderful it entertained my daughter and her friends as well as the kids just loved it (most of them) some was a little scared
Halloween hands
Shopping list;
plastic gloves like they use in the food service business. Just make sure you dont get the laytex gloves with the powder in them.
ti got some plastic decorative kids rings usually can find them in pkgs usually spider rings or something like that.
candy corn
popcorn.
You can either buy popcorn in the bag like white cheddar or just pop it yourself thats what i did.

Directions;
in each finger put candy corn for the fingernail tips. then fill with popcorn place a ring on a finger and tie of with either black or orange yarn or ribbon . I actually ran out of them at halloween they was such a hit.



WAY TOO EASY NUTTER BUTTER GHOSTS



Dip Nutter Butter cookies in white almond bark and use mini chocolate chips for eyes.



WAY TOO EASY MONSTER PUNCH



Lime sherbet, with 7 up poured over it. It's slimy and green and it tastes great.




DISGUSTING DIRTY DIAPERS



Take the very large marshmallows. Cut the corners off the bottom to make them look like diapers. Cut an opening in the top of the diaper. Use a decorating bag with a small tip, or use a sandwich bag with the corner snipped, to fill the diaper with melted caramels or caramel sauce. You can serve lemonade with them to have a *matched set*. You can say they are Monster Pee-Pee and Dracula's Dirty Diapers.



BUZZARDS NESTS
Yield: 36 Nests

2 egg whites
1/8 t. cream or tartar
1/2 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. vanilla
Dash salt
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 pkg. (10-oz) large shredded whole wheat cereal biscuits, crushed
12 oz. pkg. candy-coated chocolate covered peanuts

Beat first five ingredients in a small bowl at high speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar gradually, a tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Mix in cereal. Drop by level tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets. Make an indentation in center of each with the back of a teaspoon. Place 3 candies in the indention. Bake at 275* F. for 30 minutes or until set. Remove at once and cool on racks. Store in an air-tight container.



GNARLED WITCHES FINGERS

1 T. vegetable oil
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 c, flour
1 egg, beaten
1 c. bread crumbs
Pitted black olives, halved lengthwise
Shredded lettuce

Grease cookie sheet with oil, set aside. Carefully cut chicken breasts partway to create five fingers (the uncut part will be the palm of the hand). Slice them a little crooked for effect. Dust in flour, dip in egg, coat in bread crumbs, broil 5 minutes each side till golden and cooked through. Trim the tips with the olive fingernails and serve on lettuce.



DINOSAUR EGGS

2 pkgs. (6 oz ) lime gelatin powder
2 1/2 c. boiling water
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 c. cold milk
1 pkg. (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
alfalfa sprouts -- optional

In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Stir in cinnamon. In a large measuring cup with a spout, beat milk and pudding mix until blended, about 1 minute. Quickly whisk into gelatin until smooth. Pour into a 13x9x2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm. Cut into ovals or use an egg-shaped cookie cutter. Serve over alfalfa sprouts if desired.

NOTES : May also be made in Jell-O Jigglers egg mold.
Coat the inside and rim of each egg mold with cooking spray. Securely close each egg mold. Place mold, fill side up on a tray. After whisking pudding mixture into gelatin, immediately pour it into the mold through fill holds just to the top of the egg shape. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm. To unmold eggs, slide a dull, flat knife between eggs. Gently pry between each egg (do not pull the handle). Turn mold over and shake gently to remove eggs.



FREAKY FINGER FOOD
Makes about 18 decrepit digits.

1 c. flour
2 T. cornstarch
1/8 t. salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 t. vanilla
1/3 c. very finely chopped pecans
1/3 c. medium-coarse pecans
1/4 c. sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350F. Sift the flour and place it in a small mixing bowl. Add the cornstarch and salt. Stir together with a fork and set aside. Place butter in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer. Sift in the sugar. Mix together until batter is fluffy. Add vanilla and pecans and blend well. Now slowly pour the flour mixture into the butter mixture, and combine until dough appears crumbly. Place a piece of waxed paper about 12 inches long onto a smooth work surface. Place the dough on top of the waxed paper, then cover it with another piece of waxed paper about the same size. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick and slowly remove the top piece of paper. Slice the dough with a butter knife into oblong shapes about the width of your middle finger. Use a metal spatula to lift the fingers onto an ungreased cookie sheet, making sure you leave about 1 inch in between each finger. To give fingers an old and knotted appearance, bend some of them sideways at the knuckles. Use slivered almonds for each fingernail. Place baking sheet in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Then remove with potholders and transfer the cookies with the metal spatula to a wire rack to cool.



POACHED SKULL AND CROSSBONES
Yield: 4 Servings

4 Bananas
1 can Pear halves; drained
1 Raisins
Strawberry or raspberry fruit or "all fruit" preserves

Preheat the oven to 350* F. Cut bananas in half lengthwise and place 2 halves, or bones, crisscrossed in X shapes in a baking dish or on a cookie sheet. Place your pear-half skulls on top of the banana X's, curved side up. With a blunt knife, make 2 small slits in the pears for the eyes. Insert a raisin in each slit. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer to individual serving plates. Drip some fruit sauce blood around your creepy crossbones.



HALLOWEEN HANDS

3 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Brand Grape Flavor Gelatin
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Brand Orange Flavor Gelatin
2 1/2 cups boiling water or boiling apple juice (Do not add cold water.)

MIX gelatins in large bowl. Stir in boiling water at least 3 minutes until completely dissolved. Pour into 13x9-inch pan. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until firm.

TRACE outline of hand on piece of paper. Cut out pattern. Place on top of gelatin. Cut around pattern with sharp knife to cut out several "hands," cutting all the way through gelatin.

DIP bottom of pan in warm water about 15 seconds. Carefully lift JIGGLERS® hands from pan. Use as a garnish for your favorite Halloween punch or place on individual serving plates. Cut out any remaining gelatin with Halloween cookie cutters. Do not swallow JIGGLERS® whole.

I used jelly roll pans to make thinner hands and used a hand-shaped cookie cutter.



HALLOWEEN WORMS
Makes about 100, including a few casualties

Notes: Use a cleaned 1-quart milk or orange juice carton to hold straws

1 pkg. (6 oz.) raspberry or grape flavor gelatin
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
3 cups boiling water
100 flexible plastic straws
1 tall (same height as extended straws), slender 4 cup container
3/4 cup whipping cream
12 to 15 drops green food coloring

In a bowl, combine gelatins. Add boiling water; stir until gelatins completely dissolve. Chill until lukewarm, about 20 min. Meanwhile, gently pull straws to extend to full length; place in tall container. Blend cream and food coloring with the lukewarm gelatin mixture. Pour into container, filling straws. Chill until gelatin is firm, at least 8 hours, or cover and chill up to 2 days. Pull straws from container (if using a carton, tear carton away from straws). Pull straws apart; run hot tap water for about 2 seconds over 3 to 4 straws at a time. Starting at the empty ends, push worms from straws with rolling pin, or use your fingers; lay worms on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Cover and chill until ready to use, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. Worms will hold at room temp. up to 2 hours.

[Kitchen Witch]

TOO EASY WITCHES HATS



32 Hershey kisses
1 pkg. (11.5 oz.) fudge striped shortbread cookies (32)
1 tube orange or red decorating icing

Attach 1 kiss to chocolate bottom of each cookie using decorator icing.

Pip decorator icing around base of chocolate kiss.




SCARY ?GHOULADE?

1 pk blue jello
8 c.Lemonade

Lemonaide or "Goulade" really packs a punch when you float a
frightening , ghostly blue hand in your serving bowl. For an even
scarier effect, use red jello to make a blood-red hand and
tint the lemonade green. If you want, just let the gelatin set in a
flat container, then cube it and serve with lemonade in dishes.

Dissolve jello in 1-1/2 cups boiling water; let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, thoroughly wash and dry inside and outside of new,
medium-size stretch latex (medical) glove. Spray outside with baking
spray; turn inside out. With 6-inch or longer skewer, puncture glove
just below 1 side of opening; push skewer through to pierce opposite
side, leaving wide opening. Suspend in tall pitcher.

Carefully pour gelatin mixture into hanging glove. Close top with
twist tie between gelatin mixture and skewer. Refrigerate for at
least 2 hours or until firmly set. [Glove can be refrigerated for up
to 48 hours.]

Place glove flat in 12-cup punch bowl. Using scissors and bring
careful not to puncture gelatin, cut glove open along palm and each
finger; gently turn over and remove glove. Pour lemonade over gelatin
hand.

Makes 8 cups or 12 servings.




DEAD FINGERS

Spritz Butter Cookies (recipe follows)
Almonds blanched or unblanched

The dough is piped (use a bag without any tip to get a finger sized cylinder) onto the cookie sheet. Then using the dull side of a butter knife make lines suggesting knuckle and wrinkles, and add an almond for the fingernail. Bake at 350 for 8 to 12 minutes. I found the unblanched variety look particularly creepy. You can add a bit of red icing or red jelly if you want a bloody finger. This gives a new twist to the term "finger foods".

Spritz Butter Cookies
Serving Size : 4

2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
4 eggs -- beaten
2 t. almond flavoring
5 c. flour
1/4 t. salt

Cream butter; add sugar. Cream mixture until light. Add eggs and flavoring. Sift flour and salt together and add to first mixture. Mix well. Press dough through cookie press onto ungreased cookie sheet and form into shapes. Bake at 350 for 8 to 12 minutes.



ORANGE WORMS
Yield: 13 servings

2 cans apricot halves packed in light syrup
4 envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 c. orange juice

Wiggle these worms any way you want on your plate. If you like, give them 'eyes' made from licorice bits.

Place apricots in colander and let drain. Place drained apricots in food processor, cover, and whirl until well blended. Place gelatin in 3 quart pan, add orange juice, and let stand for 5 minutes to soften gelatin. Place pan on burner and bring to a boil over med/high heat, stirring with whisk. Turn off burner and remove pan to rack. Add apricots and mix with whisk until well blended. Pour into baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 4 hours, until set. Use butter knife to cut gelatin crosswise into 9 inch long, 1 inch wide strips. (you should have about 13 strips) Use pancake turner to remove strips to serving plate. Use your hands to twist strips into
worm shapes. Makes 13 worms.



GOBLIN BALLS
Yield: 24 Balls

8 c Popped corn
1 c Granulated sugar
1/2 c Corn syrup
1/3 c Water
1 tb Butter
1/2 ts Salt
1 ts Vanilla
1 c Orange and black gumdrops
-or jujubes, chopped

Currants and diced apricots can replace the candy.

Place popped corn in bowl; set aside.

In small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring sugar, corn syrup,
water, butter and salt to boil; cook, stirring, until sugar
dissolves. Cook, without stirring, for 10 minutes or until at
hard-ball stage of 254F 123C on candy thermometer, or until 1/2 ts
syrup dropped into cold water forms rigid but still slightly pliable
ball. Remove from heat. Wearing oven mitts to shield against
splatters, carefully stir in vanilla.

Pour over popped corn; using greased spoon, toss until coated. Stir in
candy. Wearing rubber gloves, form into 2-inch balls; let cool on
baking sheet.



GRAVEYARD CAKE
With creepy crawly bugs and frightfully delicious graves set upon a frosted final resting place, this devilishly moist cake will be the "life" of the party.

So spooktacular, this sweet cemetery will have everyone digging for more!

1 pkg. Devils food cake mix
1 container vanilla frosting
12 Nestle Crunch fun-size candy bars
White decorator icing
1 Nestle Butterfinger Crisp candy bar
1 pkg. Sweetarts Gummy Bugs

PREPARE cake mix according to package directions using one 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Cool completely in pan. Invert cake onto serving platter. Frost cake, using a little more frosting than usual on top ("tombstones" will be pushed into frosting).

WRITE spooky words such as "RIP" or "BOO" on Crunch bars using tube icing. Let sit for a few minutes to dry.

PRESS Crunch bars into cake to create "tombstones". Sprinkle chopped Butterfinger Crisp bar next to tombstones to create "dirt". Creatively place gummy bugs over top of cake.




BUTTERFINGER EYE BALLS

Wax paper
1 c. creamy peanut butter
2 T. butter or margarine
2 c. confectioners sugar
1 Nestle Butterfinger candy bar
2 c. white chocolate morsels
3 T. shortening
2 pkgs. Nestle Butterfinger BB?s candies
1 small tube red decorator icing
Wooden toothpick or skewer for dipping

Line 2 baking sheets with wax paper. Beat peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar until mixture holds together and is moistened. Stir in chopped Butterfinger. Shape into 1-inch "eyeballs." Place on prepared baking sheets. Freeze for 1 hour.
Melt morsels and shortening in large, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute 30 seconds; stir. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until melted. Remove one baking sheet of frozen "eyeballs" from freezer (keep other sheet in freezer until ready to use).

DIP one "eyeball" into melted morsel mixture using a wooden pick or skewer. Shake off excess and return to baking sheet. Gently press 1 Butterfinger BB on top of "eyeball" to make a "pupil." Repeat procedure with remaining "eyeballs" on baking sheet. Refrigerate until coating is set. Repeat with remaining sheet of "eyeballs" and coating. You may find it necessary to reheat morsel mixture before dipping second batch. Before serving, pipe decorator icing around eyeballs to create bloodshot markings. Store in covered container in refrigerator. Best served cold.

[Kitchen Witch]

SPIDERWEB BROWNIES

1 pkg. chocolate brownie mix
2 Nestle Butterfinger or Baby Ruth candy bars
1 pkg. cream cheese
¼ c. sugar
2 T. milk


Preheat oven to 350* F. Grease 9- or 10-inch-round baking pan. Prepare brownie batter according to package directions; stir in chopped Butterfinger. Spoon into prepared pan.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and milk in small mixer bowl until smooth. Pipe cream cheese mixture into concentric circles over brownie batter. Using wooden pick or tip of knife, pull tip through cream cheese from center to last circle to create a spiderweb effect.

Bake for 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out almost clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into wedges using wet knife.



SKULL ?N BONES CUPCAKES

1 pkg. yellow or vanilla cake mix
6 orange Nerds from Spooky Wonka Nerds candy bag
1 container vanilla frosting
24 Nestle Crunch fun-size candy bars
1 small tube decorator icing
2 Wonka Sweetarts Skulls ?n Bones from Wonka Monster Mix Ups assorted candy bag

PREPARE cake mix batter according to package directions; add Nerds to batter. Bake according to directions for 24 cupcakes. Cool completely. Frost cupcakes, using a little more frosting than usual on top ("tombstones" will be pushed into frosting).

WRITE spooky words such as "RIP" or "BOO" on Crunch bars using decorator icing. Let sit for a few minutes to dry.

PRESS Crunch bars into cupcakes to create "tombstones." Creatively place Skulls N' Bones next to "tombstones."




GHOSTS ON A BROOMSTICK
Yield: 12 Servings

1 lb. white chocolate chips
1/2 c. tiny red cinnamon candies
12 wooden sticks

Heat 2 inches of water to simmering, not boiling, in the bottom of a double boiler. Place the white chocolate chips in the smaller pot and set it over the pot of simmering water. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is fully melted. Remove from the heat. Cover 2 cookie sheets with waxed paper.

Arrange the wooden sticks on the waxed paper, 6 to a sheet. Spoon ghost-shaped blobs of chocolate onto the paper, partially covering each stick. Press 2 candies into each ghost for eyes.

Freeze ghosts for 15 minutes, or until hard.



GINGERBREAD CORPSES

3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1 cup molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons warm water
1/4 cup raisins for decorating

1 In large bowl, cream shortening, sugar, egg and warmed molasses. Dissolve baking soda in warm water and add to egg mixture. Beat until smooth.
2 Slowly add flour, spices and salt. Mix until well blended.
3 Cover and chill for 24 hours.
4 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.
5 Roll out dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch on a floured surface. Cut out gingerbread men using cookie cutters and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
6 Use raisins to make eyes, noses and buttons. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.

Use icing to make "X"s for eyes, bloody gashes and decorate accordingly



VAMPIRE PUNCH

1 chilled 25.4-ounce bottle sparkling cider (about 3 1/4 cups)
1 chilled 1-quart bottle cranberry juice cocktail
1 chilled 1-liter bottle club soda or seltzer water
1 cup dark rum if desired

For spice syrup:
2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar

Make spice syrup:
In a small saucepan bring syrup ingredients to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Let syrup cool. Syrup can be made 1 week ahead and chilled, kept in a covered container or bottle.

In a punch bowl combine remaining ingredients and strain syrup through a fine sieve into punch. Stir punch and add lots of ice. Makes about 13 cups.

Dress the punch bowl up with some decorative ice shapes. You can use food grade plastic gloves to freeze ice for floating hands. Gloves are available at restaurant supply stores, are made of clear plastic and have no talc on them. Fill with water or colored water, juice, etc. and freeze. When hard, remove glove and float in your punch bowl! You can also look at specialty stores for roll ice cube trays and make floating eyes, use something red and they become floating blood clots.



CARAMEL COVERED APPLES
MAKES 5 CARAMEL APPLES

40 - caramel cubes
5 - apples (I like Macintosh apples)
1 - tablespoon of water
5 - wooden sticks
1 - wax paper
Chopped nuts of choice, optional

Wash and dry the apples thoroughly. Remove stems and Insert the wooden sticks into the stem hole until about half the stick is in the apple. In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt the caramels with the water, stirring constantly until smooth. Now dip the apples into the hot caramel sauce, coating the apple completely. Place on greased, wax paper. Store your caramel covered apples in the refrigerator. If desired, dip bottoms in chopped nuts.
Before serving, remove them from the refrigerator and allow them to stand for about fifteen minutes. We like to serve our caramel covered apples on a large black platter and use extra caramels as a garnish.



CANDIED APPLES

2 c. sugar
2 c. corn syrup
1/3 c. cinnamon candy
1 c. water
¾ t. cinnamon
½ t,. vanilla
¼ t. ground cloves
¾ t. red food coloring
6 medium apples

Remove stems from apples (I happen to like Macintosh apples), wash, and pat dry. Insert a wooden skewer in each apple, running through the apple from stem end to base without protruding all the way through the bottom end. Combine sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon candies, and water in medium-sized saucepan. Cook until the candies dissolve, stirring constantly. Be careful not to boil. Add cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, and food coloring. Mix thoroughly. Boil mixture to 300* F. using a candy thermometer without stirring.

While mixture is boiling, generously prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray so it's ready ahead of time. As soon as mixture reaches 300 degrees, remove it from heat and quickly dip each apple-one by one-into the mixture until it is thoroughly coated. Set coated apples, standing on their bottoms with skewer pointing up, on baking sheet until mixture hardens. Let apples reach room temperature before eating.

[Kitchen Witch]

BLOODY POPCORN

Add a little red food coloring to the butter you are melting.
To get true red or black colors, buy paste food coloring from a craft or cake decorating supply store.
When the red butter is melted, pour it over the popcorn as usual. Caution: Red paste color may dye skin

Pop up some corn, air popper, microwave, pan popped.

Melt some butter, whatever kind you prefer, and add some red food color to it.

Pour over popped corn and mix to coat.



WITCHES BREW TEA

Make spice syrup:
2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

In a small saucepan bring syrup ingredients to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Cool syrup. Syrup may be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated.

Brew your favorite tea and add a few drops - to taste.



PUMPKIN PUNCH BOWL
Use a black magic marker to paint a jack-o-lantern face both sides of the pumpkin! Or decorate as you wish.

1 hollowed and well cleaned pumpkin
2 oranges
Whole cloves
6 cups apple juice
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 1/4 cups pineapple juice

1 Preheat oven to 350* F. (175 degrees C). Stud the whole oranges with cloves, spacing them about two inches apart and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven.
2 In a large saucepan, combine the apple juice and cinnamon stick; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the nutmeg, honey, lemon juice and pineapple juice.
3 Serve hot in a punch bowl with the 2 clove-studded baked oranges floating on top. To serve in the hollow pumpkin, you may want to cool it first so it doesn't cook the inside of the pumpkin.



Liposuctioned Lard
Mixing bowl
Electric mixer
Glass measuring cup
6 Custard cups
lg Frying pan with lid
Pot holder

2 large Eggs
3 tablespoons Sugar
1 1/2 cups Milk
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
pinch Salt
1 1/2 cups Mini marshmallows

With an adult's help, beat the eggs and sugar until well blended.
Add the milk, vanilla and salt and mix well.
Use a glass measuring cup to divide the mixture evenly among the 6 custard cups.
Place the custard cups in a large frying pan and fill the pan with water to about 1/2" from the top of the cups.
With an adult's help, place the pan on medium heat and bring the water to a simmer.
Turn heat down to low and cover the pan with a lid and continue to let the water simmer for ten minutes.
Turn off the heat.
Carefully remove the cups from the water.
Allow the custard to cool for five minutes gently stir in 1/4 cup of marshmallow fat lumps into each cup.
Make sure all the fat is covered with custard. Refrigerate cups for one or two hours or until well chilled.
Serves 6 lard lovers.



Deviled Mice

8 Eggs
4 1/2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
6 large Letuce leaves
16 Pimento stuffed olives
1 tablespoon Chocolate sprinkles

Gently place the eggs in a saucepan and fill it with water until the eggs are just covered.
bring the water to a boil over high heat.
Turn the heat down to medium and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully drain the water into the sink.
Cover the eggs with cold water and set aside for five minutes.
Gently crack the eggs against a hard surface, then carefully peel off the shells.
Slice each egg in half lengthwise.
With clean fingers, scoop out the yolks and put them in a small bowl.
Mash the yolks with a fork until they are crumbly.
Add mayonnaise and blend.
Carefully fill the empty egg whites with yolk mixture.
Cover a platter with lettuce leaves, setting a leaf or two aside for garnish.
Arrange the egg halves, YOLK SIDE DOWN, on the leaves. These are your mice bodies.
To give them each eyes and a nose, pull the pimento out of an olive and cut it into three small sections
cut thirty two thin, lengthwise strips from several of the green olives.
Stick two of these strips end to end onto the back end of the mouse to form the tail.
Out of the remaining olives, cut thirty two small triangular ear pieces and any other mice parts you might desire
To garnish: Tear small pieces of lettuce and position in front of the mice's mouths as if they have been noshing.



Worms in Dirt

3/4 cup chocolate pudding
1/4 cup chocolate pie crust crumbs
2-4 gummy worms

Layer 3/4 cup of chocolate pudding into desert dish. Top with 1/4 cup of chocolate pie crust crumbs. Serve with 2-4 gummy worms, half buried in the chocolate pie crust crumbs, hanging out of the dish.



Bugs

12 oz. chocolate chips
12 oz. butterscotch chips
1 pkg peanuts
1 pkg chow mien noodles

Melt chips in a double boiler and pour over noodles and nuts. Mix well. Drop by spoonful on ungreased cookie sheet. Chill until firm.



Sewer Surprise

1/2 cup lime jell-O
Whipped Topping or Whipped Cream
Chocolate Chips
Waffle, Toasted

With a serving glass, cut a toasted waffle to the size of the top of the glass by turning a glass upside down on top of the waffle and twisting. Mix up 1 pkg. of lime gelatin as directed on pkg. but do not refrigerate Blend 1/2 cup of lime gelatin with 1/2 cup of whip topping and pour into serving glass. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top or mix them in with the jello and whip topping. Place waffle on top for the manhole cover and serve.



Cookie Eyeballs

Open 2 sandwich cookies and push candy coated chocolate pieces into creamy side of the sandwich cookie. To make the face use the cookies as eyes, jimmies as hair and licorice as mouth and nose.



Eyes on Sticks

6 green grapes
6 raisins
1/4 cup whipped topping
6 toothpicks
1/2 orange

Place a grape onto a toothpick long-ways, so that approximately 1/8 of the tooth pick comes through the top. Place a raisin on the 1/8 exposed toothpick. Using the backside of a spoon, cover 2/3 of the grape with whipped topping for the "whites" of your eyes! To serve, slice and orange in half. Place open side down on a plate and stick long end of tooth picks inside the rind. To garnish the plate, surround orange half with loose grapes.
Enjoy!

[Kitchen Witch]

Eat Your Guts Out

1 Potato
1/2 cup Spaghetti
3 Tablespoons Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Tomato Sauce or Ketchup

Bake potato. Split in half; place on plate and refrigerate until cool. Cook spaghetti while potato cools. When potato is cool - scoop out 2 T. or so from each half and discard or save (or eat).
Cool spaghetti. Fill potato half with spaghetti, top with sauce and spirnkle with cheese. Microwave until cheese melts. Serve warm.



Eye Ball Soup

1 cup vanilla pudding (instant or pre-made)
4 Green Grapes
4 Chocolate Chips

Press 1 chocolate chip, pointed side down, into each grape. Carefully place your "eyeball" into the pudding so the "pupil" is looking at you! Throw in some extra grapes for lumps!



Bloody Brains

Softened cream cheese
One jar of favorite salsa
A variety of favorite crackers

I place cream cheese in oval shape mold for brain shape. Remove mold and draw lines all over so it looks like a brain - I use a small paring knife. Pour salsa over cream cheese and serve with crackers.




Dead Man's Arm

Before you do any thing buy a latex glove.
Clean thoroughly before use.
Fill the glove up with juice or water.
Preferably the opposite color of your drinks.
Fill the glove enough that you can put a twist tie or elastic around the bottom of the glove. Freeze and peel off the glove leaving the ice.
Put the ice in your punch bowl with juice and have some scary fun!



CHEESE EYEBALLS

2 cups grated Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup flour
6 ounce bottle pimento-stuffed green olives

Combine cheese and butter. Add salt, paprika, and flour and mix well. Measure approximately one teaspoon of this mixture and form an ?eyeball? around an olive. Turn the olive in the ?eyeball? so that it is ?staring? outward. Line up the eyeballs on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in 400F oven for 15 minutes.



CRISPY CATERPILLAR COCOONS

1 8-oz. tube refrigerated crescent rolls
8 beef sausages (such as Brown & Serve)
1 squeeze bottle yellow mustard

Preheat oven according to directions on the crescent-roll package.
Prepare the sausages according to the directions on the package.
Use tongs to remove the cooked sausages from the frying pan and place them on paper towels.
Allow to cool ten to fifteen minutes.
Cut the sausages In half lengthwise.
Then use the rounded tip of a carrot peeler to scoop out a long, shallow trough down the length of each half.
Squeeze a thin line of mustard into each trough.
Separate the crescent-roll dough into its pre-cut triangle pieces, and lay them flat on an ungreased cookie sheet.
To form insect larvae, take two sausage halves and, with their mustard-filled sides touching, put them together to form a whole.
Place a whole larva at the wide end of each dough triangle, and roll up dough as you would regular crescent rolls.
Pinch the ends and seams of the rolls closed.
Bake according to package instructions. (Allow the little buggers to cool fifteen to twenty minutes before chowing down on their tender torsos!).
Serves: 4



STRAINED EYEBALLS

6 eggs, hardcooked, cooled and peeled
6 oz whipped cream cheese
12 green olives stuffed with pimientos
red food coloring or ketchup

Half eggs widthwise.
Remove yolks and fill the hole with cream cheese, smoothing surface as much as possible. Press an olive into each cream cheese eyeball, pimiento up, for an eerie green iris and red pupil.
Dip a toothpick into ketchup and draw broken blood vessels in the cream cheese.



Boogers on a Stick


Take an 8 oz. jar of Cheese Whiz and melt in the microwave according to jar
directions allow cheese to cool slightly. Carefully stir in 3 or 4 drops
green food coloring, using just enough to turn the cheese a pale snot green.
To form boogers, dip and twist the tips pretzel sticks into the cheese, lift
out, wait twenty seconds, then dip again. When cheese lumps reach a boogerish size, set pretzels on wax paper to cool until you're ready to eat.



Dishwater Halloween Punch (alcohol-free)

1 pk Grape Koolaid*
2 pk TuttiFruiti Koolaid*
1 pk Tropical Punch Koolaid*
1 1/2 pk Strawberry Koolaid*
11 qt Water
1 can Pineapple juice
1/2 quart Apple juice

* Make sure koolaids are pre-sweetened.
Mix all the different koolaids together. Add the water and juices; stir well.

[Kitchen Witch]

Boo Bites

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine or butter
30 large marshmallows or 3 cups miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
4-1/2 cups crisp rice cereal

Line cookie sheet with wax paper. Melt butter in large saucepan
over low heat. Add marshmallows. Cook, stirring constantly, until
marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat. Add corn syrup; stir
until well blended. Add peanut butter and chocolate chips; stir
until chips are melted and mixture is well blended. Add cereal;
stir until well coated. Cool slightly. With wet hands, shape
mixture into 1-1/2 inch balls; place balls on prepared cookie sheet.
Cool completely. Store in cool, dry place. About 4 dozen bites.



Halloween Recipe Swamp Water Juice


Orange juice with a couple drops blue food color to make it
swamp green.

A latex dish washing glove filled with water and stuffed with
multi colored gummy bears and then frozen solid.

Peel glove off and let the ?corpse? hand float in the swamp water.
The frozen hand looks white like a dead hand and the gummy bears
make it look even more rotten. Add vodka if it is an adult party.



Frog?s Eyes
Yield - ½ gallon

Ingredients
½ LB COLAVITA PEPE PASTA
½ LB COLAVITA SMALL RINGS PASTA
¼ TSP GREEN FOOD COLORING
1 CUP SUGAR
1 TBSP FLOUR
1/4 TSP SALT
2 EGGS
2 CANS MANDARIN ORANGES (reserve juice)
2 CUPS COOL WHIP

Method
Cook pasta separately, drain. Use the food coloring to color the small rings green, set both pastas aside.

Beat eggs until frothy and combine with sugar, flour, salt and juice from the mandarin oranges. Place this egg/sugar/juice mixture in a saucepan, and heat until thick and frothy.

Pour this concoction over the pastas and mix well. Refrigerate until well chilled. Blend in Cool whip and mandarin oranges.

Plate Presentation
Serve in a large bowl or platter as a dessert or use as an "icing" for a sheet cake.



Cat Poop Cookies II
These showstoppers are great at parties. For added effect, mix in coconut (tapeworms) ramen noodles (roundworms), or peanuts. You can also coat the scoop with melted chocolate for a startling effect." Original recipe yield: 3 to 4 dozen.

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
2/3 cup butter
1 egg
2 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 (32 ounce) package wheat and barley nugget cereal (eg. Grapenuts TM)
1/2 cup crushed ramen noodles

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, Microwave the honey until it bubbles. This may take up to 1 minute. Stir in the molasses, butter and egg. Beat until smooth. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves until combined. Then add the dramatic additions of your choice such as coconut, ramen, chocolate chips, or peanuts. Chill dough until firm.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Roll dough into logs about 3/4 inch in diameter. Cut into pieces the approximate length of cat poop. Roll pieces in the cereal, place on an unprepared cookie sheet, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven.
Serve the cookies in a disposable cat litter box, on a bed of cereal, with a brand new litterbox scoop. Add plastic flies, and dip the litter scoop in chocolate for added fun.



PINA GHOULADA

A frothy drink is tempting enough, but one served in a red-rimmed glass is particularly enticing to monsters who drink blood. Corn syrup with food coloring tinges the classic piña colada with a devilish sweetness.
Dip the rim of each glass into the red mixture, spinning slowly to coat (below, right). Turn glasses upright; the red liquid will drip slightly, then set. Pour drinks, and serve. Drinkers? lips may be stained pink?much like those of a sated vampire.

Recipe
Makes 10 to 12 eight-ounce servings
The ghoulada mixture can be made several hours in advance and chilled.
3 tablespoons corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon red food coloring, plus more for rims
20 ounces pineapple juice
1 fifteen-ounce can cream of coconut
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup orange juice
10 ounces good-quality rum (optional)


1. To coat rims, pour corn syrup into a shallow bowl. Dip a toothpick into food coloring, and stir a very small amount into corn syrup to combine. Hold a glass by the stem, dip rim into the syrup mixture, and turn glass, coating entire rim. Turn the glass upright, allowing mixture to drip down sides. Dip the remaining glasses. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients, including 1/4 teaspoon red food coloring. Place 2 1/2 cups ice cubes in a blender, and add 1 cup drink mixture. Blend until smooth; add more pineapple juice if mixture is too thick. Repeat with remaining drink mixture and ice. Carefully pour into prepared glasses; serve. ?



Halloween Lollipops

Making Halloween lollipops is a fun way to gear up for the holiday, and when youâ??re done, youâ??ll have treats to hand out to the goblins at the door or as party favors. These sweet orange-flavored suckers are decorated with creepy candies. You can wrap them in cellophane and tie with black and orange ribbons, or press the sticks into a pumpkin for people to take themselves.

Yield 10 Lollipops

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
10 drops orange food coloring
8 drops pure orange oil or other flavor

10 lollipop sticks
Assorted candies, for decorating



Line three baking sheets with Silpats (nonstick baking mats), or grease them generously with vegetable oil. Prepare an ice-water bath. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan, and place over medium-high heat. Stir continuously to dissolve sugar. When the syrup comes to a boil, stop stirring and clip on a candy thermometer. Continue to cook, without stirring, until the mixture turns golden and reaches 300 to 310 F (hard-crack stage) on the thermometer, 5 to 7 minutes. Occasionally wash the sides of the pan using a clean brush dipped in cold water to prevent crystals from forming.

Remove the pot from the heat. Transfer the syrup to a 2-cup heatproof measuring cup. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, stir in the food coloring and orange oil until completely combined.

Working quickly, pour ten 3-inch circles of syrup onto prepared baking sheets. Press in lollipop sticks. With your fingertips or a toothpick, lightly press candies into the syrup. Set aside until completely cooled and hardened.

[Kitchen Witch]

Homemade Maggot Stew

The title says it all! This is a user-friendly recipes that calls for ordinary and usually nutritious ingredients; the end products tastes good but looks completely disgusting.

2 tablespoon Vegetable oil
1/4 cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
1 lb Stew beef cut in one inch Chunks
2 can (14 1/2oz) plain stewed Tomatoes
1 can (10 1/2oz) beef broth
1 teaspoon Thyme
1 Bay leaf
3 medium To 4 carrots
1 cup Fresh or frozen green beans
3/4 cupOrzo pasta

TOOLS
Sharp knife
lg Stew pot with lid
Ziploc bag
Long handled cooking spoon
Carrot peeler
lg Saucepan
Colander
Slotted spoon
8 Soup bowls
Soup ladle

Place oil in stew pot and with an adult's help, turn heat to medium low. Measure flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder into Ziploc bag. Drop in stew beef, seal bag and shake until well coated. Pour contents of bag into the stew pot. Turn the heat up to med
With an adult's help, use a long handles spoon to turn the meat every 3-4 minutes, letting the meat brown well on all sides. Cook until the meat begins to look crusty. Add the tomatoes, broth, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to low.
With an adult's help, peel the carrots and cut them into small coins with a knife. When the stew has simmered for one hour, add the carrots and green beans to the pot. Cover and simmer another 45 minutes.
With an adult's help, cook the orzo in a saucepan according to the package directions. when just tender, drain it through a colander into the sink, shaking out any excess water. These are your maggots. Add them to the stew pot, then turn off heat.
Sicko serving suggestion: Turn any meaty meal into a freakish feast by spreading a layer of orzo maggots on top of your roasted, baked or boiled beast!



Banana Ghosts

Here's a Halloween trick your child will have no trouble pulling off--turning a ripe banana into a Halloween treat.
Remove any stringy fibers from the peeled banana, then cut it in half widthwise. Push a Popsicle stick into each half through the cut end, then cover each pop with plastic wrap and freeze until firm (about 3 hours).

Next, place a 1.5-ounce piece of white chocolate candy in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high until melted (it generally takes about 1 minute). With a butter knife, spread the melted white chocolate on the frozen banana halves.

Set the pops on a waxed-paper-covered dish. Press on candies or currants for eyes and mouths and return the pops to the freezer until ready to serve. Makes 2.



Chocolate Slime


Finally, some slime the kids can sink their teeth into. For eight kids, we separated this recipe into two bowls of fondue so there wouldn't be too much shoving.
Ingredients


8 2-ounce bars of baking white chocolate
2 tablespoons heavy cream
6 to 12 drops green food coloring
Angel food cake, cut in large cubes
Red and green grapes, rinsed and removed from stem
2 to 3 bananas, sliced into 1-inch rounds
2 to 3 red or green apples, rinsed, cored and sliced
2 oranges, peeled and divided into sections
1 to 2 pineapples, cut into large chunks

Directions


In a medium-sized, microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate uncovered in a microwave set on medium-high for 1 minute. Stir and microwave for additional 10- to 20-second intervals until smooth.

Don't overcook. (For an alternative method, use a glass or nonreactive double boiler set on medium-low heat. Stir regularly until the chocolate is smooth.) Add the cream and food coloring and stir thoroughly.

Keep warm in a double boiler or fondue pot and present with cut cake and fresh fruits.

Makes 8 servings.



Your little monsters will eat up this slimy green dip (guacamole) served in a monster skull (squash).


MONSTER BRAINS


Ingredients


2 ripe, dark-skinned avocados (must be soft to the touch)
5 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
10 sprigs fresh cilantro (washed and chopped)
4 tablespoons medium-spicy chunky salsa
Salt and freshly-ground pepper


Directions


Cut the avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pits. Using a spoon or a fork, scoop out the meat from the skin and place it in a large mixing bowl. Use a fork to mush the avocado meat until only a few lumps remain. Stir in the cheese, cilantro and salsa. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes enough for 10 small brain-eaters or 5 large ones.

TESTERS' TIP: If you'll be preparing your guacamole two to three hours in advance, take the pits from the avocados and place them in the guacamole. The pits help to keep the ghoulishly green dip from turning brown.

SKULLS TO DIE FOR


For gastronomic ghoulishness, serve Monster Brains (guacamole), sour cream and salsa in three separate skulls carved out of medium-sized squashes (spaghetti, butternut, acorn) or small green pumpkins.

Directions


Use a spoon to scoop out the insides, then carve monster faces in the front of the squashes or offer your kids toothpicks and smaller vegetables (such as corn kernels, broccoli florets, baby carrots and green peas) to create creepy eyes, crooked teeth, pointy ears and gory scars. Cut the bottom of each squash so that it stands upright, then fill with Monster Brains.

Bat Chips work well as dippers for these creepy masterpieces.



Mini Witch's Brooms

These sweet and salty snacks are sure to be swept away in no time, so you'll want to make lots.
INGREDIENTS


Roll of Fruit by the Foot
Thin pretzels


DIRECTIONS


1. For each one, cut a 2-inch length from a roll of Fruit by the Foot.

2. With the shorter ends on the side, fringe the bottom of the strip (leaving a 1/4-inch border uncut along the top) to create thin broom bristles.

3. Then moisten the upper edge of the fruit with a drop of water and tightly wrap it around one end of a thin pretzel-stick broom handle.



Spider Pretzels



These arachnid treats are easy to make and they look positively lifelike crawling across your child's snack plate.
For each:
2 round crackers
2 teaspoons smooth peanut butter
8 small pretzel sticks
2 raisins


With the peanut butter, make a cracker sandwich. Insert eight pretzel "legs" into the filling. With a dab of peanut butter, set two raisin "eyes" on top. Makes 1.



Wiggly, Jiggly Crystal Ball

Let your guests gaze into this Jell-O crystal ball (packed with cosmic fruit) before helping themselves to a plateful.


Ingredients:


4 3-ounce packages yellow Jell-O
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
6 cups boiling water
Melon, cantaloupe, watermelon and blueberries



Directions:


In a large, deep bowl, mix the Jell-O and the unflavored gelatin. Pour the boiling water over the mixture and stir until completely dissolved. Refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours, or until partially set.

Meanwhile, use cookie cutters to carve the melons into stars and moons (sets of the cutters or aspic cutters are available in kitchen supply stores for about $16 and are worth the investment). Press all the fruit into the partially set gelatin, then refrigerate for 4 more hours, or until set.

Place the bowl in a pan of hot water to loosen the Jell-O from the sides, then invert onto a wizard-like platter. Serves 16 to 18.



Worms on a Bun
Try this Halloween twist--or should we say wiggle?--on the traditional hot dog and bun.

Ingredients

Hot dogs
Hamburger rolls
Ketchup


Directions


Cut the hot dogs into thin slices and score the edges (about three cuts per slice).

Boil or microwave until the slices curl like wiggly worms. Serve three or four worms to a bun. For an extra-icky touch, add a few squiggles of ketchup and serve with Putrid Punch



Moose Droppings
Yield - 60 to 70 Sausage Bites

Ingredients
3 LBS FRESH BRATWURST SAUSAGE (4oz links)
2 LARGE YELLOW ONIONS (Sliced into rings)
4 BOTTLES DIXIE WHITE CHOCOLATE MOOSE BEER

Method
In a large Dutch oven and over medium/high heat boil sausage, onions and two beers for about 15 minutes. Cook sausage until all of the beer evaporates and the onions start to caramelize. Preheat a bar-b-que pit, remove sausage from Dutch oven and place on the grill. Charbroil sausage until a golden brown color is achieved on all sides. Use tongs to turn sausage, a fork will puncture the skin and release the beer flavors. Remove the sausage from the grill and cut into 1 inch bites.

While the sausage is grilling, strain off the grease from the Dutch oven. Retain all of the onions and drippings. Return the bites to the Dutch oven, use small amounts of beer to deglaze the pan and sausages (About 1 ounce at a time.) The beer will foam and lift the "graton" from the bottom of the pan. As the beer reduces and caramelizes, add more beer until all is used.

Alternate Method
Leave the sausages whole and return to the sauce as instructed. The Brats can then be placed whole on French bread pistolettes smothered in the onion and white chocolate glaze.

Plate Presentation
Spoon the bites on to a large warmed serving tray, smoother the bites with the onion and white chocolate glaze. Serve immediately.



Bat Chips

With a cookie cutter and a little elbow grease, you can turn plain tortillas into creatures of the night. Serve these chips with monster brains.
Ingredients


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

Directions


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.



Ants on a Log

1 pretzel Rod
2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
2 Tablespoons Chocolate Jimmies

Cover 1/2-2/3 of the pretzel rod with peanut butter. Roll peanut butter covered section in chocolate flavored jimmies



Putrid Punch

When your crowd gets thirsty this Halloween, serve them the special of the haunted house--putrid punch.

PUTRID PUNCH:
1 13-oz. package lemon-lime Kool-Aid
1 cup sugar
8 cups water
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate
4 cups ginger ale
Worm cubes (ice cubes with gummy worms frozen inside)
3 scoops orange sherbert

This sick-colored punch looks disgusting but tastes divine. Empty the Kool-Aid package into a punch bowl. Add the sugar, then the water and stir until dissolved. Stir in the orange juice. Just before serving, add the ginger ale and worm cubes and float the scoops of sherbert on top. Before long, the punch will be green and infested with worms. Serves 14.

PARTY TIP: Be sure to freeze your worm cubes before the party.

[Kitchen Witch]

Bug Juice

Kids Will Love this Healthy, Ghoulish Punch
by Jodie Shield

Ingredients

2 10-oz. pkgs. frozen strawberries, defrosted
1 6-oz. can lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 quart ginger ale
2 cups raisins
6 gummy worms

Directions


1. Mix the strawberries and lemonade concentrate in a blender until smooth and thick.

2. Gradually add ginger ale.

3. Transfer the beverage to a punch bowl. Stir in any remaining ginger ale and the raisins. Place the gummy worms on the rim of the bowl for a swampy effect. Makes 10 servings.




Tomato Soup with Goop


This creamy concoction with melted blobs of cheese probably isn't helping the already iffy image of a blood-like soup, but it goes over big at Halloween. The soup has to be quite hot to make the cheese melt, so let it cool a little or issue warnings before serving.
Ingredients


One 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes or 4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, diced
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
2 5-oz packages mozzarella string cheese, room temperature
1 12- to 14-oz package chunk mozzarella, room temperature
3 1/2 cups milk
1 cup cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions


Puree the tomatoes, celery, onion, garlic, and parsley in a food processor or blender until smooth and transfer to a large, nonreactive soup pot. Stir in the butter, sugar, flour, salt and pepper.

Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil. Lower heat. Set out warm bowls and portion out one chunk of mozzarella and one string torn into strips for each bowl.

A few minutes before serving, pour the milk and cream into the pot and stir thoroughly. Cook briefly on medium heat but don't boil, or the milk and cream will separate. When the soup is steaming, ladle it into the bowls.

Each diner can lift the goop to the surface, play with the blob and the strings, and eat them, too. Before the cheese stage, the soup can be prepared in advance, refrigerated and reheated.

Serves 8.

Tip; You can use canned soup as well to speed things along.



Monster Toes

Kids will love the gross-out factor of this tasty finger food. Parents will love the fact that it is candy-free. Try some for a party or pre-trick-or-treating dinner.
Ingredients:


Cocktail wieners
6-inch tortillas
Ketchup or mustard
Toothpicks


Directions



1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut a wedge into the end of each cocktail wiener to make a toenail.
2. Cut the tortillas into strips about 4 inches long and 3/4 inch wide. Discard the ends.
3. Soften the strips in the microwave between damp paper towels for 10 to 30 seconds.
4. Roll each wiener in a tortilla strip and secure with a toothpick.
5. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove them from the oven, then fill the toenail with ketchup or mustard. Remove the toothpicks before serving.



Roasted Ghosts


Make magic in your kitchen by transforming a bunch of ordinary potatoes into edible apparitions.
Ingredients


4 cups chopped white potatoes
1/4 cup milk
1 crushed garlic clove
2 tablespoons cream cheese or grated cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 19-oz can black beans, drained

Directions


Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until soft. Drain the water, then add the milk, garlic, cream cheese, salt and pepper. Mash with a potato masher or beat with an electric mixer until creamy and lump-free.

Scoop the potatoes into a pastry bag without a decorator's tip. Squeeze the ghosts onto a lightly buttered cookie sheet so they stand upright. To create ghastly eyes, press two even-sized black beans (or peas) into each ghost's head.

Just before serving, warm the ghosts in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for about 5 minutes. Serve on white plates and eat with forks or fingers. Makes about 24.

TESTERS' TIP: Be sure to make lots of mini ghosts--when we tested this recipe at the party, the kids wouldn't touch the big ones.



Flap Jack-o'-Lanterns
If your kids like pumpkin pie, they'll flip over these tasty pancakes.
Ingredients


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
3 tbsp. melted butter plus 1 tbsp. for frying
1/2 cup cooked and mashed pumpkin or canned pumpkin


Directions


Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. Add 3 tablespoons of melted butter and the pumpkin to the wet ingredients, and whisk together.

Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients, and stir just until blended--a few lumps are okay. Heat the remaining butter on a griddle over medium-high heat. Then pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. When the flapjacks bubble on top, flip and cook until brown on other side. Makes 20 pancakes.



PUS POCKETS
SERVES 4

4 sm Pitas
8 oz Mozzarella cheese -- shredded
Ketchup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slit open each pita along 1/4 of its edge to make a pocket, and spoon 1/2 cup shredded cheese into each one. Place the stuffed pitas on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the pitas turn golden brown. Remove from the oven. With a knife, poke a hole in the top of each pita. Carefully squeeze pitas, they'll be hot, until a little melted cheese oozes out of the hole. Dab ketchup around the hole and arrange on a platter. Now you can not only pick your pimples, but you can eat them too!



NOSE BLOW BURRITOS

2 medium tomatoes
1 pound ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
1 can (30oz) refried beans
8 or 10 burrito size soft flour tortillas
2 packages (8oz) guacamole
1 package (16oz) sour cream

Dice the tomatoes into small pieces and place in a bowl.
Place the ground beef in a frying pan, sprinkle with the
burrito seasoning and saute on medium heat until it's well
browned. Cover and set aside.
Cook the beans in a saucepan on low heat, stirring
occasionally. when the beans are hot, gently combine them
with the ground beef in a clean bowl.
To build the burrito beaks: Set one tortilla on a dinner
plate. Spoon an approximately one and one half inch wide
strip of guacamole dip (rancid mucus) down the center of
each tortilla. On top of that, spoon a strip of sour cream
(fresh mucus), a strip of guacamole,beans and beef.
Tightly fold the left and right sides of the tortilla over
your ingredients,then tuck the lower third of the whole
burrito under itself, making a nose shape.
Use a knife to cut out two large holes for nostrils.
Gently squeeze the nose.



CAT LITTER CASSEROLE

1 cup bisquick
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 pound ground beef,turkey or pork sausage

Litter
2 cups long grain rice
3 3/4 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

To make dumpsreheat the oven to 350F. Using
clean hands, mix together the dump ingredients in a
large bowl. Mold pieces of this mixture into various
size/shape dumps.Place so they don't touch each other
in an ungreased baking pan. Use two if they don't all
fit.Bake the dumps for about 20 minutes or until they
are all brown, firm and slightly crusty. While the
meat cooks,put all four litter ingredients into a large
saucepan.Heat on high until the watercomes to a boil.
Stir,turn heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer without
lifting the cover for fourteen minutes.Remove the saucepan
from the stove and carefully lift off the cover.
Break apart, or "fluff" the rice with a fork and set
pan aside.When dumps are done, carefully transfer them
onto paper towels to drain.Spoon the rice and dumps into
the now empty baking pan, leaving somedumps partially uncovered,
the way Kitty does when he/she is in a hurry.

[Kitchen Witch]

VAMPIRES BLOOD SHAKE

2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 package frozen strawberries or raspberries, thawed
Ice cubes
1 pint strawberry ice cream

1.Mix yogurt, vanilla, and berries in the blender.
2.Pour into tall glasses over ice cubes, or chill.
3.Top with a big spoonful of strawberry ice cream.
OPTIONAL: Add red food coloring to make it more realistic.



BUTCHERED SNAKE BITS

1 package (10oz) rigatoni pasta
2 cans squirtable cheese spread
1 small jar barbecue sauce
16 to 20 whole black peppercorns
1 carrot

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Rinse the
pasta in cold water.

To make snakes:Covering one end of the rigatoni with
your finger (to prevent leakage), carefully fill each
piece of pasta with cheese spread. Place six to
eight cheese-filled rigatonis end to end on a serving
platter, in a realistically curvy snake shape.
Using a toothpick, spread lines of barbecue sauce
along the top of each snake for markings. To form heads,
use barbecue sauce to glue two black peppercorn
eyes onto the end opposite the tail of each snake.

Wash, dry and carefully peel skin off carrot.
When completely clean of skin,make one more peeling for
each snake you have formed. At the narrow end of each
peel, carefully cut out a long, thin triangle. These
are your snakes forked tongues. Position tongues.


SPOOKY PUDDING CUPS

4 cups - Cold milk
1 package (4 serving size) - Chocolate fudge instant pudding mix
10 to 12 - Plastic cups (7-ounce size)
1 package (4 serving size) - Vanilla instant pudding mix
12 - Chocolate sandwich cookies
Red and yellow food coloring
Halloween sprinkles


Pour 2 cups of the milk into a large bowl. Add chocolate fudge flavor pudding, beat with wire whisk for 2 minutes. Fill glasses about ½ full with pudding mixture.

Pour remaining 2 cups of milk into another large bowl. Add vanilla pudding mix, beat with wire whisk for 2 minutes. Stir in a few drops of red and yellow food color to make orange. Spoon mixture evenly over chocolate mixture. Top with crushed cookies.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with Halloween sprinkles.

Makes 10 to 12 servings



GRAVEYARD SPOOKS (COOKIES)

1 package (16 ounces) - Chocolate sandwich cookies
3 ½ cups - Cold milk
1 package (4 serving size) - Chocolate pudding
1 package (4 serving size) - Vanilla pudding
1 tub (12 ounces) - Frozen whipped topping


Crush cookies in an enclosed plastic bag with a rolling pin or use a food processor.

Pour cold milk into a large bowl. Add chocolate and vanilla pudding mixes. Beat with a wire whisk for 2 minutes. Gently stir in 3 cups of the whipped topping and ½ of the crushed cookies. Spoon into a 13x9 inch dish. Sprinkle with remaining crushed cookies. Refrigerate for an hour or until ready to serve. Store leftover dessert covered in the fridge.

To decorate graveyard, decorate assorted cookies with decorating icings or gels to create "tombstones". Milano or similar oblong cookies work well for these. Stand "tombstones" on top of dessert with candy corn, candy pumpkins and tiny jelly beans. Drop remaining whipped topping by spoonfuls onto the dessert to create ghosts. Decorate with small candies to make eyes.

Makes 12 to 16 servings



Marshmallow Ghosts (Candy)

Marshmallows
4" lollipop sticks
Melting chocolate (your color choice)
Black decorating gel

Stick marshmallows into 4" lollipop sticks and place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes, until they are cold.

While the marshmallows are chilling, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.

Remove the marshmallows from the freezer and dip them lightly in the melted chocolate for a thin coating. To get a mummy look, swirl them a bit to look like layers of white wrapped around it. Ghosts should be dunked to make a little twisted peak on top. Frankenstein can be dunked and a spoon used to flatten the chocolate on top.

Push the sticks into a block of styrofoam to cool. If you stick them in the fridge it shouldn't take long for them to set up.

Add faces after they harden. Using a small tube of black decorating gel, with a small tip, carefully paint on two ghostly eyes onto the marshmallow. Add a little mouth as well.



Brain Salad Surgery (Salad)


1 package (6 ounce) - Blueberry gelatin mix
1 carton (16 ounce) - Small curd cottage cheese
1 can (16 ½ ounce) - Blueberries in syrup OR
¾ cup - Frozen blueberries (thawed)
Blue food coloring


Prepare gelatin according to package directions. Chill 4-5 hours or until firm.

Scoop cottage cheese into a bowl. Drain and set aside the syrup from the blueberries. Add the berries to the cottage cheese and mix well. Add three drops of food coloring to turn the cottage cheese a nice grayish color with blended.

To serve salad, place a few spoonfuls of firm gelatin, (congealed brain fluid), onto individual serving plates. Top with a scoop of cottage cheese (brain tissue) mixture and serve.

Makes 6 servings



Snake Bits With Barbecue Sauce (Pasta)

1 package (10 ounce) - Rigatoni pasta
2 cans - "Squirtable" cheese spread
1 small jar - Barbecue sauce
16 to 20 - Whole black peppercorns
1 - Carrot

Cook pasta in boiling water, drain, rinse in cold water and drain again.

To make snakes, cover one end of the rigatoni with your finger (to prevent leakage) and carefully fill each piece of pasta with cheese spread. Place six to eight cheese-filled rigatonis end to end on a serving platter in a realistically curvy snake shape.

Using a toothpick, spread lines of barbecue sauce along the top of each snake for markings. To form heads, use barbecue sauce to glue two black peppercorn eyes onto the end opposite the tail of each snake.

Wash, dry and carefully peel skin off carrot. When completely clean of skin, make one more peeling for each snake you have formed. At the narrow end of each peel, carefully cut out a long, thin triangle. These are your snakes forked tongues.

Serving suggestion: Assemble two or three snakes lying on their backs, as if they died in agony! Belly up snakes have no markings drawn on them, as snake bellies are generally a solid color.



Frozen Jack O' Lanterns (Ice Cream)

Ingredients

24 - Naval oranges
1 gallon - Dark chocolate or fudge ice cream
24 - Whole cinnamon sticks

Preparation

Cut off the top of the oranges. Gently hollow out the pulp, leaving a thick shell; hollow pulp out of cut-off tops too. Cut Jack O' Lantern faces into each orange. Take a SpookMaster Easy pattern and reduce it in size .

Pack scoops of ice cream into shells (try to avoid letting ice cream ooze out of eyes or mouth). Cut a small hole in the top of each orange. Set tops back on over the ice cream and insert a cinnamon-stick stem through the hole. Place in the freezer for at least 3 hours or until serving time.



Taffy Apple Cookies

Ingredients

½ pound plus 2 tablespoons - Butter
8 tablespoons - Powdered sugar
3 cups - Flour
2 - Egg yokes
1 teaspoon - Vanilla extract
1 bag - Caramels
1 small package - Chopped nuts or sprinkles
Pinch salt

Preparation

Cream butter and add powdered sugar, yolks, vanilla and salt. Mix well. Add flour, shape into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet one inch apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool and place toothpick in center.

Melt 1 bag caramels in ½ cup water. Dip each cookie into melted caramel and roll in chopped nuts or sprinkles. Place on waxed paper and let set for an hour.



Eyeball Cookies

Ingredients

½ cup - Butter (softened)
1 ½ cups - Peanut butter
1 pound - Powdered sugar
1 tablespoon - Vanilla extract
12 ounces - White chocolate almond bark

Preparation

Cream the butter and peanut butter together. Add the sugar and vanilla and thoroughly blend. Shape into small 1-inch balls and refrigerate on waxed paper for 30 minutes.

Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or in double boiler. With a toothpick, dip the "eyeballs" into the white chocolate, covering all but a small circle on the top. Let cool on waxed paper.

Makes 40 eyeballs.



Halloween Spread (Fruit Dip)

Ingredients

1 ½ cup - Solid-pack pumpkin
½ cup - Peanut butter
2 tablespoons - Honey
¼ teaspoon - Ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons - Chopped peanuts
Small carrots
Celery sticks
Apple slices

Preparation

Combine pumpkin, peanut butter, honey and cinnamon; mix well. Chill. Before serving, top with nuts. Serve with vegetable sticks and apple slices.

Makes one cup.



Creepy Caterpillar (Cookies and Ice Cream)

2 pints - Mint-chocolate or pistachio ice cream
8 - Chocolate wafer cookies
28 - Miniature marshmallows
2 pieces (3 inches each) - Red licorice
1 bag - Peanut M&Ms
1 - Red hot candy

Scoop ice cream onto 8 cookies. Arrange in a zigzag fashion on a cookie sheet. Place 2 marshmallows on each side of 7 scoops for feet. Insert licorice in top scoop for antennae. Use peanut M&M's for eyes. Freeze for at least one hour. Just before serving, position red-hot for mouth.

Makes 8 servings



Vampire Repellent (Popcorn Snack)

1 bag - Microwave popcorn
2 cups - Crisp wheat square cereal
2 cups - Cheddar cheese-flavored goldfish crackers
1 (¾ ounce) can - Shoestring potatoes
1 cup - Unsalted peanuts
½ cup - Margarine or butter
1 teaspoon - Dried parsley flakes
½ teaspoon - Chili powder
¼ teaspoon - Onion powder
¼ teaspoon - Garlic powder
½ cup - Grated parmesan cheese

Prepare popcorn as directed on the packaged. Remove any unpopped kernels.

In a large bowl, combine popcorn, cereal, crackers, shoestring potatoes and peanuts.

Place margarine in a 2-cup microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted. Stir in parsley flakes, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Drizzle seasoned mixture over popcorn mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Toss until evenly coated.

Transfer half of mixture to ungreased 12x8 inch microwave safe dish. Microwave on high for 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring once halfway through heating. Spread on paper towels to cool. Repeat with remaining mixture.

Makes 12 cups.

[Kitchen Witch]

Monster Mash (Popcorn Snack)

10 cups - Popcorn (popped)
1 bag (16 ounce) - M&M's
1 bag (14 ounce) - Chocolate covered peanuts
1 cup - Candy corn
1 cup - Peanut butter chips


In a large bowl combine 10 cups popped popcorn, 1 16-ounce bag of M&Ms, a 14-ounce bag of chocolate covered peanuts, 1 cup candy corn and 1 cup peanut butter chips. Place 1 cup each in a plastic storage bag.



Frozen Gnats (Chocolate Raisins)

8 ounces - Semisweet chocolate chips
9 ounces - Raisins
1 small package - Shredded coconut
6 ounces - Lime gelatin powder

Heat 2 inches of water to simmering, not boiling, in the bottom of a double boiler. Place the chocolate chips in the top of the double boiler. Set the top into the bottom part and melt over low heat. Once the chocolate begins to melt, stir constantly until it is fully melted. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for about 5 minutes.

To prepare gnats, spear raisins on each tine of a fork. Dip the fork into the melted chocolate, and then arrange the raisins on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Repeat until all of the raisins are chocolate covered.

Stick 2 pieces of shredded coconut antennae onto each raisin and freeze for 20 to 30 minutes.

Prepare the gelatin according to the directions on the package. Pour into individual dessert bowls and set in the freezer for 20 minutes, or until the gelatin begins to harden. Remove the gelatin when it is partially set and arrange the gnats on top. Refrigerate until the gelatin sets completely.



Ghoul Kisses (Cheese and Crackers)


½ pound - Fresh peas (in the pod)
8 ounces - Cream cheese (softened)
6 - Large round crackers (about 3-inches)
6 ounces - Pimentos (drained)
1 cup - Raisins
Green food coloring


Open the pea pods and remove the peas into a bowl; set aside. In another small bowl, mix food coloring, drop by drop, into the cream cheese, stirring with a spoon until the desired shade of green is reached.

Spread a large thin oval of cream cheese on each cracker. Use clean scissors to cut pimentos into upper and lower lip shapes - you'll need 1 upper and 1 lower for each cracker.



Using extra cream cheese, if necessary, to adhere lips to crackers, place a set of lips on top of each cracker, surrounding the oval of cream cheese. This will form your open mouth. Place 2 rows of peas and raisins (rotten teeth) between each set of lips. Arrange on a serving platter.


Critical Spuds (Mashed Potatoes)

6 - Medium russet potatoes
2 teaspoons - Salt
½ cup - Milk
4 tablespoons - Butter or margarine (softened)
1 teaspoon - Pepper
12 - Small mushrooms
2 - Red bell peppers (cored, seeded and sliced)
Assorted vegetables - Broccoli, zucchini, carrots, etc.
Ketchup
Additional melted butter

Peel off potato skins with a vegetable peeler. Cut potatoes into quarters and put them in a large pot 3/4 full of cold water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water, cover the pot and boil for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.

Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove potatoes from the hot water and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk, butter, pepper and the remaining teaspoon of salt. Beat with an electric mixer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

Spoon a mound of potatoes onto individual plates. Allow to cool slightly. Then, using clean hands, sculpt a human head on each plate. Using vegetables of your choice, add eyes, a nose and a mouth to each head. Try mushrooms for eyes, red pepper slices for lips, broccoli for hair or mustaches, etc. Using a blunt knife, slash a gash down the side of each head. Pour ketchup (blood) into each gash and dribble on melted-butter for a deliciously disgusting side dish!


Spaghetti and Eyeballs


Eyeballs
1 ½ pounds - Ground beef
1 cup - Seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon - Ketchup
1 - Egg
¼ teaspoon - Pepper
½ teaspoon - Oregano
7 ounces - Olives (pimento-stuffed)
Spaghetti and Sauce
14 ounces - Spaghetti sauce
3 quarts - Water
1 teaspoon - Salt
8 ounces - Spaghetti
2 tablespoons - Butter or margarine


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, ketchup, egg, pepper and oregano in a large bowl. Then form the meat mixture into about 18 to 24 eyeball-sized balls. Press an olive into each ball, pimento side out. Place the eyeballs in a baking dish, cover them with spaghetti sauce and bake for 45 minutes.

About 15 minutes before the eyeballs are done, fill a large pot with 3 quarts of water. Add salt. Set on medium heat and follow package directions to cook the spaghetti. Drain and transfer it to a serving bowl and toss with the butter or margarine.

When your eyeballs are done, remove them from the oven and spoon onto the spaghetti, irises up. Spoon sauce from the pan around them.


Sulfuric Acid Swill (Fruit Drink)

6 ounces - Frozen lemonade concentrate (partially thawed)
½ cup - Lemon juice
1 cup - Grapefruit juice (cold)
2 quarts - Lemon sherbet
1 quart - Club soda (cold)

In a large pitcher, mix together the lemonade concentrate, lemon juice and grapefruit. Add to this the amount of water required on the lemonade can. Pour the liquid into tall glasses, filling them halfway, and add a scoop of lemon sherbet to each. Fill the glasses with club soda and serve immediately.

Just before serving, sprinkle the top of each glass with a pinch of lemon or lime-flavored powdered drink mix. Makes for a totally toxic-looking treat!



Frankie's Toes (Chocolate Covered Pretzels)

3 ounces - Semisweet chocolate
9 ounces - Pretzel nuggets
12 ounces - Beer nuts

Carefully remove the thin sugar shells from the beer nuts and set aside. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave.

When the chocolate is melted, carefully insert a toothpick into each pretzel nugget, then dip the nugget into the melted chocolate. Be sure your pretzel (toe) is completely covered.

Place 1 sugar shell (toenail) on the end of each toe. Place on waxed paper to cool and repeat with as many toes as you desire.



Varicose Veins (Salad)


15 ½ ounces - French-style green beans
1 head - Iceberg lettuce
6 tablespoons - Almonds (sliced)
Red food coloring


Heat the beans in their liquid according to the directions on the can. Wash and dry the lettuce and arrange the leaves on a serving platter. Pour the beans and liquid into a glass bowl. Add red food coloring, drop by drop, until the liquid turns the color of blood. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the beans and place them in a "veinlike" pattern on top of the leaves. Sprinkle almonds over the beans for and added bony crunch and flavor.



Vampire Fangs (Fruit Snack)

6 - Large apples
¼ cup - Lemon juice
½ cup - Sugar
10 ounces - Strawberry fruit sauce or "all fruit" preserves

Peel the apples, core them and cut them in half. Then cut each apple in half again to make quarters. Cut each quarter again to make eighths.

Place the apples in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice. Cut and shape the apple eighths into fangs then return them to the bowl with the lemon juice and toss lightly.

Sprinkle sugar over the fangs and toss until evenly mixed throughout. Arrange the fangs on a party platter splattered with strawberry sauce blood.

[Kitchen Witch]

Worms au Gratin (Pasta)

Worms
4 quarts - Water
1 tablespoon - Salt
2 cups - Egg noodles
8 ounces - Spaghetti (broken into short pieces)
2 tablespoons - Butter or margarine
1 ½ cups - American cheese (grated)
½ teaspoon - Vegetable oil

Dirt
2 - Whole-wheat bread slices (toasted)
1 tablespoon - Butter or margarine (melted)
¼ teaspoon - Salt


To prepare worms, fill a large pot with 4 quarts of water and add the salt. Heat over medium to high heat until the water comes to a rapid boil. Add the egg noodles and spaghetti (worms) and allow the water to come to a boil again. Lower the heat and cook the worms on a slow boil, uncovered, for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Drain and pour them into a large bowl. Toss with butter or margarine and the grated cheese. Grease the inside of a casserole dish with the vegetable oil. Pour the cooked worms into the dish and set aside.

To prepare the dirt, in a small bowl, crumble the toasted bread into tiny crumbs. Mix melted butter and salt with the crumbs to create dirt. Sprinkle dirt over worms and place under the broiler for 5 minutes.



Halloween Snack Mix

6 Cups Caramel Corn
2 Cups Cashews or Pecans
1-1/2 Cups Candy Corn
1/3 Cup Raisins

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix well.
* Great for a Halloween Party or to package in individual goodie
bags for a school party or bake sale.



Halloween Cookie Pizza

. 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
. 1/2 cup butter flavor shortening
. 1 egg
. 1 tablespoon water
. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
. 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
. 1/4 teaspoon salt
. 1 cup REESE?S Peanut Butter Chips
. 1 cup miniature marshmallows
. 1/2 cup HERSHEY?S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
. 1/2 cup chopped pecans
. CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE (recipe follows)
. ORANGE DRIZZLE (recipe follows)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12-inch round pizza pan.*2. Beat brown sugar and shortening in large bowl on medium speed of mixer until creamy. Add egg, water and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add to sugar mixture, beating on low speed until well blended. Stir in peanut butter chips. Spread batter into prepared pan to within 1/2 inch of edge. 3. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until set. Remove from oven. Sprinkle marshmallows, chocolate chips and pecans over top. Return to oven. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until marshmallows are lightly browned. Cool completely. 4. Drizzle CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE over top. Drizzle ORANGE DRIZZLE over chocolate. Let stand about 1 hour until drizzles set. Cut into
wedges. 16 servings.

CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE: Combine 1/4 cup HERSHEY?S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and 1-1/2 teaspoons butter flavor shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time,
stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred.

ORANGE DRIZZLE: Combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon water, 3 drops yellow food color and 2 drops red food color in small bowl; stir until well blended.

* Cookie pizza can be baked in 13�9x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 375°F. 15 to 18 minutes or until set.



Halloween Spider Web Cake

2 buttered round cake pans (8-inch)
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 bag (13.30 oz.) SNICKERS(r) Brand FUN SIZE(r) Bars, unwrapped
1 container (16 oz.) caramel frosting
1 tube orange decorative frosting
1 toothpick
4 M&M?S(r) Brand Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies for Halloween
4 M&M?S(r) Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween
4 laces black licorice
2 M&M?S(r) MINIs(r) Chocolate Candies

1. Prepare the cake batter according to the directions on the back of the box.
2. Divide the batter between the two buttered round cake pans. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 35-38 minutes. Cool completely.
3. Set one SNICKERS(r) Brand FUN SIZE(r) Bar aside. Microwave the remaining SNICKERS(r) Brand FUN SIZE(r) Bars for 1minute. Spread the resulting melted SNICKERS(r) spread on top of one cake layer, then place the second layer on top of the first.
4. Microwave 1 cup of caramel frosting for 5 to 10 seconds, just to make it runny. Spread the frosting over the top of the cake, allowing the extra to drip over the edges.
5. Use the orange decorative frosting to create a web on top of the cake.
6. To make the spiders: Place the saved SNICKERS(r) Brand FUN SIZE(r) Bar randomly on the spider?s web. Attach 2 M&M?S(r) MINIs(r) Chocolate Candies on the edges, using the orange frosting. Then snip the licorice laces into 8 pieces. Place four pieces along each side of the
SNICKERS(r) Brand FUN SIZE(r) Bar.
7. To make the flies: Place 4 pairs of 1 piece M&M?S(r) Brand Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies for Halloween and 1 piece M&M?S(r) Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween randomly on the spider?s web. Cut the black licorice laces into 1 1/2 inch pieces and loop one on either
side of the M&M?S(r) pairs. These little bugs have been caught in the spider?s web! Makes one cake



Candy Apples

6 red apples
6 wooden lollypop sticks
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 dash vanilla extract

1. Wash and dry apples.
2. Remove stems and replac with stick stuck halfway into apple.
3. Combine corn syrup, sugar, and water in deep saucepan.
4. Stir and cook over medium heat unti thoroughly dissolved and mixture boils.
5. Then cook, without stirring to soft crack stage.
6. Remove from heat; add extract and stir only enough to mix.
7. Place pan over boiling water keep syrup from thickening.
8. Then, dip apples and wind in a circular motion until thoroughly covered with syrup.
9. Place on buttered pan with sticks upright and cool.



Dracula Dip

2 cups sour cream
1 packet of dry tomato-vegetable soup mix

1. Put dry soup mix and sour cream into a bowl. Stir until soup mix is moist. Put mixture into refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Serve with chips or vegetables.



Halloween Snacks

Bologna
Flour Tortillas
American Cheese
Mustard and Ketchup

1. Cut the american cheese into small triangles which will be used as eyes and jagged lines for the mouth.
2. Place the bologna on the tortilla.
3. Then decorate the pumpkin heads with the cheese as eyes and mouths.
4. Add hair, etc... with the mustard and catsup.



Candied Apples

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vinegar
2/3 cup water
1 packet cherry kool-aid
10 apples


1. Mix sugar, vinegar and water.
2. Boil Until mixture reaches 300 degrees ; cool.
3. Stir in Kool-aid.
4. Put apples on sticks and dip into mixture quickly.





Halloween Snack Mix

1/2 cup blood drops (red hots)
1/2 cup cats eyes (blanched almonds) or (gumdrops)
1/2 cup cats claws (sunflower seeds)
1 cup chicken toenails (candy corn)
1 cup colored flies (M & M's)
1 cup butterfly wings (corn chips)
1 cup ants (raisins)
1 cup earthworms (cheese curls)
1 cup cobwebs (Triscuits) or (Golden Grahams)
1 cup snakes eyes (peanuts)
1 cup bats bones (shoestring potatoes)

Mix together in a large bowl. Serve with several pints of blood (cherry punch).



Witch's Brew II (with alcohol or as virgin brew)
Serving Size 28

36 ounces unsweet apple juice concent -- thaw, undiluted
5 cups water
4 cups vodka -- can use water instead for virgin brew
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 gallon lime sherbet -- softened
8 cups club soda -- chilled

Combine apple juice, water, vodka, and lime juice in a large bowl. Cover and chill. Just before serving, spoon sherbet into a large punch bowl; slowly pour apple juice mixture and club soda over sherbet, stirring gently.

[Kitchen Witch]

PUMPKIN APPLES

WHAT YOU NEED:
1 APPLE
A KNIFE
A SPOON

WHAT TO DO:
TAKE THE APPLE AND CUT THE TOP OF IT.THEN SCOOP OUT THE INSIDE OF THE APPLE.MAKE A FACE OR A PICTURE IN IT.NOW YOU CAN EAT IT!(YOU CAN PUT THINGS IN IT)



SANDWITCHES!

I like to make ghostly sand-witches!! All you need to do is make your favorite sandwich, using white bread. Then take your favorite Halloween cookie cutter, and carefully cut out the sandwich. I use a ghost cutter, and add raisin eyes. Ohhh, you now have a spooky sand-witch!!

Kids love to make their own spooky sandwiches!



TUNA SPOOKS

2 8-ounce cans white tuna, packed in water
3 tablespoons mayonnaise or plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon honey mustard
20 slices wheat bread, crust removed
Whipped cream cheese

Black olive slices for garnish

Mix the tuna, mayonnaise, curry powder, and mustard in a medium bowl. Cut the bread slices with a cookie cutter shapes like a ghost, bat, pumpkin, or gingerbread man. Spread 10 slices with the tuna mixture and cover with the second slice of bread. Now spread the top of each "spook" with cream cheese. Use 2 slices of olives to make eyes on each.
Makes 10 sandwiches.



NIGHT CRAWLERS .

.12 large apples
1 8-ounce jar boysenberry jam
4 tablespoons butter
12 gummy worms

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Core apples from the stem end to 1/2 inch from the bottom. Do not push through. Stuff each hole with 1 teaspoon each jam and butter. Place in a pan and bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the apples. When done, the apple should be tender but not mushy. Remove the apples from the oven. Let cool 15 minutes. Now set each apple in a bowl and spoon syrup from the baking pan around it. In top of each apple, insert a gummy worm with at least half of its body protruding. Makes 12



"Dirt and Worms"

This is a dessert the kids will love. It's great for birthday parties. Kids just love pretending that this yummy blend of crushed Oreos and whipped topping is really dirt and worms !
8 inch flower pot & trowel
(use the right pot)
8 oz. softened cream cheese
Large package of Oreo cookies
1/2 stick softened margarine or butter
12 oz. Cool whip or other whipped topping
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 3/4 cup milk
2 small package instant French vanilla pudding
1 package of Gummy Worms

Crush well the package of Oreo cookies (set aside).
Cream together 1/2 stick of margarine or butter,8 oz. package cream cheese, 3/4 cup powdered sugar (set aside).
Mix together- 2 3/4 C. milk, 2 packages pudding.
Combine- #2 and #3 and mix well.
Fold In-12 oz. Cool Whip
Using an 8" flower pot, plugging bottom of pot with lid from cool whip. Layer ingredients in pot starting with cookie crumbs then pudding mixture and inserting the gummies continue until ending with cookie crumbs on top. Refrigerate overnight if possible.
Add artificial flowers before serving for decoration
Serve with trowel.



Boogers on a Stick
Take an 8 oz. jar of Cheese Whiz...melt in the microwave according to jar directions allow cheese to cool slightly.

Carefully stir in 3 or 4 drops green food coloring, using just enough to turn the cheese a pale snot green.

To form boogers, dip and twist the tips pretzel sticks into the cheese, lift out, wait twenty seconds, then dip again. When cheese lumps reach a boogerish size, set pretzels on wax paper to cool until you're ready to eat.

Dishwater Halloween Punch (alcohol-free) [/i]1 pk Grape Koolaid*2 pk TuttiFruiti Koolaid*
1 pk Tropical Punch Koolaid*
1 1/2 pk Strawberry Koolaid*
11 qt Water
1 can Pineapple juice
1/2 quart Apple juice

* Make sure kool-aids are pre-sweetened.
Mix all the different koolaids together.
Add the water and juices; stir well.



Boo Bites

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine or butter
30 large marshmallows or 3 cups miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
4-1/2 cups crisp rice cereal

Line cookie sheet with wax paper. Melt butter in large saucepan
over low heat. Add marshmallows. Cook, stirring constantly, until
marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat. Add corn syrup; stir
until well blended. Add peanut butter and chocolate chips; stir
until chips are melted and mixture is well blended. Add cereal;
stir until well coated. Cool slightly. With wet hands, shape
mixture into 1-1/2 inch balls; place balls on prepared cookie sheet.
Cool completely. Store in cool, dry place.

About 4 dozen bites.



Halloween Recipe Swamp Water Juice


Orange juice with a couple drops blue food color to make it
swamp green.

A latex dish washing glove filled with water and stuffed with
multi colored gummy bears and then frozen solid.

Peel glove off and let the ?corpse? hand float in the swamp water.
The frozen hand looks white like a dead hand and the gummy bears
make it look even more rotten.

Add vodka if it is an adult



SPOOKY STORY

For those that are preparing for a Halloween party -

don't forget the spooky tales that can be told -

we used to tell a tale -

everyone sat in a circle on the floor in a darkened room (the darker the better) -

the only light was from the flashlight used to read the story (one narrator who was responsible for handing out each gorey piece as the story was told)

As the story was told (very very slowly of course) "things" were passed around - such as the rubber glove filled with sand and frozen was the dead man's hand, which came out of the ground (that's when you pass the crushed oreo cookies on a plate around for everyone to feel graveyard dirt - be sure to refrigerate for a better effect), chicken bones were human bones, corn silk was the "hair", jello "mushies" (jello gobs with a bit of water in a bowl) were the guts or the brains, a long balloon filled just about halfway with cold water were the intestines) etc. and at the end of the story every one was handed a HO HO because the had to eat doogie doo - or RING DINGS because they had to eat cow dung!

Spooky sounds were played in the background, the story being read so slow and all the props that were used really gave everyone a good scare for the night!

And don't forget the cauldron of dry ice in the corner - it made a nice prop as well.

With a little imagination - there is so much you can do!

[Kitchen Witch]

Kitty Litter Cake for Halloween

Despite the cake's appearance, it's really delicious. For the proper presentation, use a brand new (and definitely UNUSED) plastic cat litter box and spoon it onto plates with a new (NEVER EVER used) pooper scooper.


1 spice or German chocolate cake mix
1 white cake mix
2 large pkg vanilla instant pudding mix, prepared
1 large pkg vanilla sandwich cookies
green food coloring
12 small Tootsie Rolls®

1 new kitty litter pan
1 new plastic kitty litter pan liner
1 new pooper scooper






Prepare cake mixes and bake according to directions (any size pans).

Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble.

Crumble white sandwich cookies in small batches in food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, add a few drops green food coloring and mix until completely colored.

When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble into a large bowl. Toss with half the remaining white cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. Important: mix in just enough of the pudding to moisten it. You don't want it too soggy. Combine gently.

Line a new, clean kitty litter box. Put the cake/pudding/cookie mixture into the litter box.

Put three unwrapped Tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie rolls bury them in the mixture. Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly on top of everything -- this is supposed to look like mold in kitty litter.

Heat 3 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake; sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Spread remaining Tootsie Rolls over the top; take one and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs. Place the box on a newspaper and sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around for a truly disgusting effect.

Trust me, the more disgusting it is, the more the kids think its "cool".




Ghosts In The Graveyard

3-1/2 cups cold milk
2 pkgs. (4 serving size) Jello-Chocolate Pudding
1 tub (12 oz.) Cool Whip thawed
1 pkg (16 oz.) Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies


Crush cookies in zip style bag, with rolling pin, or in food processor.

Make pudding as directed on package using 3-1/2 cups milk; let stand 5 minutes.

Stir in 3 cups of the whipped topping and 1/2 of the crushed cookies.

Spoon into 13x9 dish. Sprinkle with remaining crushed cookies.

Refrigerate 1 hour.

Decorate with candy pumpkins, candy corn, milanos and spoonfuls of whipped topping for ghosts (pipe in chocolate eyes)

Source: Cool Whip



Halloween Punch

Serving: 24 servings

12 oz orange juice concentrate, frozen
12 oz grape juice, white
2 lt 7-Up
1 pt sherbet, lemon or lime
green food coloring


Mix together orange juice, white grape juice, 7-Up, lemon or lime sherbet, and several drops of green food coloring

If desired, serve with large, buoyant, and well-washed plastic spiders on the top!

(For adult party: add rum or vodka to taste, optional)

*Get a plastic witch?s cauldron and put a piece of dry ice in it. Pour the brew over the ice and watch the kids? eyes with delight! (caution should be taken when using dry ice ? you should not touch it)

*Take a rubber face mask; cover the eyes, nostrils and mouth with duct tape to seal all openings. Fill a large bowl with ice or have a cookie sheet covered with cornmeal, to cushion the mask. Place the mask in the bowl/sheet, pour water into the mask. Place in freezer for several hours until frozen solid. When you?re ready to serve your punch, take mask out of freezer and dip quickly into hot water to make the ice separate from the mask. Place the piece of ice face-up into the punch bowl. It will look like a face floating in the punch!

Buy some new latex gloves (without powder). Wash two out and fill with water. Fasten the arms closed with a twist-tie or rubberband. Freeze it. When frozen solid, carefully cut away the glove and place one hand on each side of the ?ice face? in the punch before serving. Make sure you place the hands downward.



Eyeballs

½ cup graham cracker crumbs
1-½ cup peanut butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
10-12 oz. white chocolate


Cream together the first four ingredients. Roll into 1-inch balls. Place balls on waxed paper for 30 minutes, and refrigerate.

When the balls are cool, melt the chocolate in the microwave or double boiler. Partially dip ball into melted white chocolate; leaving an open area on top of ball where you insert a chocolate chip upside down to make the iris, let harden. You may need to reheat the chocolate until all balls are done.

Place eyeballs in little cupcake liners.



Goblin Bars

1 package of brownie mix
1 bag Dove Promises Milk or dark chocolate
1 bag Snickers fun size bars
1 bag of Halloween M&M's

Prepare the brownie mix as directed for an 8 x 8 inch pan; cool slightly. Melt the Dove chocolate over a double boiler until smooth and shiny. Pour half the mixture over the brownies and set aside the remaining. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup chopped Snickers and 1 cup of M&M's. Drizzle with remaining chocolate.



Spooky Cake

1 cake mix --- devil?s food or choclate
1 jar Mrs. Richardson? s Chocolate Fudge sauce
1 small box dracula or halloween cereal
mini chocolate chips
choppeed nuts, optional
Cook Whip

1.Prepare cake mix according to package
directions for a 9x13-inch pan. Pour the batter into the
pan and bake according to package directions.
2. When cake is done, remove from oven and while
still hot, sprinkle with chocolate chips,
reserving ¼ cup.
3.Spread fudge sauce over the top of the cake,
sprinkle nuts over sauce, and sprinkle generously
with cereal.
4. Using a spoon, place several dollops of cool
whip on top of cake, arranging them to become
?ghosts?. Place a second dollop of cool whip on each
one and place chocolate chips in top dollop to
resemble eyes.

Note: This spooky cake is easily made into
cupcakes - just place a ghost on top of each.



Mud Sodas
4 cups chilled chocolate milk
4 cups chilled rootbeer
1 pint chocolate ice cream

In glass combine 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup rootbeer, and top with a scoop of ice cream. Make 8 drinks

[Kitchen Witch]

This is a super simple sandwich we make for my little cousin's birthday/halloween party and the kids love them. I realize it is not a dessert but thought I'd share.

BBQ Worm Sandwich

8 hot dogs - cut into about 6 lengthwise strips each
8 slices american cheese
1/2 cup of a favorite BBQ sauce
8 sandwich buns, split and toasted

Heat hot dogs in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until the hot dog strips begin to curl. Add BBQ sauce and toss hot dog strips until they are coated. Continue heating until bubbly.

Place cheese slice on bottom half of toasted bun and top each with the BBQ worms. Cover with top halve of bun.



Baby Poop cookies
2 c sugar
3/4 c butter
6 oz evaporated milk
1 pkg instant pistachio pudding
3 1/2 c oats

Mix xugar butter and milk. bring to a boil remove from heat add pudding mix and oats cool 15 minutes drop onto wax paper in small blobs.



Humongous Pumpkin Cupcake

What you'll need:

2 bags M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween
1 bag TWIX® Brand Caramel Cookie Bars Minis
1 18.25-oz. box Devil's food cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup oil
2 cans vanilla frosting
Orange food coloring
3 12-cup cupcake pans
26 paper cupcake liners
1 18-inch cake circle, firm cardboard or platter
Spatula


What to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the cupcake cups with the paper cupcake liners.
Beat the cake mix with the eggs, buttermilk and oil until blended. Roughly chop 2 cups (approximately 1 unwrapped TWIX® Brand Caramel Cookie Bars Minis and fold them into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake pans.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely.
Tint the vanilla frosting with the orange food coloring. Line the cupcakes snuggly into a large pumpkin shape on the cake circle or platter. Follow this patternâ??one row of 4 cupcakes, one row of 5, one row of 6, another of 5, another of 4. This leaves 2 cupcakes to be placed at the pumpkin's top for a stem (use the photo as a guide).
Spread orange frosting over the cupcakes, covering them completely so they look like one big cake. Use black M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween to outline the pumpkin, and to make the eyes, mouth and nose. Fill in any remaining area of the pumpkin with orange M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween.


Tip:There are several ways to get similar results. You can frost each cupcake individually with orange icing. Place the cupcakes in a pumpkin shape and then use black M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween to create jack-o-lantern facial features. You can randomly add orange M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween

Finally, you can always use the top of any round cake layer cake as the pumpkin. Frost both the sides and top of the cake. Arrange black M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween to highlight the jack-o-lantern facial features, and then arrange orange M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween randomly over the rest of the cake to complete the face.


Makes 26 cupcakes.



Vampire Bites


What you'll need: 1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
Red food coloring
1/2 cup red decorator's sugar
1 tube vanilla frosting
Plastic wrap
Electric mixer
Large bowl
Medium bowl
2 cookie sheet pans
Parchment paper
Printable templates (or lip-shaped cookie cutter)


What to do:

Combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg; beat well. Slowly add the flour mixture into the dough until blended. Add enough food coloring to tint the dough a bright red. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line the cookie sheet pans with the parchment paper.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Use the printable templates or cookie cutter to cut out 24 lip shapes. Otherwise, you can form the dough into 24 balls and flatten each slightly to create free-form shaped lips using your hands to pinch and shape the dough. Transfer these to the prepared cookie sheets. Re-roll the scraps if necessary.
Sprinkle the cookies with red sugar. Bake 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and immediately press an unwrapped MILKY WAY® Brand Milk Chocolate Covered Caramel piece into the center of each cookie. Cool completely. Use vanilla frosting to pipe fangs over the candy.


Tip: If short on time, consider using store-bought refrigerated sugar cookie dough. Begin by kneading 2/3 cup of flour into the dough, then roll and cut according to the above directions. One roll of cookie dough makes approximately 18 cookies.


Makes 24 bites.




Midnight Moon Cake

What you'll need: 1 bag TWIX® Brand Caramel Cookie Bars FUN SIZE®
1 bag MILKY WAY® Brand FUN SIZE® Bars
1 bag M&M'S® Brand Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies for Halloween
23 chocolate wafers (reserve 3 wafers for the bat wings)
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature
4 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Yellow food coloring
8-inch round spring form pan


What to do:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare the baking pan. Line the bottom of an 8-inch round spring form pan with heavy-duty foil. Grease the pan's sides and bottom. Wrap foil around the outside of the pan; set aside.
Process 20 chocolate wafers, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 5 TWIX® Brand Caramel Cookie Bars FUN SIZE® in a food processor fitted with a metal blade until finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined. Press the mixture evenly around the bottom of the prepared pan. Place that pan into a larger pan, such as a shallow roasting pan. Set aside.
Prepare the batter by heating 5 MILKY WAY® Brand FUN SIZE® Bars and heavy cream in a microwave until melted, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir until smooth.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Divide the batter between two mixing bowls. In one bowl, add cocoa powder and the melted MILKY WAY® mixture; stir until blended. Pour this chocolate batter into the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Tint the remaining bowl of batter yellow. Gently spoon this yellow batter on top of the chocolate layer, covering it completely.
Before baking, create a water bath to keep the top of the cheesecake from badly cracking. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cheesecake sets with a 2-inch jiggly circle in the center. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake remain inside for 30 minutes with the door ajar. At this time, remove the roasting pan to a wire rack, and allow the cheesecake to cool in the water bath until it lowers to room temperature. Remove the cheesecake pan from the water bath and loosely cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before cutting into wedges.
To unmold the cake, gently run a small knife around the pan's edges; loosen the hinge, and remove the cake. Place on a serving platter.
To make the bats, cut the 3 reserved cookie wafers in half. Either leave the edges jagged or, using a small cookie cutter, press out a scalloped edge. Arrange pairs of the cookie halves close together to resemble bat wings, pressing the inside tips slightly into the top of the cake. Place black M&M'S® Brand Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies for Halloween in between for the bats' bodies.


Tips: Get the kids involved! There are many steps children will love to do in this recipe. For example, they can measure and add ingredients, then add them to the food processor and mixing bowl. Depending on the child's age, an adult may need to be the operator! Roll up their sleeves and let them press the crust into the bottom and sides of the pan. They can make the batter, pour it in, and then decorate the top! Remember, there's no right or wrong when cooking with children. Every result is a masterpiece!


Makes 16 servings.

[Kitchen Witch]

Apple cider Cake


What you'll need: 1 bag MILKY WAY® Brand FUN SIZE®, unwrapped
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 15-oz. can solid pumpkin
1/2 cup apple cider
5 tablespoons condensed milk
12-cup bundt cake pan


What to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Reserve 10 MILKY WAY® Brand FUN SIZE® bars to be used in the drizzle. Chop the remaining candy. Reserve 1/2 cup of chopped candy for decoration.
Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt, and set aside.
In a separate bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and stir in the pumpkin puree. The mixture will be loose and wet.
Using a low speed blender, mix the flour with the batter, one third at a time. Blend well after each addition. Stir in the apple cider until smooth.
Spoon half of the batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Using the chopped candy, make a layer on top of the batter. Cover with the remaining batter (leaving the reserved 1/2 cup of chopped candy for decoration).
Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely.
Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan, and invert it onto a cake plate. Unmold the cake from the pan, letting it carefully slip out.
To make the drizzle, melt the reserved MILKY WAY® Brand FUN SIZE® bars with condensed milk, either in a saucepan over medium low heat, or for about 20-30 seconds in the microwave. Drizzle the MILKY WAY® mixture over the top of the cooled cake. Decorate the top of the cake with a sprinkle of the 1/2 cup of reserved chopped candy.


TIP: If you don't have a bundt cake pan, simply bake the cake in a 9 x 13-inch greased baking pan for 35 to 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Makes 1 cake.



Spider Cupcakes

What you'll need: 1 bag SNICKERS® Brand or MILKY WAY® Brand FUN SIZE® Bars, unwrapped and chopped
1 bag M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween
1 18.25-oz. box Devil's Food cake mix
1 16-oz. can dark chocolate frosting
1 10.5-oz. can chocolate sprinkles
24 large marshmallows
48 red or black licorice laces
1 toothpick


What to do:

Prepare the cake mix according to the package instructions.
Fold in the chopped SNICKERS® Brand or MILKY WAY® Brand FUN SIZE® Bars into the batter, before transferring it to the paper-lined cupcake pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 18-21 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of the chocolate frosting in a re-sealable plastic bag.
Spread the tops of the cupcakes with the remaining frosting. Then, coat the tops with the chocolate sprinkles.
Cut the marshmallows in half crosswise. Using the reserved frosting, attach two marshmallow pieces to each cupcake as eyes. Dot the center of each marshmallow piece with frosting, and attach M&M'S® Brand Peanut Chocolate Candies for Halloween. Then, attach another marshmallow piece with frosting, and attach M&M'S® Brand Peanut Chocolate Candies for Halloween for the mouth.
Cut each licorice lace into four equal pieces. Press four holes into 2 sides of each cupcake using the toothpick. Insert a licorice piece into each hole for each spider's legs, 8 pieces per cupcake.
Makes 24 cupcakes.



Wacky Web Cup


What you'll need: 1 bag TWIX® Brand Caramel Cookie Bars FUN SIZE® or SNICKERS® Brand FUN SIZE® Bars
1 bag DOVE® Brand PROMISES® Milk or Dark Chocolates
1 bag brown M&M'S® Brand Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies for Halloween
Orange food coloring (or mix red & yellow food coloring to achieve desired hue)
4 cups prepared vanilla pudding
Resealable plastic bag
Scissors
6 10-oz. clear plastic goblets or cups


What to do:

Brightly tint the pudding with the orange food coloring. Set aside.
Unwrap and chop the TWIX® Brand Caramel Cookie Bars FUN SIZE® or SNICKERS® Brand FUN SIZE® Bars.
Beginning with the TWIX® or SNICKERS®, alternate layers of pudding and candy in the plastic goblets.
Unwrap 12 DOVE® Brand PROMISES® Milk or Dark Chocolates and put them in a resealable plastic bag. Microwave for about a minute, until soft.
Snip a small hole in one corner of the bag to create the shape of a spider web on top. Then, squeeze the chocolate onto the top of each parfait to make a spider web on top of the pudding.
To make the spiders: Draw a line of chocolate on each goblet and then attach brown M&M'S® Brand Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies for Halloween to the chocolate. Draw legs onto the M&M'S® Brand Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies for Halloween with the chocolate.
Makes 6 cups.



Popcorn Goblin Gorp

Ingredients:

2 1/2 quarts popped corn (1/2 cup unpopped kernels)
2 cups mini size pretzels
2 cups raisins
1 cup salted peanuts
1 cup plain M & Mâ??s
1 cup candy corn
1/2 cup sunflower meats
1 cup pecans or walnuts

In large bowl, combine all ingredients; toss gently. Great for a Halloween Treat!



Boo-dacious Treats


These simple graham cracker goodies
will please even the feistiest of little goblins!

What you'll need:

1 bag TWIX® Brand Caramel Cookie Bars FUN SIZE®
1 bag M&M'S® Brand MINIS® Milk Chocolate Candies Halloween Mini Packs
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1 16-oz. container vanilla frosting
1 package graham crackers (10 cracker)
Ground chocolate cookies
Wax paper
Sheet pan
Wire rack
Food processor


What to do:

In a food processor or blender, pulse 10 graham crackers and 1 bag TWIX® Brand Caramel Cookie Bars FUN SIZE® until fine.
Remove the mixture and put it in a bowl. Add the peanut butter and confectioner's sugar to the bowl and blend together.
Divide the mixture into 16 pieces. Shape each piece into a ghost. If too sticky, add extra confectioners sugar as necessary. Place the ghosts onto the wax paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Heat the frosting in the microwave for approximately 10-20 seconds, until thinned and looking slightly like whipped cream. Place the ghosts on a wire rack over a sheet pan lined with waxed paper. Spoon the heated frosting over the ghosts until completely coated. If the unused frosting begins firming up, simply reheat it for 5 to 10 seconds. Place 2 M&M'S® Brand MINIS® Milk Chocolate Candies on each ghost for the eyes.
Sprinkle the ground chocolate cookies on a plate like it is "dirt". Nestle the ghosts in the "dirt".
Makes 16 treats.



Tangled and Tasty Web Cake

What you'll need: 1 bag SNICKERS® Brand FUN SIZE® Bars, unwrapped
1 bag M&M'S® Brand Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies for Halloween
1 tube orange decorative frosting
1 box chocolate cake mix
4 laces black licorice
1 16-oz. container caramel frosting
2 8-inch buttered round cake pans
1 toothpick


What to do:

Prepare the cake batter according to the directions on the back of the box.
Divide the batter between the two buttered round cake pans. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 35-38 minutes. Cool completely.
Set one SNICKERS® Brand FUN SIZE® Bar aside. Microwave the remaining SNICKERS® Brand FUN SIZE® Bars for 1 minute. Spread the resulting melted SNICKERS® spread on top of one cake layer, then place the second layer on top of the first.
Microwave 1 cup of caramel frosting for 5 to 10 seconds, just to make it runny. Spread the frosting over the top of the cake, allowing the extra to drip over the edges.
Use the orange decorative frosting to create a web on top of the cake.
To make the spiders: Place the saved SNICKERS® Brand FUN SIZE® Bar randomly on the spider's web. Attach 2 M&M'S® Brand Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies for Halloween on the edges, using the orange frosting. Then snip the licorice laces into 8 pieces. Place four pieces along each side of the SNICKERS® Brand FUN SIZE® Bar.
To make the flies: Place four pairs of 2 pieces M&M'S® Brand Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies for Halloween randomly on the spider's web. Cut the black licorice laces into 1-1/2-inch pieces and loop one on either side of the M&M'S® pairs. These are little bugs that have been caught in the spider's web!
Makes 1 cake.




Jack O' Lantern Brownies

What you'll need:

1 bag M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate
Candies for Halloween

Orange food coloring
1 16-oz. tub white icing
1 box (for 9 x 13-inch pan) brownie mix
Parchment paper


What to do:

Line the bottom only of a 9-inch round baking pan.
Prepare the brownie mix and bake according to the directions on the box.
Once baked, cool completely, then unmold brownies and place on a platter.
Frost the brownies with icing.
Use black M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween for Jack O' Lantern's eyes, nose and mouth. Completely cover the rest of the Jack O' Lantern in a random pattern with orange M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween.
Makes 12 servings.

[Kitchen Witch]

Pumpkin Cookie Pops

What you'll need: 1 bag M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween
1 18-oz. roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 16-oz. can vanilla frosting
Orange and green food coloring
2 cookie sheets
25 colored craft sticks
Resealable plastic bag


What to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Cut approximately 25 1/4-inch slices of cookie dough. Place them on the cookie sheets. Slip a colored craft stick's 2-inch tip underneath each cookie. At the top of each cookie and directly on the opposite side of the craft stick make a small dimple in the dough.
Bake the cookies for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely.
Tint a quarter cup of frosting with the green food coloring. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag, snip a small corner, and set aside.
Tint the remaining frosting with the orange food coloring. Spread it on the cookie tops. Use the green frosting to pipe the pumpkin stems around the dimples. Use M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween to decorate the cookies like Jack-O-Lanterns.
Makes 30 pops.




Popcorn Pumpkins


What you'll need:
1 bag M&M'S® Brand Peanut
Chocolate Candies for Halloween or
M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate
Candies for Halloween

1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup light corn syrup
Orange food coloring
20 cups popped popcorn
(or one 5-oz. bag popped popcorn)
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
Very large mixing bowl
Wooden spoon
Waxed paper
Orange cellophane
Black ribbon
Black and white foam or construction paper
Non-toxic glue or double-sided tape


What to do:

Bring the sugar, vegetable oil and corn syrup to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to cook until all of the sugar dissolves (about 3 minutes).
Tint the mixture with orange food coloring to the desired shade.
Using a wooden spoon, carefully toss the popped popcorn in a large bowl with the sugar mixture until evenly coated. Once the mixture has cooled slightly, yet still warm to the touch, add the M&M'S® Brand Peanut Chocolate Candies for Halloween or M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween. Blend with the popcorn well.
Wash and then coat your hands with the butter. Mold the mixture into 10 softball-sized balls, by firmly compressing the mixture in your hands. Repeat by washing and buttering your hands as needed. Set the popcorn balls aside on a piece of waxed paper.
Cut the cellophane paper into ten 20 x 20-inch squares.
Place one popcorn ball in the center of each square. Gather the sides of the cellophane up and around the balls. Tie each closed at the top with black ribbon.
Decorate the cellophane-wrapped popcorn balls to look like Jack-O-Lanterns. Cut triangles from black foam or construction paper for the eyes and noses. Cut small white foam rectangles for the teeth. Then, using non-toxic glue or double-sided tape, attach a face to the outside of each cellophane ball.
Makes 10 pumpkins.




Witch Caps

The kids will have a blast helping you
make these fun and fanciful caps!

What you'll need:
1 bag M&M'S® Brand Chocolate
Candies for Halloween

1 bag STARBURST® Brand Original
Fruit Chews FUN SIZE®, optional

1 16-oz. container chocolate frosting
8 3 1/2-inch packaged chocolate cookies
8 chocolate ice cream cones
candy corn or licorice laces, optional
Scissors


What to do:

Measure 1 cup of chocolate frosting. Frost the cookies and then place one chocolate ice cream cone on top of each cookie. Cover the cones with the frosting, and then arrange M&M'S® Brand Chocolate Candies for Halloween in random patterns.
To make the brim of the cap as shown: Sort 32 STARBURST® Brand Original Fruit Chews FUN SIZE® into 4 piles, making sure each pile is the same color. Unwrap them, flatten them slightly, and then snip into thin strips, resembling fringe. Arrange the fringe around the cones for hair. Otherwise, make the cap's rim with either candy corn or licorice laces that have been cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces and place them side-by-side around the base of the cone.
Makes 8 caps.



Red's Haunted Castle

This terrorifically fun Halloween
craft takes everyone's imagination to build;
from the chocolate bricks, right up to the
ice-cream cone towers!


What you'll need: 1 bag SNICKERS® Brand FUN SIZE® Bars
1 bag M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween
Ice-cream cones
Colored vanilla wafer cookies
1 container ready-made frosting
Piece of cardboard or a cookie sheet
Aluminum foil
Optional: Candy cones snacks, sandwich cookies, coconut, blue food coloring


What to do:

Make the base for the haunted castle by wrapping a piece of cardboard or a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
Make a box base for the castle with wafer cookies and frosting.
For bricks, stack SNICKERS® Brand FUN SIZE® Bars around and on top of the castle with frosting as mortar.
Create ice-cream cones for the towers and decorate the entire castle with M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween.
Optional: Add a wafer cookie for a drawbridge, a sandwich cookie for a door and candy cone snacks as flags. For a fun look, dye coconut blue to sprinkle around the castle for a moat.
Makes 1 castle.




Easy Halloween Cookie Cups


Invited to a Halloween party,
and you don't have the time to bake?
Try this easy and delicious recipe --
everyone will ask you for the recipe!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (20 oz.) NESTLÃ? TOLL HOUSE Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Dough
1 cup (6 oz.) NESTLÃ? TOLL HOUSE SWIRLED Milk Chocolate & Peanut Butter Morsels, any flavor

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 20 mini-muffin cups.

PLACE squares of dough into prepared muffin cups; press down to make a deep well.

BAKE for 10 to 11 minutes or until edges are set. Remove from oven to wire rack(s). While still warm, fill cookie cups with morsels. Morsels will soften and retain their shape. Cool completely. With tip of knife, remove cookie cups from muffin pan(s).

Yields - 20 cookie cups

*NOTE: 1 cup (6 oz.) NESTLÃ? TOLL HOUSE SWIRLED Milk Chocolate & Caramel, SWIRLED Real Semi-Sweet & White Chocolate, Semi-Sweet Chocolate and/or Milk Chocolate Morsels can be substituted for the SWIRLED Milk Chocolate & Peanut Butter Morsels.

[Kitchen Witch]

Pumpkin Spice Ghost Cake


Surprise your trick-or treaters with this
hauntingly-good pumpkin spice cake with
a rich cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (18 oz.) spice or carrot cake mix
1 cup LIBBY'S 100% Pure Pumpkin
3 large eggs
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 pkgs. (3 oz. each) cream cheeese, softened
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar

*Black string licorice, NESTLÃ? RAISINETS
Milk Chocolate-Covered Raisins and
Halloween candy corn (optional)

Directions:
FOR CAKE:
PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch-round cake pans.

COMBINE cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, water, vegetable oil and pumpkin pie spice in large mixer bowl until moistened. Beat for 2 minutes or until thoroughly mixed. Pour batter into prepared pans.

BAKE for 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

FOR CREAM CHEESE CROSTING:
BEAT cream cheese, margarine and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Spread between layers and on top and side of cake.

TO GARNISH:
FORM licorice strings into ghost shapes; press into side of frosted cake. Use Raisinets for eyes. Arrange candy corn between ghosts on side and around top edge of frosted cake.




Cobweb Cupcakes


These cupcakes with "cobwebs" on the top
make a perfect spooky treat for your favorite ghouls.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (18.25 oz.) devil's food or yellow cake mix
2 (2.1 oz. each) NESTLÃ? BUTTERFINGER Candy Bar, chopped
1 container (16 oz.) prepared vanilla frosting
1 cup (6 oz.) NESTLÃ? TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 small tube white decorator icing or gel
2 pkg. (1.7 oz. each) NESTLÃ? BUTTERFINGER BB'S Candies

Directions:
PREPARE cake mix batter according to package directions; add chopped Butterfinger to batter. Bake according to directions for 24 cupcakes. Cool completely. Frost cupcakes.

PLACE morsels in small, heavy-duty plastic bag. Microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 45 seconds; knead. Microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, kneading until smooth. Cut small corner from bag; squeeze to pipe concentric circles on top of frosting. Using wooden pick or tip of knife, pull tip through chocolate from center to last circle to create a cobweb effect.

MAKE 2 dots using decorator icing on each of 24 Butterfinger BB's to resemble spider eyes. Place in center of each cobweb.

VARIATION: Substitute vanilla frosting with chocolate frosting. Substitute melted chocolate morsels with 2 small tubes white decorator icing or gel.



Butterscotch Haystacks


Tasty enough for any occasion, these haystacks
are mounded with a mixture of peanut butter,
butterscotch chips, marshmallows and chow
mein noodles. To enjoy in a snap, make them
the microwave way.


Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) NESTLÃ? TOLL HOUSE
Butterscotch Flavored Morsels
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 can (8.5 oz.) or 2 cans (5 oz. each) chow
mein noodles
3 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:
LINE trays with wax paper.

MICROWAVE morsels in large, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; STIR. The morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Stir in peanut butter until well blended. Add noodles and marshmallows; toss until all ingredients are coated. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared trays. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

DOUBLE BOILER METHOD:
PLACE morsels in top of double boiler over hot (not boiling) water. Do not cover. When most of the morsels are shiny, stir just until melted. (Prevent water from coming in contact with morsels.) Remove from heat; stir in peanut butter. Transfer to large bowl. Add noodles and marshmallows; proceed as above.
Yields - 6 dozen candies




Big Pumpkin Cookie


Great for an afternoon in the kitchen
with the children. Let them decorate to
their heart's content once this giant
cookie has cooled down.

Ingredients:

1 package (18 oz.) NESTLÃ? TOLL HOUSE
Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Bar Dough

1 jar decorator candies and icing (optional)

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 325° F. Grease large baking sheet.

SHAPE dough into 8-inch-pumpkin shape on prepared baking sheet.

BAKE for 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on
baking sheet for 2 minutes; carefully loosen cookie with
spatula. Cool completely on baking sheet on wire rack.

DECORATE as desired with candies and icing.
Yields - 6




Spiderweb Munch

This is my families ALL time favorite treat
and it has become tratition for our Halloween
celebration the last ten years!


Spiderweb Munch


This crispy snack is topped with a layer of
chocolate and then decorated with a thin
piping of peanut butter. A candy spider on
top would complete the image for a creepy
Halloween treat!


Ingredients:

2 cups (12-ounce package) NESTLÃ? TOLL HOUSE
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
1/3 cup powdered sugar
3 cups toasted rice cereal

Directions:
HEAT morsels and 3/4 cup peanut butter in small, heavy-duty saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth; remove from heat. Add sugar; stir vigorously until smooth.

PLACE cereal in large bowl. Add 1 cup melted chocolate mixture; stir until evenly coated. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Using small metal spatula, shape into 10-inch circle with slightly raised 1-inch-wide border. Pour remaining chocolate mixture in center of circle; spread to border.

FOR SPIDERWEB:
PLACE remaining peanut butter in small, heavy-duty plastic bag. Cut tiny corner from bag; squeeze to pipe concentric circles on top of chocolate. Using wooden pick or tip of sharp knife, pull tip through peanut butter from center to border. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm. Cut into wedges.




Ghosts in the Graveyard


Makes: 18 servings,
about 1/2 cup each


15 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
3 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor
Instant Pudding & Pie Filling

1 tub (12 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
Decorations, such as 3 CAMEO Creme Sandwich Cookies,
decorating gel, 5 candy pumpkins and 10 pieces of candy corn



CRUSH chocolate sandwich cookies in large resealable plastic bag with rolling pin or in food processor.
POUR milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir in 3 cups of the whipped topping and half of the crushed cookies. Spoon into 13x9-inch dish; sprinkle with the remaining crushed cookies.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until ready to serve. Decorate creme sandwich cookies with decorating gel to resemble tombstones; stand up in top of dessert. Add candies. Drop remaining whipped topping by spoonfuls onto dessert to resemble ghosts. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.



Boo Cups

Makes: 15 servings,
1/2 cup each


3-1/4 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
20 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, crushed, divided
30 miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips



POUR milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Gently stir in half of the whipped topping and half of the crushed cookies.
SPOON 1 Tbsp. of the remaining crushed cookies into each of 15 individual cups. Spoon pudding mixture evenly into cups; top with remaining crushed cookies.
DROP remaining whipped topping by spoonfuls onto desserts to create "ghosts." Decorate with chocolate chips to create "eyes." Refrigerate until ready to serve. Watch the ghosts disappear! Store leftover desserts in refrigerator.

[Kitchen Witch]

Ghoulish Punch

Makes: 10 servings,
about 1 cup each


2 cups boiling water
1 pkg. (8-serving size) JELL-O
Brand Lime Flavor Gelatin

2 cups cold orange juice
1 bottle (1 liter) seltzer, chilled
Ice cubes
1 pt. (2 cups) orange sherbet,
slightly softened

1 orange, thinly sliced
1 lime, thinly sliced



STIR boiling water into dry
gelatin in large bowl at least 2
minutes until completely dissolved.
Stir in juice. Cool to room temperature.

POUR into punch bowl just before serving.
Add seltzer and ice; stir.

ADD scoops of sherbet and fruit slices.




Graveyard Gelatin Dessert

Makes: 15 serving,
1 square each


35 NABISCO FAMOUS Chocolate Wafers, finely crushed
(about 1-3/4 cups), divided
1/4 cup sugar

5 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
2 cups boiling water
1 pkg. (8-serving size) or 2 pkg. (4 serving size each)
JELL-O Brand Orange Flavor Gelatin

Ice cubes
1/2 cup cold water
3 CAMEO Creme Sandwich Cookies
Decorating icings or gels
10 candy corn
3 pumpkin candies



MIX 1-1/2 cups of the wafer crumbs, sugar and butter in 13x9-inch pan. Press firmly onto bottom of pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
BEAT cream cheese in medium bowl until well blended. Gently stir in 1/2 of the whipped topping. Spread evenly over crust.
STIR boiling water into gelatin in medium bowl 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add enough ice cubes to cold water to measure 1-1/2 cups. Add to gelatin, stirring until slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice. Spoon slightly thickened gelatin over cream cheese layer.
REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until firm.
SPREAD remaining whipped topping over gelatin just before serving. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup wafer crumbs over whipped topping. Decorate sandwich cookies with icings to make "tombstones." Stand tombstones on top of dessert with candies to resemble a graveyard. Cut into 15 squares. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.




Graveyard Crunch

Makes: 18 servings,
1/2 cup each


1/4 cup maple-flavored or pancake syrup
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 cups POST Cocoa, Fruity or CINNA-CRUNCH PEBBLES Cereal
1 cup PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts
2 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows
1 cup candy corn
1 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces



PREHEAT oven to 300°F. 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 15x10x1-inch baking pan.

BAKE 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Cool completely. Break into pieces.

TOSS with marshmallows and candies. Store in airtight container at room temperature.



Spider Web Pumpkin Cheesecake

Makes: 16 servings


18 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies,
finely crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
3 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA
Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
3 eggs
1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1 tsp. butter or margarine



PREHEAT oven to 350°F if using a silver 9-inch springform pan (or 325°F if using a dark 9-inch nonstick springform pan). Mix cookie crumbs and 2 Tbsp. butter; press firmly onto bottom of pan. Set aside.
BEAT cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.
BAKE 50 to 55 min. or until center is almost set; cool slightly. Carefully spread sour cream over top of cheesecake. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan.
PLACE chocolate and 1 tsp. butter in small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on MEDIUM (50%) 30 sec.; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Drizzle over cheesecake in spiral pattern. Starting at center of cheesecake, pull a toothpick through lines from center of cheesecake to outside edge of cheesecake to resemble a spider's web. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.



Jack-o'-Lantern Cake


For Halloween fun, bake this adorable Jack-o?-Lantern Cake.
Everyone will wonder how you did that!

2 packages Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® devil's food or white cake mix
Water
Vegetable oil
Eggs or egg whites
2 tubs Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla ready-to-spread frosting
Yellow and red food color
1 green flat-bottom ice-cream cone
Betty Crocker® Fruit Roll-Ups® chewy fruit snack rolls (any flavor)


1. Heat oven to 325ºF. Grease and flour 2-quart round casserole or 2 1/2-quart ovenproof bowl. Make 1 package cake mix as directed on package, using water, oil and eggs or egg whites. Pour batter into casserole. Bake devil's food cake 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes, white cake about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes. Remove cake from casserole; place rounded side up on wire rack. Cool completely. Repeat with remaining cake mix.
2. Empty frosting into medium bowl; tint with 9 drops yellow and 6 drops red food color to make orange frosting. Place 1 cake, rounded side down, on plate. Spread with 2/3 cup of the orange frosting almost to edge. Place second cake, rounded side up, on frosted cake to make round shape. Frost with remaining orange frosting.
3. Trim ice-cream cone to desired height for stem; place upside down on cake. Cut out eyes, nose, mouth, vines and leaves from fruit snack rolls. Place on frosted cake to form face.




BLEEDING CUPCAKES


Ingredients:

1 egg
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/3 C. sugar
Red food coloring or frosting tint
6 oz. white chocolate chunks
1 recipe homemade or boxed cake batter

Preheat the oven to the specified temperature in your cupcake recipe.

Line muffin tins with foil or paper liners. Mix together the filling before mixing together the batter. Beat the egg in a medium bowl. Beat in the softened cream cheese and mix until smooth. Add the sugar and mix until smooth. Add the coloring until the desired color is reached. Make the color several shades darker than the desired end result as the color will lighten as it bakes. Fold in the white chocolate chunks.

Prepare the cupcake batter. Fill the cups 2/3 full with the cake batter. Place about 1 1/2 teaspoonsful of the filling in the center of each cupcake. Bake, cool, and frost as directed in the cupcake recipe.




BLOODY EYEBALLS ON THE ROCKS


Ingredients:

12 Radishes
7 oz. Olives, pimiento-stuffed
46 oz. Tomato juice


Prepare these bloody eyeballs the day before you plan to serve them.

Peel radishes, leaving thin streaks of red skin on them for blood vessels. Using the tip of the vegetable peeler or a small, knife, carefully scoop out a small hole in each radish. Stuff a green olive, pimiento side out, in each hole.

Place 1 radish eyeball in each section of an empty ice cube tray. You may need to pare your eyeballs down a bit to fit. Fill the tray with water and freeze overnight. Pour tall glasses 3/4 full of tomato juice and add a
pair of eyeballs to each glass.



CANDY CORN


Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup white corn syrup
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup powdered milk
food coloring (optional)

Combine sugar, butter, and corn syrup in pan and bring to a boil
stirring CONSTANTLY. Turn heat low and boil 5 minutes. Stir
occasionally. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

In a separate dish, combine powdered sugar, salt, and powdered milk. Add all at once to the mixture in the pan. Add food coloring if desired.
Stir until cool enough to handle. Shape into creative pieces.



CANDY CORN BROWNIE PIZZA



Ingredients:

1 (19 oz.) box chocolate brownie mix
2 large eggs
1/3 C. vegetable oil
2 T. water
1 C. chopped roasted peanuts (optional)
2/3 C. prepared chocolate frosting
3 C. candy corn (18.5 oz. bag)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium bowl, stir together brownie mix, eggs, oil and water until smooth (about 50 strokes). Stir in peanuts.

Spread on a 13-inch pizza pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.

Cool on pan. Spread frosting over brownie to within one-half inch of edge. Decorate with candy corn. Cut into wedges to serve. Makes one brownie pizza (12 to 16 servings).



CANDY CORN POPCORN BALLS


Ingredients:

1/4 C. butter or margarine
1 (10 1/2 oz.) bag miniature marshmallows
1 small box gelatin, any flavor
12 C. popped popcorn
1 C. candy corn

Microwave butter and marshmallows in large microwavable bowl on HIGH for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until marshmallows are puffed. Stir in gelatin until well mixed.

Pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn and candy corn in large bowl. Mix lightly until well coated. Shape into 15 balls or other shapes with greased or wet hands.

Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and tie with raffia or ribbon, if desired.

Yields 15 popcorn balls.



CANDY CORN RICE CRISPY TREATS


Ingredients:

1/2 C. butter
10 C. crispy rice cereal
9 C. miniature marshmallows
2 C. mixture of candy corn and Indian candy corn
3/4 C. miniature chocolate chips
Candy pumpkins
Yellow and red food coloring


Melt butter and marshmallows; stir until smooth. In a large bowl, mix rice cereal, candy corn and miniature chips together. To marshmallow mixture, blend in 2 drops yellow food coloring and 1 drop red food coloring, adding more coloring if necessary to reach desired shade. Add marshmallow mixture to cereal mixture; stir quickly to combine. Spread on a large buttered pan; press with buttered hands.

While warm, press on candy pumpkins spaced 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart. Refrigerate and cut into squares.



CARAMEL MARSHMALLOW APPLES


Ingredients:

5 small apples
Popsicle sticks
1 C. miniature marshmallows
1 T. water
14 oz. soft caramels

Line a large plate or pizza pan with wax paper and heavily grease it.

Wash and dry the apples well. Place the sticks into the apple to make handling and eating easier.

In a medium heavy saucepan combine the marshmallows, water and caramels. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the marshmallows and caramels melt and the mixture is smooth. Let the mixture cool for two minutes. Dip the apples into the caramel mixture, placing them on the wax paper to cool.

Once they are cooled to room temperature, place them into the refrigerator. Chill for at least two hours.

Serve chilled (very firm) or at room temperature (will be quite gooey).

[Kitchen Witch]

CHERRY CANDIED APPLES

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C. granulated sugar
2 tsp. vinegar
2/3 C. water
1 pkg. unsweetened cherry Kool-Aid
10 apples
10 wooden craft sticks

Mix sugar, vinegar and water. Boil until mixture reaches 300ºF on a candy
thermometer; cool. Stir in Kool-Aid. Put apples on sticks and dip into mixture quickly.



CHOCOLATE LANTERNS

Ingredients:

1 container Cool Whip
2 large boxes chocolate pudding
12 miniature pumpkins
Green food coloring

You may need another box of pudding if your pumpkins are a little larger.
Prepare pudding according to package directions. Chill until firm.

Cut the tops off the pumpkins and remove most of the interior with a sharp knife.

Scoop to even out the inside. Draw faces with permanent marker on pumpkins.

Scoop pudding into pumpkins until full.

Mix Cool Whip and green food coloring and top pumpkins with a spoonful.

Keep cool until ready to serve.



COBWEB COOKIES


Ingredients:
3/4 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. granulated sugar
1/4 C. vegetable oil
1/4 C. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Confectioners' sugar


Beat the flour, sugar, vegetable oil, milk, vanilla, and eggs together until smooth.

Pour this batter into a plastic squeeze bottle with a narrow opening. Heat a
non-stick frying pan over a medium heat until hot and then grease lightly.

Working quickly, squeeze batter to form 4 straight, thin lines which intersect at a common center point to form a 'star' shape. To form the cobweb, squeeze thin streams of batter to connect lines.

Cook 30-60 seconds or until bottom is golden brown, then carefully turn it. Cook until golden brown and remove from frying pan. Allow it to cool and then sprinkle with powdered sugar.



COCKROACH CLUSTERS


Ingredients:

12 oz. chocolate chips
1 tsp. grated chocolate
1 C. raisins
2 C. thin pretzel sticks, broken into 1-inch pieces

Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100% power) for 2 minutes. Stir. Continue microwaving in 15-second increments until chocolate is almost completely melted. Remove from microwave and stir grated chocolate into melted chocolate. Stir in raisins and pretzels.

Drop mixture by tablespoons onto waxed paper. Let stand until firm.

Makes about 35 clusters.




CREEPY CRAWLER PIE


Ingredients:

1 ready-made chocolate cookie pie crust
1/4 gal. orange sherbet
3/4 C. chocolate sauce
10 gummy worms

Soften sherbet slightly and spoon into pie shell. Drizzle with chocolate sauce to form "spider web" design. Freeze for at least one hour. Decorate with "worms".

NOTE: Do not freeze pie too long or it will be difficult to cut through the gummy worms.



GHOST COOKIES


Ingredients:

3/4 C. shortening (part butter)
1 C. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla or lemon extract
2 1/2 C. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Cut out a simple ghost pattern on heavy kraft paper.

Mix shortening, sugar, eggs and flavoring well. Blend in flour, baking powder and salt. Wrap in foil. Chill at least 1 hour.

When dough is chilled, roll out a small amount at a time on floured board (pastry board) to 1/8 inch thickness. Place the ghost pattern on dough and cut around it using tip of a sharp knife. Place on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until very light brown. Cool and ice with confectioners sugar icing.




GHOST POPS


Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas
Popsicle sticks
2 C. white chocolate
Miniature chocolate chips

Peel bananas and cut in half widthwise. Insert popsicle stick in each half through the cut end, wrap each half in plastic wrap and freeze for 3 hours.

Melt white chocolate and frost the whole banana halves (apply with butter knife). Set on wax paper and press in miniature chocolate chips for eyes and mouth. Freeze until ready to serve.



GHOSTS ON BROOMSTICKS


Ingredients:

1 lb. white chocolate chips
1 rope black licorice
12 Popsicle sticks

Place the white chocolate chips in a smaller pot and set it over a larger pot of simmering water. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is fully melted. Remove from heat.

Cover 2 cookie sheets with wax paper. Arrange the wooden sticks on the wax paper, 6 to a sheet. Spoon ghost-shaped blobs of chocolate onto the paper, partially covering each stick. Press 2 licorice pieces into each ghost for the eyes.

Freeze ghosts for 15 minutes or until hard.



GRAVEYARD DESSERT


Ingredients:

Crust

2 C. chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
1/4 C. granulated sugar
1/2 C. margarine, melted

Filling

1 (8 oz.) pkg. fat-free cream cheese
1 (12 oz.) tub Cool Whip, thawed
2 C. boiling water
2 small boxes orange gelatin
1/2 C. cold water
Ice cubes

Decorations

1/4 C. chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
7 rectangular shaped sandwich cookies
7 oval shaped sandwich cookies
Decorator icing brown, green, orange, and white
Candy corn
Candy pumpkins


Preheat oven at 350ºF. Prepare a 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan with cooking spray and flour.

To prepare crust, combine 2 cups cookie crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and margarine in a small mixing bowl. Press firmly into prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes and then chill.

To prepare filling, combine cream cheese and 1/2 cup Cool Whip in a mixing bowl.

In another mixing bowl, combine boiling water into gelatin until completely
dissolved. Mix cold water and ice cubes together to make 1 1/2 cups. Stir ice water into gelatin until thickened. Remove any remaining ice cubes.

Spoon gelatin over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Spread remaining Cool Whip over gelatin layer.

Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cookie crumbs. Decorate as a "grave yard" by poking sandwich cookies on end into dessert. Decorate the cookies as tombstones with the decorator icing. Scatter candy and pumpkins around the surface.





GRAVEYARD PUMPKIN MOUSSE


Ingredients:

12 chocolate sandwich cookies
1 C. heavy cream
8 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel style), softened
3/4 C. granulated sugar
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3 medium bananas, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

For garnish: long gummy worms, clean plastic
skeletons or spiders


In food processor, process cookies to form fine crumbs; set aside.

In mixer bowl, beat cream to form stiff peaks; set aside.

In separate mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice; mix well. Fold in whipped cream and banana until blended.

Spoon 3/4 cup of pumpkin mousse into each of 8 stemmed dessert glasses or large custard cups; spread to make top even. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cookie crumbs over the top to make "dirt" surface. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

To garnish: Arrange gummy worms, skeletons and spiders on "dirt" layer, with worms appearing to be crawling over the edge of the glass or dish.

Serves 8.




GUMDROP GOBLIN BALLS


Ingredients:

8 C. air-popped popcorn
1 C. granulated sugar
1/2 C. light corn syrup
1/3 C. water
1 T. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 C. orange gumdrops

Place popped corn in mixing bowl; set aside.

In small saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring sugar, corn syrup, water, margarine, and salt to boil. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves.

Cook, without stirring, for ten minutes or until reaches hard-ball stage of 254ºF on candy thermometer.

Remove from heat. Wearing oven mitts to shield against splatters,
carefully stir in vanilla extract. Pour over popped corn; using prepared spoon, toss until well coated. Stir in gumdrops. Wearing rubber gloves, form into 2-inch balls; let cool on baking sheet.




INDIAN CORN ON A STICK


Ingredients:

3/4 C. margarine
60 large marshmallows
3 qt. popped popcorn
1/4 C. peanuts (or other coarsely chopped nuts)
1/4 C. shredded coconut
1 C. chopped dried fruits (cranberries, apricots, pineapple, apples, raisins, etc.)


Melt margarine and marshmallows over low heat. Pour over popped popcorn and stir in nuts, coconut, and dried fruits. When cool enough to handle, butter hands and mold popcorn mixture into ear of corn shapes approximately 6 inches long.

Place on a greased cookie sheet or waxed paper to set. Immediately while
marshmallow is still sticky, place a few pieces of nuts, and dried fruits on the shape to resemble colorful kernels of corn. Insert a skewer or a wooden stick or dowel in the end of each. Let cool.

When marshmallow is set, wrap with cellophane and tie with raffia bow if desired.

Makes approximately 6-7 servings.

[Kitchen Witch]

JACK-O-LANTERN BROWNIES


Ingredients:

3/4 C. (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 C. granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
3/4 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Yellow and red food color
1 (16 oz.) can canned vanilla frosting

Garnishes: Mini chocolate kisses baking
pieces, licorice Twizzlers and bits


Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 12-inch round pizza pan. If using a disposable pan, place on baking sheet to bake.
Beat melted butter, sugar and vanilla extract with spoon in large bowl. Beat in eggs. Stir in dry ingredients; beat with spoon until well blended. Spread into pan.

Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center.

Cool completely. Add yellow and red food color to frosting for desired shade of orange. Frost brownie; garnish to resemble jack-o-lantern. Makes 12 to 16 servings.





JACK-O-LANTERN CASSEROLE


Ingredients:

1 medium pumpkin
1 chopped onion
1 to 2 lb. ground beef
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1 (4 oz.) can mushrooms (optional)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 to 2 C. cooked rice
1 (8 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts (can
substitute celery, chopped)


Clean out pumpkin and decorate outside with a black marker, if desired.
Brown hamburger and onion. Mix in remaining ingredients. Put pumpkin on cookie sheet. Fill pumpkin with mixture. Place in oven and bake pumpkin with lid on for 1 hour at 350ºF or until pumpkin is tender.



JACK-O-LANTERN DESSERTS


Ingredients:

8 medium oranges
2 small boxes orange gelatin
1 C. boiling water
1 C. milk, chilled
1 C. vanilla ice cream, softened
1 C. prepared whipped topping
14 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed finely
Cinnamon sticks, for garnish


Cut small portion from top of oranges; set aside.

Hollow centers, reserving orange center for another use. Cut out pumpkin faces on oranges.

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Refrigerate until thickened slightly. Blend milk and ice cream in electric blender until smooth. With motor running, gradually add gelatin mixture through blender feed cap, blending until smooth.

Stir whipped topping into gelatin mixture in large bowl. Alternately layer cream mixture and half cookie crumbs into prepared orange cups, ending with cream layer.

Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.

Top each orange with remaining crushed cookies, pressing some crushed cookies into cut pumpkin faces design. Insert halved cinnamon stick into reserved orange top for stem.




JELLIED WORMS


Ingredients:

6 T. sugar
2/3 C. cranberry juice cocktail
4 T. light corn syrup
4 envelopes (4 T. unflavored gelatine
Red food coloring
Confectioners' sugar

Place sugar, juice and corn syrup in a saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Sprinkle in gelatine and cook and stir until the gelatine is completely dissolved. Stir in 2 or 3 drops of food coloring.
Pour mixture into a bread pan coated with vegetable oil spray. Let stand at room temperature until very firm, about 2 hours. Turn the pan over and remove the jelly. (If jelly sticks, set the bottom of the pan in hot water for a few minutes.)

Place on a work surface sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.
With a sharp knife or a small cookie cutter, cut the jelly into worm shapes. Place on a platter lined with wax paper. Store in a cool, dry place. Do not refrigerate.

Makes about 1 pound.



JELL-O-WEEN POKE BROWNIES


Ingredients:

1 (19.8 oz.) box brownie mix
1 1/2 C. cold milk
1 small box Jell-0 Vanilla Flavor
Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
Few drops each red and yellow food coloring


Prepare and bake brownie mix as directed on package for 8 or 9-inch square baking pan.

Remove from oven. Immediately use round handle of wooden spoon to poke holes at 1-inch intervals down through brownies to bottom of pan.
Pour cold milk into large bowl. Add pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes.

Stir in a few drops food colorings to tint mixture orange. Quickly pour about 1/2 of the thin pudding evenly over warm brownies and into holes. Tap pan lightly to fill holes. Let remaining pudding mixture stand to thicken slightly. Spread remaining pudding over top of brownies to "frost."

Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve. Cut into 2-inch squares. Cut each square diagonally into triangles.

Makes 32 pieces.



LITTERBOX COOKIES


Ingredients:

1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup butter or margarine
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
grapenuts cereal


Microwave the honey until it bubbles (about 1 minute).

Add the butter and egg, and mix well. Then mix in vanilla, flour, and cocoa.

Chill 1 hour in the freezer or several hours in the fridge.

Roll dough logs of random length and the diameter of cat turds.

Roll logs in grapenuts and bake at 350 degrees until done; about 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve in a disposable cat litter box on a bed of grapenuts, with a cat litter scoop. To get totally disgusting, splat some melted chocolate on the litter scoop and around the box.




MAGICAL HATS


Ingredients:

1 C. tiny marshmallows
1/2 C. peanuts
1/2 C. candy corn
1/2 C. large milk chocolate pieces
20 plain, colored and/or chocolate ice cream cones
6 (2 oz.) squares chocolate- or vanilla-
flavored candy coating, melted
20 (2- to 3-inch) chocolate cookies
Assorted small candies


In a medium bowl stir together marshmallows, peanuts, candy corn and chocolate pieces. Set mixture aside.

Place ice cream cones on the wax paper-lined baking sheet. Spread outside of cones with melted chocolate or vanilla coating. If desired, sprinkle small candies on the cone before the coating dries completely.* Let coating dry.

Turn cones upside down and fill with about 2 tablespoons of the marshmallow mixture.

Place the cones upside down inside a mug and brush a generous amount of melted chocolate or vanilla coating along the bottom edge of the cone. Press a cookie against the coating and let dry.

Carefully turn the cone right side up onto the wax-paper-lined baking sheet.

*If desired, leave some cones plain and decorate after filling. Decorate the outside of the plain cones with small candies, using the melted coating to stick the candies onto the cone.

Make-ahead tip: Prepare hats and store at room temperature for up to 24 hours.



MONSTER MISH-MASH MIX


Ingredients:

1 (3.5 oz.) bag microwave popcorn, popped
2 T. butter or margarine, melted
2 T. honey
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 C. raisins or peanuts
1 C. candy corn


Preheat oven to 275ºF.

Place popped corn into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Combine butter, honey and cinnamon. Pour over popcorn; stir until evenly coated. Bake for 10 minutes.

Spread on foil to cool.

Stir in raisins and candy corn. Store in tightly covered container. Makes 12 cups.



MONSTER STEW IN A PUMPKIN


Ingredients:

1 medium-size pumpkin
1 1/2 lb. beef stew meat
1 pkg. baby carrots
Potatoes, diced small
1 large onion, sliced
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 cans Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup


Cut the top off the pumpkin and remove insides. Set the pumpkin shell on a cookie sheet.

Combine remaining ingredients and put into pumpkin shell, and bake at 300ºF (on the cookie sheet).

Carry pumpkin to the table on the cookie sheet, or carefully remove it to a serving platter. Ladle stew from the shell.

Serve with French bread and a green salad.




OOGLIE EYEBALLS


Ingredients:

1 (10.25 oz.) pouch fudge brownie mix
1 C. Craisins Sweetened Dried Cranberries
2 C. white chocolate chips or morsels, melted
Tubes of decorative writing gel: green, red, black


Prepare brownies according to package directions. Bake for 2 to 28 minutes in an 8-inch pan, or 18 to 22 minutes in a 9-inch pan, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Trim crisp edges from the brownie while warm, eat or discard. Crumble remaining warm brownie into a medium mixing bowl.

Combine sweetened dried cranberries and warm crumbled brownie until a thick dough-like mixture forms. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, pressing firmly. Dip balls in melted chocolate, letting excess drip off. Place on wax paper-lined baking sheets.

Refrigerate 1 hour or until chocolate is firm.

To create eyeball decorations, use red gel to make veins, green gel for center of eye and black for the pupil.

Makes 16 servings.

[Kitchen Witch]

SKELETON BONE COOKIES


Ingredients:

4 egg whites
1 tsp. grated orange peel
1 3/4 C. (350g) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 3/4 C. (245g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C. (375ml) salted almonds, slivered or chopped


With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites and sugar with orange peel and baking powder until blended. Gradually add nuts and flour, beating until mixture is thoroughly blended. Cover and chill until firm enough to handle, at least an hour or up to a day.

Lightly flour your hands and pinch off a three-tablespoon size piece of dough. On a lightly floured board, use the palms of both hands to evenly roll an 8-inch (20 cm) long rope. Cut rope in half; roll each half out again to 8 inches (20 cm). Fold an inch of each end back onto rope and pinch ends to make bone shapes. Repeat to shape all the dough.

Place bones an inch apart on a buttered and flour-dusted baking sheets.

Bake at 325ºF (165ºC) for about 20 minutes until cookies are lightly browned on bottoms.



SMILING SKULL POPCORN TREAT


Ingredients:

12 C. popped popcorn
1 C. granulated sugar
1 C. light corn syrup
1/2 C. water
2 T. butter, cut into thin slices
2 tsp. caramel candy flavoring (optional)
(available in specialty food stores)
Black gumdrops


Place popcorn in buttered large oven-proof bowl. Place in oven at 170ºF to keep warm. (Remove bowl when ready to mix with cooked syrup.)

Lightly coat a skull-shaped pan with cooking spray or, if pan is unavailable, spray a double sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil shaped into form of a skull. Set aside.

Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in 3-quart heavy saucepan. Add butter and place pan over medium heat, stirring with wooden spoon until all sugar dissolves.

Wash down sides of pan with pastry brush dipped in hot water. Use candy
thermometer and continue cooking until temperature reaches 240 degrees.

Remove from heat and stir in caramel candy flavoring.

Pour sugar mixture over warmed popcorn and toss with 2 forks until corn is evenly coated. Spread into prepared skull form and press slightly to hold popcorn together. Carefully unmold onto foil-covered board or cookie sheet. Set aside to completely harden.

To decorate, use rolling pin and roll out black gumdrops. Cut out gumdrops to form eyes, nose and mouth.



SPIDER COOKIES


Ingredients:

1 C. (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 C. granulated sugar
1 egg
3 (1 oz.) squares semisweet chocolate,
melted and slightly cooled
2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1/4 C. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Black licorice whips, black jellybeans, black
decorating gel, assorted Halloween candies


Cream butter and sugar in mixing bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg and then melted chocolate. Beat in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt until combined.

Divide dough in half and shape each half into a roll about 8 inches long. Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350º F. Cut rolls into 1/4-inch slices and place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until cookies are set when lightly touched, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 packages (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Combine cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Spread about 1 teaspoon of frosting on half of the cookies. Top with remaining cookies and spread additional frosting on top.

Decorate the cookies with "spiders," using jellybeans for bodies and licorice for legs.

To make cobweb cookies, squeeze a small amount of black gel on the
middle of the cookie. Use the end of a toothpick to draw gel from the middle of the cookies to edges. Then put gel across to connect the gel lines in a cobweb pattern.

Cookies can also be decorated with a variety of ready-made Halloween
candy decorations. Once frosted, keep cookies refrigerated.

Yields 32 servings.



SPIDERS


Ingredients:

Pretzel sticks
Round crackers
Pepperoni slices
Green olives stuffed with pimento or pitted
black olives, sliced Into small circles
Squeeze cheese or mustard

For each spider, cut 4 pretzel sticks in half.
Place a cracker on a plate. Arrange pretzels around the edge of the cracker so they look like 4 legs on each side. Cover the cracker with a pepperoni slice. Place an olive slice at the edge of the pepperoni. With the squeeze cheese, make 2 antennas stretching out from the olive.



SPOOKY EYEBALL TACOS


Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 Taco Dinner Kit
Shredded lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Sour cream
Sliced pitted olives


Mix meat and seasoning mix. Shape into 36 (1-inch) balls. Place in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake at 350ºF for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Fill each of the 12 taco shells with 1 meatball, taco sauce, lettuce and tomato. Top with 2 additional meatballs dipped in sour cream. Garnish with sliced pitted ripe olives to create "eyes."

Make Ahead Tip: The meatballs can be made ahead and frozen in a resealable plastic bag. To reheat, open bag slightly, microwave on HIGH 2 minutes.




SUGAR MOLD PUMPKINS

Ingredients:

4 1/2 C. granulated sugar
1/4 C. plus 1 tsp. water
Orange food color
Miniature marshmallows
Green food color


Mix together sugar, water and orange food color. Mix well to evenly blend food color and to smash any lumps in sugar. It is helpful to wear gloves to prevent staining hands during this process. The mixture will feel like wet sand. Pack sugar in pumpkin molds which have had cornstarch sprinkled in them to prevent sticking.

Press sugar firmly in mold. Remove excess sugar by scraping over edge with long knife or spatula. Unmold at once by turning upside down on flat surface and gently tapping back side of mold. Lift mold free of sugar.
Mark rounded side of sugar with toothpicks where desired window and shape should be. Cut window in mold using a string, slicing through sugar. A large doughnut or biscuit cutter pressed on top of pumpkin also works well. Leave window section on pumpkin while drying to prevent over dying around window. Dry for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Hollow out pumpkin shell by holding pumpkin half firmly, but gently, in the cup of hand. Scoop out center of sugar being careful to leave 1/4 inch wall of sugar around the entire mold. Sugar may be reused. Dry about 24 hours - or place on a cookie sheet and bake at 200ºF for 20 minutes. Allow sugar to cool before handling.

Decorate inside back hollow of pumpkin shell with candies, frosting figures, tinted coconut, etc. Join halves together by "gluing" them together with royal icing. Allow halves to set until dry and firm.

To finish pumpkins: Place beads of frosting around pumpkin halves to hide seam. Also decorate edge of window of window. Stem is made by gluing a marshmallow on top and decorating with green frosting.

[Kitchen Witch]

WEREWOLF HANDS


Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 beaten egg
1 C. Triscuit crumbs


Cut each chicken breast into 4 fingers and a thumb, leaving them attached at the bottom like a palm. Dip in beaten egg, then dredge in crumbs. Sauté in hot oil, spreading out the fingers as it cooks.
Use black olives for finger nails.

Serve on black or green pasta tossed with spaghetti sauce.

Serves 4

WITCH'S BREW CAKE


Ingredients:

22 Halloween chocolate sandwich cookies
1 (18.25 oz.) yellow cake mix, with pudding in mix
1 C. water
1 C. solid-pack canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
3 eggs
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 C. prepared whipped topping
1/4 C. chocolate syrup
4 (16-inch) black shoestring licorice, braided
Assorted Halloween candies and colored sprinkles, for garnish
Cookie Spiders (see below)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Chop cookies and set aside.

Mix cake mix, water, pumpkin, eggs and cinnamon in large bowl with electric mixer at low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes at high speed. Fold in 1 1/4 cups chopped cookies. Pour batter into greased 10-inch fluted tube pan. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Place cake flat-side up on serving dish. Combine whipped topping and chocolate syrup. Frost top and sides of cake. Press remaining chopped cookies into cream on side of cake. Attach licorice for pot handle. Decorate cake with candies, colored sprinkles and cookie spiders.

Cookie Spiders

Insert 1 1/2-inch pieces black shoestring licorice into cream on sides of sandwich cookies for legs. Decorate top of cookie with assorted candies, decorator gels or mini-chocolate chips.




WORMY APPLES


Ingredients:

8 red apples
1 C. peanut butter
1 C. raspberry or strawberry jam
8 gummy worms


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Ask a grownup to help you remove the apple cores, being careful to leave the bottom of each apple intact.

In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and jam. Spoon and stuff this mixture into the center of the apples. Place the apples into cupcake tins and set the tin in a large, rectangular baking pan that is half full of water. Place the pan in the oven.

Bake for 1/2 hour, until the apples are tender.

Cool for 20 minutes. Place apples onto serving plates. Put a gummy worm halfway into a hole, with the rest hanging over the side. Serve warm.



Midnight Molten Brownie Cupcakes


Ooey gooey! Scrumptious cupcakes oozing
chocolaty goodness will satisfy even the
pickiest chocolate lover.

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 package Betty Crocker® Supreme
brownie mix (with chocolate syrup pouch)
About 1/2 cup Betty Crocker® stars,
confetti or critters decors


1. Heat oven to 400°F. Grease 12 muffin cups (2 3/4x1 1/4 inches). In medium microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and butter uncovered on High 45 to 60 seconds or until melted and mixture can be stirred smooth.
2. In large bowl, beat eggs and egg yolks with wire whisk or electric mixer until foamy. Reserve chocolate syrup pouch from brownie mix. Gradually beat dry brownie mix into egg mixture until well blended. Gently stir in melted chocolate mixture. Fill muffin cups half full of brownie mixture; top each with 1/2 teaspoon decors. Top with remaining brownie mixture.
3. Bake 11 to 14 minutes or until edges are set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Centers will be soft. Cool 2 minutes.
4. Loosen each cupcake with knife; turn upside down onto heatproof tray or cookie sheet. To serve, place cupcake on plate; drizzle with reserved chocolate syrup and top with additional decors.




Ghostly Shepherd's Pie


Treat your little ghosts and goblins
to a tummy-warming stew that looks
them right in the eye!

1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 cups Green Giant® frozen mixed vegetables
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained
1 jar (12 oz) home-style beef gravy
1 3/4 cups water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup milk
2 1/4 cups instant mashed potatoes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten


1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 12-inch skillet with cooking spray. Cook beef and onion in skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain.
2. Set 12 peas (from frozen vegetables) aside for garnish. Add remaining frozen vegetables, tomatoes and gravy to beef mixture. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
3. Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, heat water, butter and garlic powder to boiling. Remove from heat; add milk. Stir in potato flakes and cheese. Add egg; blend well.
4. Spoon beef mixture into ungreased 8-inch square (2-quart) or oval (2 1/2-quart) glass baking dish. With large spoon, make 6 mounds of potato mixture on top of beef mixture to resemble ghosts. Place 2 reserved peas on each mound to resemble eyes.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are set and mixture is thoroughly heated.



Jack-o?-Lantern Pizza


Kids will love veggies when you
make jack o?-lantern faces with
the veggies on top of yummy pizza!

1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup Old El Paso® salsa (any variety)
3/4 Green Giant® Niblets® frozen whole kernel corn
1/4 cup water
2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1/3 cup very hot water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
Toppings, such as orange and green bell pepper strips, sliced ripe olives and cherry tomato wedges, if desired


1. Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 450ºF. Grease 12-inch pizza pan. Cook beef in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Stir in salsa, corn and 1/4 cup water. Heat to boiling; remove from heat.
2. Mix Bisquick, 1/3 cup hot water and the oil until soft dough forms; beat vigorously 20 strokes. Let stand 5 minutes. Press dough in pizza pan, using fingers dipped in Bisquick; pinch edge to form 1/2-inch rim. Spread beef mixture over dough. Sprinkle with cheese.
3. Bake 11 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Arrange Toppings on pizza to form jack-o?-lanterns.

[PIA]

Apples on a Stick (Red Candied Apples)

2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup Karo (light corn syrup) syrup (red label)
3/4 cup water
red vegetable color
12 red apples
12 wooden skewers (Popsicle sticks)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Cook sugar, corn syrup and water in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking, without stirring, to 300 degrees (or until syrup is brittle in tap water). Remove from heat and set at once over hot water. Add coloring and remove quickly and twirl until syrup is spread smoothly over apple. Place on rack until hardened. (These should be made the day they are to be used.)

[PIA]

I was amazed on all the recipes you have. We are having an office halloween party and I was going to use orange food coloring with chocolate dip for hair and kernel corn for eyes while it is still wet.

[Kitchen Witch]

BBQ Franks

2 t. cornstarch
2 T. cold water - combine and stir until smooth in large saucepan

stir in:
1 jar (18 oz.) peach preserves
1 c. BBQ sauce

bring to boil; cook; stir until thickened - about 2 minutes

add:
2 1-lb. pkgs. little hotdogs or sausages

cover, cook 5 minutes or until heated through

[aggiejac]

I have had this recipe for years and have always wanted to make it on Halloween, but never have - probably because my husband won't like the cabbage. Maybe I'll make it this year and substitute the cabbage for something else. Any suggestions????


Dinner-in-a-Pumpkin

1 (8-10 lb) pumpkin
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 cups tomato juice
3 cups cabbage, shredded
1/2 lb green beans
1 cup rice, uncooked

Wash pumpkin, cut off top and scrape out seeds and discard. Cook ground beef slightly; drain off fat. Add onion and garlic; saute slightly. Add seasonings and tomato juice; heat. Mix with uncooked rice. Shred cabbage and cut green beans. Layer 1/3 each of the cabbage, green beans, rice and meat mixture in pumpkin. Repeat layers and replace lid. Bake at 350 for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until done. Pumpkin is done when it is soft when pierced with a fork.

[Kitchen Witch]

Cinnamon-Apple Popcorn



Servings: 14 Servings


2 c Chopped dried apples
10 c Popped popcorn
2 c Pecan halves
4 tb Butter, melted
1 ts Cinnamon
0.25 ts Nutmeg
2 tb Brown sugar
0.25 ts Vanilla extract



Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Place apples in a large shallow baking pan.
Bake 20 minutes.
Remove pan from oven and stir in popcorn and nuts.
In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients.
Drizzle butter mixture over popcorn mixture, stirring well.
Bake for 30 min, stirring every 10 min.
Pour onto waxed paper to cool.
Store in airtight container.
Makes 14 cups mix.

[Kitchen Witch]

FLORIDA ORANGE MERINGUE PIE

1 c. orange juice
1 c. orange sections, cut in pieces
2 tbsp. grated orange rind
1 c. sugar
5 tbsp. corn starch
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. butter or margarine

Combine orange juice, sections, grated rind, sugar and cornstarch. Cook on low heat until clear. Add a little hot mixture to beaten egg yolks. Return to hot mixture and cook about 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Blend in lemon juice, butter or margarine. Pour into baked pie shell. Be sure filling and shell are both hot or both cold. Cover filling with meringue. Bake in 350 degree oven until lightly browned.

[rhodry69]

orange meringue pie? now that looks abolutely delish

rho

[rhodry69]

aggiejac,

if the cabbage is grated finely enough, it should almost disappear in the mixture. however, you could omit it then decrease the amount of liquid. or increase the other ingredients and adjust the amount of liquid.

as well, do a search for pumpkin in here. there are quite a few other dinner in a pumpkin recipes.

rho

[Kitchen Witch]

aggiejac - I have several of these recipes - you can use water chestnuts, mushrooms, any veggies you want - but try omitting the cabbage and adding extra rice.

KW

[Kitchen Witch]

"GHOUL-ADE" FOR HALLOWEEN

1 env. Kool-Aid grape flavor unsweetened mix
1 env. Kool-Aid orange flavor unsweetened mix
2 c. sugar
3 qts. cold water
1 bottle (qt.) ginger ale, chilled

Mix Kool Aid's together with sugar, in large pitcher. Add water and mix. Just before serving, add ginger ale.

[Kitchen Witch]

JACK - O - LANTERN TREATS

1/4 c. margarine or butter
1 (10 oz.) pkg. regular marshmallows (about 40) OR 4 c. miniature marshmallows
5 c. Kellogg's Marshmallow Krispies cereal

Melt margarine in large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Cook over low heat 3 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add Marshmallow Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.

To make 5 Jack-O-Lanterns, divide cereal mixture into five equal parts. Form pumpkin-shaped balls and stems. Decorate with frosting and Halloween candies. Makes 5 Jack-O-Lanterns. (For best results use fresh marshmallows.)


HALLOWEEN SMOOS

1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1 tbsp. melted shortening
3 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tsp. baking powder

Beat eggs until light. Add sifted dry ingredients. Add milk and shortening. Drop by teaspoons into hot fat. Roll into confectioners' sugar.

[Kitchen Witch]

BLACK CAT COOKIES

1 c. crunchy peanut butter
1/3 c. water
2 eggs
1 boxed chocolate cake mix
M & M candies
Red hot candies

Beat together peanut butter, eggs and water. Gradually add the dry cake mix. Mix well. Form dough into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten balls with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Pinch out the dough to form two ears at the top of cookie. Add the M & M's for eyes and the red hots for a nose. Press a fork into the dough to form whiskers. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 4 1/2 dozen.

[rhodry69]

Black Magic Toast With Orange Pepper Salsa

This Is A Halloween Take On Bruschetta. Black Olive Tapenade, A Store-bought Thick Olive Paste, Is Spread On Crunchy Toast & Contrasts Strikingly With A Vibrant Orange Pepper Salsa.


2 Orange Peppers, Finely Chopped
2 Green Onions, Thinly Sliced
1/3 Cup Shredded Fresh Basil
1 Tbsp Each White Wine Vinegar & Olive Oil
½ Baguette, Sliced Into Thin Rounds
½ - 8 Oz Container Tapenade


Preheat Oven To 400°f.

Place Peppers, Onions & Basil In A Medium Bowl. Drizzle With Vinegar & Oil. Toss To Evenly Coat.

Place Baguette Rounds On A Baking Sheet. Toast In Oven Until Edges Are Golden, 4 Minutes Per Side. If Making Ahead, Cool, Then Store In An Airtight Container At Room Temperature Up To 3 Days.

To Serve, Spread Rounds With Tapenade, Then Spoon Salsa Overtop.


Makes 25 Rounds.

[aggiejac]

Kitchen Witch and rhodry69 - thanks for the replies!

aggiejac

[Kitchen Witch]

You're very welcomed aggiejac!

[Southern Belle 2067]

GREEN DIP WITH SPOOKY CHIPS

3 Tbsp. pine nuts
3 (1-oz.) pkg. fresh basil (about 3 cups)
1 (16-oz.) container sour cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

Heat the pine nuts in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring often, 3-5 minutes or until toasted. Cool 15 minutes.

Process pine nuts, basil and next 6 ingredients in a food processor until smooth, scraping down sides. Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour. Store in refrigerator up to 2 days. Serve with Spooky chips.

Makes about 2-1/2 cups

SPOOKY CHIPS

1/4 cups butter, melted
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
5 (9-in.) wheat wraps (Toufayan Bakeries Wheat Wraps)

Preheat the oven to 350*F

Stir together first 3 ingredients.

Cut wheat wraps with a 3-in. bone shaped cutter, and place on baking sheets. Brush evenly with butter mixture.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crispy. Remove to wire racks and cool 15 minutes or until completely cooled.

Makes 45 chips