Web Hosting by Netfirms | Free Domain Names by Netfirms

Tastey Halloween Treats

CRISPY POPS

6 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup M&Ms
1 cup margarine or butter
10 1/2 ounce miniature marshmallows
14 (5 ounce) cold drink cups
14 popsicle sticks

Microwave instructions: In a large bowl, combine Rice Krispies andM&Ms. In a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl, place marshmallows and margarine. Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring after 1minute. Beat until well blended. Pour marshmallow mixture over cereal; mix gently. Fill each cup with cereal mixture; press lightly. Insert sticks and let cool completely. Makes 14 cups.
 
 

WIGGLY, WICKED CUT-OUTS

12-ounce can frozen cranberry juice concentrate, thawed
1 1/2 cups apple jluice
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin

Lightly grease a 13x9 inch pan. In medium saucepan, combine juices. Sprinkle gelatin over top and allow to soften 1 to 2 minutes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir constantly to dissolve gelatin. Pour into prepared pans. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into Halloween
shape with cookie cutters or simply cut into squares.
 
 

CHOCOLATE SPIDERS

12 ounces chocolate almond bark (don't use chocolate chips, they set up too quickly)
1 can (5 ounces) chow mein noodles
1 cup salted peanuts

Melt chocolate in either a microwave or in double boilder. Remove from heat and add noodles and peanuts, stirring to coat. Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Refrigerate (or freeze) about 10 minutes.    Keep chilled until ready to serve. Makes about 2-3 dozen "spiders."
 
 

GHOSTS

This is the easiest and most fun to make. Dip Nutter Butter peanut butter cookies in white almond bark until almost totally covered. Let drizzle slightly and then place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Use miniature M&Ms or chocolate chips to make eyes and a mouth. Place in refrigerator  for about 1/2 hour.
 

BLACK WIDOWS

1 package Devil's food cake mix
Vegetable cooking spray

-----GLAZE-----
4 cups Powdered sugar -- sifted
5 tablespoons Milk -- to 7 tbls

-----DECORATE-----
1 cup Powdered sugar -- sifted
1/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons Milk
Plastic spiders

Prepare cake as directed on package. Pour into 2, 8" square aluminum foil pans coated with cooking spray; bake at 350~ for 30-35 minutes or until tested done. Cool in pans on wire racks. Combine 4 cups powdered sugar and 5-7 tbls milk in a large bowl; spread a thin layer evenly over each cake. Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa and 2 tbls milk; spoon into a small zip-lock bag. Close bag securely and snip a tiny hole in bottom corner of bag. Carefully pipe concentric circles onto each cake. Pipe straight lines at intervals from the inner circle through the outside circle, forming a web design. Garnish with plastic spiders.
 
 

BLACKBEERRY BLACKHEADS

1/2 pound Butter -- at room temperature
1 tablespoon Butter -- at room temperature
2/3 cup Sugar
2 Egg whites
4 cups Flour
Blackberry jam -- with seeds

Preheat oven to 325F.

Beat 1/2 pound butter until creamy., Add sugar, a little at a time, until all the sugar has been used. Add the egg whites and flour to the butter and sugar. Beat until the dough is well blended.
Dip a pastry brush into the tablespoon of butter and lightly brush a very thin layer onto the cookie sheet.  With clean hands, roll the dough into golf ball sized balls. Flatten the balls slightly, and using your thumb, press a dime size dent into the middle of each one. Place cookies, dent size up, about 1" apart on cookie sheet. Bake aobut 12 minutes or until Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack with a spatula. When the cookies are completely cooled, use a small spoon to fillthe dent in each one with jam. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen blackheads.
 
 

BOOGERS ON A STICK

8 ounces Jar cheez whiz
Green food coloring
25 To 30 pretzel sticks

Melt the cheeze whiz in the microwave or on top of the stove, according to directions on the jar. Allow the cheese to cool slightly in the jar.
Using a long handled spoon, carefully stir about three drops of green food coloring into the warm cheese, using just enough to turn the cheese a delicate snot green. To form boogers: Dip and twist the tip of each prtezel stick into the cheese, lift out, wait twenty seconds, then dip again. When cheese lumps reach an appealingly boogerish size, set pretzels, booger down, onto a sheet of waxed paper.
Allow finished boogers on a stick to cool at room temperature for ten minutes or until cheese is firm. Gently pull boogers off waxed paper and arrange on a serving platter. Serves 5 to 6 booger buddies.
 
 

CRUNCHY CARAMEL TREATS

3 cups miniature marshmallows
15 caramels
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 T. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tsp. vanilla
5 cups Rice Krispies

Lightly butter a 13x9 inch pan. In a large heavy saucepan, combine marshmallows, caramels, margarine and orange juice concentrate. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently until  marshamllows and caramels are melted and thoroughly blended. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Add cereal; mix well. Lightly press mixture into prepared pan. Cool completely and cut into bars or squares. Stor ein tightly covered container. Makes 24 bars.
 
 

FROZEN JACK O'LANTERNS

24 navel oranges
1 gallon dark chocolate or fudge ice cream
24 whole cinnamon sticks

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. 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

1/2 lb. plus 2 T. butter
8 T. powdered sugar
3 cups flour
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt

Cream butter and add powedered 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 Kraft caramels in 1/2 cup water.

Dip each cookie into melted caramel and roll in chopped nuts. Place on waxed paper and let set for an hour. Do these when you have some extra time. They take a while but they are cute and taste great.
 
 

EYEBALL COOKIES

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 pound powdered sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
12 ounces white chocolate almond bark

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

PEANUTTY PUMPKIN SPREAD

1 1/2 cup solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 T. honey
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 T. chopped peanuts
carrot, celery sticks, apple slices

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

2 pints mint-chocolate or pistachio ice cream
8 chocolate wafer cookies
28 miniature marshmallows
2 pieces (3 inches each) red licorice
2 green peanut M&Ms
1 red hot candy

Scoop ice cream onto 8 coopies. Arrange in a zig-zag fashion on a cookie sheet. Place 2 marshmallows on each site of 7 scoops for feet. Insert licorice in top scoop for antennae. Stick peanuts on for Eyes. Freeze for at least one hour. Just before serving, position red-hot for
mouth. Serves 8.
 

ANTI-VAMPIRE POPCORN

1 bag Pillsbury Microwave popcorn
2 cups crisp wheat square cereal
2 cups chedar cheese-flavored goldfish crackers
1 3/4 ounce can shoestring potatoes
1 cup unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

MICROWAVE INSTRUCTIONS: Prepare popcorn as directed on the packaged. Remove any unpopped kernels. In a large bowl, combine popcorn, cereal, crackers, shoestring poatoes 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 thorougly heated, stirring once halfway through heating. Spread on paper towels to cool. Repeat with remaining mixture. Makes 12 cups.
 

HALLOWEEN POPCORN BALLS

1 package (4-serving size) orange Jell-o
1 cup light Karo syrup
1 cup sugar

Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over 5 quarts of popped corn. Form into popcorn balls with buttered hands. Place in a zip-loc baggie or insert a popsicle stick in and then place in a sandwich bag. Makes 12.
 

GOBLIN 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 chopped

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.
 

MONSTER HANDS

Pop popcorn enough to fill a handful of clear hospital gloves or other, place a candy corn into the end of each finger then fill with popcorn until full at palm and tie off with red yarn or then you can place one of those black spider rings on the ring finger. this is fun as an activity for the kids to do themselves.
 
 

MONSTER MASH

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 zip-loc bag.
 
 

SQUIRMY WORMIES

2 can 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 let5 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.
 
 

SKULL AND CROSSBONES

4 bananas
1 can pear halves -- drained
1 handful raisins
strawberry or raspberry fruit sauce
--or "all fruit" preserves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 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.
 
 

GIANT GNATS

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
9 ounces raisins
1 small pack 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.
 

TOENAIL TRUFFLES

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. Heat 2 inches of water to simmering, not boiling, in the bottom of a double boiler. Place the chocolate in the smaller pot and set it over the simmering water. Stir until the chocolate melts. When the chocolate is melted, remove the small pan from the heat. 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.
 
 

TRANSYLVANIAN VAMPIRE FANGS

6 large apples
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
10 ounces strawberry jam

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.
 

CANDY CORN

1 C sugar
2/3 C white corn syrup
1/3 C butter

Combine in pan, bring to boil stirring CONSTANTLY. Turn heat low and boil  5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and add:

1 tsp vanilla
several drops food coloring (optional)

Combine:
2 1/2 C powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 C powdered milk

Add all at once to mixture in pan. Stir until cool enough to handle. Knead until stiff enough to hold its shape. Shape into triangles, or any shape desired.

Makes 1 3/4 lb candy.