Sweet and Salty Treat

Ingredients:
Mini pretzels
Hershey Kisses Hugs (any kind)
Candy Corn

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. Place pretzels on cookie sheet, not touching.
3. Unwrap kisses and place on top of pretzels then place filled cookie sheet in oven.
4. Bake for 3-5 minutes but no longer.  You will know they are ready when the kisses start to get shiny.
5.  Take out of oven and gently place candy corn on top of kisses, pushing down ever so gently.
6.  Cool and then transfer to serving platter or wrap up as gifts.

Dirt Cake

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups milk
2 small pkgs instant French vanilla pudding
1 stick butter, softened to room temperature
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (16 oz) container whipped topping
2 pgks chocolate sandwich cookies (I used oreos)
Chocolate candy rocks (found at Winco)
Assorted gummy worms

Directions:
1. Whisk the milk and pudding together in a large bowl until smooth.  Let stand for five minutes.
2. In another large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together with a hand mixer on medium speed until fluffy.
3.  Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth.  Add the pudding and beat until smooth.  Fold in the whipped topping.
4.  Crush 1 package of cookies so that there are some fine crumbs, but also large pieces.  There needs to be a variety.  Fold this into the pudding mixture until evenly mixed.
5.  Finely crush the other bag of cookies.  In a large clear glass trifle dish, pour about a third of the pudding mixture in the bottom and spread to smooth.
6.  Sprinkle with a later of about a third of the finely crushed cookies.  Stick several of the candy rocks in the cookie layer, especially around the perimeter of the dish where they will be visible.
7.  Top with another third of the pudding mixture on top of the cookie layer, then repeat with another cookie layer and some more candy rocks.  Spread the remaining third of the pudding on top, then with the remaining cookie crumbs.  Place more rocks and gummy worms on top to decorate.  Chill for several hours to overnight before serving.

Spider Web 7-Layer Dip

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) can refried black beans
1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope taco seasoning
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies, drained (or jalapeños if you like it hot)
1 C. salsa
1 C. sour cream
1 C. guacamole
1 1/2 C. shredded cheese
2 green onions, sliced
2 C. shredded lettuce
1 C. chopped fresh tomato
A couple large bags of tortilla chips

Directions: 

1. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the refried beans and taco seasoning.

2. On a large festive Halloween Tray, spread the beans in an even circular shape. Leave room around the edges for the garnish.

3. Sprinkle green chilies over. Smooth salsa over. Smooth guacamole over.

4. Place your sour cream in the end of a ziploc bag. Cut the corner off. Squeeze sour cream on top of guacamole in several concentric circles (or octagon shapes for a more authentic look). Using a knife or the handle of a fork, run lines lightly through the sour cream to make the web shape.

5. Sprinkle lettuce in a circle around bean dip. Sprinkle tomatoes and green onions over. Sprinkle cheese over.

6. Garnish with a creepy spider and serve with lots of tortilla chips! 

Candy Corn Cookies

Ingredients:
1 pouch (1 lb) Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
Orange paste food color
Yellow paste food color
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate, melted

Directions:
1. Line 8x4-inch loaf pan with waxed paper, extending paper over sides of pan. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms.
2. On work surface, place 3/4 cup dough. Knead desired amount of food color into dough until color is uniform. Press dough evenly in bottom of pan.

3. Divide remaining dough in half. Gently press one half of remaining dough into pan on top of orange dough. On work surface, knead chocolate into remaining dough until color is uniform. Press over plain dough in pan, pressing gently to edge of pan. Refrigerate 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until firm.
4. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove dough from pan. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice into 5 wedges. On ungreased cookie sheet, place wedges 1 inch apart.

5. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are set and edges are very light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container.

Witches' Brooms and Sauce

Ingredients:
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated garlic breadsticks
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups marinara sauce

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350.  Spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray.
2.  Unroll breadstick dough on work surface.  Cut dough in half crosswise, and separate to make 16 strips; cut each of the strips in half lengthwise to make 32 thin strips.  Place strips on cookie sheets, 1 inch apart.  Using a small paring knife or kitchen scissors, make 4 thin cuts (2 inches long) on 1 end of each strip.  Spread out cut ends to make bristles of each broom.  Twist handle of each broom.  Brush dough with oil, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
3.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with marinara sauce.

Ghosts In The Graveyard

• Ingredients:
• 2 pkg. JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
• 15 OREO Cookies
• CAMEO Creme Sandwich Cookies
• 
  
• Directions:
• 1.Beat pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Let stand 5 min. Stir in 3 cups COOL WHIP and half the cookie crumbs. Spread into 13x9-inch dish; sprinkle with remaining crumbs.

2.Refrigerate 1 hour. Meanwhile, decorate creme sandwich cookies with decorating gel to resemble tombstones.

3.Insert decorated cookies into top of dessert just before serving. Add candies. Drop large spoonfuls of remaining COOL WHIP onto dessert to resemble ghosts.

Rice Krispie Monster Treats

• Ingredients:
• 3 TBSP butter or margarine
• 1 pack (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies®
• 6 cup Ready-To-Eat Cereal Cocoa Krispies™
• Canned frosting or decorating gel
• Assorted candies
• 
  
• Directions:
• 1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 8 rectangles.

4. Decorate with frosting and/or candies to make monster faces. (Best if served the same day.)

Ghostly Pretzel Sticks

• Ingredients:
• 15 pretzel rods, 7-inches long
• 1 cup white chocolate chips or candy melting chocolate
• 40 mini chocolate chips

Directions:
1.  Melt white chocolate in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup, stirring until smooth. Dip pretzel rod into chocolate, about 3 inches. Place on a waxed-paper-lined baking sheet. While the white chocolate is still wet, arrange 3 mini chocolate chips to create eyes and a mouth. Let dry until firm, about 30 minutes.

Worms for Brains

Ingredients:

8 to 10 medium sweet orange peppers

1 pkg (16 oz) spaghetti 

1 pound ground beef

1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce

Directions:

1. Cut tops off peppers and set aside; remove seeds and membranes.  Cut a jock-o'-lantern face on one side of each pepper; set aside.

2.  Cook spaghetti according to package directions.   Meanwhile cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.

3. Drain spaghetti; add to beef.  Stir in spaghetti sauce; heat through.  Spoon into peppers; replace tops.

Yeild: 8-10 servings

Chocolate-Dipped Rats

• Ingredients:
• 20 large strawberries
• 40 sliced almonds
• 2 3.5-ounce bittersweet or semisweet chocolate bars, corsely chopped and melted
• 40 slivered almonds
• 20 2-inch pieces of black licorice laces

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper. Trim a small piece from one side of each strawberry so they can rest flat on waxed paper. Insert 2 sliced almonds about 1 inch from pointed end of strawberry to make the ears on the rat. Repeat with remaining strawberies.

2. Insert a fork into the wide end of a strawberry. Holding the strawberry on fork, spoon the melted chocolate over the fruit to coat, allowing any excess chocolate to drip off. Place on baking sheet. While chocolate is still wet, arrange 2 slivered almonds to create eyes, then place licorice pieces at the bottom of the wide end of the strawberry to form a tail. Repeat with remaining strawberries, chocolate, almonds, and licorice. Chill until firm.

Mummy Dogs

• Ingredients:
• 2 8-ounce cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
• 14 5- to 6-inch hot dogs
• mustard

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 F.

2. Unroll each can of crescent rolls, then separate at perforations, creating 4 rectangles from each can. With scissors, cut each rectangle into 7 long strips, making a total of 28 strips from each can of dinner rolls (56 strips total).

3. Wrap 4 strips of dough around each hot dog to look like bandages, stretching dough slightly to completely cover hot dog. About 1/2-inch from one end of each hot dog, separate the bandages so hot dog shows through for the "face." Place wrapped hot dogs on two baking sheets and bake until until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Using mustard, draw features on face.

Deviled Eyeballs

• Ingredients:
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 small ripe avocado, halved and pitted
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced scallion or shallot
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 24 black olive slices
• red food coloring

Directions:

1. Place eggs in a large pot with cold water, covering eggs by 1 inch. Bring to a full boil; boil 1 minute. Cover pot and remove from heat. Let sit, covered, for 15 to 17 minutes. Drain and run cold water over the eggs. Crack eggs and let sit in cold water 10 minutes or until cool. Drain, then peel eggs.

2. Cut eggs in half lengthwise, then carefully remove the yolks, leaving the whites intact. Place yolks in a bowl; mash with 1/3 cup mayonnaise, avocado, mustard, shallot, lemon juice, and salt until blended. Using 2 teaspoons or a small ice-cream scoop, scoop yolk mixture into small balls and position in hollows of whites to resemble eyeballs.

3. Press an olive slice into center of each yolk eyeball. Stir together 3 tablespoons remaining mayonnaise and a few drops of red food coloring in a small bowl for the "blood."

4. Transfer colored mayonaise mixure into a small sealable bag and snip the corner to form a pastry bag. Decorate eyeballs with bloodshot veins. Cover and refrigerate up to 6 hours before serving.

Make Ahead: Egg yolk mixture can be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Fill egg whites, decorate and refrigerate up to 6 hours before serving. [CB-making sure with GMM that the avocado won't turn brown in this mixture if made ahead.]

Candy Corn Jello

Ingredients:
1 envelope of unflavored gelatin
1 (3 oz) box of orange-flavored gelatin
1 (3 oz) box of pineapple-flavored gelatin
1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
Yellow food dye
Individual molds
Water

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, sprinkle an envelope of unflavored gelatin evenly over 1/4 cup cold water and allow the gelatin to absorb the water for 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup boiling water for 2 minutes until the gelatin is completely dissolved.

2. Add 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk and stir until mixture is even and creamy.

3. Pour mixture into molds (either individual-sized molds or one big one), filling mold(s) one-third of the way full.

4. Place the molds in the refrigerator until the gelatin begins to set but is not firm (about 10 mins for individual molds.) When you tilt the mold the gelatin should not run but it should stick to your finger or the back of a spoon when touched. If the gelatin is not set enough when you add the next layer, the layers will run together.  If it gets too firm, the layers will not adhere to each other and will slide apart when unmolded.

5. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, add 1 cup of boiling water to the package of orange gelatin.  Stir for two minutes until the gelatin is fully dissolved.  Stir in 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk until mixture is even and creamy.  Stir in 3/4 cup cold water until mixture is even.

6. Place the bowl of orange gelatin in the refrigerator until it thickens to the consistency of pudding.  Gently spoon over the white gelatin in the molds.  Refrigerate again until gelatin gets firm as in step 4.

7. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, add 1 cup of bowling water to the package of pineapple gelatin.  Stir for two minutes until the gelatin is fully dissolved.  Stir in 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk until the mixture is even and creamy.  Stir in 3/4 cup cold water until mixture is even.  If the mixture does not appear to be yellow enough, add a drop or two of yellow food dye to create some vibrancy to the color. Stir until even.

8.  Place the bowl of pineapple gelatin in the refrigerator until it thickens to the consistency of pudding.  Gently spoon over the orange gelatin in the molds.  Refrigerate overnight to allow gelatin to get set.

9.  To unmold your gelatin mold, fill a sink, basin, or large bowl with warm water.  Dip the mold just to the rim in the warm water for about 10 seconds.  Lift from water, hold upright, and shake slightly to loosen the gelatin from mold.  Place a cold, moistened plate over the top of the mold and invert the place and mold together.  Carefully lift the mold.  If gelatin does not release, dip the mold in warm water and try again.

Apple Nachos

Ingredients:
36 caramels
1 TBS water
30 large marshmallows
1/3 cup butter, cubed
4 medium tart apples, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3 TBS Halloween sprinkles

Directions:
1. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt caramels with water; stir until smooth.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt marshmallows and butter.
3. Arrange apple slices on a large platter.
4. Drizzle with caramel; top with marshmallow mixture.
5. Sprinkle with peanuts, chocolate chips, and sprinkles. Serve immediately.

Chill apples before starting; warm caramel sticks better to cold apples.

Pizza Mummies

Ingredients:

English muffins

• Pizza sauce
  
• Black olives
  
• Scallions
  
• Red or green pepper
  
• Cheese sticks or slices

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350º F. For
    each mummy, spread a tablespoon of pizza sauce onto half of an English muffin (toast it first, if you like).
   
   
   
2. Set olive slices in place for eyes and add round slices of green onion or bits of red or green pepper for pupils.
   
   
   
3. Lay strips of cheese (we used a pulled-apart cheese stick) across the muffin for the mummy?s wrappings.
   
   
   
4. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the muffin is toasty.