Caramel Marshmallow Apples
1 package (14 oz) caramels
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 tbsp water
5 or 6 small apples
Wooden skewers
Line baking sheet with buttered waxed paper; set aside. Combine caramels, marshmallows and water in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until caramels melt. Cool slightly while preparing apples. Rinse and dry apples. Insert skewers into apples. Dip each apple in caramel mixture, coating apples. Place on prepared sheet. Refrigerate until firm. For variety roll apples in crushed peanuts or drizzle with melted chocolate.
Candied Apples
12 red delicious apples
12 wooden skewers
4 S cups sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp red food coloring
1 S cups water
1 cup chopped peanuts
Grease a large cookie sheet and set aside. Wash and dry apples. Insert a stick through stem, leaving about two inches sticking out. In saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, corn syrup, food coloring and water. Cook stirring constantly, until ingredients are dissolved and liquid boils. Set a candy thermometer in mixture and continue cooking, without stirring until temperature reaches 290 degrees, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile place shopped peanuts in a bowl.
Remove syrup from heat and dip the apples, one by one, to coat evenly. Work quickly. As you dip each apple roll in peanuts to coat then place on prepared cookie sheet. Let apples cool for at least an hour.
Popcorn Balls
2 S quarts popped popcorn
1 14-oz package light caramels
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 table spoons water
Keep popcorn warm in a 200 degree oven. Melt caramels in top of double boiler over simmering water. Add corn syrup and water and mix until smooth. Slowly pour over popcorn in a large bowl. Stir to mix well. With greased hands, shape into balls about the size of softballs. Let cool completely before wrapping with plastic wrap.
Frosting
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
1 8-ounce package miniature chocolate
Chips
Take half of the sugar and add the vanilla, salt and 2 tablespoons of the milk. Mix well. Now add the remaining sugar and mix again. Add as much of the remaining milk as you need to reach the desired consistency for spreading.
Spread the Frosting on each cookie until it is totally white and looks like a ghost. For eyes, use two chocolate chips on each of the cookies.
Makes 2 dozen
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
Pumpkin Ice Cream
1 can pumpkin pie filling
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups simple syrup (1 part water to 1 part sugar)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves1
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Pour the mixture into an electric ice-cream maker. Freeze for 20 minutes, or follow the instructions for your ice cream machine.
Makes 1 quart (4 cups)
Chocolate Spiders
4 cups semisweet chocolate baking chips
Melt chocolate chips in top of double boiler. Let stand over the water until water is cool, about 10 minutes. Place wax paper on cookie sheet. Pour chocolate into a pastry bag that is fitted with a 1/8-inch or 1/4-inch tip. Squeeze chocolate onto wax paper in the shape of spiders. If chocolate is runny it needs to be cooled longer. Chill the spiders for about 10 minutes. When hard peel off wax paper. Store in refrigerator laid flat.
Mystical Punch
Ice cube tray raisins 4 1-pint bottles cranberry juice
2 1/2 cups peach juice
1 cup fresh lime juice
2 cups orange juice
sugar to taste
Place raisins in ice cube trays. Add water. Freeze. This will make them look like they have insects in them. Keep the juices refrigerated until you are ready to use them. In a punch bowl, combine all the juices. Add the ice cubes and serve.
Makes 20 cups
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Water
Salt
Melted butter
Vegetable spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse seeds well. For every 2 cups of seeds, put 4 cups of water and 2 tbsps of salt into saucepan. Add the seeds and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Drain well in strainer. Place on paper towels and pat dry.
Toss the seeds with melted unsalted butter in a large bowl until evenly coated. Spray cookie sheet with vegetable spray. Spread seeds over tray and bake for 30 minutes, stirring, and tossing occasionally. When seeds are golden brown they are ready. Store it in airtight container in cool place.
Bobbing Apple Punch
1 S cups orange juice
4 cups apple cider
1 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons sugar
4 cups ginger ale, chilled
6 to 8 small red apples
1 orange, sliced
In punch bowl mix orange juice, apple cider, pineapple juice and sugar. Chill of a couple hours. Before serving add ginger ale, apples, orange slices and ice cubes.
Choco Lanterns
12 miniature pumpkins
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cut the tops off the pumpkins and remove most of the interior with a sharp knife. Then scoop to even out the inside. In a bowl, mix together the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Add the milk gradually as you mix with a wooden spoon. Pour into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the pudding thickens. Now add the vanilla and mix again. Remove from the heat and pour into the hallowed-out pumpkins. Chill until ready to serve.
Makes 12
Gingerbread Ghosts
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Pinch of salt
In a large bowl, blend together the sugar and butter. Add the molasses. Fold in the sifted flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large bakingf sheet. On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough until it is 1/8 inch thick. Cut out the cookie with a ghost-shaped cookie cutter and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove form the oven and let cool throughly on a wire rack before decorating with Frosting.
Quesadillas
5 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 pound jack cheese, grated
1 cup chopped parsley
16 tortillas
Combine the peppers, cheese, and Place a portion of the mixture in the middle of a flat tortilla. Fold over and press the edges together. Spray a large skillet with vegetable spray and fry the tortillas over medium heat, or toast in a toaster oven. The quesadilla is ready when the cheese has melted. Keep warm until ready to serve or reheat in toaster oven for 5 minutes. Do not reheat in the microwave. You may want to make some without the peppers for those who don't like them hot.
Makes 16
Witches Fingers
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
1 egg
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup whole blanched almonds
1 tube red decorator gel
In bowl beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla; beat in flour; baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Working with one-quarter of the dough at a time and keeping remaining dough refrigerated, roll heaping teaspoons full of dough into finger shape for each cookie. Press almond firmly into one end for nail. Squeeze in center to create knuckle shape. Using a paring knife make slashes in several places to form knuckle. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet in 325 degree over for 20-25 minutes or until pale or golden. Let cool for three minutes. Lift up almond; squeeze red decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond back in place so gel oozes out from underneath. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Makes about 5 doze fingers!
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 ? 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
Vampire Punch
8 cups cranberry juice
6 cups sparkling apple cider
6 orange slices
Put all ingredients in a punch bowl. Add ice cubes just before serving.
Makes 14 cups
Bloody Devil Dogs
Hot Dogs
Hot Dog Rolls
Ketchup
Cook hot dogs as you would normally, on the stove or grill. Take the buns and, with CLEAN scissors or a knife, cut out little triangle on the top part facing out. When done, the bun will look like a mouth with the upper teeth showing. Place hot dogs inside the bun, then put on ketchup.
Sugar Cookie Pumpkins
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cookie decorator (in a 4 1/2 –ounce pressurized can)
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, and 1 cup flour and mix well. By hand, fold the remaining flour, the baking soda, and the baking powder. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking sheet. On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough until it is 1/8 inch thick. Cut out the cookies with a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter and place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool thoroughly before decorating.
Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies
Pumpkin Bread
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin puree
3 eggs 1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
2 1/3 cups Bisquick
Pinch of ground nutmeg (optional) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together with a wooden spoon. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Test with a knife-if the knife comes out clean, the bread is ready. If not, put back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes. Cool before removing from the pan. Keep in a plastic bag, in a cover dish in a cool location or in the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve, cut into slices, then cut out slices with a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter and spread with cream cheese or jam.
Serves 12 to 18
