Haunting Halloween Hero
4 oz Cream cheese -- softened
2 ts Dijon mustard OR 2 ts Honey mustard
1 cl Garlic -- minced
1/8 t Black pepper -- freshly ground
1 Loaf French bread, about 18"
cut in half lengthwise
1 sm Red onion -- thinly sliced, about 1 cup
2 c Fresh spinach leaves
4 oz Provolone cheese -- thinly sliced
4 oz Mozzarella cheese -- thinly sliced
4 oz Ham -- thinly sliced
1 sm Yellow bell pepper -- cut into thin rings
Combine cream cheese, mustard, garlic, and pepper; spread on cut sides of bread. Top with red onion, pressing lightly into cheese mixture. Arrange 1 cup of spinach leaves on bottom half of bread; layer cheeses and meats on top of spinach. Top with bell pepper and remaining spinach. Close with top half of bread. Cut loaf into 6 servings.
Serving Size : 6
Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies
3 cups. all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
10 Tbs. butter, softened
6 Tbs. honey
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1/3 c. light molasses
1 1/2 c. butterscotch flavored morsels
Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, honey, brown sugar, egg, and molasses in large mixing bowl until flurry and creamy. Gradually beat in flour mixture until well blended. Stir in butterscotch chips. Use cookie scoop to drop dough (about 2 tablespoons) onto baking sheets that have been coated with canola cooking spray. Press dough down with fingers to lightly flatten. Bake for about 10 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned but still soft. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes 32 large cookies.
Spicy/Sweet Popcorn Balls
3 (3.5-ounce) bags natural microwave popcorn
2 cups pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for forming
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pop the popcorn according to package instructions. While hot, carefully open package and dump into a large bowl. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a large skillet over medium-high heat, until browned and popping, tossing and stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. (Do this in batches, if needed.) Add to the popcorn.
Make caramel: Warm the cream over low heat and keep warm while you cook the sugar. Put the sugar and corn syrup and in a deep, heavy-bottomed large
saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar
dissolves. Stop stirring, raise heat to medium-high, and simmer until the sugar reaches the hard crack stage, or 305 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 7 minutes. Whisk the butter and salt into the sugar mixture. Gradually pour in the cream and vanilla taking care since the mixture will bubble up. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar reaches soft ball stage, 240 degrees F on the thermometer, about 5 minutes more. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the cinnamon and cayenne. Cool for about a minute. Pour caramel over the popcorn and stir to evenly coat. When the popcorn is cool enough to handle, coat your hands with some butter and shape into 4-inch balls. Wrap in waxed paper and tie with a string, if desired. Serve or store covered at room temperature for up to a week.
Yield: 20 balls
Bat Wings
1 cup white sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1 dash garlic powder
2 pounds chicken wings
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F; prepare a 9x13 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk together the sugar, soy sauce, and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Arrange the wings in the bottom of the prepared dish; pour the soy sauce mixture evenly over the wings. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes; turn the wings over with a spatula and cook another 20 minutes.
Servings: 6
Cherry-Berry Spider
4 cherries
4 blueberries
2 tablespoons raspberry syrup
2 cups prepared lemonade
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
Place 2 cherries and 2 blueberries in each tall glass. Measure 1 tablespoon of
raspberry syrup into each glass. Gently pour in the lemonade. top each glass
with a scoop of ice cream.
Servings: 2
Green Punch
2 (3 ounce) packages lime flavored gelatin
mix
1 quart hot water
1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 cups white sugar
4 1/2 cups cold water
2 liters ginger ale
In a large saucepan dissolve the gelatin in 1 quart of hot water. Allow to cool.
When gelatin is cool, pour into a large punch bowl, Stir in pineapple juice,
orange juice concentrate, sugar and 4 1/2 cups cold water. Pour in ginger ale
just before serving.
Servings: 20
Spooky Spiced Chicken
1 x 3lb chicken, cut into quarters
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt and pepper
5 fl. oz. plain yogurt
half a teaspoon of ground cardamom
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
Place all the ingredients, apart from the chicken, into a shallow bowl and mix
well Add the chicken quarters to the marinade and leave for 3 hours at room
temperature Line a grill pan with foil then place the chicken quarters on the grill rack Grill for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.
Servings: 4
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup margarine, melted
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped
topping, thawed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease one 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie
spice, and salt. Mix well, and spread into the prepared pan.
Sprinkle cake mix over the top of the pumpkin mixture, and pat down. Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over the cake mix, then drizzle with melted margarine. Bake for 60 to 80 minutes, or until done. Top with whipped topping when ready to serve.
Servings: 18
Pumpkin Spice Bread
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 plus 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp. canned unsweetened pumpkin
1 large egg
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour an 8 1/2-4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Sift
together first 5 ingredients; stir in kosher salt. Combine sugar, oil, and pumpkin in a large bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg, beating until well blended. Gradually add dry ingredients, beating at low speed until blended. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour 5 minutes or until loaf is golden and a wooden pick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 1 loaf
Bat Cupcakes
1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 (16 ounce) container prepared chocolate
frosting
1 (11.5 ounce) package fudge stripe cookies
1 (6 ounce) bag milk chocolate candy kisses,
unwrapped
1 tablespoon red gel icing
Prepare the cake mix according to package directions for cupcakes. Cool. Frost cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Break the cookies in half, and press two halves into the top of each cupcake for wings, stripes facing the frosting. Place a chocolate kiss in front of the cookies with the point facing forward for the body. Make two beady little eyes with the red gel icing towards the point of the kiss. Let the fun begin!
Servings: 24
Spiderweb Brownies
4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate
In a saucepan over low heat, stir unsweetened chocolate and butter until
chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat; stir in sugar. Cool for 10 minutes.
Blend in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and nuts. Pour into a greased
foil-lined 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30
minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (do not
overbake). Immediately drop marshmallow cream by spoonfuls over hot brownies; spread evenly. Cool on a wire rack. Lift out of the pan; remove foil. Place on a serving tray. For web decoration, melt semisweet chocolate and pour into a small resealable plastic bag. Cut a small hole in one corner of the bag; drizzle chocolate over creme in a spiderweb design.
Servings: 24
S'mores Apples
6 Granny Smith apples
6 wooden sticks
1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped
caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Insert wooden sticks 3/4 of the way into the stem end of each apple. Place
apples on a cookie sheet covered with lightly greased aluminum foil.
Combine caramels and water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring often,until caramel melts and is smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Dip each apple into the caramel and gently run apples around insides of saucepan to scrape off some of the caramel. Scrape excess caramel from the apple bottoms using the side of the saucepan. Combine the miniature marshmallows and graham crackers on a dinner plate. Roll the apples in the mixture to coat. Place on the aluminum foil and chill. Put the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Drizzle over the apples and return them to the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Servings: 6
Black Halloween Punch
1 (.13 ounce) envelope unsweetened grape
soft drink mix
1 (.13 ounce) envelope unsweetened orange
soft drink mix
2 cups white sugar
3 quarts cold water
1 liter ginger ale
To make a frozen hand, wash a disposable glove, fill with water, seal with a
rubber band and freeze until hard. Stir together grape soft drink mix, orange soft drink mix, sugar and water until solids are dissolved. Combine with chilled ginger ale just before serving. Dip the frozen hand briefly in warm water, then peel off the glove. Float the prepared hand in the punch bowl for a ghastly effect.
Servings: 32
Angel Salad
1 (6 ounce) package lime flavored gelatin mix
2 cups hot water
2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese,
softened
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
20 ounces diced pimento peppers, drained
1 cup diced celery
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup heavy cream
In a small bowl, dissolve the lime flavored gelatin in hot water. Allow it to
cool for 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, pineapple, pimento peppers, celery and pecans. Fold in the gelatin. Chill in the refrigerator 1 hour, or until thickened but not firm. Whip the heavy cream in a small bowl until thickened. Fold into the gelatin mixture. Refrigerate 3 hours, or until firmly gelled.
Servings: 12
Pumpkin-Patch Cookies
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
1/4 teaspoon orange paste food coloring
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup homemade or purchased creamy chocolate frosting
18 green jelly beans, cut crosswise in half
In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour and baking powder. Set flour mixture aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter or margarine and food coloring with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, then beat well. Stir in flour mixture. Do not chill dough. Put the flower plate onto a cookie press. Pack dough, half at a time, into the cookie press. Press dough into flowers on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 7 to 8 minutes or until cookies are just light brown around edges. Remove cookies to a wire rack, then cool completely. Spread the flat side of half of the cookies with some frosting. Top with remaining cookies to form pumpkins. For stems, attach one jelly bean half to the top of each cookie with frosting. Let stand for 1 to 2 hours or until frosting is slightly dry.
Makes 36 cookies.
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