Candy Corn Cookies

I forgot about these until I downloaded the pictures from my camera. I tried two different methods for making candy corn cookies - layering the dough and then cutting slices and then triangles - and this method (which I prefer). Just make sure you put the colors in the right order.... oops :)


-Sugar and Spice and Everything Iced

Divide your favorite sugar cookie dough and color - you'll want the majority of the dough yellow (not orange like above! :), then orange and then just a bit for the white.

Roll out your yellow dough and use bowls or large cookie cutters to cut your outside ring, and remove the center circle. Then roll and cut a ring of orange, remove that center circle and place inside the yellow ring. Then roll and cut a circle of white to fit in the middle. Gently press the edges together and score your cookies with a bench scraper or pizza cutter (be careful if you're using a Silpat).

I left mine together as a big circle, so it took quite a bit longer than my normal sugar cookies to bake. Once they come out of the oven, cut through the lines again and let the cookies cool completely before separating.

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

I was assigned to bring a main dish to our Halloween recipe exchange in October - I decided mummy dogs wouldn't be appropriate for such a nice girl's night out.... lol

So I did some research and found this recipe. I must say it was pretty delicious - it might fool your taste buds into thinking it's a curry!

P.S. Even the pumpkin hater in our family thought it was good! :)

-Rachael Ray

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup dry white wine (or chicken stock)
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating
Pumpernickel or whole grain bread, as an accompaniment

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine (or chicken stock) by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

Glow in the Dark Drinks

When I saw this post on Our Best Bites, I had to add glow-in-the-dark lemonade to our Halloween menu! The Tonic water contains quinine which glows under a black light - cool! It is a little bitter, so I added just enough to make the drinks glow. Brandon gets the credit for this photo!

-Our Best Bites

Country Time Lemonade Powder (enough for 2 quarts)

1 cup Tonic Water

Water

Monster Pudding Cups

My sister-in-law Kapri made these treats for Halloween many years ago - they are one of our Halloween favorites!

-Kraft

1 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
2 cups cold milk
6 drops green food coloring
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
8 OREO Cookies, crushed

Melt chocolate in microwave as directed on package. Use a clean small paint brush to paint a monster face on the inside of each of four clear 5-oz. plastic cups with the melted chocolate. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Add milk and food coloring to dry pudding mix in medium bowl. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Immediately pour into prepared cups.

Top with the cookie crumbs. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Store any leftover desserts in refrigerator.

Monster Mouths

A fun Halloween snack!

Apples

Slivered almonds,

Peanut butter

Raisins

Cut apples into quarters and cut core out to form mouth - dip in lemon water to prevent browning. Insert almonds to make teeth and use peanut butter and raisins to make eyes.

Hot Dog Mummies

A Halloween Classic!

1 pkg hot dogs

1 can refrigerated breadsticks

Separate breadsticks and cut lengthwise into 3 pieces. Wrap hot dog to look like bandages - using 3 lengths per hot dog. Bake at 375 for about 16 minutes, or until breadsticks are lightly browned.

Apple Cherry Punch

A slight chill in the air calls for a warm cider! This is a slightly different version with cherry kool-aid. Call it "Blood Punch" for Halloween!

-Taste of Home

4 cups water

4 cups unsweetened apple juice

1 cup sugar

1 envelope unsweetened cherry soft drink mix

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes.

Nutter Butter Halloween Treats

-2005 Pillsbury Halloween Booklet

1 pkg Nutter Butters
Chocolate candy coating
Vanilla-flavored candy coating
Mini-pretzels
Reese's Pieces
Cherry Pull-n-peel licorice
Mini chocolate chips

Photo: Pillsbury

Mousse-Filled Witches Hats

Photo: Taste of Home

- Taste of Home

1-3/4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 package (4 3/4 ounces) chocolate ice cream sugar cones

Chocolate candy coating or 4 squares (1 ounce each) semisweet chocolate, chopped plus 1/2 teaspoon shortening

Halloween sprinkles
12 thin chocolate wafers (2 1/4-inch diameter)

1. For mousse, in a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup cream to a boil; remove from the heat. Stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Transfer to a bowl; cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

2. In a small mixing bowl, beat the remaining cream until stiff peaks form; fold into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate.

3. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt semisweet chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip pointed tips of ice cream cones a third of the way into melted chocolate; roll in sprinkles. Refrigerate until set.

4. Just before serving, spoon mousse into cones. Top each with a chocolate wafer. Invert onto a serving platter.

Serves 12

Chocolate Wafer Cookies

-RecipeZaar

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (2 squares)
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch salt
2 ounces sweet butter (1/2 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons light cream or milk
1 egg (graded large)

Directions

1.Place the chocolate in the top of a small double boiler, over hot water, on moderate heat. Cover until partially melted, then uncover and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool slightly.

2.Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.

3.In the large bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter.

4.Add the vanilla and sugar, and beat to mix well.

5.Add the melted chocolate, and beat until incorporated. Then add the light cream or milk and

the egg, and beat to mix well.

6.On low speed add the sifted dry ingredients, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula, and beating only until incorporated.

7.Place the dough on a piece of wax paper, fold the sides of the paper over the dough, and press down on the paper to flatten the dough to a scant 1" thickness.

8.Wrap in the waxed paper and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes (no longer or the dough will crack when you roll it out). (However, if you do refrigerate it for longer (even overnight) let it stand at room temperature for about 1 hour before rolling it out.)

9.Adjust two racks to divide oven into thirds, and preheat oven to 400.

10.Line cookie sheets with aluminum foil.

11.Flour a pastry cloth and place the dough on it. (If you have doubled the recipe, roll only half of the dough at a time.)

12.With a floured rolling pin (which should be refloured frequently to avoid sticking), roll the dough out until it is only 1/8" thick (thin). I use a round cookie cutter that is 2 3/4" in diameter. Use any size you like, and cut the cookies as close to each other as possible.

13.Place the cookies 1/2" apart on the aluminum foil. (It might be necessary to transfer the cookies from the pastry cloth to the foil with a wide metal spatula. Handle them carefully in order to keep them perfectly round and flat.

14.Leftover pieces of the dough should be pressed together and rerolled.

15.Bake 2 sheets at a time, for 7-8 minutes, reversing the sheets top to bottom, and front to back once, to insure even taking.

16.Bake until the cookies feel almost firm to the touch.

17.These are supposed to be crisp (they will become more crisp as they cool) and they should not be underbaked, but watch them carefully to be sure they do not burn. (If you bake one sheet at a time, bake it on the upper rack.)

18.With a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to racks to cool.

19.Store in airtight container.