Halloween Bento

I've told you about the FamilyFun site before. Such clever ideas. Check out these:

Orange (made to look like jack-o-lanterns) fruit cups. Of course.


Goblin Pea pod smiles, with a red pepper tongue.


And what about these cheese stick fingers, green pepper fingernails attached with cream cheese.


Carrot fingers, almond fingernails attached again with cream cheese.

Veggie Cat

I know, I know, enough of the Halloween stuff. I just can't help myself. Just have to do a couple more posts. Then I'll stop. Promise.

Is this not hilarious?

The head is black bean dip, love the cauliflower ears.

Death by Chocolate

A brownie in a coffin. Genius. Go to:

http://www.holiday-crafts-and-creations.com/free-halloween-printables-coffin.html
for the how to and the free printable/downloadable template.

Candy Corn Cones

Another VT idea. Go to: http://www.skiptomylou.org/category/halloween/
for the tutorial and free template to download.

Candy Corn Cookie Bark

14 whole Oreos, broken up. (The Halloween ones with the orange filling but regular will work fine)
1 1/2 C pretzels, broken into pieces.
1 lb. white chocolate, almond bark or melts found in the bulk food section
1 C candy corn
brown and orange colored sprinkles

Cover a large cookie sheet with wax paper. Spread broken cookes, pretzels and about 3/4 C of the candy corn onto the waxed paper. Place white chocolate in a container and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir and then microwave for another 30 seconds until melted and smooth. White chocolate melts faster and burns easier than chocolate.

Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookie mixture, spreading with spatula if needed to coat evenly. Sprinkle remaining candy corn and colored sprinkles over the chocolate while it is still wet. Do not let it harden. Place cookie tray into refrigerator until set and firm. Remove and gently break bark into small pieces. Store in air tight container.

More Halloween VT treat ideas

Cookies in a Jar, Halloween Style. Always cute.
Check out http://www.livinglocurto.com/2009/10/halloween-mm-cookies/ for the free printable/downloadable label and recipe.

Halloween Treats for Visiting Teachers

So cute, eh? A witch's shoe. Has other possibilities as well, Cinderella, Dorothy from Oz, etc.
Go to this link for the free templates and tutorial (scroll all way down for the template):

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2008/10/28/paper-witch-shoes/





Love this idea, too. So simple.
Free Template at: http://www.skiptomylou.org/2009/10/14/candy-bar-covers/




Ha. Found these tonight. Some great ideas, so many to choose from.

Spooky Spiders

Love this Halloween Treat from the Food Network.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups toasted pecans
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, in pieces
1/4 tsp salt
5 oz thin black licorice strands, cut into 2-inch pieces
6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 oz milk chocolate, chopped
Chocolate curls or jimmies, optional

Directions
Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper and lightly spray with nonstick spray. Mound 30 small clusters of pecans, about 3 or 4 pecans each, spaced a couple inches apart on the pan.

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 cool for a minute.

Ladle a couple tablespoons of warm caramel over some of the nut clusters, to make the spider bodies. Then press 6 pieces of licorice into the warm caramel to make the legs. Repeat with the remaining caramel and licorice. (It's helpful to have an extra hand here, since the caramel can set quickly. If caramel hardens, warm over very low heat. ) Let spiders cool 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the chocolates in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1-inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue heat until completely melted, 2 to 3 minutes more.)

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate on top of each spider. Sprinkle with jimmies or chocolate curls, if desired. Let cool until firm.

Recipe from: 2007 Television Food Network, G.P.

Creepy Lady Sausage Fingers

Ingredients
1 teaspoon red food coloring
20 whole blanched almonds
Olive oil, for pan
2 tubes (11 oz each) breadstick dough
2 pkg (7 oz each) frozen, fully cooked sausage links, thawed (20 sausages total)
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup purchased marinara sauce, heated

Directions
1. Place dye in a small glass bowl. Lightly brush one side of each almond with food coloring; let dry.
2. Preheat oven to 450 and arrange rack in center. Lightly brush a large shallow baking pan with oil.
3. Working with 1 strip of dough at a time, stretch and wrap around 1 sausage link, sealing dough on one end and leaving the other end of sausage exposed; transfer to prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough and sausage. Brush tops of dough with egg and place 1 almond, red side up, on covered end of each finger, for nail. Chill until dough is firm, about 15 minutes.
4. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer fingers in pan to a rack and let cool 5 minutes. Arrange on a platter and serve with marinara sauce on the side for dipping.
Makes about 20 fingers

Spidey Dip (7 layer dip)

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) can refried black beans

1 (1 1/4 oz) envelope taco seasoning

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies, drained (or jalapeños if you like it hot)

1 cup salsa

1 cup sour cream

1 cup guacamole

1 1/2 cup shredded cheese

2 green onions, sliced

2 cup shredded lettuce

1 cup chopped fresh tomato

Couple large bags of tortilla chips

Instructions:
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.

Easy Guacamole Recipe
Ingredients:

2 largeish avocados

1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 of a small white onion, finely minced

1 small ripe tomato, peeled and diced

1/4 tsp. hot sauce

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
1. Peel and mash your avocados. To make chunky guacamole, chop avocados into cubes and mash them very slightly with a fork. You can mash them more if you like.
2. In a serving bowl, combing avocado, lemon, onion, tomato, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Don’t go overboard on any of the ingredients– if you have good avocados, that’s where most of the flavor should come from.
3. Serve. If you let it sit, it may get a bit brown– will still taste great.

Wicked Witch Hat

Cake Ingredients:
1 yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1/4 cup orange sprinkles or decorator sugar

Frosting:
3/4 cup butter, softened
6 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 Tbsps light corn syrup
6-7 Tbsps half & half (or milk)

Decorations Ingredients:
2 waffle cones
Black decorator sugar
Fruit Roll
1 gummy fruit ring

Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 1 1/2-quart oven-safe bowl. Grease and flour 12- or 13-inch round pizza pan with at least 3/4-inch high rim. Set both aside.

Combine all cake ingredients except decorator sugar in large bowl. Beat according to package directions. Gently stir in orange decorator sugar.

Pour about 3 cups cake batter into prepared bowl. Pour remaining batter into prepared pizza pan, spread evenly. Bake batter in pizza pan for 15 to 17 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; loosen sides of cake with knife and invert onto round 14-inch or larger serving plate. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, bake batter in bowl for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; loosen sides of cake with knife and invert onto cooling rack. Cool completely.

Combine all frosting ingredients in large bowl except half & half. Beat at low speed until mixed. Increase speed to high; beat, adding enough half & half for desired frosting consistency.

Frost top and sides of cake brim with about 1 1/2 cups frosting. Place crown, top side down, on center of frosted brim. Frost crown. Press 1 waffle cone gently into top of crown. Top with another waffle cone turning until it is level. Holding tip of cone, frost upward from base of crown to cover cones and to push frosting between cones for securing into place. Sprinkle frosting with decorator sugar.

Place fruit gummy ring on cake for buckle; place candy corn or other candies around crown, if desired. To serve, remove cones; cut cake into slices.
*(A 1 1/2-quart oven-safe bowl will hold 5 to 6 cups of water when filled to the top. To check to see if your bowl is large enough, fill it with water, 1 cup at a time.)

Witch Cake

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (2-layer size) cake mix, any flavor
1-1/2 cups cold milk
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
Few drops green food coloring
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Mini OREO Bite Size Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
10 BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks

PREPARE cake batter and bake in 13x9-inch baking pan as directed on package. Cool completely.
TRANSFER cake to cutting board; cut into pieces using diagram 1.

Arrange cake pieces on cake board or large platter to form the witch's head, nose, hair and hat as shown in diagram 2.


FROST and decorate with Evil Embellishments as listed below. Store in refrigerator.

Evil Embellishments-Frosting
For frosting, add milk to dry pudding mix in medium bowl. Beat with whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Remove 1 cup of the pudding mixture to use for the hair; spread remaining pudding mixture onto cake.
Evil Embellishments-Scary Face
For scary face and witch's wart, use the chocolate chunks.
Evil Embellishments-Ghoulish Green Hair and Witch's Hat
For ghoulish green hair, stir green food coloring into the reserved 1 cup pudding mixture. Spread onto the head as desired. For witch's hat, decorate with the cookies.

Halloween Cookie Ideas

creepy cupcakes

Cupcakes, Cupcakes

Cupcakes Galore

More Cupcakes

Halloween Cupcakes

These cupcakes are fairly self explanatory. Made the Dracula's, and Spider webs for our wee party.