What You Need:

1 (4 oz.) pkg. German sweet chocolate

1/4 C of butter, cubed

3/4 C of sugar

2 eggs

1/2 C of flour

1 t vanilla extract

24 (3 inch) ice cream cones

24 scoops orange sherbet

Black sprinkles

How to Make It:

Preset the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Place the chocolate and butter into a microwave safe bowl.

Microwave on high for 1 minute then stir until very smooth.

Cool the mixture for 5 minutes.

Pour the chocolate mixture into a large mixing bow and add the sugar.

Break the eggs into the mixture and mix until completely blended together.

Fold in the flour until well blended.

Add the extract and stir well.

Place the ice cream cones, standing straight up, into muffin tin cups.

Fill each cone 2/3 full of the batter.

Bake 20 minutes or until the brownies are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, being careful not to over bake.

Remove the cones from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature.

Place one scoop of sherbet on top of each cone.

Sprinkle the top of the cones with the black sprinkles and serve immediately.

What a fun twist to an ice cream cone.  Kids will love this special Halloween treat.  If you can’t find black sprinkles use chocolate sprinkles instead.

Makes 24 cones

What You Need:

8 individual graham cracker tart shells

8 scoops of vanilla ice cream

16 chocolate cream filled cookies, crumbled

16 red M&M candy pieces

16 pieces of black shoestring licorice

How to Make It:

Place the shells on a baking sheet.

Add 1 scoop of ice cream to each of the shells.

Crumble the cookies into a mixing bowl.

Sprinkle the cookies over the ice cream to cover it well.

Place the filled shells in the freezer for 30 minutes or until the ice cream has hardened.

Remove the shells and press 2 M&M’s into the front of each scoop of ice cream to resemble eyes.

Cut the licorice strips into fourths.

Press 8 strips of licorice into each ice cream scoop to form the spider’s legs.

Return to the freezer until ready to serve.

These simple little spiders are so easy make and the kids will love them.  Use any flavor of ice cream you like and use different colors of M&M’s for the eyes if you prefer.

Makes 8 servings

Preparation Time:  approximately 10 minutes

Freezing Time:  approximately 30 minutes

Total Time:  approximately 40 minutes

Graveyard Snack – Take a cup of plain or buttered popped popcorn; add a half cup each of mini pretzels, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, goldfish crackers and raisins.

Spider Snack – Taking two round crackers, such as the ritz, put peanut butter in the middle. Take 8 small pretzels and stick all around, 4 on each side to make the legs. Add raisins for eyes.

Salty Bones – Making breadsticks for your spaghetti tonight? Here’s a Halloween twist. Unroll a tube of refrigerated breadstick roll and separate the triangle pieces. Stretch each individual piece to make a long bone like figure. Cut about a 1 and a half inch slit in each end with your kitchen scissors. Roll the remaining 4 flaps into what would make the end of a dog bone. Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake as directed.

Goblin Tongues – Using mini bagels, spread cream cheese or mayonnaise, your preference, onto bagel. Cut slices out of circular pieces of bologna lunch meat to look like tongues and put into the top center of the bagel, leaving it to hang out like a tongue.

These are just a small sampling of things you can do to impress the kids or grandkids. Nothing fancy, quite simple for you but they’ll love them. Presentation and excitement is part of children accepting new and different things. Let them help you when creating these treats and they may just be a little more receptive to the new Halloween changes in foods they already love.

What You Need:

2 (8 oz) New York Strip steaks (1 inch thick)

1/2 t coarse salt

1 T olive oil

1 T unsalted butter

6 oz. Portobello mushrooms, sliced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 T balsamic vinegar

How to Make It:

Preheat the broiler.

Sprinkle both sides of the steaks with the salt.

Place the steaks on a broiler pan.

Broil 4 minutes then turn and continue broiling 3 minutes for medium rare.

Remove the steaks and place on plates loosely covered with foil.

Place the oil and butter into a skillet over medium heat.

Let the butter melt being sure to stir it into the oil.

Add the sliced mushroom and stir to coat.

Cook the mushrooms 4 minutes or until fork tender.

Add the garlic, stir and cook an additional 30 seconds.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the vinegar stirring to coat.

Uncover the steaks and spread the mushroom mixture over the top just before serving.

Serving Size:  2

Portobello mushrooms have a great meaty taste and go well with any type of steak.  By adding the garlic and vinegar it gives them a special robust flavor. 

It’s Halloween! With just a few little changes or additions to things that you probably already make, you can put the spirit of Halloween on your table.

Scary Eyeballs – Add a little more mustard into the egg centers or a thin dollop under where you will lay a black olive into the creamy center.

Ghost Sandwiches – Cut your bread into ghosts, add the filling of your choice and your children will have a ghostly treat for their school or after school sandwich.

Wormy Hot Dogs – Thinly slice your hot dogs and then microwave. This will make them curl to look like worms. Put them on a hamburger bun and dress with mustard, catsup and pickles to make a slimy swamp underneath.

Ghostly Toast – Toast your bread. When it is cool enough to cut, with a gingerbread girl cutter or a plain knife, cut to make a ghost body. Top with whipped cream cheese or flavored yogurt with raisins or dates cut for eyes.

Orange Jack O Lantern – With a toothpick, gently carve a face into the orange. Careful not to injure the meat/pulp of the orange, your child will have a small version of the Jack O Lantern that is healthy and edible.

What You Need:

1 (18.25 oz.) chocolate cake mix

1 (16 oz.) can chocolate frosting

2 yellow gumdrops

1 green gumdrop

1 red gumdrop

2 pieces of shoestring black licorice

6 pieces of candy corn

How to Make It:

Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees and allow the oven to preheat.

Line 2 round 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper and lightly grease.

Prepare the cake mix according the package directions.

Pour the batter into the 2 prepared cake pans.

Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the pans from the oven and cool the cakes 10 minutes in the pans.

Remove the cakes from the pans and place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

Remove the parchment paper from the cakes.

Place one of the cakes on a large platter or covered board.

From the remaining cake cut a 1 in wide crescent shape slice to form the cat’s tail.

From the cut cake measure 2 inches from the center and make a vertical cut.

Cut this piece in half to form the cat’s ears and set aside.

Trim the remaining piece of the cut cake to form a circle for the cat’s head. 

Spread frosting over the top and sides of the first piece of cake.

Attach the tail to the bottom of the cake with a little frosting then frost the tail.

Attach the cat’s head with frosting then frost the head.

Attach the cat’s ears with frosting then completely frost the ears.

Place the yellow gum drops on the heat to represent the eyes.

Cut the green gum drop in half and attach to the yellow eyes using toothpicks.

Place the red gum drop on the face for the cat’s nose.

Cut the black licorice and press it into the cat’s face for its whiskers and mouth.

Press the candy corn into the base of the cat, three on each side, to represent its toes.

This black cat takes a little time to put together but it’s worth the trouble when you place it on the Halloween party table.  The kids will get a kick out of seeing and eating this piece of work.  Brownie mix may be used in place of the cake mix if you prefer.

Makes 20 servings

Preparation Time:  approximately 25 minutes

Baking Time:  approximately 20 minutes + cooling

Total Time:  approximately 45 minutes + cooling