Pumpkin Crunch

1 box yellow cake mix (without pudding)
1 large can pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
3 eggs
2 sticks real butter, melted (use what ever)
1 cup sugar
1tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts (opt)

Mix pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and cinnamon.
Spray pan with cooking spray.
Pour pumpkin mixture into pan. Sprinkle cake mix over batter. Pat down.
Drizzle with butter. Bake 350 for 1 hour. Let stand 2 hours.
Serve with ice cream or Cool Whip.

Haunted Hayride Apples

1/4 cup seedless raisins
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
dash nutmeg (optional)
4 firm, tart apples (such as Granny Smith)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a small bowl, mix the raisins, walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together.

3. Wash and core the apples using an apple corer or a small knife.

4. In a baking dish, arrange the apples with the tops up. Fill each apple with one-fourth of the raisin mixture.

5. Pour water into the baking dish to the depth of 1/2″.

6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Baste the apples once or twice with the cooking liquid. The apples are done when they still hold their shape and yield to a knife when pierced. Serve the apples when they are cooled slightly.

7. To warm in the microwave: Place the apple in a microwave-safe dish and microwave on low for 1 minute at a time, until warm. Caution: Parts of the apple can get very hot!

Serving Size: 1 apple

Coffin Sandwiches

2 slices whole wheat bread
3 slices OSCAR MAYER Smoked Ham
1 KRAFT Singles
1 Tbsp. MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
1 lettuce leaf

CUT bread slices into coffin shapes.
LAYER with sliced meat, Singles, dressing and lettuce. Spear each sandwich with plastic toothpick to hold it together, if desired.
CUT sandwich into coffin shape using coffin template and sharp knife. (Click here to print template.) For an even stronger template, trace the template onto a piece of cardboard and cut out.

A new, delicious twist on the traditional caramel apple! These are ideal for fall when you have an overabundance of apples, but don’t discount them for other holidays and occassions! Simply change the color of the sprinkles or other decorations to fit the season or event.

Editor’s note: For children with allergies to peanuts, replace the peanut butter chips with butterscotch or mint for a different twist!

You will need:
12 wooden ice cream sticks
12 medium apples, stems removed
1 package (10 ounces) peanut butter chips
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
2/3 cup cocoa

Optional for decorating apples:
chopped peanut butter chips
chopped or mini chocolate chips
chopped vanilla chips
flaked coconut
colored spinkles
chopped nuts

What you do:
Insert wooden stick into each washed and dried apple. Cover a baking sheet or tray with waxed paper.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, stir together peanut butter chips and oil. Microwave on high 1-1/2 minutes or until chips are softened. Stir until melted.

Stir together confectioners’ sugar and cocoa; gradually add to melted chip mixture, stirring until smooth. Microwave on high 1 minute or until very warm.

Dip apples into mixture, twirling to remove excess coating. (If coating becomes too thick, return to microwave for a few seconds). Roll coated apple in chopped chips or coconut if desired, or sprinkle toppings onto apples. Allow to cool on prepared baking sheet or tray.

Yield: one dozen apples.

3 Granny Smith apples (about 2 pounds), peeled, cored, chopped
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup soft caramels (about 8 pieces), unwrapped
2 boxes (11 ounces each) piecrust mix
1/2 cup cold water
1 egg, lightly beaten

Combine apples, brown sugar, butter, apple juice, cream, pie spice,
cornstarch and caramels in a skillet. Bring to boiling over high heat,
stirring frequently, 8 to 10 mins.Lower heat to medium; cook for another
2 to 3 mins. Remove from heat.Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Stir together
2 boxes piecrust mix and cold water in medium-size bowl until dough
comes together in ball. Divide in half. Transfer half of dough to
floured work surface. Roll out to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Using
4-inch round cutter or lid of 13-ounce coffee can, cut out 6 circles.
Then with 2-3/4-inch cutter, cut 6 smaller circles, rerolling scraps as
needed. Repeat with second half of dough, cutting out six 4-inch circles
and six 2-3/4-inch circles. Reserve any leftover dough for other uses,
refrigerating for up to 3 days, or freezing up to 1 month.Press a 4-inch
circle of dough into a 2-3/4 x 2-inch cup of a muffin tin, pressing
dough up sides and overlapping rim slightly. Repeat with remaining large
circles and cups, filling a total of 12 cups.

Fill each pastry-lined cup with a scant 1/4 cup filling. Brush edges of
smaller circles with egg. Top pie bottoms with smaller circles; pinch
pastry edges together to seal. Decoratively pierce tops (Or cut smaller
circles into strips for a lattice top.) Bake in 425 degree F oven for 15
mins or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Remove pies to wire
rack to cool. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired. Makes 12 pie cups.

Halloween Recipes

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Usually ants, beetles, and other creepy crawlies are not welcome in the kitchen. But that’s not the case with these fun snacks. Grab the kids and eat some bugs!

Note: Where peanut butter is used in these recipes for “gluing” edible body parts together, frostings may be used as a substitution for those children who are sensitive to or allergic to nuts.

Ants in the Sand

graham crackers, crushed
chocolate sprinkles
snack sized resealable plastic bags

To crush graham crackers, place inside a large (gallon size) resealable plastic bag. Using a rolling pin, smash crackers through bag by rolling back and forth over them until they are all in crumb form.

Fill snack sized resealable bags halfway with graham cracker crumbs. Add a small handful of chocolate sprinkles to the bags and seal.

Bugs on a Log

celery stalks
peanut butter
raisins

Spread peanut butter onto washed and drained celery stalks. Top with raisins. For children who are allergic to peanuts, try using cream cheese or processed cheese spread in place of the peanut butter.

Cookie Spiders

black or chocolate licorice twists
fudge sandwich cookies
chocolate frosting
red cinnamon candies

Cut licorice in half. Remove the top of each sandwich cookie; press 8 licorice pieces into the fudge center to resemble spider legs. Spread a little chocolate frosting over the licorice; replace cookie tops. Frost the tops of the spider cookies with frosting. Place red cinnamon candies on top for eyes.

Muenster Beetles

crunchy chow mein noodles
muenster cheese (or other soft block cheese)

Cut cheese into 2″ x 1″ rectangular blocks. Gently insert three chow mein noodles on each side of cheese block for legs. Using two broken chow mein noodles, insert into “head” as antennae.

Note: Cheddar makes a bright and colorful beetle, but can be very frustrating for little fingers as the cheese is a bit too hard to press the noodles into without breaking. Use softer cheese such as gouda, havarti, monterey jack, or even mozerella.

Peanut Butter Caterpillars

bananas
peanut butter
grapes
chow mein noodles

Peel and slice a banana. Join the slices together by “gluing” them with peanut butter. Carefully poke two chow mein noodles (or break a pretzel stick in half to make two pieces) through the top of the grape. Use more peanut butter to attach the head (grape) to the front of the body, with antennae (chow mein noodles) pointing up.

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Here’s a fun Halloween project for the whole family. Use your imagination to decorate this house any way that you desire. Watch out for ghouls and goblins, they may just devour your masterpiece early!

You will need:
2 containers (16 ounce) chocolate fudge frosting*
2 empty 1 qt. milk cartons, rinsed and dried
1 large tray covered with foil.
*You can use a thick homemade frosting instead.

Decorations:
pretzel sticks
graham crackers
black licorice and red twists
candy corn
M&Ms
Foil wrapped Halloween Candy
rice crackers
Orange Sprinkles
Colored icing for writing or decorating

Tape each milk carton closed at top. Tape milk cartons together to make a house. Wrap with foil. Attach firmly to the covered tray with tape. Frost cartons with chocolate frosting. Frost the tray also to use as the lawn. Decorate with the assorted treats!

Some ideas

*Sprinkle orange sugar on the roof of the house.
*Rice crackers make neat “attic” windows.
*graham crackers for windows and doors-highlight with icing.
*pretzel stick window panes
*M&M “pathway stones” leading to the door.
*Candy corn “icicles” under the roof

After you have the house and pathway finished add details to the lawn area. Foil wrapped candy is great because you buy little mummies, ghosts or pumpkins and place them on the pathway and around the house. Buy from the bulk section of your grocery store to get a really good selection without having to buy a lot of one type of candy. After all the oohs and ahs have subsided and Halloween is over, let the kids pick off all the candy while they discuss what to do for next year’s Haunted House Spectacular!

more Halloween Recipes

1 cup bouillon or water
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
1 teaspoon apple pie spice or dessert spice blend
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons brown sugar, or sweetener to taste (optional)
4 tart apples, cored and cut in bite-size pieces
2 pears, cored and cut in bite-size pieces
2 cups fresh or frozen peaches, cut in bite size pieces
1 cup fresh or canned pineapple, bite-size
1/2 cup dried cherries, cranberries or raisins
cooked barley or other whole grains (optional)

Combine the bouillon, curry powder, dessert blend, ginger and brown sugar in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer about 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Add the fruits, cover and simmer until the fruits are soft and a little syrupy, about 20 minutes. Serve over whole grains or mix into the grains if desired.

6-8 servings

Pastry for 9 inch double crust pie
3/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
6 c. peeled, sliced tart apples
1/2 c. seedless raisins
2 tbsp. orange juice
3 tbsp. butter

Powdered Sugar Frosting
Divide pastry into 2 parts; roll one part into a circle and line 9 inch
piepan. Combine sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon. Mix with apples and
raisins;
place in piepan. Sprinkle with orange juice and dot with butter. Cover with
crust, seal edges, and bake at 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Reduce
heat to 350
degrees F. and bake 40 minutes longer. Remove pie from oven and spread
Powdered Sugar Frosting over hot pie. Yield: 6 servings.

POWDERED SUGAR FROSTING:
1 c. powdered sugar
3 tbsp. strained orange juice
1 tsp. grated orange rind
Combine sugar, juice, and rind; spread over hot pie.

Cut a small raw potato in half crosswise. Using a pen or marker, sketch out the design of your stamp. Remember — everything will be reversed, so if you’re using letters (like R.I.P., for instance) make sure you sketch them out backwards so that they’ll come out the right way.
With a very sharp knife, cut around the letters or picture — leaving the part you want to show raised, the rest cut away and discarded. You may have to practice on a couple of potatoes until you get the hang of it — fortunately potatoes are cheap. While this is a great effect for gravestone cookies, you can also do this with other holiday designs at other times of the year.