Halloween Goodies

Every year I make a scary dinner for the kids and do a lot of spooky snacks to go along with it.  This year I came up with some really great dishes by searching online and using some recipes I had on hand.  It is definitely fun trying out new things.  The kids get a kick out of it and it actually tastes good.  Here are some of the goodies I made and where I found them.

Do a search and you will find lots of great ideas.  There is one with green fingers that looks awesome.  Of course I saw that AFTER I made these.  Witch fingers should probably be thinner, but I liked the fat monster fingers.  Green would have looked even better, I think.  Make your favorite sugar cookie recipe.  I used this one:

MONSTER FINGERS  

1 C butter, softened

1 C powdered sugar

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 2/3 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 C whole blanched almonds

raspberry jelly (I used strawberry jam)

In bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond and vanilla extract.  Stir dry ingredients together, then add to wet and stir thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Working with one quarter of the dough at a time and keeping the remainder refrigerated, roll 1 oz dough into a thin log shape about 4 inches.  I used a 1 oz cookie scoop.  Squeeze closest to center and close to one end to create knuckle shapes.  Press almond firmly into the end of the cookie for the nail.  Using a paring knife, make slashes in several places to form knuckle. 

Place on lightly greased baking sheet or parchment paper and bake for 20-25 minutes in a 325 degree oven.  Meanwhile, melt jelly/jam in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.

Lift almond off of each finger and spoon a little jam onto the nail bed.  Replace almond, allowing the jelly to ooze out.  You can also put the jelly on the knuckles and ends, but we had a lot of small children, so I didn't want to go to crazy.

I served mine on this bone platter and labeled them MONSTER FINGERS.  I love labels.

I love food blogs!  I love it when they search and find lots of great ideas like these ghosts on a cracker and I can just pick what I like off of it!  These are just round crackers, cream cheese and raisins cut in half.  That is it.  Super cute, right?  I got these and the candy corn pudding recipe to follow from tiffanybodily.blogspot.com.

Are these not the cutest?  She actually had them in martini glasses so they looked more triangular, but for the kids this was perfect...and I already had the glasses on hand.  Butterscotch pudding on the bottom, followed by vanilla (with a little yellow food coloring), then whipped topping and some candy corn.

So easy and I made them a day ahead!

To me it isn't Halloween unless I make popcorn balls.  When I was a kid and we would go to my grandma's house to show off our costumes and "trick-or-treat" at the door she always had popcorn balls ready for every grandchild.

These are easy to make.  I actually don't like hard as a rock popcorn balls, so I make them more like rice crispy treats.  Melt two tablespoons of butter in the microwave.  Coat 4 cups of marshmallows with the melted butter and heat for 1 1/2 minutes.  Add orange food coloring to the marshmallow...or color of your choice.  Add to 1 bag of popped popcorn.  Grease your hands and make your popcorn balls.

Candy Corn is great Rotten Teeth!

Roasted pumpkin seeds are great Dried Fingernails.

This Spider Web Dip is awesome!!!!  It came out of a Halloween book I purchased years ago.  Here are the ingredients:

SPIDER WEB DIP
Tortilla chips (you can make chips in cool shapes, but I just bought a bag)
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 jar (8 ounces) prepared salsa
1/2 cup prepared guacamole
sour cream (about 2 tablespoons)

Place cream cheese and salsa in blender or food processor container; blend until almost smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture on round serving dish or pie plate; smooth guacamole over top, leaving 1/2 inch border.  Place sour cream resealable plastic food storage bag.  Cut a tiny corner and pipe several circles and then run the tip of a knife through to make the web.

This mummy meatloaf was the main dish for dinner.   I saw it online and LOVED the idea.  You can always find snacks that are different each year, but the main course gets difficult (for me anyway).  I got this recipe from  www.gourmetmomonthego.com and wanted to make it immediately!  You can find the "Not Your Mummy's Meatloaf" on her site.  

I served it with roasted butternut squash and corn.  The kids gobbled it up, and so did the adults!  I used my favorite meatloaf recipe and added her finishing touches to it.  You can use her's or your favorite.  It is definitely a fun dish for Halloween!

 And what did I serve for breakfast?  Why pumpkin pancakes of course!  The recipe is on my blog.  I just shaped them like pumpkins this time around....or at least I tried to.  :)

My boys loved these!

Here is our group of kids ready for trick or treating after a scary dinner and some spooky treats!