Trick-or-Treat Bars

Trick-or-Treat Bars

Makes: 24 bars

Cooking Time: 25 min

Ingredients

• ¹/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 ¹/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup (6 ounces) peanut butter chips
• ¹/2 cup candy corn

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
   
2. Place butter in a 9- x 13-inch baking dish and place in oven just until butter melts.
   
3. Remove dish from oven and distribute melted butter evenly over bottom. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly over melted butter; pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Top with chocolate chips and peanut butter chips; press down firmly.
   
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle with candy corn and gently press candies into uncut bars. Cool then cut into bars.
   

Halloween Eye of Newt

Halloween Eye of Newt

INGREDIENTS:

12 eggs 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 1 pinch celery salt

1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard 2 drops green food coloring, or as needed 1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Place all of the eggs into a large pot so they can rest on the bottom in a single layer. Fill with just enough cold water to cover the eggs. Bring to a boil, then cover, remove from the heat and let stand for about 15 minutes. Rinse under cold water or add some ice to the water and let the eggs cool completely. Peel and slice in half lengthwise.
2.	Remove the yolks from the eggs and place them in a bowl. Mix in the relish, mayonnaise, celery salt, mustard, and food coloring. Spoon this filling into the egg whites and place them on a serving tray. Round the top of the filling using the spoon. Place an olive slice on each yolk to create the center of the eye. Dab a tiny bit of mayonnaise in the center of the olive as a finishing touch.

Creamy Pumpkin Mousse

Creamy Pumpkin Mousse

Serves: 10

Preparation Time: 5 min

Ingredients

• 1 (15-ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
• 1 (6-serving) package instant sugar-free vanilla pudding mix
• ¹/4 cup low-fat (1%) milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups frozen light whipped topping, thawed

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, with an electric beater on medium speed, beat pumpkin, pudding mix, milk, and cinnamon until well blended.
   
2. Fold in whipped topping until thoroughly blended then spoon into a serving bowl or individual dessert glasses. Cover loosely and chill until ready to serve

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes (Like IHOP)

2 eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
3 Tablespoons canned pumpkin
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice

Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with oil cooking spray.

Combine eggs, buttermilk, butter, pumpkin, sugar & salt in a large
bowl. Use an electric mixer to blend ingredients.

Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Add dry ingredients to
wet ingredients & blend with mixer until smooth.

Pour the batter in 1/4 c portions into the hot pan. Should form 5-
inch circles.

When the batter stops bubbling & edges begin to harden, flip the
pancakes. They should be dark brown. This will take from 1 to 2
minutes.

Flip the pancakes & cook other side for the same amount of time,
until dark brown.

Serves 3 to 4.

Strawberry Ghosts

Strawberry Ghosts

30 Servings

Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients

• 30 fresh strawberries
• 8 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon shortening
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• Wash strawberries and gently pat with paper towels until completely dry. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate and shortening at 50% power; stir until smooth. Stir in extract.
• Dip each strawberry in chocolate mixture; place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet, allowing excess chocolate to form the ghosts' tails. Immediately press chocolate chips into coating for eyes. Freeze for 5 minutes.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt remaining chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Dip a toothpick into melted chocolate and draw a mouth on each face.
• Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

Crescent Mummy Dogs

Crescent Mummy Dogs

INGREDIENTS:

1 (8 ounce) can Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet 2 1/2 slices American cheese slices,

quartered 10 large hot dogs Cooking spray Mustard or ketchup, if desired

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2.	Crescent Rolls: Unroll dough; separate at perforations creating 4 rectangles; press perforations to seal. Recipe Creations: Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles.
3.	With knife or kitchen scissors, cut each rectangle lengthwise into 10 pieces, making a total of 40 pieces of dough. Slice cheese slices into quarters (1/2 slice cheese, cut in half).
4.	Pat hot dogs dry. Wrap 4 pieces of dough around each hot dog and 1/4 slice of cheese to look like "bandages," stretching dough slightly to completely cover hot dog. About 1/2 inch from one end of each hot dog, separate "bandages" so hot dog shows through for "face." On ungreased large cookie sheet, place wrapped hot dogs (cheese side down); spray dough lightly with cooking spray.
5.	Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until dough is light golden brown and hot dogs are hot. With mustard, draw features on 'face.'

Chicken with Biscuits

Chicken with Biscuits

Filling:

1 1/2 cups of cooked chicken meat, diced (Use leftover meat from a roasted chicken)
1 tsp olive oil
6 oz of cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed
4-5 small red or yellow baby potatoes
4 1/2 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of milk (I used 1%)
6 tbsp flour
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray. In a small pot of water, boil potatoes for 5-7 minutes, remove from heat, drain and cool. Once cool, dice into small chunks. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes or until slightly tender; add garlic and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 45 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside. In a small bowl combine flour and milk, stirring with a whisk until thoroughly mixed (no lumps). Place chicken stock in a large pot over high heat, once boiling, slowly add the milk and flour mixture while whisking. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes or until thickened. Add sauteed vegetables, corn, peas, potatoes, and chicken to the mixture and stir; season with salt and pepper.

Biscuits:

2 cups of flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup of milk (I used 1%)
2 tbsp butter, melted

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and garlic powder until mixed thoroughly. Stir in milk and butter just until flour mixture is moistened. Makes 16 biscuits.
Pour the filling into the prepared baking dish and drop biscuit topping onto mixture to form 16 small biscuits. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

From For the Love of Cooking Blog

Ravioli With Fontina and Walnut Sauce

Ravioli With Fontina and Walnut Sauce

Serves 4

Hands-on Time: 25m

Total Time: 25m

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 16 to 18 ounces fresh or frozen cheese ravioli
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated fontina
• 1/4 cup mascarpone
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until fragrant and toasted, 6 to 8 minutes; coarsely chop.

2. Meanwhile, cook the ravioli according to the package directions, drain, and return them to the pot.

3. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Add the fontina and mascarpone and cook, whisking vigorously, until melted and smooth.

4. Gently mix the ravioli with the cream mixture, walnuts, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle with the chives before serving.

Crepes with Spinach, Bacon and Mushroom Filling

Crepes with Spinach, Bacon and Mushroom Filling

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe Basic Crepes 6 slices bacon 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup milk 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped

spinach, thawed and drained 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste 2/3 cup chicken broth 2 eggs 1/2 cup lemon juice salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Prepare Basic Crepes recipe according to recipe directions. Separate with wax paper and keep warm until ready to serve.
2.	Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. Reserve about 1 tablespoon drippings, add 1 tablespoon butter, and saute mushrooms.
3.	In a separate saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in 1/4 cup flour, stirring constantly, until a smooth paste is formed. Gradually stir in 1 cup milk, stirring constantly until a smooth thick gravy is formed. Add bacon, mushrooms, spinach, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Let cook until somewhat thick, about 10 minutes.
4.	In saucepan bring broth to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and lemon juice. Temper eggs and broth together whisking constantly so as to cook, but not to scramble the eggs. (Cooking eggs to 170 degrees F). Again, salt and pepper to taste. Basic Crepes INGREDIENTS: 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup water 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons butter, melted DIRECTIONS: 1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth. 2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly. 3. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.
5.	Fill each crepe with spinach and meat filling, roll up, and top with warm egg sauce.

GARLIC CREAM SAUCE

4 SERVINGS 20 cloves, garlic - peeled 1 shallot - peeled and quartered 1 1/4 cups, heavy cream [possibly more, as needed] herb springs [optional - see introductory note] salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, place the garlic cloves, quartered shallot and cream. Bring the cream barely to a simmer, then cover the pan and cook as slowly as possible until the garlic and shallot pieces are very soft - about 1 to 2 hours. Transfer the mixture to a blender, and puree, adding more cream as needed. Set aside until serving time. To serve: reheat the garlic mixture over very low heat [do not allow the mixture to boil] adding more cream if the mixture seems too thick. Season lightly with salt and pepper. COOK’S NOTE: If adding an herb is desired, either add the herb during the last half hour of cooking (before pureeing the mixture) or add it when reheating the sauce before serving. When the flavor has infused the sauce sufficiently, remove or strain away the herb sprigs.

Witches Brew

Witches Brew

Ingredients:

1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries , thawed 2 1/2 cups cranberry juice 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

2 liters ginger ale 2 liters sparkling apple cider (non -alcoholic) 6 gummi snakes candy

Directions:

1.	To make the frozen hand: Wash and rinse the outside of a rubber glove. Turn glove inside out and set aside. In a 4 cup measuring cup, combine the thawed raspberries and cranberry juice.
2.	Pour 2 cups of the raspberry mixture into a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over and let stand 2 minutes. Warm over low heat, stirring constantly, just until gelatin dissolves. Mix back into the reserved raspberry mixture in the measuring cup.
3.	Pour raspberry mixture into the inverted glove. Gather up the top of the glove and tie securely with kitchen twine. Freeze until solid, or several days if possible.
4.	To serve: Carefully cut glove away from frozen hand. Place frozen hand, palm side up, leaning against side of a large punch bowl. Pour in ginger ale and sparkling cider. Garnish with gummy snakes.

Greek-alicious Pasta Salad

Greek-alicious Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups bow tie (farfalle) pasta 1 cup Greek salad dressing(Ken’s is good) 2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise 4 radishes, finely chopped

1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the bow tie pasta and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
2.	Place the Greek dressing and mayonnaise into a large salad bowl, and whisk together until smooth and well blended. Add the cooked pasta, and stir lightly to coat the pasta. Sprinkle on the radishes, cucumber, garbanzo beans, and crumbled feta cheese, and fold in gently.
3.	Cover the salad and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Spooky Witches Fingers

Spooky Witches Fingers

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened 1 cup confectioners' sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup whole almonds 1 (.75 ounce) tube red decorating gel

Directions:

1.	Combine the butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer; gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt, continually beating; refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.
2.	Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
3.	Remove dough from refrigerator in small amounts. Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon at a time onto a piece of waxed paper. Use the waxed paper to roll the dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie. Press one almond into one end of each cookie to give the appearance of a long fingernail. Squeeze cookie near the tip and again near the center of each to give the impression of knuckles. You can also cut into the dough with a sharp knife at the same points to help give a more finger-like appearance. Arrange the shaped cookies on the baking sheets.
4.	Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are slightly golden in color, 20 to 25 minutes.
5.	Remove the almond from the end of each cookie; squeeze a small amount of red decorating gel into the cavity; replace the almond to cause the gel to ooze out around the tip of the cookie.

Cheese Puffs

Cheese Puffs

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup Gruyère cheese, shredded

Yields: 24-30 puffs

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400ºF

In a medium saucepot over medium-high heat, combine water, butter and salt. Heat until butter has melted and water is boiling.

Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Stir until mixture begins to create a dough ball in the center of the pot and the dough is completely pulling away from the sides of the pan, about 2 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. On low speed, add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl well after each addition and beating until the bowl feels cool (the mixture should be very smooth and silky). Add in the cheese after the last addition of the eggs.

Transfer the mixture to a plastic food storage bag and cut half an inch off of one corner to create a pastry bag. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, squeeze the mixture into small rounds and bake until golden brown and puffed, about 25 minutes.

The pastries can be made a day or two ahead of time and kept in an airtight container at room temperature. If they feel soggy when you take them out, pop them into a 400ºF oven for a couple of minutes until they crisp up again.

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray