Chocolate Skeleton Cookies
Ingredients:
– 1 cup butter, softened
– 1 cup sugar
– ½ cup packed brown sugar
-1 egg
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 2-3/4 cups all purpose flour
– ½ cup baking cocoa
-1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1- ½ cups confectioners sugar
– 2 tablespoons 2% milk
Directions:
– The first step to baking these wonderful cookies is to get a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Next, beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa and baking soda. After combining, mix the dry ingredients into the first mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until it’s easy to handle.- Then after the mixture has been refrigerated for at least an hour, roll the dough to ⅛ inch thick. Cut the dough with a 3 inch gingerbread boy cookie cutter. Place them on a greased baking sheet.
– Bake the cookies at 375 degrees and for 7-8 minutes.
– For the icing used to draw the bones on the cookies: mix in a small bowl the confectioners sugar and milk until smooth. Cut a hole into a resealable bag and fill it with the icing mixture.
Now if you are not a fan of sugar and do not want to spend so much time making one single cookie, here is another recipe that is fast and easy.
Striped Chocolate Popcorn
Ingredients:
– 12 cups popped popcorn
– 2 cups miniature pretzels
– 1 cup pecan halves, toasted
– ¼ cup butter, melted
– 4 ounces white candy coating, coarsely chopped
– 2 ounces milk chocolate candy coating, coarsely chopped
Directions:
– Combine in a large bowl the popcorn, pretzels and pecans.
– Melt the white candy coating for 1 minute at 70 percent power in the microwave, then stir. Microwave at 10 to 20 second intervals and stir it until smooth. Then drizzle over the popcorn mixture.
– Mix the milk chocolate coating and stir it until smooth, then drizzle this mixture over the popcorn and let it cool until the chocolate is set.
If cookies and a bunch of sweets are not something you enjoy, try this next recipe.
Ham n’ Cheese Spiders
Ingredients:
– 1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated flaky buttermilk biscuits, separated into 10 biscuits
– 1 tube (11 ounces) refrigerated breadsticks, separated into 12 breadsticks.
– 1 cup chopped fully cooked ham
– 2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
– 2 tablespoons butter, softened
– 1- ½ teaspoons prepared mustard
– 5 slices process American cheese
– 1 egg yolk
– 1 teaspoon water
– 2 tablespoon sliced ripe olives
1 tablespoon diced pimientos
– 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Directions:
– To assemble the body of the spider, pat 5 biscuits into 3-1/2 inch circles and place them on a greased baking sheet. Cut each breadstick in half lengthwise then in half widthwise. Repeat this process nine times. After cutting, place the strips around each biscuit to assemble spider legs, twist and press into the sheet. To keep the legs from falling over, put a ½ inch foil ball under each strip.
– To fill the inside of the spider, combine the ham, onion, butter and mustard, spoon 3 tablespoons onto each biscuit center. Then fold the cheese slices into quarters and place over the ham mixture. Pinch the edges to seal it.
– Finally in a small bowl beat the egg yolk. Brush this over the biscuits and bread sticks.
– To put on the final touch, place two olive slices for eyes, and the pimientos in the center of the olives. Sprinkle with the poppy seeds. Bake at 375 degrees for 15- 20 minutes or until brown.
If the food and dessert recipes are too much for you then just relax on Halloween and enjoy a delicious apple cider drink.
Apricot-Apple Cider
Ingredients:
– 8 cups unsweetened apple juice
– 1 can ginger ale
– ½ cup dried apricots, halved
– ½ cup dried cranberries
– 2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)
– 1 tablespoon whole allspice
– 1 tablespoon whole cloves
Directions:
– Combine apple juice and ginger ale in a 5-qt, slow cooker. Place the apricots, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, allspice and cloves on a double thickness of cheesecloth. Bring up the corners of the cloth and tie it with a string to form a bag. Place in cooker.
– Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or until heated through. Discard the spice bag.
If these recipes don’t suit your particular appetite, or you are looking for more amazing ideas for your Halloween gathering or enjoyment, you will find more recipes for halloween at www.tasteofhome.com.
