Cheesenstein

Cheesenstein
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3 green onions
2 cartons (4 oz. each) whipped cream cheese
Moss-green paste food coloring
1 can (4-1/4 oz.) chopped ripe olives, drained
2 pepperoncinis
2 slices peeled parsnip
3 colossal ripe olives
Black decorating gel
1 pretzel rod
1 small cucumber
Assorted fresh vegetables
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In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce and pepper sauce until smooth. Stir in the cheddar cheese, bacon and onions. Shape into a 5-in. x 4-in. x 3-in. rectangle; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled.

Unwrap rectangle, place on a serving platter with a 3-in side on top. Tint whipped cream cheese green; spread over top and sides of rectangle.

Add chopped ripe olives for hair and pepperoncinis for ears. Cut one colossal olive in half; add parsnip slices and olive halves for eyes. With black decorating gel, pipe the brow, mouth and stitches.

Break pretzel rod in half; add a colossal olive to each end. Press into sides of head for bolts. Cut a small piece from end of cucumber for a nose. Serve with vegetables.

*Look for pepperoncinis (pickled peppers) in the pickle and olive section of your grocery store.

Halloween Cupcakes

Mummy Cupcakes
Cupcakes of your choice
1 can (16 oz.) chocolate frosting
Pastry tip--basket weave tip #46
1 can (16 oz.) vanilla frosting
Blue and black decorating gel
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Frost cupcakes with chocolate frosting. For noses, drop a small mound of chocolate frosting in the center of each cupcake.

Insert tip #46 into a pastry bag; fill with vanilla frosting. Pipe long bands across each cupcake, leaving small gaps for the eyes and mouths.

With blue gel, pipe eyes. Add pupils with black gel.

Batty Bats
Cupcakes of your choice
1 can (16 oz.) vanilla frosting
Blue paste food coloring
Gum balls
Sticks Winterfresh gum
Fudge-striped cookies
1 can (16 oz.) chocolate frosting
Pastry tip--round tip #3
Candy corn
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Tint vanilla frosting bright blue; frost cupcakes.

Add gum ball eyes. Using clean scissors or a small sharp knife, cut sticks of gum into eyebrow shapes. Pint the tops to curve if desired; insert above eyes.

For bat wings, with a small serated knife, cut cookies in half. (Use a gentle sawing motion for best results.) Add scalloped edges if desired. Insert two cookie halves into each cupcake.

Using chocolate frosting and #3 tip, pipe pupils on eyes. For fangs, cut the white part from the candy corn. Add two white fangs under each mouth; press down gently.

Mini Spider Bites
Miniature cupcakes of your choice
1 can (16 oz.) chocolate frosting
M&M's miniature baking bits
Chocolate sprinkles
Pastry tip--round tip #7
1 can (16 oz.) vanilla frosting
Shoestring black licorice
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Generously frost cupcakes with chocolate frosting; add M&M's for noses. Top with chocolate sprinkles.

Insert tip #7 into pasty bag; fill with vanilla frosting and pipe spider's eyes. Add M&M's for pupils. Cut black licorice into 2-in. pieces; attach eight legs to each cupcake.

Mousse-filled Withce's Hats

I made these last year, but instead I made up the family favorite, Chocolate pudding. It was the hardest thing to make last year because I couldn't find the right cones or cookies. But they still were the hit of the party. You can see pictures from last year HERE.
Mousse-Filled Witches' Hats
1-3/4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
1 cup milk chocolate chips
4 squares (1 oz. each) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 tsp. shortening
1 pkg. (4-3/4 oz.) chocolate ice cream sugar cones
Halloween sprinkles
12 thin chocolate waters (2-1/4 in. diameter)
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In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup cream to a boil; remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Transfer to a bowl; cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. In a small mixing bowl, beat remaining cream until stiff peaks form; fold into chocolate mixture. Cover; chill.
in a microwave-safe bowl, melt semisweet chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip pointed tips of ice cream cones a third of the way into melter chocolate; roll in sprinkles. Refrigerate until set. Just before serving, spoon mousse into cones. Top each with a chocolate wafer. Invert onto a serving platter.

Spiderweb Cheesecake

Spiderweb Cheesecake
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 chocolate crumb crust(8 or 9 inches)
2 tbs. semisweet chocolate chips
1 tbs. butter
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In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand for 1 minute. Heat gelatin; stir until dissolved. Remove form the heat; cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Gradually beat in cream, vanilla and gelatin mixture until smooth. Pour into crust.
In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and butter; stir until smooth. Transfer to a heavy-duty resealable bag; cut a small hole in a corner of bag. Pipe a circle of chocolate in center of cheesecake. Pipe evenly spaced thin concentric circles around 1/2 in. apart over filling. Beginning with the center circle, gently pull a toothpick through circles toward outer edge. Wipe toothpick clean. Repeat to complete web pattern. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting.

Ghastly Pear Ghosts

Ghastly Pear Ghosts
9 medium ripe Bosc pears
9 Popsicle sticks
2 pkg. (14 oz. each) caramels
1/4 cup water
2 lbs. white candy coating disks
2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. shortening, divided
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup orange candy coating disks
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Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and grease the paper; set aside. Wash and thoroughly dry pears; insert a Popsicle stick into the top of each.

In a microwave, melt caramels and water; stir until smooth. Dip each pear into caramel mixture; turn to coat. Place on prepared pan; let stand until set.

In another bowl, melt white candy coating and 2 tablespoons shortening at 70% power for 1 minutes; stir. Microwave at additional 10 to 20 second intervals, stirring until smooth. Dip pears into coating; allow excess to drip off. Return to pan; let stand until set.

In another bowl, melt chocolate chips and 1 tsp. shortening; stir until smooth. Repeat with orange candy coating and 1 tsp. shortening. Decorate ghost faces; let stand until set.

Jack-o'Lantern Cream Puffs

Jack-o'-Lantern Cream Puffs
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 Tbs. sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
FILLING:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 Tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup whipped topping
FROSTING:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. butter, softened
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 to 2 teaspoons milk
Green and orange food coloring
1 Tbs. baking cocoa
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In a small saucepan, bring the water, butter and sugar to a boil. Combine flour and pie spice; add to water mixture all at once and stir until smooth ball forms. Remove form the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny.

Drop 12 rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack. Immediately split puffs open; remove tops and set aside. Discard soft dough from inside. Cool puffs.

For filling, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar and pie spice until smooth. Pipe into cream puffs. Top each with 1 tablespoon whipped topping; replace tops.

For frosting, in a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Tint 1 tablespoon frosting green and 2 teaspoons orange; set aside. Stir cocoa into the remaining frosting. Pipe jack-o'-lantern faces with orange and chocolate frosting. Pipe stems with green frosting.

Fried Bolts

Fried Bolts
16 medium fresh mushrooms
2 small zucchini
2 eggs
2 Tbs. water
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
Oil for frying
Sweet-and-Sour sauce, optional
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Remove stems from mushrooms. Cut a thin layer from the top of mushroom caps; cut mushroom edges, forming a hexagon shape. Cut zucchini lengthwise into quarters, then into 2-in. pieces. Trim one end to fit into mushroom caps.

Insert a toothpick through the top of the mushroom into the zucchini, leaving about 1 in. of toothpick to use as a handle for dipping.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs and water. In another bowl, beat the eggs and water. In another bowl, combine the flour, chili powder, salt, sugar, garlic powder, cayenne and cumin. Dip the zucchini-mushroom bolts in the egg mixture, then coat with flour mixture.

In an electric skillet, heat 1 in of oil to 375°. Fry bolts in batches for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with sweet-and-sour sauce if desired.

Candy Corn Cheese Spread

Candy Corn Cheese Spread
3/4 cup finely crushed yellow tortilla chips
2 tbs. butter, melted
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
4 tbs. sour cream, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 tsp. chili powder, divided
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Mexican cheese blend
Assorted crackers
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Press parchment paper onto the bottom of a 1-qt. round baking dish. In a bowl, combine crushed chips and butter; press into prepared dish. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, 2 tbs. sour cream, egg, garlic, 1/4 tsp. chili powder and cumin. Stir in the chillies and cheese blend. Spoon evenly over warm crust.

Bake at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a thermometer inserted near the center reads 160°. Let stand for 10 minutes; run a knife around the edge and invert onto a serving platter. Carefully remove parchment paper.

Place remaining sour cream in a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; cut a small hole in a corner of bag. Pipe a large candy corn shape; sprinkle with remaining chili powder. Serve with crackers.

Marshmallow Witches

Marshmallow Witches
1/2 cup vanilla frosting, divided
36 miniature semisweet chocolate chips
12 large marshmallows
1 drop each green, red and yellow food coloring
1/4 cup flaked coconut
12 chocolate wafers
12 miniature peanut butter cups
12 milk chocolate kisses
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For the face of each witch, place a dab of frosting on the bottom of three chocolate chips; press two for eyes and one for nose on each marshmallow.
For hair, combine green food coloring and a drop of water in a small resealable plastic bag; add coconut and shake well. Spread a small amount of frosting on sides of marshmallows; press coconut hair into frosting. Place 3 tablespoons of frosting in a small heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; tint orange with red and yellow food coloring. Set aside.
For hats, spread some of the remaining frosting in the center of chocolate wafers; press peanut butter cups upside down into frosting. Lightly spread bottoms of chocolate kisses with frosting; place on peanut butter cups.
Cut a small hole in the corner of plastic bag; insert a small star tip. Fill the bag with reserved orange frosting and pipe stars around the base of each peanut butter cup. Secure a hat to each witch with a dab of frosting.

Hosts of Ghosts

Ghosts of Hosts
10 chocolate cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
1 pkg. (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
6 oz. white candy coating, chopped
1 tsp. shortening
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In a food processor, cover and process cookies until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Cut cream cheese into three pieces; add to food processor. Cover and process until mixture forms a soft dough.
Using 2 teaspoons dough for each, form 26 ghost shapes. Place on a waxed paper covered baking sheet.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt candy coating and shortening; stir until smooth. Slowly spoon over each ghost shape to cover. Use a toothpick to create eyes. Store in the refrigerator.