Chocolate Skeleton Cookies

Chocolate Skeleton Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
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In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. gingerbread boy cookie cutter. Place on greased baking sheets.

Bake at 375° for 7-8 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For icing, in a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Cut a small hole in the corner of a resealable plastic bag; fill with icing. Pipe skeleton bones on cookies.

Halloween Layered Fudge

Halloween Layered Fudge
1 teaspoon butter
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk, divided
8 oz. white candy coating
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
2 to 4 drops orange paste food coloring
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Line an 8-in. square pan with foil; butter foil and set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate chips and 1 cup milk on high for 30 seconds; stir. Repeat until mixture is smooth. Pour into prepared pan. Chill for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt candy coating with remaining milk. Stir in extract and food coloring. Spread over chocolate layer. Chill for 1 hour or until firm. Using foil, remove fudge from pan. Cut into 1-in. squares.

Shattered Crystal Ball

Shattered Crystal Ball
2 pkg. (3 oz. each) lime gelatin
6 cups boiling water, divided
2 pkg. ( 3 oz. each) orange gelatin
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup cold water
1-1/2 cups white grape juice
1 carton (12 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
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In a bowl, dissolve the lime gelatin in 3 cups boiling water. Pour into an 8-in. square dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. In another bowl, dissolve orange gelatin in remaining boiling water. Pour into another 8-in. square dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until very firm.

In a small saucepan, sprinkle unflavored gelatin over cold water; let stand for 1 minute. Add grape juice. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour into a large bowl; refrigerate for 45 minutes or until slightly thickened. Fold in whipped topping.

Cut green gelatin into 1/2-in. cubes and orange gelatin into 1-in. cubes. Set aside 8-10 cutes of each color for garnish. Place 2 cups whipped topping mixture in a bowl; fold in remaining green cubes. Spread into a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Fold remaining orange cues into remaining whipped topping mixture; spread over bottom layer. Sprinkle with reserved green and orange gelatin cubes. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Cut into squares.

Strawberry Ghosts

Strawberry Ghosts
30 fresh strawberries
8 oz. white baking chocolate, chopped
1 tsp. shortening
1/8 tsp. almond extract
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
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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 strawberries 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.

Mummies on a Stick

Mummies on a Stick
1 pkg. (11 oz.) refrigerated bread sticks
10 Popsicle sticks
10 hot dogs
prepared mustard
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Separate dough; roll 10 pieces into a 24-inch rope. Insert sticks into hot dogs. Starting at the stick end, wrap one dough rope around each hot dog, leaving 2 in. of the hot dog uncovered at the top of the mummy head.

Place mummies 1 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Place remaining bread sticks on another baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes. Add dots of mustard for eyes. Save leftover bread sticks for another use.

Peter Pumpkin Cheese Puffs

Peter Pumpkin Cheese Puffs
2 Tbs. cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 drops yellow paste food coloring
1 drop red paste food coloring
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
2 eggs
20 sprigs fresh Italian parsley, stems removed
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In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and vinegar. Cover and refrigerate. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter and salt to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the yellow and red food coloring; stir cheese and food coloring into dough. add eggs, one at a time; beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny.

Drop by level tablespoonfuls 3 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Using a star tip and reserved cream cheese mixture mixture, pipe the stems onto puffs. Add parley sprigs. Refrigerate leftovers.

Halloween Tuna Cheese Melts

Halloween Tuna Cheese Melts
8 slices light rye bread
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 can (6 oz.) tuna, drained
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
4 slices process American cheese
2 thin slice green pepper
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With a 2-in. pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter, cut a pumpkin form the center of four slices of bread. Butter one side of bread; place buttered side up on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 5-8 minutes or until lightly browned.

Butter one side of remaining solid slices of bread. In a bowl, combine the tuna, sour cream, mayonnaise and garlic salt. Spread over unbuttered side of solid bread; top with cheese. Place on a baking sheet.

Place cutout bread slices over cheese; press down gently. Cut green pepper into small pieces; place on cheese for pumpkin stems. Bake 5-8 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons canola oil
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In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the milk, pumpkin, egg white and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot griddle coated with cooking spray; turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until second side is golden brown.

Slime-filled cupcakes

Slime-Filled Cupcakes
1 pkg. (18-1/4 oz.) chocolate cake mix
FILLING:
1/4 cup shortening
3 Tbs. butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 Tbs. milk
8 drops green food coloring, optional
FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
2 Tbs. milk
GLAZE:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 Tbs. milk
6 drops food coloring
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Prepare cake mix batter according to package directions; fill 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 375° for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For filling, cream the shortening, butter, confectioners' sugar, milk and food coloring until light and fluffy. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert #7 round tip. Add filling. Push the tip through the bottoms of paper liners to fill cupcakes (the top of the cupcakes will begin to expand when they are full.)

In a small mixing bowl, combine the frosting ingredients; frost cupcakes. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over frosting.

Blood Thirsty Punch

Blood Thirsty Punch
2 quarts black cherry soda, chilled, divided
Red colored sugar
1 quart orange soda, chilled
1 quart lemon-lime soda, chilled
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Pour 1 qt. cherry soda into ice cube trays; freeze for at least 4 hours.

Place 1/4-in. of water in a small bowl; place the colored sugar in another small bowl. Dip rims of cocktail glasses in water, then in colored sugar; set aside.

Just before serving, combine the orange soda, lemon-lime soda and remaining black cherry soda in a punch bowl or large pitcher. Add black cherry ice cubes. Serve in prepared glasses.