Ghost Cake with Flaming Eyes

1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix with pudding
1 cup water
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 (7.2 ounce) package fluffy white frosting mix
1 cup water
2 sugar cubes
Licorice string
1 teaspoon lemon extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan.

Prepare the cake mix as directed on package. (When you break the eggs, crack each in the middle and pour out the egg. Then save the 2 best shell halves. Wash these halves and turn upside down to dry.) After mixing, pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool cake 10 minutes on rack; then remove from the pan to a 16 x 12-inch tray.

After the cake is cool, measure across one short edge of the cake and mark the center with a wooden pick. Measure 4 inches down each long edge and mark with picks. Prepare the frosting as directed on package. Cut the cake between the center wooden pick and side picks in a curve to make a rounded top for the ghost’s head. Slice the cut corners down the sides to about the center of the cake. Turn the corners so the cut sides are up, to make arms that look as if they’re reaching out. Attach the arms to the sides of the cake with some of the frosting. Frost the cake. Place the 2 egg shell halves round sides down on cake for eyes. Place 1 sugar cube in each shell half. Make a mouth of licorice string. Just before serving, pour 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract over each sugar cube. Light the cubes. Lights off, it’ll be spooky!

Frightful Fingers

Red, black and/or green jelly beans
Circus Peanut Candies

Cut jelly beans in half lengthwise. Press each jelly bean half into the end of a circus peanut to resemble fingernails.

This is especially frightful when using green and black jelly beans!

Dracula’s Revenge

A wonderful Baked Penne With Sausage and Garlic recipe.

2 whole garlic heads
1 pound sweet turkey Italian sausage
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
8 cups hot cooked penne (1 pound uncooked)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove white paper skin from garlic heads (do not peel or separate cloves). Wrap each head separately in foil. Bake for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins. Set garlic aside.

Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Place sausage in a large bowl; stir in sage and rosemary.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour to the melted butter, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add the milk; cook until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk (about 10 minutes). Stir in roasted garlic, cheeses, salt, and pepper. Remove mixture from heat. Add 5 1/2 cups cheese sauce and cooked pasta to sausage, stirring to coat. Spoon pasta mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining sauce. Bake for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Makes 10 servings.

Ding Dong Spiders

1 Hostess Ding Dong per child
8 pieces black string licorice per child
Frosting or cream cheese (dyed red)
2 raisins per child

Give each child a small plate. Hand out the Ding Dongs and let each child unwrap one.

Pass out a bag of cut up string licorice. Let each child take 8 pieces.

Pass out the frosting or cream cheese and allow each child to take a tiny spoonful and place on their plate.

Have each child take 2 raisins from the box.

On the one side of the Ding Dong have them put 4 pieces of licorice into the Ding Dong. Repeat on the other side. These are the legs. Let them stick their raisins into the frosting and stick them on top of the Ding Dong for the eyes.

If desired, put a dot of red frosting on the bottom of the Ding Dong to make it a Black Widow!

Dead Bat Pull Aparts

1/2 cup margarine, melted
1 (1 ounce) envelope onion soup mix
2 (7.5 ounce) cans home-style biscuits, refrigerated
1 (3.8 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the melted margarine and onion soup mix in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Cut each biscuit into 3 pieces. Roll the pieces in butter mixture and leave in the pan. Sprinkle the olives and cheese over the top. Bake for 20 minutes.

Serves 20.

Daily Values: 6% vitamin A, 0% vitamin C, 6% calcium, 4% iron. Nutrition information per serving: Calories: 120, Carbohydrate: 11 g, Cholesterol: 10 mg, Dietary Fiber: 0 g, Fat: 8 g, Protein: 3 g, Sodium: 440 mg, Sugar: 0 g

Chocolate Spiderweb Snaps

Makes 72.

1 1/4 cups shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 eggs
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2 1/2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Frosting
6 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
6 tablespoons warm water
Paste food coloring

Cream shortening. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add melted chocolate, eggs, corn syrup, water and vanilla extract. Mix well.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture, beating just until blended. Shape dough into two 12-inch rolls. Wrap in wax paper. Chill several hours.

Unwrap rolls, and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Spread frosting over cookies to within 1/8 inch of edge. Let stand until frosting sets.

Place chocolate morsels in top of a double boiler; bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook until chocolate melts. Let stand until almost cool but not set. Spoon melted chocolate into decorating bag fitted with metal tip No. 2. For round pattern, pipe chocolate in 5 or 6 circles around top of cookie. Pull the point of a wooden pick across chocolate circles from the center to the outer edge. Repeat 8 or 10 times, spacing evenly across top of cookie. For linear pattern, pipe chocolate in parallel lines, about 1/4-inch apart, across top of cookie. Pull the point of a wooden pick diagonally across lines. Let stand at room temperature until chocolate is firm.

Frosting: Mix enough confectioners’ sugar and enough water to make frosting a spreading consistency, stirring well. Color as desired with a very small amount of past food coloring.

NOTE: Dough may be frozen up to 3 months. Slice dough while frozen, and bake as directed.

Cheese Pumpkins

Source: Betty Crocker – used with permission

Halloween or Thanksgiving guests will enjoy clever edible pumpkins, whether served as an appetizer or used as a garnish. What a treat!

8 tablespoons smoked Cheddar cold pack cheese
    food (from 8 ounce container), well chilled
2 teaspoons finely chopped peanuts
4 butter-flavored pretzel spindles or sticks, broken in half
16 tiny pieces fresh parsley leaves

Line small serving plate with waxed paper. Roll each level tablespoon cold pack cheese food into a ball; place on wax paper-lined serving plate. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes for easier handling.

With end of toothpick, draw ridges around balls to resemble pumpkins. Dip bottoms of cheese balls in chopped peanuts.

Just before serving, insert pretzel halves into cheese balls for pumpkin stems. Decorate with parsley for leaves. Store in refrigerator.