Sunday, October 23, 2011

Queen of Halloween





I absolutely love decorating and cooking for Halloween. We decorate and light up our house, cook creepy and whimsical foods and treats and have friends over to celebrate before we trick-or-treat.

The house is decorated inside and out (has been for weeks), costumes are made and now I'm thinking of what treats to make for Monday Night.

Last year I hosted two big kid parties (one for my daughter and one for my son). For my daughter we had a Pink-O-Ween Halloween party and for my son just a regular o' creepy party.

Since I've been revisiting some past parties and recipes I thought I'd share some recipes and how-to's with you in the posts following this...

I'll be sharing with you:

RIP Graveyard Dirt Cakes

Recipe Here

Creepy Mouse Truffle Cookies

Recipe Here

Jello-Brains

Recipe Here

Pinky Finger Sandwiches

Recipe Here

Tickled Pink Punch

Recipe Here

Candy Corn Treat Bags

How-To Here


Happy Halloween!

Mini RIP Graveyard Dirt Cakes


Halloween party menus usually spell gross-out appetizers like grape eyeballs and linguine guts. Elevate to edibly eerie with these yummy mini RIP Graveyard Dirt Cakes for Dessert. These mini treats chocolate were served, and well liked at our Pink-O-Ween Halloween Party  Having a party for girls only, add a touch of glam by sprinkling pink colored sugar on top of the 'dirt'. The girls will love it!

Mini RIP Graveyard Dirt Cakes ... 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Butter, softened
• 1 (8 oz) package Cream Cheese, softened
• 3 cups Milk, 2% or whole
• 1 (12 oz) container Frozen Whipped Topping, thawed
• 1 cup Confectioners' Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 (3.9 oz) packs Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
• 1 (20 oz) package Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, such as Oreos
• 1 package of Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies
• 1 bottle of Black Cookie Icing (for decorating)
• 16 Candy Pumpkins for decorating
• Pink colored sugar sprinkles
• 16 (9 oz) clear Plastic Cups

Directions:

1. Put the chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor and process until they become fine crumbs. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the butter or margarine, cream cheese, confectioners sugar and vanilla flavoring. Beat on low speed to mix then beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the chocolate pudding mix and milk to the bowl. Beat on low speed to combine.

3.Fold the whipped topping into the pudding mixture with a rubber spatula.

4. In each clear plastic cup, assemble in layers as follows: first layer, 1/3 cookie crumbs; second layer, 1/2 pudding mixture; third layer, 1/3 cookie crumbs; fifth layer, 1/3 cookie crumbs.

5. Decorate each Pepperidge Farm Milano cookie with black frosting by piping the letters RIP (or whatever you choose) at the top of each cookie.

6. Insert decorated Milano cookie into each plastic cup and place a candy pumpkin next to and in front of inserted cookie.

7. Garnish top of each graveyard with pink sprinkles.

Enjoy!


No-Bake Creepy Mice Truffle Cookies {Recipe}



For once, mice you'll be happy to see circling your plate. Squeak out an easy win with these simple-ingredient crowd-pleasers.


Another Pink-O-Ween treat...they may look a little creepy but that taste great! What's not to like, Oreo cookies, cream cheese, and chocolate!


Ingredients for Cookies


• 4 (1 oz) squares semisweet chocolate
• 1/3 cup of sour cream
• 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs*


Ingredients for Decorating

• 1/3 cup chocolate cookie crumbs*
• 24 pink decorating candy or pink Nerds candy
• 48 white nonpareils sprinkles
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 12 (2-inch) pieces long red vine licorice


Directions for Cookies

1. Melt the chocolate and combine with sour cream. Stir in 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs. Cover and refrigerate until firm.


2. Roll by level tablespoonfuls into balls. Mold to a slight point at one end (the nose).

3. Roll each mouse-shaped dough in chocolate cookie crumbs. On each mouse, place pink candy in appropriate spot for nose, white nonpareils sprinkles for eyes, almond slices for ears, and a red licorice string for the tail.

4. Refrigerate for at least two hours, until firm.

*Note: To make chocolate cookie crumbs, use approximately 20-22 chocolate sandwich cookies with creme feeling (such as Oreo cookies). Put the chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor and process until they become fine crumbs. Set aside.