8 Days to Halloween

Spooky Treats

 

Here are just a few ideas for dressing up your desserts for Halloween. In this picture I made a cupcake into an owl cupcake. All it is is an Oreo (use double-stuffed) and M&Ms for the eyes, frosting or a candy corn for the beak, and a little extra frosting above the eyes for a brow. 

 

For this fun and easy cookie idea you need your favorite peanut butter cookie recipe and a pack of Hershey's Candy Corn Kisses. Follow the cookie recipe and add the Kisses as you would for a Peanut Butter Blossom. 

This is my experiment for today. Here is the recipe for you to follow: http://www.lovefromtheoven.com/2011/09/09/candy-corn-krispy-treat-pretzel-pops/
They used store-bought Rice Crispy Treats, but I made my own and they turned out great.

 Dirt for Dessert! I found this simple dirt recipe here: http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/cakes-cupcakes/theme-cupcakes/w-is-for-worms-cupcake-685459/
It isn't a true dirt recipe but it's a quick and easy way to dress up your cupcake.

I love these cupcakes! They look pretty simple if you have the right tip to decorate. It looks like all it is a grass tip all over the cupcake; then a #4 or 5 for the eyes and #2 for the pupil.

And this list wouldn't be complete without sugar cookies decorated like pumpkins. Just use your favorite sugar cook recipe to make the cookies. Frost with orange butter cream frosting, and decorate!

Live and Learn: Store-bought frosting is generally too runny to make small designs. If you want a frosting that will be more stiff try a home-made recipe. Here is my favorite home-made frosting recipe:

-1 cup shortening @room temperature. (You can use butter to make it taste better but it will not be a pure white)

-4 cups powdered sugar

-4 Tbsp. milk

-1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract/ butter extract/ or almond extract. (These may also give the frosting a hint of color.)

Combine all ingredients and mix well. (I use the Kitchen Aid)

Here is a sugar cook recipe I highly recommend. Thank you Kim!

1 c softened butter
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
-cream these ingredients together, then add
3 c. flour
1 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
*the original recipe also has 1 1/2 t. vanilla, but Kim and her mom both hate vanilla, so they never add it

Bake at 400 degrees for 8 min.
Make sure you don't roll them out too thin or they'll get crispy real fast:)

Enjoy!