HOW TO HALLOWEEN

Do you buy Halloween candy in the hopes of getting all of the leftovers, or do you have the interests of the neighborhood kids in mind? Either way, our crack research panel at the Daily Top 10 has come up with a list of candies that will get eaten ... quickly.

                                    

1. Snickers -- A candy bar with substance. These peanut-filled chocolate bars are filling enough that kids may only be able to eat a few of them. Then again, you shouldn't underestimate the appetite of Halloween-crazed kids.

2. Nerds -- Basically, they are pure sugar coated with sugar. Nerds can be both fun and annoying due to the obnoxious rattling sound made by shaking the box. The best are the standard strawberry flavor.

3. Tootsie Rolls -- These have been around for over 120 years and coming in various flavors, shapes, and sizes. Giving out the smaller sizes makes a candy bowl last longer, but the Tootsie Pops are the tastiest, especially the chocolate flavor.

4. Life Savers -- A good way to keep kids occupied. It takes a while to go through a whole pack of Life Savers. Also, a good trick is to give out the mint varieties. The mint flavors do not necessarily clean teeth, but they have less sugar and will keep the kids hygiene-conscious.

5. M&Ms -- It wouldn't be Halloween without M&Ms. They are ingrained in our cultural psyche. If sugar and chocolate were medicine, they would come in the form of M&M's. Also, it can be funny to see how picky kids are about the color of the candy coating.

6. Reese's -- Come in standard-size and miniature peanut butter cups, as well as Reese's Pieces. With all of that peanut butter, enough Reese's cups could make a meal. Just don't tell that to your kids.

7. Twizzlers -- Probably the sweetest store-bought version of licorice. Twizzlers have a fun shape, and they don't get your hands messy.

8. Butterfinger -- Sinfully sweet. The flaky "peanut buttery" filling is so sugary that it sticks to teeth and fills the gaps between them. Butterfinger is most likely not the healthiest choice for dental hygiene. But what candy is?

9. Skittles -- Skittles are always very popular. Just watch out for the kids that try to see how many they can eat at one time. That can be scary.

10. Candy corn -- Somehow candy corn always seems to make the list. Young or old, not many people admit to liking this stuff. Still, you can be sure to see plenty of it this Halloween.

Monster Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 small orange tomatoes, diced
2 minced jalapeno peppers (to taste)
2 minced garlic cloves
1 small minced onion
1 small orange pepper, diced
1/4 cup chopped well drained black olives
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon minced cilantro or parsley
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
dash tabasco sauce (to taste)
2 large ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and mashed
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions:

Mix together all of the ingredients except the pumpkin seeds in a large bowl. Spoon into a serving bowl and add the avocado pit. Cover the bowl tightly and chill for at least two hours. Remove the pit and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds before serving.

Witch's Cauldron

Ingredients:

16 ounces Velveeta cheese
2 cans regular or vegetarian chili with beans
1 cup salsa
1 cup diced black olives
1 round loaf black or pumpernickel bread
Tortilla chips (preferably black or blue)

DIRECTIONS:

Melt together the cheese, chili, salsa, and olives until smooth over low heat and keep warm. Remove the center of the bread, leaving a thick shell. Tear up the center bread pieces for dipping. Pour the cheese mixture into the bread right before serving. Add a small ladle to the bread and serve with the bread cubes and tortilla chips.

Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

1. Do a decent job of separating the goo and guts from the actual seeds. Don’t rinse them or they won’t taste as good.
2. Add salt to the seeds. I suggest 1 teaspoon for every 2 cups of seeds.
3. Add the melted butter. I use 1 tablespoon.
4. Mix the salt (and/or seasonings), melted butter and seeds and then spread them on the baking sheet.
5. Roast them at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes. Stir them halfway through.
6. Take them out and eat them.

Seasoning Ideas:
Sweet and Spicy: quarter cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and half teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Curry: 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon salt
Spicy Garlic: 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, half teaspoon cayenne pepper
Southwest: 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, half teaspoon cayenne pepper.

JACK O' LANTERN LAYERED MEXICAN DIP

Serves:  10-12

Ingredients:

• 1 - 16 oz. can of refried beans
• 1 - 4.5 oz. can of chopped green chiles
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 avocadoes, peeled and diced
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup Stonewall Kitchen Black Bean Salsa
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 2 cups shredded orange cheddar cheese
• Blue corn tortilla chips, triangle shape
• Sliced black olives, drained

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a greased deep pie dish, spread the refried beans and then layer the green chiles.
3. For the next layer combine the sour cream and the mayonnaise and spread over the chiles. Continue layering the avocadoes, lemon juice, Stonewall Kitchen Black Bean Salsa, scallions, and cheddar cheese.
4. Bake for 20-30 minutes until heated through and bubbly.
5. Decorate top of dip with three tortilla chips forming the eyes and nose of the jack-o-lantern. Use the sliced black olives to form a mouth.
6. Serve hot with additional tortilla chips.

ORANGE PECANS

Ingredients:

1 T.  grated orange rind (one large orange should do it)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup granulated sugar
4 cups pecan halves

DIRECTIONS:

 Combine the first three ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mix comes to a rolling boil.

Stir in pecans and continue to cook, stirring all the while - until pecans are coated and all the syrup is absorbed. At this point they are starting to frost themselves.

Remove from heat and continue stirring just until pecans are separated and spread out onto waxed paper to cool.

POPCORN BALLS

AMPUTATED FINGER PIZZA

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper
12 sticks mozzarella
8 small baked pizza crusts -- 5 inch diameter
1 cup pizza sauce
 

DIRECTIONS:

Core, stem and seed pepper; cut lengthwise into 1"-wide strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 1/2" pieces (fingernails). Round corners on one end of each piece.

Cut each cheese stick in half crosswise. On rounded end of each stick (finger), cut out a 1/2"-square notch into which a pepper piece will fit to make a nail.

Lay crusts slightly apart on 3 baking sheets, each 12x15". Spread 2 Tbsp. sauce evenly over each crust. Lay 3 cheese fingers well apart on each crust: fit a red pepper nail onto each. Bake in a 450F oven until cheese just begins to melt, about 8 min.

 DEAD MAN'S MEATLOAF

Ingredients:

1 1/2  pounds  ground beef                         
1  egg -- beaten                       
1  cup bread crumbs                        
1 tablespoon   ketchup                             
1   t.  salt                                
1/4  t.  garlic  powder                      
1/4  t.  pepper                              
 1/4  cup minced onions                       
26  oz.  spaghetti sauce                     
*garnish -  olives,corn & pimentos                                             
                                                           
DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using clean hands, mix together all ingredients, except for
the spaghetti sauce and garnishes, in a large bowl.  To form the corpse:  In an ungreased
baking pan, sculpt the meat mixture into a body.  Using olives for eyes, corn for teeth and pimentos for a tongue, decorate your loaf.  Feel free to try other vegetables, too.  Pour spaghetti sauce around the corpse and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Right before serving, stick a dagger (butter knife) into the "heart" of the corpse as a garnish. Find an inexpensive mask for the face and enjoy!

BBQ BATWINGS 

Ingredients:
4 pounds chicken wings
2 cups ketchup
1 1/2 cup molasses
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
Hot sauce to taste
Salt
Black pepper
Black paste food coloring
Blue paste food coloring
Green paste food coloring
 

DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Boil the chicken wings for twenty minutes in a large pot.

While the wings are cooking, prepare the sauce. Whisk together the ketchup, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, hot sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth in a large roasting pan. Add enough black, blue, and green food colorings to the sauce to make a dark black sauce. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, stirring once.

Drain the wings well and add them to the sauce and toss to coat evenly, poking the wings liberally with a fork.

Bake for 20 minutes, then increase the temperature to 450 degrees. Toss the wings in the sauce again to coat evenly. Bake until the sauce is thickened and slightly blackened, flipping the wings over occasionally, about another 15 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

PUMPKIN BREAD

BLACK & ORANGE SPOOKY CUPS 

Ingredients:
4 cups cold milk, divided
1 package (4 serving size) Jell-0 Chocolate Fudge Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
10 (7 ounce size) glasses or clear plastic cups
1 package (4 serving size) Jell-0 Vanilla Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
3 drops each yellow and red food coloring
12 oreo sandwich cookies crushed
halloween sprinkles

DIRECTIONS: Pour half the milk into large bowl. Add chocolate fudge flavor pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes. Fill glasses about 1/2 full with pudding mixture.

Pour remaining milk into another large bowl. Add vanilla flavor pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes. Stir in a few drops of food coloring to tint mixture orange.

Spoon orange mixture over chocolate mixture. Top with crushed cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with Halloween sprinkles.

NOTE: Pudding cups can also be served frozen. Use plastic or paper cups, not glasses. Freeze 3 hours or until firm.

 CRUSTY BOOGER BALLS

Ingredients:

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
5 1/3 cups flaked coconut (about 14 ounces)
1 large 8-ounce package lime-flavored gelatin
1 cup ground, blanched almonds
1 teaspoon almond extract

DIRECTIONS:  In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, coconut, 1/3 cup of the unprepared gelatin, almonds, and almond extract. Mix well with a large mixing spoon or rubber spatula. Cover bowl with platic wrap and chill for about an hour or until mixture is firm enough to mold in your hands. Scoop by 1/2 teaspoonfuls and shape into various-sized booger balls. Place them on a baking sheet, lined with a sheet of waxed paper. Make sure they are all slightly different, just as each and every booger is unique and special. Place a second sheet of waxed paper on your work surface and pour remaining unprepared lime gelatin on the center of the waxed paper. Roll each ball in gelatin to coat well and create a thin outer layer. Then place back on the baking sheet. Return boogers to the refrigerator for and hour before seving, and store any extras in the refrigerator.

WITCH'S HAT COOKIES 

Ingredients:
24 Fudge Stripe Cookies or other chocolate covered flat cookies
24 Hershey Kisses
Orange or black frosting

DIRECTIONS: Turn the cookie over on the solid chocolate side. Squeeze a blob of frosting onto the middle of the cookie. Press the kiss into the frosting. The frosting will hold the kiss in place. These are really simple and fast to make - not to mention, adorable!

THE BEST PUMPKIN CAKE 

Ingredients:

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
3/4 c. dark molassses
3/4 c. milk
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda

DIRECTIONS: Mix together sugar, butter, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Add one egg and beat until fluffy. Add molasses and milk. Combine flour and baking soda and add to wet mixture. Bake in a round pan at 325 degrees F. for 35 minutes. When cooled frost with orange icing.

PUNKIN STICKS  

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup sugar or orange-colored sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon pumpkin pie spices
• 1  11.5-ounce package (8) refrigerated breadsticks

Directions

1. In a shallow dish stir together sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Unroll breadsticks. Separate and cut into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece in the sugar mixture, coating pieces on all sides. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.

2. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. Serve warm. Makes 12 servings (48 pieces).

DOUBLE DIPPED CARAMEL APPLES

Ingredients:

4 or 5 medium apples
Wooden sticks
2 (14 ounce) packages caramels (96 pieces), divided

First Caramel Layer
Wash and dry apples; insert stick into stem
end of each apple.

Microwave 1 package of the caramels and 2
tablespoons of the water in a small deep
microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 2-1/2 to 3-1/2
minutes or until smooth, stirring every minute.
If caramel sauce is too thin, let stand about
2 minutes before dipping apples.

Dip apples into hot caramel sauce;
turn until coated. Scrape excess sauce
from bottom of apples. Place on greased
wax paper. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

Second Caramel Layer
After refrigerating, repeat microwave
and dipping directions with remaining
the remaining package of caramels and
2 tablespoons water.

See decorating ideas below for warm caramel
apples. Otherwise, refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
See decorating ideas below for chilled caramel
apples.

Store decorated apples in refrigerator. Let
stand at room temperature 15 minutes before
serving to allow caramel to soften. Makes
4 to 5 medium apples or 2 large (3/4 to 1 pound each).

Decorating ideas for warm caramel apples
Roll in chopped pecans or nuts of your
choice; drizzle with melted caramel.

Decorate with non-pareil covered semi
sweet chocolate chips; drizzle with melted
white chocolate.

Roll in graham cracker crumbs and miniature
marshmallows; drizzle with melted chocolate.

Roll in macadamia nuts or premium mixed nuts;
drizzle with melted white and semi-sweet chocolate.

Decorating ideas for chilled caramel apples
Dip apple in melted chocolate, several times,
waiting for chocolate to harden a little between
each dip. Use white or semi-sweet chocolate or
marblize.

Dip bottom of apple in melted chocolate;
decorate with toasted coconut and slivered almonds.

Decorate with melted white or semi-sweet
chocolate and sprinkles.

Any of these apples can be decorated with anything
you choose, such as raisins, chopped malted milk
balls, peanut butter chips, chopped potato chips or
pretzels.

COBWEB'S COOKIES

Defrosted rolls of sugar cookie dough

White & black royal icing

Piping bag

Toothpick

 

DIRECTIONS:

Frost slice-and-bake sugar cookies (follow package directions). Prepare the white & black icings. Then, starting at the cookie's center, pipe circles of black icing; create cobwebs by alternately dragging a toothpick from the center to the edge, and from the edge to the center. To finish off the cookie, you can pipe a spider shape on each web. They look great & all your guests will think you've spend all day on them, but you know better.

WITCH'S BREW

Ingredients:

3 pints purple grape juice
1 1/2 pints club soda
grapes
apples

DIRECTIONS: Mix the grape juice and soda in a pitcher. Cut the apple into small chunks. Float the fruit in the brew just before serving. Like magic, the grapes and apples will look just like eyes and teeth. Make a swizzle broomsticks for each cup, with a straw and black paper cut into a fringe. 

VAMPIRE BLOOD SHAKE 

Ingredients:

2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 package frozen starwberries or raspberries, thawed
ice cubes
1 pint strawberry ice cream

1.Mix yogurt, vanilla, and berries in the blender.
2.Pour into tall glasses over ice cubes, or chill.
3.Top with a big spoonful of strawberry ice cream.

GHOULS NIGHT OUT

Ingredients:

SPOOKY BLACK BEAN HUMMUS

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons tahini
3 to 4 tablespoons lime (or lemon) juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper -- to taste
3 tablespoons soy yogurt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
For Design: additional soy yogurt or tahini

DIRECTIONS: With food processor running, drop in the garlic cloves and process until finely chopped. Add the black beans, and process until pureed. Add the remaining ingredients (use the lesser amounts) and process until smooth. Taste and correct seasonings, adding more as needed.

Spoon the hummus into a serving dish, smoothing the top. Using a pastry bag and either soy yogurt or thinned tahini, pipe on the design. Place a plastic spider into the web, or make one yourself from black olives. Refrigerate until ready to serve.