Witches Hats

1 package Hershey kisses
1 package fudge striped shortbread cookies
orange icing

Turn cookies over on chocolate side. Put a dollop of icing on bottom of Hershey kiss and press into center of cookie; just enough so orange icing comes out around kiss.

Scary Pudding Cups

1 square BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
2 cups cold milk
6 drops green food coloring
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
8 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, crushed

Melt chocolate in microwave as directed on package. Use a clean small paint brush to paint a monster face on the inside of each of four clear 5-oz. plastic cups with the melted chocolate. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Add milk and food coloring to dry pudding mix in medium bowl. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Immediately pour into prepared cups. Top with the cookie crumbs. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Store any leftover desserts in refrigerator.

Skull Cupcakes

1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar, sifted (about 4 to 4-1/2 cups)
12 JET-PUFFED Marshmallows, cut in half widthwise
72 semi-sweet chocolate chips
96 candy corn

PREPARE cake batter as directed on package; blend in dry pudding mix. Spoon evenly into 24 paper-lined medium muffin cups. Bake as directed on package for cupcakes. Cool completely. BEAT cream cheese, butter and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sugar gradually, beating well after each addition. PULL each cupcake liner partially away from cake. Place a marshmallow half between paper and cupcake to create skull’s “jaw.” Frost cupcakes with cream cheese mixture. Decorate with chocolate chips for the “eyes” and “nose” and candy corn for the “teeth.”

Harvest Pumpkin Brownies

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

FROSTING:
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 to 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat the pumpkin, eggs, oil and vanilla until blended. Combine dry ingredients; gradually stir into pumpkin mixture. Pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. In a small mixing bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, milk and salt until smooth. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Frost brownies. Store in the refrigerator.

Scary Spiders

Makes 40 spiders
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups California raisins
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
4 cups (1 pound) powdered sugar
Powdered sugar, chopped nuts and/or chocolate sprinkles
Licorice laces or whips
Small candies

In large bowl, beat butter, corn syrup, salt and vanilla extract together until creamy. Mix in raisins and nuts. Sift in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until mixture thickens. Turn onto board and sprinkle with powdered sugar and use hands to form dough. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar, finely chopped walnuts or chocolate sprinkles. Cut licorice whips into 2-inch lengths and shape into legs. Arrange four legs on two sides of each ball. Place on wax paper-lined tray. Top with small candies for eyes. Chill until firm.

Frozen Witches

Serves 8
Tube of chocolate decorating gel
8 chocolate sugar cones
8 thin, round chocolate wafers
1 pint pistachio ice cream
Black shoestring licorice
Chocolate chips
Candy corn

For each dessert, squeeze a ring of decorating gel around the edge of the cone and attach the cone to a chocolate wafer “rim,” then set it aside.

Using an ice-cream scoop, drop individual “heads” of ice cream onto a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.
Cut pieces of licorice to make hair and a mouth and arrange them in place on the ice-cream face. Add chocolate-chip eyes and a candy-corn nose. Top each scoop with a cone hat (flatten the ice cream slightly so the hat doesn’t fall off.) Freeze for at least two hours, or until the hats are set in place.
Note: To avoid meltdown, make these desserts
in batches of four.

Witches’ Brew

(this one pretty much fills a 12-quart cauldron)

four 48 oz cans pineapple juice
one 96 oz bottle orange juice
four 2 liter bottles lemon-lime soda
one 1.75 liter bottle vodka
one 1.75 liter bottle rum

All measurements are approximate. Adjust to your own taste.
Mix well. Pour into your cauldron, preferably with chunks of dry ice to create the bubbling steam effect.
(Be careful NOT to drink or eat or in any way come in direct contact with skin with any chunks of dry ice –
you can get burned by the extreme cold!)