Pumpkin Bundt Cake

 

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
Few drops each green, red and yellow food coloring
1 cake ice cream cone

PREPARE cake batter and bake in 12-cup fluted tube pan as directed on package. Cool in pan 10 min. Invert cake onto wire rack; remove pan. Cool cake completely.

MEANWHILE, beat cream cheese and butter in medium bowl with mixer until well blended. Gradually beat in sugar until well blended. Spoon 1/2 cup frosting into small bowl; stir in green food coloring until well blended. Spread half the green frosting onto outside of ice cream cone; set aside. Reserve remaining frosting for later use.

ADD red and yellow food colorings to remaining white frosting to tint it orange. Spread onto cake to resemble pumpkin. Invert ice cream cone in hole in top of cake for the pumpkin's stem. Pipe the reserved green frosting in vertical lines down side of cake.

Fun Idea
Place black gumdrops on sheet of waxed paper sprinkled with additional granulated sugar. Use a rolling pin to flatten each gumdrop, turning frequently to coat both sides with sugar. Cut into desired shapes with a sharp knife. Use to decorate frosted cake to resemble a jack-o'-lantern.

How to Pipe Frosting
Turn a resealable plastic bag into a handy piping bag for professional-looking decorated cakes. Simply spoon the frosting into the bag and seal the bag. Cut off a tiny piece from one of the bottom corners of the bag. Twist the bag at the top and holding the bag with one hand, guide the tip with the other. When you're done, the whole bag goes right into the garbage for easy cleanup!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Jennifer S.

I don't know which is more fun, carving the Jack-o-lantern or roasting the seeds. One 4-pound pumpkin will yield about 2 cups seeds. Save the seeds whenever you carve a pumpkin, plant some of them,then roast the rest . Next year, you'll have your own pumpkin patch--and lots of roasted pumpkin seeds! Kids can stir and toss the seeds with salt or spices and help spread them on the baking sheet.

2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
Rinse the seeds well in cold water, being sure you have rinsed away any fibrous strings, and pat thoroughly dry. Transfer to a large bowl and add the vegetable oil and salt, stirring well to coat the seeds with the oil. Spread the seeds on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until crisp and golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if desired.

Herbed Seeds: Use olive oil in place of the vegetable oil and add 1 tablespoon each dried rosemary and dried basil along with the salt.
Spicy Seeds: Add 2 teaspoons chili powder along with the salt.
Indian Seeds: Add 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper along with the salt.
Pumpkin Pie Seeds: Substitute 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) melted butter for the vegetable oil and add 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, and a pinch each of ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt.

Kitty Litter Cake

This just really needed to be posted .....EWWWW!

1 spice or German chocolate cake mix
1 white cake mix
2 large packages vanilla instant pudding mix, prepared
1 large package vanilla sandwich cookies
green food coloring
12 small Tootsie Roll candies
You'll also need: Do I really need to stress NEW here?
1 new kitty litter pan
1 new kitty litter pan liner
1 new pooper scooper
Prepare cake mixes and bake according to directions (any size pans).
Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble.
Crumble white sandwich cookies in small batches in food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, add a few drops green food coloring and mix until completely colored.
When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble into a large bowl. Toss with half the remaining white cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. Important: mix in just enough of the pudding to moisten it. You don't want it too soggy. Combine gently.
Line a new, clean kitty litter box. Put the cake/pudding/cookie mixture into the litter box.
Put 3 unwrapped Tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie rolls bury them in the mixture. Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly on top of everything -- this is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter.
Heat 3 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake; sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Spread remaining Tootsie Rolls over the top. For the coup de gras take one Tootsie Roll and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs. Place the box on a newspaper and sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around for a truly disgusting effect!

We scream ice cream sandwiches !

MaryAnn C.

I saw this idea several years back and thought it was very cute!

12 round ice cream sandwiches that have a chocolate cookie (or however many your party needs). I use the mint ones.
12 chocolate cones
Flat frosting tip
Store bought vanilla frosting or make your decorator frosting if you wish
Orange food coloring
12 single pieces of candy corn
Dipping chocolate (enough to melt and dip the rims only of the 12 chocolate cones)

*Melt the dipping chocolate and dip the chocolate ice cream cone in the melting chocolate –just enough to cover the rim and place the cones in the center of each sandwich. Freeze. (the chocolate will help the cone adhere to the cookie)

* Take frozen sandwiches out of freezer. Load a decorator bag with the frosting that you have colored with a drop or two of the orange food coloring to make a hat band around the rim of the cone.

* Add a candy corn on one side of the brim to give the witches hat a festive look.

Enjoy!

Hot Apple Cider

Jennifer S.

CIDER SPICE BUNDLE
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice berries
1 tsp dried orange rind
1 cinnamon stick, crushed

Using a clean coffee filter (or several layers of cheese cloth cut into squares and stacked on each other. Place cloves, allspice berries, orange rind and cinnamon on top, pull up corners and tie into bundle with string. Makes 1 bundle, enough for 1 gallon of cider or apple juice.

To make: Pour 1 gallon cider or apple juice in crock pot. Place Cider Spice Bundle in cider. Heat on high, until just until boiling, remove spice bundle. Serve hot.

Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead)

Jennifer S.
I love the sweet orange flavor of these.

1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons anise seed (OPTIONAL)
1/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 tablespoons white sugar
Heat the milk and the butter together in a medium saucepan, until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and add them warm water. The mixture should be around 110 degrees F (43 degrees C).
In a large bowl combine 1 cup of the flour, yeast, salt, anise seed and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Beat in the warm milk mixture then add the eggs and orange zest and beat until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of flour and continue adding more flour until the dough is soft.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. This will take about 1 to 2 hours. Punch the dough down and shape it into a large round loaf with a round knob on top. Place dough onto a baking sheet, loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until just about doubled in size.
Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven let cool slightly then brush with glaze.
To make glaze: In a small saucepan combine the 1/4 cup sugar, orange juice and orange zest. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 2 minutes. Brush over top of bread while still warm. Sprinkle glazed bread with white sugar.

Mummy Pizza Bites

Jennifer S.
If you don't like olives, like I don't, you can use small pepperoni, green or red pepper circles, or even small meatballs for eyes.

English muffins
Pizza sauce
Black olives
Scallions
Red or green pepper
Cheese sticks

Instructions
Heat the oven to 350º F.
For each mummy, spread a tablespoon of pizza sauce onto half of an English muffin.
Set olive slices in place for eyes and add round slices of green onion or bits of red or green pepper for pupils.
Lay strips of cheese (we used a pulled-apart cheese stick) across the muffin for the mummy’s wrappings.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the muffins are toasty.

Oreo Spiders

Jennifer S.
This is a great project for small children at a party!

Black string licorice
20 orange creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
1 teaspoon chocolate ready-to-spread frosting (from 16-oz container)
40 miniature M&M's

1. For each cookie, cut eight 1 1/2-inch pieces of licorice for legs. Insert 4 pieces into filling on each side of each cookie.

2. With frosting, attach 2 miniature M&M's to top of each cookie for eyes.

Mummy Dogs

Jennifer S.

These are SO stinking cute!

1 can crescent roll dough
1 pkg hotdogs
Mustard and ketchup garnish

Mummy Hot Dogs! This has to be one of my favorites. Made with crescent roll dough cut into thin strips and wrapped around hot dogs. Genius!
Bake on cookie sheets according to canned rolls directions.

Witch Hat Cookies

Jennifer S.

Keebler Fudge stripe cookies (turned upside down),
Hershey Kisses, foil removed,
attached with orange tube icing.
Soooo easy!

Butterbeer (Harry Potter Style)

Jennifer S.

1 2-lt bottle of Cream Soda
1 cup butterscotch or caramel flavored ice cream topping

Only do this right before serving, or you will lose your fizz.

Remove 1 cup of soda from chilled bottle of soda.
Add cup of ice cream topping. Recap and GENTLY agitate to combine.
Serve and enjoy!!

Creepy Spider Web Dip (7 Layer)

Jennifer S.

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope taco seasoning or 1 TBS Homemade Taco Seasoning
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies, drained (or jalapeños if you like it hot)
1 C. salsa
1 C. sour cream
1 C. guacamole
1 1/2 C. shredded cheese
2 green onions, sliced
1 C. chopped fresh tomato

A couple large bags of tortilla chips (you can find orange and black ones this time of year)
1 can whole pitted olives

Instructions: 1. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the refried beans and taco seasoning.

2. On a large festive Halloween tray , spread the beans in an even circular shape. Leave room around the edges for the garnish.

3. Sprinkle green chilies over. Smooth salsa over. Smooth guacamole over.

4. Sprinkle tomatoes and green onions over. Sprinkle cheese over.

5.Place your sour cream in a ziploc bag. Cut the corner off. Squeeze sour cream on top of dip in several concentric circles (or octagon shapes for a more authentic look). Using a knife or the handle of a fork, run lines lightly through the sour cream to make the web shape.

6. Garnish with a creepy spiders made from olives (see picture) and serve with lots of tortilla chips!

Halloween Dinner Menu

This is a long time tradition for my family....

Menu for Halloween

Spook-ghetti with Beastballs (Spaghetti with Meatballs)

Ghoulic Bread (Garlic Bread)

Scream Beans (Green Beans) I don't add the sausage to the recipe for the Halloween menu

OR

 Field of Screams (Green Salad)