Quick, Fun Halloween Desserts!

Again, I've been out of town, so I apologize in advance for this being so last minute.  If you're like me, that's when you work the best anyway and when you're frantically looking for some good ideas!  This post is simply a quick recap of some fun Halloween themed goodies I've made in years past that my kids (and I) have really enjoyed.  They are quick, fun, and delicious.  What more could you need?

"Chilling Jack-O-Lanterns"

(from October 1997 Friend magazine)

4–8 oranges

l can (6 ounces/177 ml) frozen orange juice concentrate

1 1/4 cups water

1 small banana, mashed

1 can (8 ounces/227 g) crushed pineapple

1 small apple

toothpicks

raisins

1.  With an older person’s help, cut off the top of each orange; store the tops in the refrigerator.

2.  Scoop out the oranges, saving the juice. Stabilize the oranges in a muffin tin.

3.  Combine the saved juice with the frozen orange juice concentrate and the water. Mix in the    

     banana and the pineapple.

4.  Fill the oranges with the juice mixture, then freeze for 2–3 hours.

5.  To soften and decorate, remove the oranges from the freezer 5–8 minutes before serving. Core the

     apple and cut it into thin wedges. Using toothpicks broken in half, attach raisin eyes and an apple

     wedge mouth to each orange. Cover the jack-o’-lanterns with the stored orange tops.

"Creepy Crunchy Donut Eyeballs"

(from a 2009 edition of a local advertising magazine that I get each month)

  

2 (12 oz) bags white chocolate morsels

1 tsp. vegetable shortening

20 glazed donut holes

20 round jellied candies (like Gummi Savers)

20 milk chocolate candies (like M&Ms)

Red food coloring

1.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or wax paper and set aside. 

2.  Melt chocolate morsels with vegetable shortening by setting bowl over simmering water and stirring until smooth.

3.  Cut two 1/8" slices from opposite sides of each donut hole.  Drop donut holes into melted chocolate, one at a time.  Using a fork, coat the donut hole.  Lift and gently shake to remove excess chocolate.  While wet, place jellied candy on one of the cut sides of each hole.  Repeat with each donut eyeball and refrigerate until set.  Reserve unused chocolate.

4.  Re-heat chocolate.  Remove eyeballs from refrigerator.  Place a small dab of melted chocolate on the chocolate candies and stick them onto the jellied candies to form pupils.  Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.

5.  In a small bowl, mix 2 drops of food coloring with 2 tsp of remaining melted chocolate.  Using a toothpick, draw 'veins' on the eyeballs.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

(as you can see from my pictures, I'm no Martha Stewart in the kitchen, but they still taste great!)

"Frightening Fingers"

(from Oct. 2005 Home & Health LV.com magazine)

I love this one because it's like a shortbread cookie and I have a weakness for shortbread!  It looks pretty realistic and gross to boot.

1 c. butter, softened                             2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. confectioner's sugar                      1 tsp baking powder

1 egg                                                    1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract                              Red decorating gel

1 tsp almond extract                             1/2 c. sliced almonds

In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Beat in egg and extracts.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.  Divide dough into fourths.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll into 1-inch balls.  Shape balls into 3-inch by 1/2-inch fingers.  Using flat tip of table knife, make indentation on one end of each for fingernail.  With knife, make three slashes in middle of each finger for knuckle.

Place 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets.  Bake at 325 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool for 3 minutes.  Squeeze small amount of red gel on nail bed; press sliced almond over gel for nail, allowing gel to ooze around nail.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

And then last, but certainly not least . . .

"Spooky Jell-O Jigglers"

Don't ask me what my infatuation with Jigglers is, but I can never get enough of them.  In fact, when I was in elementary school, that's what I requested my mom bring in each year for my birthday treat at school!  I'm not posting the recipe because you can find it on every single Jell-O box.   Plus, I'm in a hurry to head to the grocery store right now to go buy me some orange and grape Jell-O right this very second! 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN / HAPPY NEVADA DAY!

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