Pumpkin Bars

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #31

Well, the fun fall food festivities have reached an end, there will be many more comfort foods and favorite to follow, but this marks the 31st post of the fun fall ideas, and the night of Halloween!  Since we had guests over for pizza and trick-or-treating, I decided to make this tasty pumpkin delight.  This is a treat my mom made every fall growing up, or at least it felt that way, and so I have carried out the tradition.  These bars are light and fluffy and topped with a cream cheese, thick glaze-like frosting that pairs well with the pumpkin flavor.

Pumpkin Bars

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup flour
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs, beaten
1+ cups pumpkin

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tbsp cream
1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together dry ingredients. Add oil, eggs, pumpkin and stir until well blended.  Pour into a jelly roll sheet or 9x13 pan.  Bake 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cool completely. Mix together frosting by softening cream cheese.  Add butter and and mix until smooth.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Spread on top of bars and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Best served chilled. Happy Halloween!

Spider Cupcakes

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #30

I made these to send into my daughter's class for the halloween party. A few other mom's wanted something fun and scary and black, so this is what I came up with.  The little spiders took some time, but they were fun to make.

Spider Cupcakes

1 box cake mix, I used red velvet again, since not all kids like chocolate cake

1 tub black frosting

1/3 cup white frosting

Black licorice sticks

mini oreos

jimmies, sprinkles

Bake cake according to package, making 24 cupcakes.  While baking, cut 1/2 inch pieces of licorice, then cut each piece into 8 strips.  As pictured below.

Next, assemble spiders by separating top and bottom mini Oreo cookies.  I only 1/2 of the cookie because the full cookie was too thick.
-Frost the bottom side of the cookie and attach four licorice strip to each side of cookie to create legs.  Once Oreos all have legs, frost the top and place two colored circles close to the top of the cookie for eyes.
-Cover body with jimmies, I could only find brown, but I think brown added a little color contrast and made the spider stand out a little more.  Once all spiders are assembled and cupcakes are cooled, frost each cupcake with black frosting.
-Heat white frosting in microwave for 15-20 seconds or until lightly melted.  Place frosting in a ziplock bag and snip the end.  Squeeze white frosting into three circles on cupcake as pictured below.

Using a toothpick, start at center of cupcake and pull out toward edge going around cupcake 5-7 times to create a spiderweb look.

Place an assembled spider in the center of each cupcake and have napkins ready, these cupcakes are fun,  but might turn tongues black!

Candy Corn Cake Pops

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- #29

These were a little time consuming, but very cute and they were devoured quickly by my children and our guests.

Candy Corn Cake Pops

1 box cake mix, I used chocolate
1 tub frosting, I also used chocolate
white melting chocolate, or colored melting chips
food gel (if not using colored melting chips)
lollipop sticks

Bake the cake as directed on package.  Once cool, crumble cake mix into a medium mixing bowl.  Add 2/3 of the tub of frosting and mix until well blended.
-Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper. Divide the dough into small circles and roll into a ball, lay the ball onto the cookie sheet and mold to resemble a triangle/ candy corn.  Place cake pops in freezer for at least 1 hour.
-After cake pops have chilled for awhile, prepare melting chocolate.  Most melting chips or coating chocolate comes with directions on package, follow melting directions, starting with orange (or white chocolate that will be dyed orange once fully melted.)  Once chips are melted, add desired amount of food coloring gel.
-Remove cake pops from freezer and holding the top of the triangle, dip the bottom 1/3 of cake pop into orange chocolate.  Quickly dip a small portion of lollipop stick into chocolate also and insert into the bottom of the cake pop.  This will help with stability.  Place back on wax paper to cool.  I tilted mine up against the pan's edge so there wouldn't be a 'flat' look on the back of the cake pop.  Return to freezer as you prepare next melting chips.
-Repeat same melting directions as with the orange layer.  Again remove pops from freeze and holding the stick end of the cake pop, dip the remaining 2/3 in yellow chocolate.  Let set.
-Repeat same process with white, but only covering the last 1/3 (or 1/2 of yellow layer) with white.  Let fully set before serving.

NOTE: It is important to use food coloring gel and not dye because the dye has a high water content and will harden the chocolate instead of keeping it smooth for dipping.

Popcorn Ball Spiders

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- #28

DISCLAIMER:  These are not technically spiders as my 9 1/2 year old informed me because they only have six legs.  Well, A.) I didn't think about that. B.) I had limited pipecleaner and it was late C.) I don't really like to stare at bugs/ insects whatever they might be and D.) I obviously forgot even if my daughter has- and I quote, "known that since kindergarten." I will continue to call these little creatures spiders in this posting, but if it bothers you, you can refer to them as 'bugs' or add 2 more legs.

Popcorn Ball Spiders

1/4 cup butter
1 10.5 oz bag mini marshmallows
1 package orange jell-o mix
3+ quarts popped popcorn (approx. 1/2 cup unpopped kernels)
candy corn
pipe cleaners
google eyes


Sort popped popcorn to remove any unpopped kernels. Place popcorn in a large bowl. Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper and lightly spray with oil spray or rub with butter. Set popcorn bowl and cookie sheet aside. In a sauce pan over medium low heat, melt butter, add marshmallows and continue to heat until melted.  Then add dry Jell-o mix and pour over popcorn, stirring until well coated.  Wait a few minutes, then, use water to wet hands or butter to lightly butter hands to keep popcorn mixture from sticking. Then, shape a handful of popcorn into a ball and place on wax paper.  Gently press one candy corn into the center of each popcorn ball, this will become the 'nose' of the spider. Let set at least 1 hour, then wrap in cellophane bag or plastic wrap and tie off end by wrapping 3 (or 4) pieces of pipe cleaner together around the top. Glue on eyes close to candy nose.

NOTE: I used a hot glue gun, but let the glue cool before pressing them onto plastic to prevent melting through the plastic wrap.

ANOTHER NOTE: The kids (and their friends) liked the orange flavoring added to the popcorn, but if you are not interested in flavoring the popcorn, just omit the jell-o.  The recipe is the same as Rice Krispies, only using popcorn instead of cereal.

Eyeball Bento Box Lunch

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- #27

I've Got My Eye on You...Bento Box Lunch. I couldn't resist posting one more fun Halloween bento box lunch. Here I have a ghost (banana, with mini chocolate chip eyes), a strawberry cream cheese bagel with half of a marshmallow on top and finished with a gobstopper center. I used edible markers for the squiggles.  I again, cut a cheese stick into small candy corn shapes, and included a fall trail mix.  And some green monster-like pickles.

Halloween BonBons

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #26

These are a fun SUPER quick treat that can be made right before serving or placed back in freezer until ready to eat.

Halloween BonBons

Vanilla ice cream
Smucker's Orange Creme Magic Shell (ice cream topping)
Sprinkles
Mini cookie scoop or small spoon

Scoop up small round balls of ice cream using the mini cookie scoop.  Place several scoops onto wax paper.  Return to freezer until all other supplies are gathered.  Shake orange creme crackle well and then gently coat each ice cream ball.  Then top with desired sprinkles.  Serve on a polka dot platter, Enjoy!

NOTE: Be quick with the sprinkles as the orange coating will set fast.

Beef Stew and Cornbread Donuts

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #25

This was a fun dinner to share with the kids on a chilly fall evening.  I served up some hearty beef stew and cornbread mini donuts topped with honey butter and sprinkles.

Hearty Beef Stew

1 1/2 lbs stew beef
5-6 large potatoes, unpeeled and diced
1 medium yellow onion, largely diced
4 large carrots, cut into bite-size circles
1 can progresso beef stew (for liquid)
1 can Campbell's condensed tomato soup
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 beef bullion cube, crushed

Mixed together and place into a slow cooker on high, cooking 4-6 hours.

Cornbread Mini Donuts

1 box jiffy muffin mix
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs

Mix together and cook in a mini donut cooker, mini donut pan OR an 8x8 pan. I cooked donuts in a mini donut maker for 4 minutes.  Then, while still slightly warm, top with honey butter and sprinkles.

Honey Butter

1/2 stick butter, softened
1/8 cup honey
1/8 cup marshmallow fluff


Softened butter and whisk until smooth, stir in honey and gently whisk in marshmallow fluff, just until mixed.


Note:  This is the my favorite recipe for honey butter, it comes from Melskitchencafe.com and I like better than adding powdered sugar and it holds together better than butter/honey alone. 

Haunted Houses

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #24

This is a tradition we have been doing for several years now, it seems to extend the fun spreading out the holiday goodies, since there are so many other tasty Christmas delights to make and since Halloween candy is everywhere, it seemed like a good combo.
It is hard to take an appetizing picture of house created with 'love' by my children, but hey, it's not bad and we all had fun.  This was actually a kit for a gingerbread house, but we used halloween themed candy instead.  If you look closely to the right, you can also see a 'headless' horseman (monster-style) my kids were reading The Legend of Sleepy Hallow with me, and they seem to find this 'headless' creature everywhere or create him, whenever possible.  If there is not a gingerbread kit available, try graham crackers and frosting, which is what we usually use.

Halloween Bento Box Lunch

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #23

This year I finally invested in some fun lunch containers and creative forks, picks, cookie cutters etc...to make lunches more fun.  I will eventually post several other bentos ideas, but since this was a fun fall lunch, I wanted to share.

There really is no recipe here, but this is what I used:
-I cut a full tortilla shell with a witch hat cookie cutter, and layered every other layer with either cheese or meat, also cut out with witch hat cutter.  Then, I placed a pick, a twisted one in this case, in the center to hold it together.  I included dipping sauce for the sandwich, my kids are fans of mustard, which I put inside the green container.
-I used a twisted cheese stick to make the bottom of the broom and a twisted pretzel for the broom top.  I used the remaining cheese stick to cut into small circles, then I cut the circles into triangles leaving the orange on the bottom to resemble a candy corn.
-The pumpkin is a hostess sno-ball (curious to see if my kids even it) but it looked cute right?!  Black frosting for the face.
-The monster is just a 1/4 apple, and the top and mouth were carved out with sprinkle eyes.  There are also banana slices underneath.
-The bone picks were put into cherry tomatoes and I diced up an orange bell pepper as well.

ENJOY!

Pumpkin Shortcake

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #22

Ok, lately I haven't been able to branch out much when it comes to fall desserts.  I seem to be stuck on apples and pumpkins, but since this is the only time of year we seem to indulge on desserts containing one or the other, I am sure this is not the last pumpkin recipe to come...so stock up on canned pumpkin and start cooking! I am not ready to break down and make a pumpkin pie yet--I'm saving that for Thanksgiving day! However, something similar sounded good, hence this little creation came about! It sounded easier and still pie-like, but served up as a shortcake dessert.  I topped it with a praline macadamia sauce and whipping cream.

Pumpkin Shortcake

1 box Pepperidge Farms Pastry Puffs

Let frozen pastry puff sheets set at room temperature for 40 minutes.  Then, cut into squares or use a pumpkin cookie cutter and cut out shapes.  Place on stoneware or a parchment covered pan and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.  Cool.

Pumpkin Filling


1 15 ounce can pumpkin
1 Junket tablet-crushed slightly in package (found in pudding/jell-o section at store)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs, beaten slightly

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add all ingredients, except pumpkin.  Cook until mixture starts to bubble and thicken, about 10 minutes, remove from heat, and add pumpkin.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note:  This is best to make while frozen pastry dough is thawing or 1-2 hours before serving.

Macadamia Nut Praline Sauce

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally and cook until slightly thickened and cooked down by about 1/3.  Remove from heat, stir in nuts.  If not serving right away, place praline sauce in the refrigerator.  When ready to serve, warm in microwave.

TO SERVE:


Gently pull cooked pastry puffs in half.  Place about 1/4-1/3 cup of filling in each puff, top with caramel sauce and a little whipping cream.  Top with other half of pasty puff and a dollop of whipping cream.  Best served chilled.

Velvet Vampire Bites

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas: Idea #21

I needed to prepare a treat to take to a youth group fall activity so I was looking for something bloody, gory and Halloween-ish yet, tasty... and since kids of all ages seem to have fun with these fake vampire fangs, this is what I came up with...and since I'm sure by this point you are claiming, "I 'vant' to eat this cupcake," here is how I made them!  The cupcake is dense and I added, white chocolate chips to the batter for an extra fun 'bite'!

Velvet Vampire Cupcakes

1box red velvet cake mix
1 box cheesecake flavored instant pudding mix
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water
3 eggs
1 cup white chocolate chips.
1 container cream cheese frosting
1 small red tube of decorating gel

Mix ingredients together.  Fill cupcake liners in pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool then frost (I used a large round tip to form drops, but any style preference will work.)  Then, lightly drizzle red frosting gel on top.  Gently press teeth part way into cupcake.

Spiderweb Cheesecake Brownies

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #20

Chewy, chocolatey brownies with melt-in-your mouth cheesecake on top! Perfect combination. I combined 2 recipes and added a SCARY touch. 


Brownies  (adapted from Melskitchencafe.com) 6 ounces (half bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips


1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs at room temperature
3/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt  


Cheesecake topping (from blogchef.com)  


1 (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 9" springform pan (could use any 9 inch pan here) and set aside. 
In a medium saucepan over low heat melt butter and chocolate chips. Stir until chips are completely melted and remove from heat. In the same pot blend in the sugar and vanilla. Add eggs blending fully one at a time. Add the flour and salt and beat for about 2-3 minutes. Spoon 1/2-3/4 cup batter into a small ziploc baggie and set aside. Pour remaining mixture into greased pan.
In a separate bowl beat together cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. Gently spoon mixture onto brownie batter and spread evenly. 
Now get creative. Cut a slit on the bottom corner of the ziploc bag and pipe one small circle in the very middle of the batter. Continue piping larger circles to the outer edge. Mine looked like this:

Then using a butter knife, start in the middle and pull to the outer edge of the pan. Looking something like this:

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until cheesecake is slightly golden and brownies are set. Cool on rack for 10 minutes and remove spring-form. Let cool on wire rack. Enjoy!

Dunkin' Pumpkin Dippers

31 Fun Food Ideas for Fall- Idea #19

I think that these little pumpkin buckets are SO cute I have been racking my brain trying to find an excuse to use them, and today I found it!  I decided to make a tasty pumpkin dip.  It is light and creamy and super easy.

Pumpkin Dip

1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 package vanilla pudding mix
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice + 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 16 oz carton cool whip

Mix pumpkin, dry pudding powder and spices.  Mix in cool whip.  To prevent a messy situation trying to fit the dip into the pumpkins, I piped them in with a large tip.

Serve with cinnamon graham cracker sticks or apple.

NOTE: If your young {or old} 'Pumpkins' don't like pumpkin, replace pumpkin dip with the following:


ANOTHER NOTE: These pumpkins can be found just about anywhere, but if you have a hard time, check out a drug store like CVS or Walgreens.

Fruit Dip

1 8 oz package softened cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
3-5 tbsp brown sugar (to your liking)
1 7 oz container marshmallow creme
1 16 oz carton cool whip

Blend vanilla and brown sugar with cream cheese, then add marshmallow creme and cool whip, mix just until smooth.  Pipe into pumpkins.

Serve with apples, pears or graham cracker sticks.

Pear Bread

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #18

When I first told a friend of mine about this bread, she laughed and thought I was making it up.  I wish I could claim I made it up, but truth be told, it was probably created by someone who had harvested too many pears and didn't know what to do with them all--Kinda like the origin of so many zucchini recipes...
Anyhow, this recipe actually came from my Aunt Beverly.  Our family makes it every fall and my girls love to eat it with a glass of milk for breakfast or a snack.  It is a SWEET sweet bread and super easy!

Pear Bread

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1+ cups diced, unpeeled pears
cinnamon sugar mixture (1/2 cup granulated sugar mixed with 1 tbsp cinnamon)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix butter, sugar eggs and buttermilk.
*If you don't have buttermilk on hand, fill a 1/4 cup measuring cup with 1/4 tbsp vinegar and then fill the remainder of the measuring cup with regular milk.
-Add soda, nutmeg and salt stir until blended, then add flour.  Once all ingredients are well incorporated, add diced pears.
-Spray pan and sprinkle a thin coat of cinnamon sugar mixture over entire inside of pan.
Pour into a bread pan 3/4 full or mini loaf pan.  Sprinkle another thin coat of cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the top of the bread and bake 40 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean.

Witch's Brew 'Stew' And Ghost 'Toast'

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #17

The other day I had this awesome grilled cheese sandwich at a little restaurant that makes all their bread fresh that morning.  It was grilled cheese on an herb Focaccia bread and it was so good I have been craving it ever since.  However, I haven't yet had the time to try my hand at the homemade bread and so this meal was my compromise.  I made herbed butter and spread onto grilled cheese instead, and though it wasn't exactly the same, it was still pretty tasty.

Ghost Toast (aka Grilled Cheese)

Texas toast, or a thick bread (I used a ghost cookie cutter for shapes)
shredded cheese
herbed butter (I used 1/4 cup room temperature salted butter mixed with: 1/2 tsp basil, 1/8 tsp garlic salt, 1/8 tsp oregano, 1/8 tsp parsley and a pinch of rosemary and thyme -My family preferred the butter without rosemary and thyme.)

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Butter one side of each piece of toast (you will have butter left over.)  Place butter side up in oven and bake 3-4 minutes or until slightly brown.  Remove, flip butter side down and top each half with shredded cheese.  Fresh mozzarella or fontina would melt well, but any cheese will do. Bake for 3-5 additional minutes or until cheese is melted.  Remove from oven and quickly place halves together.

Note: When cutting out shapes, you can save the scraps for homemade croutons, by cutting them in little squares and placing them in a bag until ready to use.  A simply tasty crouton recipe I have used in the past I found here.

Serve as a side with soup.

Witch's Brew 'Stew'

Cook up your favorite soup (my family likes creamy tomato.) Then using a cookie cutter on a thick slice of cheese, regular or kraft singles and any color, cut a hat and two shoes. Gently lay cheese cut-outs on top of soup. I used Chex Mix for the socks effect and circle on hat.

Note: The high heal cookie cutter and can be found at most craft stores in the cake decorating section.

Caramel Apple Cider

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #16

Ohh so delicious, oh so perfect for a chilly afternoon, oh SO starbucks like. This is really fun fall drink.  It seems to go right along with the other 'caramel apple' themed posts, and I'm sure there are more to come.  Caramel + apple = doesn't get much better than this when it comes to tasty fall treats.

Caramel Apple Cider

8 oz. Apple juice (or apple cider with no added flavors i.e. cinnamon)
2 tbsp. Cinnamon Syrup (Vanilla syrup is a close competitor, but the cinnamon is AWESOME in this drink)
Whipping Cream
Caramel Sauce

-Heat apple juice in mug for 1-2 minutes.  Stir in Cinnamon Syrup (I used the DaVinci syrup, a friend of mine that owns a coffee shop, claims they are here favorite. Look for by the coffee section in the grocery store or check out a local coffee shop/specialty grocer.)
-Top with Whipping cream and drizzle with caramel.
-Sit, relax and sip away.

Gourmet Caramel Apples

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea  #15

I think fall, I think apples, I think apples, I think caramel and and itsy-bits of yum sprinkled on top then drizzled with chocolate.  And since this is how I think, every year (usually mid-September because I can't wait to create this fun seasonal treat, ) I whip out a few of these beauties.

{Fancy Shmancy} Caramel Apples

5 regular or 4 large Granny Smith apples
1 bag caramels (I prefer Kraft)
popsicle or wooden sticks
White chocolate
Milk or Dark Chocolate
1/2 teaspoon crisco or oil (per cup of chocolate)


And any combination of the following:
cinnamon and sugar
sprinkles
crushed oreos
toffee bits
mini chocolate chips
chopped nuts (I prefer pecans on apples)
coconut
granola
or any other creative topping you can concoct

It seems like unwrapping each caramel is the longest part of the process, but lucky for me, I bribe my kids by letting them eat one if they unwrap the package! Yeah, I've won a variety of mom-of-the-year medals.  A tall, narrow bowl works best.
-Melt caramel as directed on package in microwave.  While melting, wash, and dry each apple.  I find they dip best if pulled directly from the fridge.  Press popsicle stick into the center of each apple, pressing down 1/3-1/2 way through apple's core.
-Once caramel is melted, let set about 1 minute at room temperature.  Meanwhile, cover a cookie sheet with wax paper and caot WELL with cooking spray.  Dip each apple into caramel, I like to leave just a little apple showing at the top.  Hold apple about caramel bowl for several seconds to allow extra caramel to drip off.  Place on wax paper to set.  Repeat for remaining apples.

NOTE: if you do not want to cover apple in chocolate, but want to still add topping to the apple, roll in toppings while caramel is still soft. The best way to do this is place a layer of toppings on a small, flat pan covered in wax paper and roll back and forth unless well coated.  You want a thick layer of coating crumbs to hold caramel to apple or it will all run off while setting.

-Place caramel covered apples in fridge for at least 1 hour to set before coating in layers.  Melt white chocolate and crisco in microwave on medium power 1 minute.  Stir then heat an additional 30 seconds or until melted.  Let white chocolate just barely start to set before pulling apples from fridge.  Dip each apple in white chocolate and quickly top with either cinnamon and sugar or your favorite additions.  Repeat process for remaining apples.  I usually like to do a variety of flavors.

If you want to get extra creative, melt milk chocolate or colored melting chips, place on ziplock bag, cut a small hole in one corner and drizzle over top of apple. Store in fridge.

Enjoy!

Harry {Scary} Potter Treats

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #14

My oldest daughter could sit and multiply or add or all day, but put a book in front of her and well...let's just say we all need incentives!  After finishing her newest beloved series of fairy books, she wanted something a little more advanced, but that still contained magic, and thus we introduced Harry Potter!  Being the mean mom that I am, I told she had to read the books before she could watch any of the movies, so off reading she went and a few weeks later, this is what we created for movie night... (thanks to another fun blog, she has many more cute Harry Potter ideas as well and her versions are much more colorful, mine were a little last minute.)

When Harry first got on Hogwart's Express, he had money to burn and wanted to try all the new, never before sampled candies he could.  Here are a few of our creations.  

NOTE: There are more ideas to follow, but I only wanted to do a few per book/movie to keep things fun and interesting!

Magical Writing

Alphabet cookies- spell what ever you want!

Acid Pops

Pop Rocks

Lollipops

Karo Syrup (did I just scare everyone away?  If so, use honey, but it won't taste as good)

In a bowl melt 1/4 cup Karo syrup in microwave until hot and runny.  Dip lollipop in syrup covering evenly, but keeping coating thin.  Then roll into Pop rocks and serve relatively soon so 'acid' still pops. 

Licorice Wands

Licorice sticks

1/2 cup chocolate chips (any flavor/color)

1/2 teaspoon oil or crisco

sprinkles (I used silver)

In microwave safe bowl, melt chips and oil on medium power for 1 minute.  Remove and stir.  Return to microwave on medium heat and heat 30 more seconds, then stir.  Repeat until chips are smooth.  Dip top 1/3 of licorice in chocolate mixture, coat with sprinkles and place on wax paper, in fridge, until set.  Serve up with something fun like Ron's rat etc...

Candy Corn Cake

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #13

When I started making plans for a fall birthday, I REALLY wanted to make a candy corn cake, I don't really know why it sounded so fun, maybe it was because I LOVE fall and everything about fall including the look (maybe not so much the taste) of candy corn!  So, for a year I have been plotting my cake and since my baby just turned one {sigh} a candy corn cake she shall have!  However it is cute enough to serve up for any family or crowd.

Candy Corn Cake

cake

white frosting (vanilla is the most brilliant white)

orange or yellow sprinkles (which ever color you want to end in)

Mom's Pound Cake Recipe:

1 cake mix (any flavor)

1 package pudding (any flavor that fits cake flavor)

1/3 cup oil

4 eggs

1 cup water

Spray a 9 inch round pan with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper.  To do this, turn pan over and trace onto parchment paper with a pencil, then cut out the circle. Cut a second piece of parchment paper slightly taller than the height of the pan, cut small slits on one edge of the paper, and gently fold slits so paper will sit comfortably inside pan (the slits help the parchment paper sit in a circle.)  Place the bottom piece of parchment paper in the pan, and once more coat with cooking spray and flour.  Pour in batter (fill a small greased dish with remaining batter.)  

-Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.  Using a butter knife, scrape around the edge of the cake to loosen any sticking.  Then gently flip cake out onto a cooling rack and let set about 10 more minutes.  

-Place cake on a wax paper covered cookie sheet and put in freezer for 15 minutes, then pull out and cut into desired wedges, I cut 6 slices and then rounded off the top of each triangle wedge.  Return to freezer for 30 minutes.  

-When cold and solid, remove one wedge at a time and frost the top 1/3 with the white frosting.  Return each one to the freezer after frosting.  Once white frosting is done, divide remaining frosting in half and color half yellow and half orange.  

-Frost the second 1/3 of cake wedges and again return to freezer in between.  Once the last frosting color is used (aka orange) gently press sprinkle into the back side of the candy corn and return cake to freezer until ready to serve.  

-Garnish with candy corns as desired.

Owl Cupcakes

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #12

These cute little cups cakes could be made four different ways: regular cupcakes with oreos, mini cupcakes with mini oreos or mini cupcakes with mini marshmallows or my personal favorite, using regular cupcakes and regular marshmallows

Owl Cupcakes

Chocolate cake mix

chocolate frosting

oreos and chocolate chips

OR

Marshmallows, wilton melting chips (yellow or orange) and mini chocolate chips

candy corn

Any cake batter will do, I prefer to make a more dense cake, so here is a pound cake recipe I got from a friend.

Cake Batter:

1 box mix

1 package chocolate pudding

1/2 cup oil

3 eggs

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup water

Mix together.  Fill cupcakes and bake at 350 degrees 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool.  

Oreo Owls:

Carefully separate enough Oreos to create 2 cream filled eyes for each owl, using a butter knife, carefully scrape off any black Oreo crumbs from the cream center.  Frost cupcake evenly with chocolate frosting and gently press oreo eyes into frosting.  Press one candy corn upside down in cupcake near eyes to create a beak.  Dab a little chocolate frosting onto the back of a chocolate chip and place in the center of each Oreo eye.

Marshmallow Owls:

Cut a regular marshmallow in half.  Place each half, sticky side down, close to each other on the top of an UNFROSTED cupcake top.  Place in microwave 15-25 seconds, just until marshmallow to starts to grow.  Remove from microwave and quickly press one wilton melting chip into the center of each marshmallow half.  Then, dab a little frosting on the back of a mini chocolate chip and place in center of wilton melting chip to create an eye.

NOTE: When microwaving cupcakes, it works best to do one cupcake at a time.  

-Follow same directions for a mini cupcake version using mini supplies.  Instead of a wilton melting chip, use a butterscotch chocolate chip on center of mini marshmallow, but place upside down into marshmallow center.

Candy Corn Creme Brulee

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #11

Creme Brulee

3 cups heavy cream
six egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup brown sugar

In a double boiler, heat cream until bubbles start to form around the edge.  In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar.  Slowly add to cream mixture.
-Cook over medium heat until mixture coats a metal spoon.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Whisk until smooth or strain if lumpy.  Divide mixture in thirds, leave one mixture untouched and dye 1/3 yellow and 1/3 orange.
-While still warm, layer mixture in dessert glasses to resemble colors of candy corn.  Pour into ramekins or petit dessert cups and refrigerate over night.
-1 hour before serving, sprinkle brown sugar over tops of glasses and broil 1-2 minutes in oven until sugar melts and forms a crust.  Serve chilled.

NOTE:  This can also be baked in the oven instead of cooked on the stove.  If baking, place petit glasses in a pan with edges and cover glasses at least 1/2 way with water.  Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes or until mixture looks set.  Refrigerate.  Then Broil brown sugar using same process.

Owl Treat Bag

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #10

Owl Treat Bags


Trail mix
Pirates Booty or Popcorn Puffs
Fall colored M&M's
Goodie bags
Card stock paper

Fold card stock in half and cut shapes out of paper to your liking, then fill goodie bags, place owl face shapes on top and staple closed.

Puppy Chow Treats

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #9

Puppy Chow is an awesome edible treat that encourages good behavior and animalistic personalities.  My kids love it!  I made a few batches of chili to collect cans for the puppy chow and then printed off new logos to go on outside of the can.  It is best to use a can opener that does not leave sharp edges to keep fingers safe.  Once these treat cans were filled, I hot glued the lid tops back on.

Puppy Chow


9 cups Corn or Rice Chex
1/2 cup Nutella spread (easier for avoiding allergies)
1 cup chocolate chips (I prefer milk chocolate)
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups Powdered sugar

-Place cereal in a large mixing bowl.
-Melt chips, Nutella and butter in a microwave safe bowl 1 minute.  Remove and stir, return to microwave for 30 second increments until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla and pour over cereal stirring until evenly coated.  Place mixture in a ziplock back with powdered sugar and shake until coated.  Place on cookie sheet or return to bowl until cooled.

Veggie Bones

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #8

This guy was created using fresh vegetables, anything that can be layered and cut into thin slices will work.  I use red pepper slices for the ribs, tomatoes and mushrooms for the body, sugar snap peas, olives and carrots for the legs and toes, and mini dill pickles, olives and carrots for the arms and fingers.  A ranch container was used for the head, chives for the hair, mushroom ears, olive eyes and red pepper nose.

Halloween Eyeballs and Brains

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #7

Eyeballs and Brains


Spiral noodles
Spaghetti sauce
Meatballs
White cheese
olives, cut into rings

Prepare noodles and sauce according to packages.  Cut cheese into small square and place on top of meatballs, then bake meatballs on a cookie sheet in oven until heated.  Once cooked, top meatballs with olives and place on top of spaghetti mixture and serve.

Ghostly Ghoul Potatoes

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #6

Ghostly Ghoul Potatoes

1 lb hamburger
1 small onion, diced
1 lb frozen vegetables
1 can tomato soup
1 beef bullion cubes
4 cups mashed potatoes
Shredded cheese
Peas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. This recipe is for a simple Sherpherd's Pie.  Brown hamburger and onion in a skillet over medium high heat.  Then add vegetables, bullion and soup mix.  Place in an 8x8 pan and top with 3/4 potato mixture, using the remainder mixture, shape into ghosts and place two peas on each ghost for eyes.  Then, sprinkle dish with cheese and bake in oven for 30 minutes or until dish is bubbly and cheese melted.

Vampire Drink

Red juice
Green Gummy Bear

Serve in a fun shaped, small glass.

Hotdog Zombies

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #5

Hotdog Zombies


This meal was created using Scooby Doo Macaroni and Cheese (fits the haunted Halloween theme well.)  The hotdogs were cut in half and then small triangles cut to form hands.  Dots of ketchup were used for the eyes.

Mini Caramel Apples

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #4

As I'm sure will be evident in future posts, I think everything is much cuter in mini form!

Mini Caramel Apples

Granny Smith Apples

1 package Butterscotch chips

1 teaspoon Crisco

Lollipop sticks, cut in half, at an angle to form a point

Sprinkles

Mini cupcake holders

-Wash and dry apples.  Using a melon baller, carefully cut out round pieces of apple, taking care to leave the green skin showing.  

-Once, several balls are cut, place chips and Crisco in a glass dish.  Melt in microwave on medium power for 1 minute.  Remove from microwave and stir. Return to microwave and repeat, stirring every minute until melted.  

-Using a paper towel, carefully dry off access juice on apple bites, then using the pointed side of the lollipop stick, insert into the top green part of apple.

-Coat apples, covering the majority of the apple, but leaving a small amount of green on top showing.

-Once dipped, roll into sprinkles and place in cupcake holder to set.

Mummy Muffin Pizza

31 Days of Fall Fun- Idea #3

Mummy Muffin Pizza

English Muffin
Pizza sauce
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Olives, cut in rings

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Divide english muffins in half, top each half with sauce, then sprinkle with cheese in a criss-cross pattern, leaving a little space where eyes will go, without cheese.  Place to olive rings for eyes and bake until cheese is melted and lightly brown.

Witch Fingers

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #2

Witch Fingers

Taquitos

Olives, cut in half lengthwise

Guagamole or salsa for dipping

Cook Taquitos according to directions on package, arrange like fingers on a plate, placing dip for the palm of the hand, then top with olives for fingernails.

Spider Brownie Pop

31 Days of Fun Fall Ideas- Idea #1

This is a fun topper for cupcakes, bars or even by themselves.  This spider was placed on top of a pumpkin bar (recipe to follow soon.)


Spider Brownie Pop


Brownie mix
Chocolate frosting (if molding shapes by hand)
Small pretzel sticks
Tootsie rolls
White frosting
Food coloring
Black sprinkles
Jelly beans
Toothpicks


Mix your favorite brownie recipe according to instructions on box.  Then, pour batter into well greased Wilton Silicon Pop pan, or bake brownies in a 9x13 pan and mold after baking.


*If molding after baking, let brownies cool, then in a large bowl, crumble brownies and stir in 1/2 cup chocolate frosting.  Mold brownies into a ball, then place on wax paper and flatten bottom to resemble shape of a gumdrop.   


-Freeze brownie shapes until well chilled.  Melt chocolate-flavored candy melts (according to package)
Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper.  Remove brownies from freezer.  Poke a toothpick through the bottom of the brownie and carefully dip each one in chocolate coating.  NOTE: If you hold a second toothpick in your opposite it, it helps prevent handling the brownie too much and allows for a nice even coat.  Repeat process to cover each brownie and return to fridge.
-Meanwhile, soften Tootsie roll, by rubbing with hands, then break into small pieces and form a ball, but big enough to hold pretzels together.  Carefully break pretzel sticks in half. Press two half pretzels into each Tootsie roll ball and form a slight V or bend with pretzels.  Repeat to create six legs. Once chocolate coating is set, gently press three pretzel legs into both sides of spider.  Pipe white circles for eyes and top with a small black sprinkle.  Then, color remaining frosting and pipe in a zigzag pattern to create a mouth. Add a jelly bean nose. Return to fridge until ready to serve...a CUTE creepy crawler!