Trick or Treat?? We Vote Treat! Recipes & Giveaway

To celebrate All Hallows Eve, NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS are blogging about their favorite homemade Halloween treats. Enjoy!--And we are giving away four books for your delectation. Muwhahaha!!

Pumpkin Soup

Six green onions (Separate the white from the green).

Cook in two cups of chicken broth (approximately 15 minutes).

Add two cups of pumpkin (cook 15 minutes or tender when tested with a fork).

Drain and work through a sieve then combine with three tablespoons of butter, tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 quarter teaspoon of white pepper.

Cook over low heat about ten minutes.

Before serving add two cups of half and half, sliced tomato and sprinkle green onion on top.

 Elise

Scene Stealer

www.elisewarner.blogspot.com

Bread Stick Bones with Blood

1 tube refrigerated bread stick dough

1 Tbs butter

2 Tbs Parmesan cheese

Garlic salt to taste

Unroll bread stick dough. Carefully stretch out and tie ends into knots. Use a scissors to cut a notch in the middle. Place on ungreased cookie sheet then brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with cheese and garlic salt then back at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes until golden.  Serve with red sauce.

Wynter

www.WynterDaniels.com

Cookie ghosts

Take Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies (or similar flat oval shaped cookie (for you furriners: try a lady finger, like you'd use for tiramisu?) and melt some white chocolate. Dip them in chocolate about half way. Lay they on a wax papered cookie sheet. Add some round candies for eyes...like mini M&Ms or sprinkles. Try a dab of black gel icing for an open mouth. Or just set out the decoration possibilities and let the kids go to town! (We always made dark chocolate ones as well, for an integrated ghost neighborhood.<g>)
Frankenheads

Get some big marshmallows, white or dark melted chocolate, your leftover holiday sprinkles, gel icing in different colors and a few toothpicks or small pretzel sticks. Use the marshmallow as the head. Dip one end in chocolate and add green or black jimmies for crazy hair. Use the toothpicks or pretzels to paint on spots of chocolate to attach eyes or draw some wicked looking scars. Set the finished "heads" in mini paper cupcake papers. Another fun kid-artist activity!

Last but not least, I always like to throw a few plastic spiders and eyeballs into some ice cube trays or small tupperware holders. The secret is to use the last of the boiled water in the kettle, which will freeze clear, not cloudy. Drop them in a glass for a surprise at dinner! (Note to the file: this can be a fun April Fool's moment, as well.<g>)

J Wachowski

http://jwachowski.com

Pumpkin & Choc Chip Muffins

Makes: 24

• 415g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 600g caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 500g pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 150ml water
• 170g plain chocolate chips

Preparation method

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 30 mins

1.Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Grease two 12-hole muffin tins or line with cases.

2.In a large bowl, stir together flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, salt and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat together pumpkin, eggs and water. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture; beat until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips.

3.Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into centre of a muffin comes out clean. 

 

Clare London

http://www.clarelondon.co.uk
 

 

 

Severed Fingers Halloween Cookie

2 tablespoons red food coloring
30 blanched almonds
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 pinch salt
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1 Heat oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats) or parchment paper, and set aside.
2 Place food coloring in a shallow bowl. crack each whole almond into halves. and toss them into the bowl with the food coloring and stir them until the color is evenly distributed. leave them in the bowl and stir them every so often until the color is as dark as you like.
3 Separate 1 egg. Set aside the white. In a small bowl, whisk together yolk, remaining egg, and vanilla. Set aside.
4 In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Add egg mixture, and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic, and chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes.
5 Divide the dough in half. Work with one piece at a time, keeping remaining dough covered with plastic wrap and chilled. Divide the first half into fifteen pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece back and forth with palms into finger shapes, 3 to 4 inches long. Pinch dough in two places to form knuckles. Score each knuckle lightly with the back of a small knife. Transfer fingers to prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
6 When all fingers are formed, brush lightly with egg white. Position almond nails; push into dough to attach.
7 Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Cool completely.
8 note: To make the knuckles more creepy just shape them big and uneven. To keep them from puffing out too much roll the fingers extra skinny (skinnier than you want them to look if that makes sense). I also try to get them out of the oven before they brown. I sometimes add a bit of almond extract to dough

Read more at: http://www.food.com/recipe/severed-fingers-halloween-cookies-135850?oc=linkback

 

Anne Marie

http://www.annemariebecker.com

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And, because it's Halloween, we are giving away a copy of EDGE OF LIGHT, PROTECTIVE CUSTODY, SEA OF SUSPICION to one lucky commenter, today. Muwhahaha!!

Plus, a rare and special paperback copy of...

 Winners chosen at our discretion. Probably random, possibly Ouija board!

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