Halloween Recipes
INGREDIENTS
8oz vanilla-flavored candy coating, cut into pieces
8oz chocolate-flavored candy coating, cut into pieces
1 package (1 lb.) peanut-shaped peanut butter-filled sandwich cookies
32 miniature semisweet chocolate chips (about 2 teaspoons)
16 regular-size semisweet chocolate chips
32 small pretzel twists
32 miniature candy-coated chocolate baking bits
DIRECTIONS
1. Line cookie sheets with waxed paper. In 2 (1-quart) saucepans, separately melt vanilla candy coating and chocolate candy coating over low heat, stirring each constantly, until smooth.
2. Ghost cookies will be dipped in vanilla coating; bug cookies will be dipped in chocolate coating. Coat and decorate a few cookies at a time as coating sets up quickly. For each ghost or bug, place cookie in coating; lift out with fork, letting excess drip off. Place cookies, coated side up, on cookie sheets.
3. For each ghost, place 2 miniature chocolate chips on each coated cookie to resemble eyes and 1 regular chocolate chip for mouth. Let stand 10 minutes until set.
4. For bugs, cut pretzels into curved pieces for legs. Dip one end of each curved piece in chocolate coating; place 3 legs on each side of each cookie. Cut 2 short pieces for antennae. Dip one end of each pretzel piece in coating; place 2 antennae on top of each cookie. Place 2 candy-coated baking bits near antennae for eyes. Let stand 10 minutes until set.
INGREDIENTS
1 can (8 oz.) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz.) Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations refrigerated flaky dough sheet
2 1/2 slices American cheese, quartered (2.5 oz.)
10 large hot dogs
Cooking spray
Mustard or ketchup, if desired
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375F.
2. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate at perforations, creating 4 rectangles. Press perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles.
3. With knife or kitchen scissors, cut each rectangle lengthwise into 10 pieces, making a total of 40 pieces of dough. Slice cheese slices into quarters (1/2 slice cheese, cut in half).
4. Wrap 4 pieces of dough around each hot dog and 1/4 slice of cheese to look like bandages, stretching dough slightly to completely cover hot dog. About 1/2 inch from one end of each hot dog, separate bandages so hot dog shows through for face. On ungreased large cookie sheet, place wrapped hot dogs (cheese side down); spray dough lightly with cooking spray.
5. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until dough is light golden brown and hot dogs are hot. With mustard, draw features on face.
Halloween Recipes
Mini Monster Cupcake
Blue frosting
2 candy eyes
Red whip licorice
1 Circus Peanut, halved
1. Unwrap the cupcake and turn it upside down. With a writing or star tip, frost the cupcake from the top down.
2. Add the eyes, the licorice antennae and peanut halves for sneakers.
Spider Cupcakes
2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped peanuts or crispy rice cereal
3/4 cup dry chow mein noodles
24 baked cupcakes
White frosting
1. Coat each baked cupcake with chocolate frosting and partially insert a Nutter-Butter cookie into the top. Frost the remaining cookie with vanilla frosting. Draw a spooky expression on each ghost with the decorator's icing. Makes 24.
2. Make the spiders by combining the chocolate chips and milk in a glass bowl. Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently until smooth. Stir in the peanuts or cereal and chow mein noodles.
3. Drop by teaspoons onto waxed paper. Stick on extra noodles for spider legs and chill. Frost the cupcakes white. Then top each cupcake with a spider. Makes 24.
Halloween Fun Facts
Halloween Trivia and Fun Facts
Because of the unknown, Halloween is the one of the most captivating holidays, often celebrated by both adults and children. The element of surprise makes it fun and unpredictable. Enlighten yourself with Halloween trivia and fun facts to enjoy the holiday even more. Take the trivia and make a quiz for your next party!
Halloween Holiday Trivia
Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the Fall harvest and black is associated with darkness and death.
Jack o Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.
Pumpkins also come in white, blue and green. Great for unique monster carvings!
Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance and tell fortunes.
Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America.
The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.
Halloween candy sales average about 2 billion dollars annually in the United States.
Chocolate candy bars top the list as the most popular candy for trick-or-treaters with Snickers #1.
Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday, with Christmas being the first.
Bobbing for apples is thought to have originated from the roman harvest festival that honors Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees.
Black cats were once believed to be witch's familiars who protected their powers.
Monster Trivia & Folklore
Signs of a werewolf are a unibrow, hair palms, tattoos, and a long middle finger.
Vampires are mythical beings who defy death by sucking the blood of humans.
In 1962, the Count Dracula Society was founded.
To this day, there are vampire clubs and societies with people claiming to be real vampires.
There really are so-called vampire bats, but they're not from Transylvania. They live in Central and South America and feed on the blood of cattle, horses and birds.
Many people still believe that gargoyles were created by medieval architects and stone carvers to ward off evil spirits.
Creepy Snippets
If you see a spider on Halloween, it is the spirit of a loved on watching over you.
Worldwide, bats are vital natural enemies of night-flying insects.
The common little brown bat of North America has the longest life span for a mammal it's size, with a life span averaging 32 years.
In about 1 in 4 autopsies, a major disease is discovered that was previously undetected.
The Ouija Board ended up outselling the game of Monopoly in its first full year at Salem. Over two million copies of the Ouija Board were shipped.
Halloween Movie Details
'Halloween" was made in only 21 days in 1978 on a very limited budget.
The movie was shot in the Spring and used fake autumn leaves.
The mask used by Michael Meyers in the movie "Halloween" was actually William Shatner's mask painted white.
The character Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis was named after John Carpenter's first girlfriend.
While the setting for the story is in Illinois, the license plates on the vehicles have California plates.
Halloween is on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. It was originally a pagan holiday, honoring the dead. Holloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago.