Halloween Party Food Ideas

Directions

1. Slice the refrigerated cookie dough into rounds and bake them at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, spread a layer of chocolate frosting over each cookie, stopping about 1/8 inch from the edge, and let it firm up. Melt the unsweetened chocolate squares in a double boiler, then transfer the warm chocolate into a decorating bag with a No. 2 metal tip. For a circular design, pipe five or six concentric rings on the cookie and drag a wooden pick from the center outward, repeating this eight to ten times. For a striped look, pipe parallel lines spaced 1/4 inch apart and drag the pick diagonally across them. Let the chocolate harden at room temperature.
2. Heat your oven to 325°F. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg lightly, then gradually whisk in the sugar until the mixture becomes light and foamy, which should take about 20 minutes. Stir in the chopped almonds and flour until well combined. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into ropes about the thickness of a finger, then flatten them slightly with your fingertips. Cut the ropes into 3-inch segments and arrange them on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until they turn a light brown color, roughly 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely before storing them in airtight containers.
3. Assemble sandwich cookies by spreading creamy peanut butter between two Ritz crackers. Dip each sandwich into melted chocolate, ensuring it is fully coated, and place them on wax paper. Sprinkle orange sprinkles over the top while the chocolate is still wet, then refrigerate until the coating is firm.
4. Preheat your oven to the temperature indicated on the cookie dough package. Lightly flour a flat surface and roll out the dough slightly thicker than the package instructions suggest. Use a butter knife to cut out flattened cat shapes, then carefully lift them with a large spatula onto a baking sheet. Bake according to the package directions. While the cookies cool, take enough red cinnamon candies to create two eyes and a nose for each cat, flattening them between the backs of two spoons. After the cookies have cooled on the sheet for about three minutes, press the candy pieces into the dough to form the face. Drizzle seedless strawberry jam over the cookies to resemble blood.
5. Using a serrated knife, slice 18 cookies into quarters, saving the rest for later. To form a bat, place two cookie quarters on waxed paper about 1/4 inch apart. Melt the milk chocolate candy melts, then drop about 1/2 teaspoon of the melted candy in the gap between the cookie pieces to act as the body. Use a toothpick to smooth the candy into a uniform circle. Allow the bats to cool completely before moving them.
6. Cut the chocolate Twizzlers into 1 1/2-inch segments, then slice each segment in half lengthwise. On waxed paper, arrange four leg pieces on each side of a spot. Drop 1 teaspoon of melted milk chocolate candy melts in the center to connect the pieces and form the body. Smooth the chocolate with a toothpick and let it cool completely before removing the treats from the paper.
7. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, quick oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, then gradually beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy. Mix in the slightly beaten egg and vanilla. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the pumpkin puree, mixing well after each addition, then stir in the semi-sweet morsels. Drop 1/4 cup of dough onto a lightly greased sheet and spread it into a ghost shape using a thin metal spatula, or use a paper template for consistent poses. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until firm and lightly browned. Cool on racks, then spread with white royal icing and use tube icing to trim the facial features.
8. Melt the butter and marshmallows together, stirring until smooth. In a large bowl, combine the crispy rice cereal, candy corn mixture, and miniature chocolate chips. Add orange food coloring to the marshmallow mixture or spray it directly over the cereal. Pour the marshmallow mixture over the cereal and stir quickly to coat everything evenly. Spread the mixture onto a large jelly roll pan that has been buttered, pressing it down with buttered hands. While still warm, press candy pumpkins onto the surface, spacing them 1 to 2 inches apart. Refrigerate until set, then cut into squares.
9. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Core each apple from the stem end down to 1/2 inch from the bottom. Fill each cavity with 1 teaspoon of jam and a pat of butter. Place the apples in a baking pan and bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes. Let them stand for 15 minutes after removing from the oven. Set each apple in a bowl and spoon the pan syrup around it. Insert a gummy worm so that half of its body sticks out.
10. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rinse the pumpkin seeds thoroughly. For every 2 cups of seeds, combine them with 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt in a saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, then drain well in a strainer. Pat the seeds dry with paper towels. Toss them in a large bowl with melted butter until evenly coated. Spray a cookie sheet with vegetable spray, spread the seeds out, and bake for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until they turn golden brown.
11. Keep the popped popcorn warm in a 200°F oven. Melt the light caramels in a double boiler over simmering water, then stir in the light corn syrup and water until smooth. Slowly pour this mixture over the popcorn in a large bowl and stir to combine. Using greased hands, shape the mixture into softball-sized balls. Allow them to cool completely before wrapping them in plastic wrap.
12. Grease a large cookie sheet and set it aside. Wash and dry the red delicious apples, then insert a wooden skewer through the stem, leaving about two inches exposed. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, red food coloring, and water. Cook, stirring constantly, until the ingredients dissolve and the liquid boils. Insert a candy thermometer and continue cooking without stirring until the temperature reaches 290°F, which takes about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place the chopped peanuts in a bowl. Remove the syrup from heat and dip each apple to coat it evenly. Work quickly, rolling each dipped apple in the peanuts before placing it on the prepared sheet. Let the apples cool for at least an hour.
13. Slice the refrigerated cookie dough into rounds and bake them at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, spread a layer of chocolate frosting over each cookie, stopping about 1/8 inch from the edge, and let it firm up. Melt the unsweetened chocolate squares in a double boiler, then transfer the warm chocolate into a decorating bag with a No. 2 metal tip. For a circular design, pipe five or six concentric rings on the cookie and drag a wooden pick from the center outward, repeating this eight to ten times. For a striped look, pipe parallel lines spaced 1/4 inch apart and drag the pick diagonally across them. Let the chocolate harden at room temperature.
14. Heat your oven to 325°F. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg lightly, then gradually whisk in the sugar until the mixture becomes light and foamy, which should take about 20 minutes. Stir in the chopped almonds and flour until well combined. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into ropes about the thickness of a finger, then flatten them slightly with your fingertips. Cut the ropes into 3-inch segments and arrange them on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until they turn a light brown color, roughly 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely before storing them in airtight containers.
15. Assemble sandwich cookies by spreading creamy peanut butter between two Ritz crackers. Dip each sandwich into melted chocolate, ensuring it is fully coated, and place them on wax paper. Sprinkle orange sprinkles over the top while the chocolate is still wet, then refrigerate until the coating is firm.
16. Preheat your oven to the temperature indicated on the cookie dough package. Lightly flour a flat surface and roll out the dough slightly thicker than the package instructions suggest. Use a butter knife to cut out flattened cat shapes, then carefully lift them with a large spatula onto a baking sheet. Bake according to the package directions. While the cookies cool, take enough red cinnamon candies to create two eyes and a nose for each cat, flattening them between the backs of two spoons. After the cookies have cooled on the sheet for about three minutes, press the candy pieces into the dough to form the face. Drizzle seedless strawberry jam over the cookies to resemble blood.
17. Using a serrated knife, slice 18 cookies into quarters, saving the rest for later. To form a bat, place two cookie quarters on waxed paper about 1/4 inch apart. Melt the milk chocolate candy melts, then drop about 1/2 teaspoon of the melted candy in the gap between the cookie pieces to act as the body. Use a toothpick to smooth the candy into a uniform circle. Allow the bats to cool completely before moving them.
18. Cut the chocolate Twizzlers into 1 1/2-inch segments, then slice each segment in half lengthwise. On waxed paper, arrange four leg pieces on each side of a spot. Drop 1 teaspoon of melted milk chocolate candy melts in the center to connect the pieces and form the body. Smooth the chocolate with a toothpick and let it cool completely before removing the treats from the paper.
19. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, quick oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, then gradually beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy. Mix in the slightly beaten egg and vanilla. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the pumpkin puree, mixing well after each addition, then stir in the semi-sweet morsels. Drop 1/4 cup of dough onto a lightly greased sheet and spread it into a ghost shape using a thin metal spatula, or use a paper template for consistent poses. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until firm and lightly browned. Cool on racks, then spread with white royal icing and use tube icing to trim the facial features.
20. Melt the butter and marshmallows together, stirring until smooth. In a large bowl, combine the crispy rice cereal, candy corn mixture, and miniature chocolate chips. Add orange food coloring to the marshmallow mixture or spray it directly over the cereal. Pour the marshmallow mixture over the cereal and stir quickly to coat everything evenly. Spread the mixture onto a large jelly roll pan that has been buttered, pressing it down with buttered hands. While still warm, press candy pumpkins onto the surface, spacing them 1 to 2 inches apart. Refrigerate until set, then cut into squares.
21. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Core each apple from the stem end down to 1/2 inch from the bottom. Fill each cavity with 1 teaspoon of jam and a pat of butter. Place the apples in a baking pan and bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes. Let them stand for 15 minutes after removing from the oven. Set each apple in a bowl and spoon the pan syrup around it. Insert a gummy worm so that half of its body sticks out.
22. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rinse the pumpkin seeds thoroughly. For every 2 cups of seeds, combine them with 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt in a saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, then drain well in a strainer. Pat the seeds dry with paper towels. Toss them in a large bowl with melted butter until evenly coated. Spray a cookie sheet with vegetable spray, spread the seeds out, and bake for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until they turn golden brown.
23. Keep the popped popcorn warm in a 200°F oven. Melt the light caramels in a double boiler over simmering water, then stir in the light corn syrup and water until smooth. Slowly pour this mixture over the popcorn in a large bowl and stir to combine. Using greased hands, shape the mixture into softball-sized balls. Allow them to cool completely before wrapping them in plastic wrap.
24. Grease a large cookie sheet and set it aside. Wash and dry the red delicious apples, then insert a wooden skewer through the stem, leaving about two inches exposed. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, red food coloring, and water. Cook, stirring constantly, until the ingredients dissolve and the liquid boils. Insert a candy thermometer and continue cooking without stirring until the temperature reaches 290°F, which takes about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place the chopped peanuts in a bowl. Remove the syrup from heat and dip each apple to coat it evenly. Work quickly, rolling each dipped apple in the peanuts before placing it on the prepared sheet. Let the apples cool for at least an hour.