*Grave Yard Dessert
CRUST
2 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup margarine, melted

FILLING
8-oz package fat-free cream cheese
12-oz tub Cool Whip Free®, thawed
2 cups boiling water
2 (4-servings) packages orange gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
Ice cubes

DECORATIONS
1/4 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
7 rectangular shaped sandwich cookies
7 oval shaped sandwich cookies
Decorator icing brown, green, orange, and white
Candy corn
Candy pumpkins

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9 x 13 x 2" pan with cooking spray and flour. To prepare crust, combine 2 cups cookie crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and margarine in a small mixing bowl. Press firmly into prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes and then chill.
To prepare filling, combine cream cheese and 1/2 cup Cool Whip in a mixing bowl. In another mixing bowl, combine boiling water into gelatin until completely dissolved. Mix cold water and ice cubes together to make 1 1/2 cups. Stir ice water into gelatin until thickened. Remove any remaining ice cubes. Spoon gelatin over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Spread remaining Cool Whip over gelatin layer.
Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cookie crumbs. Decorate as a "grave yard" by poking sandwich cookies on end into dessert. Decorate the cookies as tombstones with the decorator icing. Scatter candy and pumpkins around the surface.
............................
*Halloween Spider Cake
BATTER
18 1/4 oz box white cake mix
4-serving package green gelatin

BLACK FROSTING
Blue food coloring Chocolate frosting
DECORATIONS
4 black licorice whips
2 big green gumballs
6 little gumballs

Prepare cake using two 9-inch round cake pans. Cool. Prepare the gelatin according to package directions. It works best if it is just a little on the soft side.
On a foil-covered cookie-sheet, place one cake layer for the body. Cut a smaller circle out of the center of the layer. Place this smaller round of cake as the spider's head. Fill the hole left in the body layer with gelatin. Place the other cake layer on top of the body and trim cake slightly to shape , if desired.
To prepare frosting, in a mixing bowl, add blue food coloring to the chocolate frosting until black in color. Frost the entire cake black. Cut the black licorice whips in half and insert for the eight legs. Position the gumballs as eyes.
............................
*POTTY JELLO
"Purchase the plastic bowl that fits in a child's potty training chair (they sell them at places like KMart). Wash the bowl and prepare lemon jello per package directions. Float miniature O-Henry bars in it, refrigerate, and serve."
............................
*Witches Tongues
Ingredients:
Fig Newtons
Peanut Butter
Popcicle sticks
decorations to dip in we used sugars, chocolate chips, non peril decorations, coconut
Preparation:
Carefully insert the popcicle stick into the Fig Newton cookie. Spreak peanut butter all over the cookie, you want to cover it completely. Dip cookie into decorations.
............................
*TOXIC AQUARIUM JELLO
Mix orange and blue jello to get a putrid shade of green. Lifesavers make old tires and you can toss in other junky things for trash on the bottom of the sea. Something barrel-shaped (root beer barrels?) for that illegally dumped toxic waste. Float your fish upside-down on top, and add a plastic skeleton or two. Haven't figured out a good way to put something on the bottom to represent the sand.
............................
*CHOCOLATE SPIDERS
Ingredients:
4 cups semisweet chocolate baking chips
Preparation:
4 cups semisweet chocolate baking chips Melt chocolate chips in top of double boiler. Let stand over the water until water is cool, about 10 minutes. Place wax paper on cookie sheet. Pour chocolate into a pastry bag that is fitted with a 1/8-inch or 1/4-inch tip. Squeeze chocolate onto wax paper in the shape of spiders. If chocolate is runny it needs to be cooled longer. Chill the spiders for about 10 minutes. When hard peel off wax paper. Store in refrigerator laid flat.
............................
*Graveyard Pudding
Ingredients:
1 pkg. 4 serving size pudding - you your favorite flavor
1/2 C. crushed chocolate sandwhich cookie crumbs
2 oblong shaped cookies we used Pepperidge Farm Milanos
various candy
grave yard party favors

Preparation:
Prepare your favorite pudding as directed on the package. Pour into a serving bowl. Over the pudding with the cookie crumbs. Insert graves if desired. We added words to ours with easy decorator frosting in a tube. Add additional candy or party favors to complete the scene
............................
*Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake
CRUST
1-1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

CHEESECAKE
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened 1 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1-3/4 cups Solid Pack Pumpkin
2 eggs
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1-1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

TOPPING
1 cup (8-ounce container) sour cream, at room temperature
3 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1. For crust: combine cookie crumbs, sugar and butter in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1-inch up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake in a preheated 350º oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Remove from oven; cool.
2. For cheesecake: beat cream cheese and sugars in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in pumpkin, eggs and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg; beat well. Pour into crust. Bake at 350º for 55 to 60 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly.
3. For topping: combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla in small bowl. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake. Bake at 350º for 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Chill several hours or overnight; remove sides of pan. Makes 16 servings
............................
*PUMPKIN MUFFINS
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. In large mixing bowl, mix together canned pumpkin, brown sugar, melted butter, water and eggs.
3. In separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and blend until just combined. Stir in nuts.
4. Spoon the batter into 12 greased muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Yield: 1 dozen.
............................
*Dirt Cups
Ingredients
1 pkg. (16 oz.) OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
2 cups cold milk
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
thawed Gummy worms
Preparation
Crush cookies in zipper-style plastic bag with rolling pin or in food processor. Pour cold milk into large bowl. Add pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir in whipped topping and 1/2 of the crushed cookies.
Place about 1 Tbsp. of the remaining crushed cookies in each of 8 to 10 (7-oz.) paper or plastic cups. Fill cups about 3/4 full with pudding mixture; top with remaining crushed cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with gummy worms just before serving. Store leftover desserts in refrigerator.
............................
*EYEBALL JELLO
"The Eyeball Jello was a hit - although most kids picked out the blueberries, the parents got a good laugh out of it. I poured lemon jello in ice cubes trays and put a blueberry in each cup and let set. I placed them in the sections used for a deviled egg plate with the rest heaped in the center."
............................
*Eyeball Potion
8 ounces vanilla ice cream
20 pieces blueberries or raisins
1 1/2 cup boiling water
1 ounce gelatine
red food colouring
3 cups cold water

red Jell-O, if desired, see recipe for details. Using a small ice-cream scoop, place 2 scoops ice cream into each of the 10 dessert dishes for eyeballs. Place a blueberry or raisin in each scoop for the pupil. Freeze 30 minutes, or until firm. Meanwhile, stir boiling water into gelatine in large bowl at least two minutes until completely dissolved. Add cold water to gelatine, stirring until slightly thickened. Water quantity may vary depending on the type of gelatine used. Add red food colouring as needed. To make it easier you may also replace this step by using red Jell-O. Pour about 1/2 cup gelatine around the two eyeballs in each dish, leaving the top of the eyeballs exposed. Freeze until ready to serve.
............................
*Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake
1 1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs
1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup margarine, melted
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine crumbs, pecans and margarine, press onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform. Bake at 350 degrees F° for 10 minutes. Combine cream cheese, 1/2 c sugar, vanilla and mix at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended and smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reserve 1 cup batter and refrigerate. Add remaining sugar, pumpkin and spices to remaining batter; mix well. Alternately layer pumpkin and cream cheese batters over crust. Cut through batters with knife several times for marble effect.
Bake at 350 degrees F° for 55 minutes. Loosen cake from side of pan and cool before removing from pan. Decorate Halloween style and keep refrigerated until serving
............................
*Ghost Cake
Ingredients:
1 (18 oz.) cake mix of your choice baked.
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter (softened)
4 C. confectioner's sugar
6 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla

Preparation:
Bake cake according to package directions. When the cake is cool remove it from the pan, and place onto serving area. Carve the head by slicing off the corners into rounded edges. Shape the head into a continuous rounded shape. Carve body by shaping the sides of the cake inward like )(. Shape the "feet" of the ghost by making jagged edges on the bottom of the cake.Prepare frosting by beating together butter, confectioner's sugar, milk, and vanilla.
Frost the cake, and create eyes with either frosting or chocolate candies.
............................
*Halloween Haunted House
1 container ( 16 oz ) chocolate fudge frosting
Decorations:
pretzel sticks
nuts
fudge-coated graham crackers
black liquorice twists
black jelly beans
sugar wafers
candy corn
dried papaya
rice crackers
other assorted candies
1 spooky ghost cookie

Supplies:
2 empty 1 qt. milk cartons, rinsed and dried 1 ( 13 X 11 inch ) cake board, covered, or a large tray Tape each milk carton closed at top. Tape milk cartons together to make a house. Wrap with foil. Attach securely to covered cake board with tape. Frost cartons with chocolate frosting. Decorate using your imagination, such as chocolate covered crackers for windows and doors with pretzel sticks to make window panes. M and M's to make path leading up to door etc. Corn candy right under roof. Other candies on roof, and a ghost cookie attached with frosting to give it the ghostlike feeling. Put candy pumpkins on stoop outside door. Have fun with it.
............................
*Spider Cake
Ingredients:
1 (18 oz.) pkg. chocolate cake mix for the cake
1 (18 oz.) pkg. chocolate cake mix for the cup cakes.
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine

Chocolate Frosting
2/3 C. Cocoa
3 C. powdered sugar
1/3 C. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tube of decorator white frosting
black pipe cleaners for cup cakes
a few chocolate coated candies for cup cakes

Preparation:
Prepare one chocolate cake mix as directed but use two 9 inch pans for the cake. When the cakes cool, frost with chocolate frosting. Decorate with the white frosing by painting on a spiderweb shape. You can decorate cupcakes into spiders by frosting them with chocolate frosting, and cutting pipe cleaners into fourths, and adding four legs to each side. Add the eyes by placing two candies between the two sets of legs.


*Back to Main Index*