Sweet,Scary Treats

This is the weekend for Halloween parties. One of the highlights of any party is the dessert table, full of fun treats.They're easy to make and home bakers and candy makers can get as creative as they want. The result is buffet of spooky sweets, the perfect end to any holiday party.

Caramel and candy apples reign supreme right now. For a fun twist, set up your version of an Apple Bar. Have apples already dipped in the gooey stuff surrounded by bowls of mini chocolate chips, toasted coconut flakes , and festive black and orange sprinkles.For a total gross out have bowls of crushed Oreos and gummy worms so kids can create their own "ewwww" versions.If there are adults , think pepper flakes for something different along with sea salt and Szechuan peppers.You could also set out bowls of crushed peanuts or walnuts but keep in mind about guests' nut allergies.If whole apples are too much, then cut the fruit into slices and insert sticks in them. This makes for easy eating and multiple dippings. You can do the same for pears too to vary the flavors. Grapes, another fall favorite, can be turned into "monster" eyes. Just take any green or purple seedless and putting already made candy eyes on them. These can be bought at any party or baking store or can be made at home. It's taking two cups of confectioners sugar and seven teaspoons  of water and mixing them until they form a thick glaze. Pour this into a plastic bag and cut one end off. It's then piping circles on wax paper and inserting the mini chocolate chip, point side down into them. Let dry overnight. They can also be used on cupcakes and cookies too. Affix to the grapes using gel icing.

What's Halloween without cupcakes or cookies? You can have a pumpkin spice cake or stick with chocolate and vanilla. Make a vanilla or chocolate butter cream icing. Vanilla can be dyed orange to have the cupcakes resemble pumpkins. Reserve some icing to be dyed green for stems and leaves. You can also dye the icing bright purple or neon green and top with those eyes for monster cakes.. Black cats are one of the most popular symbols of the holiday. Start with icing the cupcake with chocolate frosting. Add Oreo triangles for ears and licorice strings for whiskers. You can use the confectioner's sugar and water mix to create eyes and the nose. Tint the eyes yellow and green, and make a pink triangle for the nose, using the mix and red food coloring. An easier decoration is  the bat. Half chocolate wafers for the wings and a peanut butter cup for the body. Use red gel icing for the eyes. Butter cookies are another fun party treat. Ice in white for ghosts , with chocolate eyes. Bake the cookies in a tear drop shape and ice them in white,yellow and orange for  candy corn. Spiders are always fun and creepy.Try peanut butter spider cookies. This is baking the classic cookie and then pressing an upside down peanut butter cup in the cookie's center. Add the googly eyes and pipe melted milk chocolate around the cup to represent the legs.

Halloween is a time for fun and sweets. End your party with classic goodies everyone likes. A candy cork cookie or homemade candy apple are the best treats of all.

Fun And Scary Treats

Halloween is definitely the time for creative baking and decorating., All it takes is cake mix , icing and candies to create creepy treats , sure to bring smiles to big and little monsters. Have some fun making these ghoulish goodies that taste devilishly fun.

There's a big push for confetti cake,  a cake with a good cup of sprinkles added in. You can start off with a white or butter cake and add  black, orange and purple sprinkles. A more Halloween centric cake is a  rich , fudgy devil's food  speckled with just orange sprinkles. The icing is usually a buttercream or chocolate frosting coated completely in  - what else - more sprinkles. Cupcakes can also be done this way too.If you're wondering on where to get sprinkles or jimmies in holiday colors, look no further than your local grocery. Its' bakery department always bakes holiday themed cakes and cupcakes ,using  specifically colored sprinkles. The extra ones are then put on sale for home bakers to buy. Other sweet All Hallow's treats are themed cakes.It's all about the frosting and decorating. A simple idea is  just orange icing, drizzled with chocolate. Scatter traditional or the new salted chocolate candy corn over or arrange in a fun mosaic.  Jack o'lantern cakes are always a crowd pleaser. There are cake molds, usually Bundt pans to give you a perfect sphere. It's then decorating with orange butter cream and making the features and pumpkin stem out of black and green dyed fondant.

Cupcakes are another tasty treat, everyone likes. Home bakers can go wild with creating fun toppings , sure to please the fussiest little trick or treater. A fun idea is the ultimate Halloween symbol, the black cat. Frost cupcakes with bought or homemade chocolate frosting. Add two blobs of green frosting for the eyes. Put a small dot of black frosting in the middle of these. The nose can be a pink Tictac flanked by black licorice strings. The kitty's pointy ears can be chocolate morsels.. Take away the nose and ears , put more licorice strings and you have scary spiders.Tombstone cakes are another ghoulishly great idea. Take Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies , break in half  , then coat with a pale brown or pale grey icing. Use a toothpick to write  BOO! in chocolate on them.For the cupcake frost with green icing and then stick the "gravestones' in them.Party guests can also ice their own if you set up a frosting bar. Have prizes for the scariest and the cutest decorated.Cookies are another fun Halloween delight . Make chocolate cat or bat cookies. They can even be turned into sandwich cookies. Fill with a tasty orange flavored creme  that' can be either made with cream cheese, butter or margarine along with confectioners sugar, fresh squeezed orange juice and orange zest.

All Hallow's is a time for sweet treats and scary fun. Celebrate it with yummy cakes and toothsome cupcakes and cookies. Have a sweet Halloween and enjoy!