Halloween Dessert Recipes

Being that Halloween is my favorite time of year, I tend to be on the lookout for new and interesting ideas to share with my family and friends.

These recipes are easy to make and fun to share.

Boneyard
2 cups crushed Oreos
½ cup melted butter
½ cups M & M's (optional)
Rice Krispie 'bones' (instructions below)

Put the crushed oreos and melted butter into a bowl and stir. Spread the mixture onto a cookie sheet.

Place the 'bones' on the crushed oreos. Add the M & M's for color and/or decoration.

Rice Krispie Bones for the Boneyard
In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

Add Rice Crispies cereal. Stir until well coated.

With a spoon, dip out some of the mixture, shape it into a bone and place on the crushed oreos.

Spider Cupcakes
Needed:
Your favorite cake or cupcake mix
Black icing
Cooking spray
Cupcake tray
Black licorice sticks
Black jelly beans

Spray the cupcake tray very lightly with the cooking spray. You can skip this part if you use paper cupcake liners in the tray.

Prepare the cake/cupcake mix as per directions on the box. Pour the batter into the cupcake tray and bake at 350 degrees until done.

Let cool and the remove the cupcakes from the tray.

Spread the black icing on the cupcakes. Put 4 licorice sticks on each side of the cupcake (for the legs) and 2 black jellybeans on the front (for the eyes).

Jello Brain
Items needed:
Brain shaped jello mold

Ingredients:
Peach or watermelon flavored jello
1- 12 ounce can of evaporated lite skim milk
Cooking spray
2 tsp of vegetable oil

Spray the inside of the jello mold lightly with the cooking spray.

Put the jello from the boxes into a bowl and add 2 ½ cups of boiling water. Stir until the jello is completely dissolved. Stir in one cup of cold water.

Add the skimmed milk and stir for two minutes. If you would prefer a clear brain, do not add the milk. Just add another 1½ cups of cold water.

Add a few drops of green food coloring and stir. The green food coloring will give the 'brain' a flesh color.

Pour the mixture into the brain mold, leaving 1" from the top, and refrigerate. You may want to set the mold inside of a larger container. Put a towel around the mold to keep it setting upright so that it doesn't come out crooked.

Let set overnight.

Removing the jello from the mold:
Place the mold on a plate (open end down) and gently shake. This should put the flat side down on the plate.

[Optional] For added fun, you can put small chunks of pineapple (or any fruit of your choice) inside the brain. Or you can add gummy worms and make it appear as if they are crawling out of the brain.

Peanut Butter Eyeballs
Items needed:
Toothpicks
Red food coloring

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups confectioners' sugar
4 cups semisweet white chocolate chips
60 flat chocolate chips

Directions
In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.

Press a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.

Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth.

Dip frozen peanut butter balls in white chocolate holding onto the toothpick.

Put two of the flat chocolate chips (eyes) onto the white chocolate.

Drizzle a little of the red food coloring over the peanut butter & chocolate balls, so that it looks like veins.

Put back in the refrigerator until ready to serve.