Mmmmmmmmmmmmm

Curling up with hot chocolate on a cold autumn or winter night by the fire with a book is one of my favorite things to do. I like to think of myself as a hot chocolate connoisseur, and was surprised by the ingenuity of these treats: hot chocolate on a stick. Find all of the directions at Giver's Log.

Hot Chocolate on a Stick
Yield: 10 cubes of hot chocolate (ice-cube-tray size)
(use 1 oz. hot chocolate on a stick per every 1 cup milk or cream)

Equipment:
Ziplock bags or piping bags
A double boiler or pan with a glass bowl that can sit over the simmering water
Some kind of chocolate mold, ice trays work great
Stir sticks or a bag of wooden craft sticks like I used (available at any craft store)

Ingredients:
8 oz. chocolate (with at least 70% cocoa butter, see note above), bittersweet, semisweet, milk, and white chocolate all work
1/4 cup cocoa, Dutch processed if possible, sifted
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
pinch of salt

6 cups milk and 2 cups heavy cream if you plan to enjoy these right away

Method

1. If your chocolate is in a block, chop it into meltable pieces. Simmer a couple inches of water in a pan and place glass bowl over the top to make a double boiler. Be sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water beneath it, and regulate the heat so the water stays at a simmer. Dump chocolate into the clean, dry bowl and stir as the chocolate melts.

2. Once the chocolate is 2/3 melted, with just some pieces of the chocolate unmelted, remove the pan from the heat and continue stirring until chocolate is fully melted.

3. Add cocoa, sugar, and salt and continue to stir until combined.

4. Lift the bowl off the pan and use a towel to dry off any drips of water. Pour chocolate into a Ziploc bag and clip off the corner.

5. Pipe the chocolate into your chocolate mold, tapping the mold on the counter to make sure all the chocolate settles into the mold. Add a stir stick and you’re done. The stir stick should stay upright without any trouble.

6. Let the chocolate cool either at room temperature or in the fridge if you’re in a hurry.

7. If you don’t like the look of the chocolate once it is removed from the mold, you can dip the cubes into a new batch of plain melted chocolate for a shinier finish. This also lets you add sprinkles or crushed candy or just lets you dip in fun patterns. I like dipping at an angle into a different color of chocolate.

8. In order to enjoy these, heat up any combo of milk, water, half and half, or cream. I like 6 cups milk with 2 cups heavy cream. One ounce of chocolate on a stick should be melted into one cup milk or cream. So a standard ice cube-tray block, which is 3/4 an ounce, should be melted into a mug with 3/4 cup milk or cream in it.


How to store it: Chocolate will keep in an airtight container for up to a year. Don’t keep it in the fridge because it is really good at absorbing odors.

{Photo from Givers Log.}

Harvest ornaments

I've seen these lovely harvest ornaments on quite a few blogs recently, and I'm tempted to buy them and paint some branches for a Thanksgiving tree. Find them at Prismera.

La Dolce Vita

Wow, I love this DIY project - decorative cups filled with candy, and I have the perfect little party for these on the horizon. Find these La Dolce Vita cup wrappers from Eat Drink Chic, a site loaded with great ideas and downloads!

Gingerbread houses are so last year

...because now you can have an entire snow village! When I saw this snowy village pan on the Website, I gasped so loudly that the mister thought something had gone terribly wrong. It is actually quite the opposite: this is PERFECT. I am totally willing to get a second job to justify this purchase.

{Photo from Williams-Sonoma.}

Move over Serendipity

There's a new sheriff of dessert in The Big Apple: Sweetiepie restaurant. I must find a way to get to the big city, and soon! Gwyneth Paltrow sings this restaurant's accolades and says, "Sweetiepie is my new favorite find for grown up/kid hybrid paradise." Good enough for me! Who's with me?

Glittered pumpkins

These glittered pumpkins, artfully stacked on a cake plate and given a coat of acryllic paint and sprinkled with glitter, are a lovely autumn centerpiece. Find the images and more instructions at A Field Journal.

It's a dream come true!

Check out this photo via Divine Party Concepts. It's made by gluing candy to different sizes and shapes of boxes and the end result looks like a giant birthday cake. Someone had better be making me one!

Winter wonderland

I am in lalalaLOVE with this winter wonderland candy buffet designed by Inspired Bride and Bake It Pretty. Find all of the details here.

S'mores and packaging

I am beginning to realize what a difference great packaging makes. These simple s'mores favors look infinitely more appealing in these cute accetate boxes wrapped with red and white baker's twine. Find more photos and details at Twig & Thistle.

Those autumn leaves

The autumn colors this year are especially brilliant and gorgeous, and we decided to take advantage of it. Luckily, we took these all the week before it snowed and the leaves were gone. I love sweater weather!

Halloween recapitulation

This year, Halloween was extra exciting since we had guests. It was so much fun! Barbara, Shelly, Curtis, and Michael visited and helped Shelly move for her job in Salt Lake. (Hooray, we got Shelly!)

The most exciting thing yesterday, though, had nothing to do with Halloween. At 2:30 pm, Barbara's son-in-law called to say that her daughter, Kristen, had a new baby girl, Evelyn Jane. Congratulations Kristen and Russell!

Halloween also happens to coincide with Michael's birthday - how fun is that? And what a great present to have his first niece born on his birthday.

We went to Gardner Village, and Michael had his face painted for his costume.

Michael, Curtis, and I posed quickly in our costumes, just before the trunk or treat.

Michael loves cats as much as I do. He loved feeding treats to the neighbor's cat from the palm of his hand. It was especially nice that Mystic was so nice to Michael, since my cat was grumpy and obnoxiously hissed at him three times when he tried to give her catnip. She needs an attitude adjustment, obviously.

Shelly handed out candy for us during the trunk or treat:

Michael, Curtis, and I carved pumpkins. Mine is the polka dot pumpkin, Curtis carved the scary pumpkin, and Michael carved the very cool looking bat:

Here's a lighter picture of the polka dot pumpkin. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.



I also hosted a Halloween party earlier in the week, and I did remember to snap a few photos, but it's not nearly enough!

Karly came in her wickedly awesome Alice In Wonderland costume, patterned after Tim Burton's flick that's coming out soon.



Noah was our little bumblebee, but he expressed way more interest in this wind-up toy than in having his picture taken. I can't say that I blame him.



I finally bought a Halloween tree to hold my orange "boo" ornaments. I think the table looks very festive.

I love this Halloween tablecloth. It was the perfect accent for the dessert buffet.



I am smitten with apothecary jars and candy buffets. I didn't do a candy buffet, but I did scatter a few jars around and filled them with treats.

This root beer bottle came with its own spooky label, and I couldn't resist buying a few of them. The mister wanted to drink them, but I made him wait until after the party. Thanks, hon.

I thought it might be fun to make paper witch shoes and fill them with candy. Here's Angie, showing off her cute shoe:

A witch's shoe, drying:


I thought it would be funny to draw a face on an orange. I actually did this at work one day, and I was pleased with the results.

Pinecone "wreath"

There's something so welcoming and simple about this lovely gathering of pine cones from Country Living. And it looks easy enough that I think even I can handle it!

Directions:
Select 8 four- to six-inch pine cones and 8 two-foot-long pieces of silk ribbon. Use a hot-glue gun to adhere the last two inches of each ribbon to the base of a cone. After the glue dries, collect all the ribbon ends and stagger them so that the cones fall at varying lengths. Tie the ribbon ends together in a knot, trim the tips so they are uniform, and slip the knot over a finishing nail.

French linens

There is something so aesthetically pleasing about French linens, especially to one who is a self-professed Francophile. I am mesmerized by these images of vintage French linens from IDIY, and I'm intrigued by the Country Living tutorial on creating your own, found right here.

{Photos from IDIY.}

This Is Halloween! This Is Halloween!

Happy, Happy Halloween!

Disney Halloween fireworks

Of course I LOVED watching the fireworks at Disneyland this Halloween. Pretty much any event that involves fireworks thrills me. Here's a peek!

You had me at hello

Check out this fabulous party, designed by Fantasy Celebrations and detailed by Hostess With The Mostess. I love the candy buffet, serving dishes from Z Gallerie, and lollipops wrapped in black tissue paper and adorned with a gem. Delightful!

Halloween cake bite

Jen, a contributor to the Cafe Zupa's blog, created these ghost cake bites, patterned after Bakerella. Find the instructions here.

Halloween cupcakes

I love unusual candles and I love cupcakes, and I think the two of them together is stunning in this little Halloween display. Whether you use black, purple, green, or orange candles, the effect is wonderfully creepy.

{Photo and idea from Eddie Ross.}

Eddie Ross Halloween

I just love the simplicity of the black and orange used in this Halloween candy buffet by Eddie Ross. Find more photos here.


I also think this donuts and cider display is wonderful, creepy Jack-O-Lantern balloons and all! Happy Halloween!

{Photos from Eddie Ross.}

Haunted house

I must be dreaming! I love this little Halloween haunted house cake from Bright Ideas.

Ingredients
3 cups prepared vanilla frosting
Orange food coloring
2 frozen pound cakes (16 oz. each), thawed
24 pieces thin chocolate wafer cookies
1 tube black decorating icing or gel
8 pieces TWIX® Brand Caramel Cookie Bar Minis
¾ cup M&M’S® Brand Peanut Chocolate Candies
¼ cup M&M’S® Brand Chocolate Candies
2 resealable plastic bags
Spatula

1. Tint the frosting orange and set aside.
2. Use 1/2 cup of orange frosting to spread on the bottom of both pound cakes then press them together. Stand the cakes up so that they are vertical on a serving plate.
3. Create the pitch of the roof by trimming the top of one cake on a slight angle to give it the appearance of looking tipsy. Trim the other cake on a steeper angle. Completely cover the cake with remaining orange frosting. Break the chocolate wafers in half and arrange, overlapping slightly, for the roof.
4. Using the photograph as a guide, pipe black decorating icing for the windows and other decorations. Use 3 TWIX® Cookie Bars as the door and chimney. Use broken wafer cookies for the shutters. Use M&M’S® Brand Peanut Chocolate Candies to outline the top of the roof and sides of the house.
5. Grind the remaining cookies along with remaining TWIX® Cookie Bars in the food processor. Spread this mixture around the base of the house as "dirt". Scatter M&M’S® Brand Chocolate Candies on the cookie "dirt".

Top it off

I was thrilled to find a link to these free Halloween printables at Accent the Party. What an easy and fun way to decorate your Halloween cupcakes.

Skeleton cookies

The proof is in the pudding....er, cookie. Here's yet another great cookie idea and tutorial - skeletons nonetheless - from Bake at 350. Bridget, you are one talented gal!

Autumn leaves made from tortillas

Wow! What a simple and clever idea: create your own colorful autumn leaves from tortillas. Find the how-to guide at Eddie Ross.

{Photos from Eddie Ross.}

A witches' tea

Check out this ridiculously cute witches' tea! I spotted this adorable party on Blonde Designs. I just hosted a Halloween shindig with my data team, and next year maybe we'll go more this style! I particularly love the polka dot Chinese lanterns and orange lamp shades on the chandelier. Each guest could bring their own witch's hat and you could have your own little decorating contest. Love it!

{Images from Blonde Designs.}

Halloween favor boxes

These downloadable Halloween boxes can be printed to your heart's delight. Use them as decorations or favor boxes, and find them fairly inexpensively from A Little Hut.

Autumn cupcakes

I first spotted these cupcakes on Cupcakes Take the Cake, and they are from Describing Happiness. So simple and lovely.

Spiderweb Cookies + tutorial

Check out this post at Bake at 350 to learn how to make these colorful spiderweb cookies.

{Photo via Bake at 350.}

Wedding bells

I admit to becoming a tad bit teary eyed while reading the story of these wedding cake pops that Bakerella made to help in a proposal. Find the story here and the tutorial here.

{Photo via Bakerella.}

Dem bones

Meaghan posted about these perfect Halloween treats today on Edible Crafts, and I was instantly excited. Not only are they cute, but the little bones, made of marshmallows, pretzels, and white chocolate chips, seem about my speed of difficulty. Find the directions at Epicurious.

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) package white chocolate chips (2 cups)
36 pretzel sticks and rods of various sizes
72 mini-marshmallows (about 1 cup)

Directions

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

2. Place the chips in a double boiler over just-simmering water and melt, stirring frequently. As soon as the chips are just melted (there may even be a few solid ones left), remove the pan from the heat and remove the top section of the double boiler so the chocolate’s temperature doesn’t keep rising.

3. Stick marshmallows onto both ends of the pretzels, with the marshmallows’ flat sides parallel to the pretzel.

4. Dip each pretzel in the chocolate and lift out with a fork, letting the excess drip back in the bowl. Lay the bones on the baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes to harden the chocolate. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at a cool room temperature.

Candy corn fudge

This will take several hours due to the layers, but the end result will be a colorful display that mimics candy corn. Recipe and photo from About.com.

Prep Time: 3 hours

Ingredients:

•2 cups (12 oz) white chocolate chips
•1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
•yellow and orange (or red) food coloring

Preparation:

1. Prepare an 8x8 pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Place 4 ounces (about 2/3 cup) white chocolate chips in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until melted, about 1-1/2 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time.

3. Stir until the chocolate is a smooth paste. Once the chocolate is smooth, add approximately 1/3 of the frosting and a few drops of yellow food coloring. Stir to combine, and adjust the coloring amount until you get a yellow you are satisfied with.

4. Pour the yellow fudge into the prepared pan and refrigerate until mostly set, about 30 minutes. The fudge does not have to be rock hard, but should be set enough so that it doesn’t move when the pan is tilted.

5. Repeat steps 2 and 3, but use orange food coloring instead. If you don’t have orange coloring, use yellow and red color in a 2:1 ratio. Pour the orange-colored fudge over the yellow fudge, smooth it in an even layer, and return to the refrigerator to allow the new layer to set.

6. Repeat steps 2 and 3 once more, this time omitting any food coloring, so that the top layer is white. Pour the white fudge over the orange layer and return to the refrigerator once more. After it has set for about 10 minutes, lightly score it into 1-inch squares, and press a candy corn into the center of each square. Return the fudge to the refrigerator and allow it to set fully, about 2 hours.

7. To serve, cut the fudge into 1-inch squares. Be sure to use a large knife with a smooth blade, and wipe the blade frequently to ensure that the sides of the fudge squares do not get smeared with other colors. Stored in an airtight refrigerated container this fudge will last for up to a week.

Spooky dinners

Looking for something frightful to serve for Halloween dinner? I love these ideas:

Boo spaghetti, my personal favorite, from Jeanne Benedict via Hostess With The Mostess:




Ghosts of Monte Cristo, a close second, from Martha Stewart via Hostess With The Mostess:




And last but not least, macaroni and cheese in a coffin, from Almost Bordain via Edible Crafts:

Time to get cookin'!

Pumpkin centerpiece

You can make a couple of these pumpkin candle centerpieces for your autumn table. Idea courtesy of BHG.

Wooden candlblocks

I think these wooden candleblocks, filled with orange, brown, and cream candles, would make a perfect centerpiece or mantle decoration. Find them at Amenity Home.

{Spotted on My Favorite Things.}

I'd like to thank my parents, too

The talented and very funny Nikki nominated me for a Kreativ Blogger award. Aww, I'm blushing and completely undeserving. And, like Nikki, not really sure if it's just a nomination or a win, but I've made the executive decision to stick with "win."

I don't think I've ever posted an original idea on this blog, so I'd like to thank Martha Stewart, Hostess With The Mostess, Country Living, Edible Crafts, Better Homes and Gardens, the blogs nominated below, and countless other blogs and sites for sharing their creativity so I can re-post it here!

The rules of this award are as follows:

1. Thank the person who nominated you.

Thanks, Nikki! And thanks for posting something hilarious for me to read every day.

2. Copy the logo and put it on your blog.

3. Name seven things people may not know about you.

4. Nominate 5 Kreativ Bloggers.

5. Post links to the blogs you nominate.

6. Let your nominees know they won the award.

Here we go! I nominate these five blogs:

Cupcake a Day - Angela finds clever, beautiful, fancy, or funny cupcakes to share every day. It's a girl's dream!

Fête Fanatic - I always find such creative and inspiring ideas on Natasha's site.

The Decorated Cookie - because I'm all over Meaghan's darling marshmallows, cookies, and cupcakes. She's my cookie heroine. Plus, she writes Edible Crafts.

Baby Walters - my friend, Rebecca, who recently moved back to the great state of Utah, always wows me with her photography, Name Doodles, painting, graphic design, and creativity. I love actually personally knowing someone who is so talented.

No Fuss Fabulous - WOW! These gals are artistic and skilled! Check out their site.

7 things you might not know about me

1. When I was in high school, my FAVORITE band was Erasure. (I know, right?) I was also a member of the debate team, wrote for the literary magazine staff, graduated 7th in a class of 700+, and ran cross country. It's like I didn't want friends or something.

2. I play the clarinet. After the mister and I were engaged, I happened to mention this tidbit and he refused to believe me. Imagine his shock when I pulled out my sleek, black woodwind and went to town. {I didn't say I was good.}

3. There is no such thing as too much sugar.

4. For grades 2-5, I was bussed to an inner city school because the state we lived in was working to comply with desegregation laws. Yep, I went to elementary school in the hood; I'm a regular "Jenny-from-the-block." (Please don't call me that.) I stood out like a sore thumb, but I loved good ol' Lore Elementary and can still sing our fight song.

5. I recently took a personality test and my result was "The Inspector." I like rules. Wait, I LOVE rules. If you break them, I will, apparently, judge you.

6. I often want to call my boss in the morning and ask if I can stay home and read my latest novel instead of coming to work. I don't think it would go over well.

7. I want to graduate from cooking school, learn to play the harp, visit every European country on the map, learn to speak a second language fluently, and find a university that will award me a master of art history degree without writing a thesis.

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Over the moon cake

Go batty with this over the moon cake from Country Living.

Cake
1 box(es) Betty Crocker Super Moist German Chocolate cake mix, prepared
1/3 cup(s) grade-A dark maple syrup
1/2 cup(s) pumpkin pie filling
1 tub(s) Duncan Hines Classic Dark-Chocolate Fudge frosting
1 tub(s) Duncan Hines Classic Vanilla frosting
Cookies
1 box(es) Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix, prepared
Black food coloring
Flour, for rolling dough
Directions
1. To Make the Cake: Distribute prepared cake mix between two 8-inch pans coated with cooking spray. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350°F, then cool 10 minutes in pans before turning out onto a wire rack.
2. Cover top of one cake layer with dark-chocolate frosting and place second cake layer on top. Ice entire two-layered cake. Chill in fridge for 20 minutes. Apply vanilla frosting in crescent shape, as shown in the picture.
3. To Make the Cookies: Increase oven temperature to 375°F. Prepare Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix per package instructions. Once ingredients are combined, slowly add black food coloring while mixing the dough on low speed, until it turns dark black. Wrap and chill dough for 15 minutes.
4. On floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness and cut bat shapes (cookie-cutter sets, from $3.19; Wilton). Place cookies on lined baking sheet, chill for 10 minutes, then bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Arrange a few cookies atop cake and serve the remainder on a separate platter.

Spiderweb cupcakes

I first spotted these spiderweb cupcakes, from Country Living, on Edible Crafts. Make chocolate cupcakes and frost with your favorite chocolate topping, and then add the pièce de résistance : the white chocolate spiderwebs.

White Chocolate Spiderwebs:

1. Microwave 2 cups of white-chocolate chips in a bowl for 30 seconds and stir. Continue to microwave in 20-second intervals until almost melted. Stir again until chocolate is completely melted. Pour inside a freezer bag with one tip snipped off to create a piping sleeve.

2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Slide spiderweb template underneath paper. To make each web, use piping sleeve to trace white chocolate along design, making sure to connect all lines. Repeat process until you've created 24 toppers. Chill them in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Then, using a spatula, remove webs carefully from parchment and position one on each cupcake.

Autumn cheesecake brownies

Again, a great food find from Country Living. Here's what they say about these scrumptious looking cheesecake brownies:

"Topped with cream cheese frosting and swirls of pumpkin butter, these are no ordinary brownies. Cut into autumn shapes, such as pumpkins and leaves, and then arranged on an antique cutting board, these brownies make a scrumptious display. If you omit the cheesecake topping from the recipe, dust the brownies with sparkling orange sugar."

Tiered pumpkin spice cake

I'm willing to wager that this pumpkin spice cake is as good as it looks! Find the recipe at Country Living.

Pumpkin Spice Cake
3/4 cup(s) (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup(s) firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup(s) sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup(s) pumpkin purée
1/2 cup(s) buttermilk
1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground nutmeg
1 recipe Pumpkin Cream-Cheese Frosting

1. Prepare cake pans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat three 8-inch cake pans with softened butter. Cut three 8-inch circles out of parchment paper and fit them into the bottom of the cake pans. Lightly coat the paper circles with butter and set aside.

2. Make the batter: Cream butter until smooth in a large bowl with an electric mixer set on medium speed. Add the sugars and mix until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and light. Set aside. Combine the pumpkin purée, buttermilk, and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. In thirds, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, blending well after each addition until smooth.

3. Bake the cake: Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean -- 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan on wire racks for 30 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and return to the wire racks until completely cool.

4. Assemble the cake: Place one layer on a cake plate and top with one-third recipe of Pumpkin Cream-Cheese Frosting. Repeat with the second and third layers. Serve or store refrigerated for up to four days.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
1 package(s) (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup(s) pumpkin purée
1/4 cup(s) (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon(s) fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon(s) grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
4 cup(s) confectioners' sugar, sifted

1. Blend the cream cheese, pumpkin purée, butter, orange juice, zest, and vanilla in a large bowl using an electric mixer set at medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and creamy -- about 5 more minutes

Misfortune Cookies

Here's another genius idea from Meaghan at The Decorated Cookie: misfortune cookies! She shares her recipe, tips, and even fortunes. I lalalalove it!

{She used this recipe. Her tips are as follows: "work quickly folding the cookies, and bake only a few at a time, 4 or 5. Be sure to spread your batter circles well enough. I didn't, and my cookies were a tad too thick, which made them crack when folding." You can also print her misfortunes from this document.}

Creepy crawly cake

For a Halloween fright, bake your favorite cake, frost with your favorite frosting, and use black sanding sugar and a spider to create the decoration.

{Photo from Country Living.}

Pumpkin cupcakes

These pumpkin cupcakes, from Parents magazine, look easy and tasty. Find the directions here.

Poisoned apples

When I returned to work yesterday, I had an email from Jeanette, queen of tasty and clever food blogs, with the subject line, "You will love this." She was right. These spooky Halloween apples are fantastic and remind me of this one that the mister found for me last year. I love the branches! Find the recipe for these babies and other great reads at Mattbites.

{Find the photo and details at Mattbites.}

Candy corn cake

How creative is this candy corn cake idea from Wilton? I don't love candy corn, but I do love this. I hope I have time to make it for the Halloween bash on Tuesday.

Tools:
•Checkerboard Cake Pan Set
•Tip: 16
Ingredients:
•Orange Icing Color
•Lemon Yellow Icing Color
•Petite Ghosts Icing Decorations
•Buttercream icing (or consider using this recipe)
•Assorted Halloween Candy
•white cake mix
Instructions:
1. Place Divider Ring in one 9 x 2 in. pan from set. Tint 1 cup of white batter orange and 1 1/3 cup yellow; reserve 1/3 cup white.
2. Fill inside small center ring with white batter, inside medium ring with orange batter and inside large outer ring with yellow batter.
3. Carefully remove Divider Ring before baking. Bake and cool 1-layer cake.
4. Divide cake top: mark 2 inner circles, one 1 in. and one 2 1/2 in. from edge of cake.
5. Cover sides and top to 1 in. mark with yellow tip 16 stars, cover area to 2 1/2 in. mark with orange tip 16 stars, fill in center with white tip 16 stars.
6. Attach icing decorations to cake sides. Position candies around cake.

Witch hat calzones

Witch hat calzones will be fun and tasty for Halloween. Find the recipe at Better Homes and Gardens.

Ingredients
1 3.5-ounce package sliced pepperoni
1/2 of an 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup finely shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
2 8-ounce packages (16) refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
Finely shredded or grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Dried Italian seasoning (optional)
Crushed red pepper (optional)
Pizza sauce, warmed (optional)
Directions
1. Reserve six to eight slices of pepperoni; set aside. Chop remaining pepperoni slices.
2. In a small bowl, stir together chopped pepperoni, cream cheese and the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese until well combined. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease an extralarge baking sheet; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, unroll each package of crescent-roll dough. Separate dough into individual triangles. Place half the dough triangles on the prepared baking sheet. Place about 1 tablespoon of the pepperoni-cheese mixture in the center of each triangle. In a small bowl, stir together egg and water. Brush edges of triangles with some of the egg mixture. Top with remaining triangles. Press triangle edges together to seal. Brush dough with egg mixture. Fold short edges of the dough triangles up, forming a hat brim. Prick the dough a few times with the tines of a fork.
4. If desired, sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and/or crushed red pepper. Cut reserved pieces of pepperoni into small stars, crescent moons, and/or small diamonds. Press onto dough for decoration. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with pizza sauce, if desired. Makes 8 calzones

Chocolate fudge for Halloween

Make your favorite fudge recipe and top it with candy corn for Halloween. Yummy.

Halloween candy apples

Here's another great recipe for caramel apples from My Recipes.

Yield
8 apples

Ingredients
8 wooden craft sticks
8 medium Gala apples
2 (6.5-ounce) packages caramel apple wraps
1 (16-ounce) chocolate bar
16 ounces vanilla bark coating
Orange paste food coloring
Toppings: colored sprinkles, chopped peanuts, black writing gel
Preparation
Insert craft sticks into apples. Cover each apple with 1 caramel wrap.

Microwave at HIGH 15 to 20 seconds. Cool.

Melt chocolate bar in a small saucepan over low heat.

Dip each apple into chocolate; let dry.

Melt vanilla bark coating in a small saucepan over low heat; stir in orange food coloring.

Dip or drizzle each apple with vanilla coating mixture. Decorate with desired toppings, and let dry.

NOTE: For testing purposes only, we used a Ghirardelli chocolate bar.

Death by chocolate

Find the directions for this cute chocolate Halloween cake at My Recipes.

CAKE:
2 sticks (1/2 lb.) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
8 large eggs, lightly beaten

GLAZE:
6 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons heavy cream
Preparation

Make cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch springform pan. Wrap pan bottom in heavy-duty foil.

Melt butter and bittersweet chocolate in a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Remove bowl, stir to combine and let cool to lukewarm.

Whisk eggs into chocolate mixture until well-combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan.

Place springform pan in a roasting pan; pour hot water to 1 inch deep into roasting pan. Bake until cake is set around edges but wobbly in center, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove foil and let cool on a rack. Cover with plastic and chill for at least 6 hours and up to 3 days.

Make glaze: Put milk chocolate in a bowl. Bring cream just to a boil; pour into bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes; whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Remove cake to a platter; spoon on glaze. Refrigerate for up to 5 hours.

To create spiderweb, spoon canned vanilla frosting into a ziplock bag; snip off a tiny corner. Pipe straight lines from center of cake to outer edges. Connect lines by piping curved lines in between, creating web pattern. Pipe spider or place a candy spider on web.

Go make yourself a dang quesadilla!

And if you cut out a jack-o-lantern face, it will be perfect.

{Photo from My Recipes.}

Broomstick place cards

Here's another fantastic idea from Country Living: broomstick place cards.

Directions:

Whimsical broomstick place cards will give guests a lift. Paint a dowel black for the broom handle. Fold strips of raffia in half and attach to the handle with a piece of string. Cut looped raffia ends to create bristles. Write guests' names on pieces of ribbon and hot glue to the handles.

Tombstone Cookies

These tombstone cookies top dark chocolate pots de creme. Find the recipe for the cookies and the dark chocolate pots de creme here.