Ghostly cupcakes

I stumbled across this recipe for these adorable and easy to make Halloween ghost cupcakes over at Better Homes & Gardens

Marshmallow creme is the secret behind these ghosts.

To make it, follow these steps:

1.     Start with frosted store-bought or homemade cupcakes.

2.     Microwave 1 cup marshmallow creme (enough for 8 cupcakes) in a microwave-safe bowl on High for 20 seconds or until warm. Cool slightly. Place in a large heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; snip one corner and pipe a ghost shape onto each cupcake.

3.     Quickly attach chocolate chips or other small candies for ghost eyes and mouth before marshmallow creme sets.

Easy peasy!!

Our Halloween Treat Table

So today at the store I decided to rearrange the front of the shop, and switch our Fall table with the Halloween table.  So far, I am happy with how the Halloween display looks.  I still need to add a few things (I'm dying to make orange and black poms to hang from my chandelier) but I thought I would share what I have so far.  Many of the ideas can easily be modified for a home Halloween party. DISCLAIMER:  Obviously, I am not a professional photographer.  Not even close. 

Here is our Halloween table.  I took the photo from a ladder looking down on it, otherwise I get too much of the back of the store in the pic.  From eye level, it doesn't look as empty.  See the black and orange cloths on the back of the display ~ they are simply kitchen towels!  We use a lot of towels and napkins in our displays, as inexpensive ways to tie in to the holiday and if we need some height in our display, we just place an empty box under the towel.

I'm loving my tiered tray.  I found the so simple directions at Joy's Hope.  I've used it to display cocktail napkins, but at home it would be so cute for cupcakes or hor'derves.  For some added height, I have one of our Halloween figurines sitting on top.

I'm bummed I couldn't get a better shot of my branch display. I found some "good" branches in my backyard and spray painted them black.  I then bought a glass vase at the dollar store and sprayed that black as well. I placed the branches in, put some stone in the bottom, then used newsprint to pack around the branch and then more stones of the top(they came from the dollar store too).  I hung my "BOO"
banner on there, a few decorations, and then I have some chocolate pumpkins and lollipops hanging from the branches!  I have the vase sitting on a clear glass cake stand, then I surrounded it with bags of candy corn. 

Our hand decorated Oreos.

In most of the photos I see for dessert tables, the treats are all unwrapped, like our pretzels above.  While I love the way that looks photographed, I think in reality, you would want most of your treats (especially chocolate ones) wrapped, like the pretzels shown below.  It doesn't take long for chocolate to melt in little (and big) hands, so unless you like hand prints on your furniture, place your treats in cello bags and then tie them up with a cute favor tag.

I'll post some updated pictures in a week or two when I have all our gift baskets and tins ready. Are you having a Halloween party?  I'd love to see your pictures!

Eerie Eyeball Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Granulated sugar
• About 1 cup vanilla frosting(homemade or ready-to- spread)
• Red and black decorator frosting in tubes
• WHOPPERS Malted Milk Balls

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

4. Frost center of cookie with vanilla frosting to form white portion of eye. Decorate with red and black frostings to form outline of eye and bloodshot markings. Press malted milk ball "iris" into center of eye. About 4 dozen cookies

Recipe courtsey of Hershey's.

Gravestone Lollipop Cover

Are these guys the cutest thing!  And so easy to DIY.  Head on over to Country Living Magazine and scroll through the slideshow to #3 to find the template for the gravestone. 

To make these clever covers for candy suckers, download a tombstone image and follow the steps below:

Step 1: For each lollipop, print and cut out two tombstones, then glue them, faceup, to a sheet of black construction paper with a glue stick. When dry, cut around each tombstone, leaving a black construction-paper border, as shown.

Step 2: Turn one tombstone facedown and glide the glue stick along its outer edges at the top and sides only. Place the other tombstone on top of it, faceup. Press the edges together to create one cover. Let dry.

Step 3: Use a fine-tipped black Sharpie to spell out "RIP" — or a guest's name — on one side.

Step 4: Repeat directions above to create additional lollipop covers. Insert candy. Place floral foam in a bowl and stand lollipops in the foam. Then fill the bowl with crushed Oreos to serve as the dirt in your graveyard

Terrific Toffee

I found this delicious recipe for a easy to make toffee over at Better Homes and Gardens.  

Ingredients

• 1  cup  unblanched whole almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 3/4  cup  semisweet chocolate pieces
• 3/4  cup  milk chocolate pieces
• 1/3  cup  white baking pieces
• 2  tablespoons  malted milk powder
• 1  cup  butter
• 1  cup  sugar
• 3  tablespoons  water

Directions

1. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. In a bowl combine chopped almonds, semisweet and milk chocolate pieces, and white baking pieces. Sprinkle half (about 1-1/2 cups) of the nut/chocolate piece mixture over the bottom of prepared baking pan. Sprinkle malted milk powder over mixture in pan.
2. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan combine butter, sugar, and water. Cook over medium heat to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Clip a candy thermometer to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until thermometer registers 290 degree F (soft-crack stage), about 15 minutes. Mixture should boil at a steady rate over the entire surface. (Adjust heat as necessary so that mixture does not boil over.)
3. Remove from heat; remove thermometer. Pour mixture quickly over nuts and chocolate pieces in pan. Immediately sprinkle remaining nut/chocolate piece mixture over toffee. Cool about 1 hour before breaking into pieces. If necessary, chill 15 minutes or until chocolate is firm. Makes about 2 pounds (36 servings).