Jack Skellington Brown Sugar Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup, plus 2 Tbs. light brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325*F.

Cream the butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing 30 seconds between each addition.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk to the butter mixture; mix until well blended.

Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

White Frosting:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

3 Tbs. white shortening (not butter flavored)

4 Tbs. light corn syrup

1 tsp clear vanilla

Pinch of salt

2 Tbs. milk

Sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl. Add shortening, milk and salt; mix until combined. Then, add the light corn syrup and vanilla, and mix until well blended. Decorate with black gel icing to look like Jack Skellington from "The Nightmare Before Christmas."

Submitted by Heidi R.

Theme: Halloween

Globlins

6 cups Kix cereal

3 Tbs. butter or margarine

4 cups miniature marshmallows

12 drops green food color

24 orange circus peanut candies (from two 4-oz bags)

24 candy coated chocolate candies (M&Ms)

Red string licorice, cut into 24 (1-inch) pieces

Line 2 cookie sheets with waxed paper. In large bowl, place cereal.

In 4-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows; stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in food color. Pour marshmallow mixture over cereal in bowl, stirring until well coated.

For feet, place 2 peanut candies on cookie sheet. Spray inside of 1/2 cup measuring cup with cooking spray. For body, fill sprayed measuring cup with warm cereal mixture; place over feet, releasing cereal mixture and covering back half of feet. Repeat with remaining peanut candies and cereal mixture to make 12 globlins. Immediately attach chocolate candies for eyes. Insert licorice for antenna.

Submitted by Tara S.

Theme: Halloween

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 box spice cake mix

1 small can of pumpkin pie filling

1 pkg. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350*F. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Place on cookie sheet. Depending on how big you make the cookies, bake for 15-25 minutes.

Submitted by Danielle S.

Theme: Halloween

Pumpkin-Spice Spread with Baked Tortilla Chips

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp. chopped pecans, toasted

9 whole pecans for garnish

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and pumpkin with electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and chopped pecans.

Spread cheese mixture on dinner plate or in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Cut 3 pecans in half lengthwise for eyes, 5 whole pecans for mouth and 1 whole pecan for nose. Place remaining pecan on top for stem. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

4 flour tortillas

Cinnamon sugar

Cooking Spray

Heat oven to 350*F.

Cut tortillas into wedges. Place on ungreased baking sheet and spray both sides with cooking spray. Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on one side. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Submitted by Tara S.

Theme: Halloween

Ghosts in the Graveyard

--2 pkgs. (3.9 oz each) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding

--3 cups cold milk

--1 tub (12 oz) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

--15 OREO Cookies, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)

--Assorted decoration: 3 CAMEO Creme Sandwich Cookies, decorating gel, candy pumpkins, candy corn pieces

Beat pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups Cool WHIP and half the cookie crumbs. Spread into 13x9 inch dish; sprinkle with remaining crumbs.

Refrigerate 1 hour. Meanwhile, decorate creme sandwich cookies with decorating gel to resemble tombstones.

Insert decorated cookies into top of dessert just before serving. Add candies. Drop large spoonfuls of remaining COOL WHIP onto dessert to resemble ghosts. Makes 18 servings.

Submitted by Holly K. from Kraftfoods.com

Theme: Halloween

Pillsbury Breadstick Bones

1 can (7 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated breadsticks (6 breadsticks)

1 egg white, beaten

1 Tbs. grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. dried crushed basil leaves

1 can (8 oz) pizza sauce, heated

Heat oven to 375 *F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Unroll dough; separate at perforations into 6 breadsticks. Roll each until 12 inches long. Loosely tie a knot in both ends of each breadstick; place on cookie sheet (do not twist).

Brush breadsticks with egg white. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm "bones" with heated pizza sauce for dipping.

Can also be served with a bread bowl filled with your favorite dip. The bread bowl in the picture above was made in the following way: Preheat the oven to 375*F. Take a bread pan and turn it upside-down. Cover the pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Take a tube of refrigerated pizza crust or breadsticks and roll out to remove any perforations. Place the dough over the bread pan and trim any excess dough near the bottom. Prick a few holes in the dough with a fork. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit a minute or two then remove the bread from the pan and carefully peel away the foil. Allow the bread to cool completely.

Submitted by LeAnn O.

Theme: Halloween

Pumpkin Crunch

1 large can pumpkin

1 cup sugar

1 large can evaporated milk

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 tsp cinnamon, x2

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 box yellow cake mix

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1 cup melted butter

Optional: a splash of vanilla and a dash of allspice

1- Line 13x9 inch baking dish with waxed paper. Preheat oven to 350*F.

2- Mix pumpkin, sugar, evaporated milk, eggs, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Stir well and pour into pan.

3- Sprinkle DRY cake mix over pumpkin mixture. DO NOT STIR!

4- Sprinkle nuts, brown sugar, and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon on top.

5- Drizzle melted butter all over.

6- Bake for 60-70 minutes. Thoroughly cool on baking rack. Flip onto cookie sheet. Peel off paper. Voila! Slice and serve with Cool Whip, if desired.

Submitted by Naomi Wooley

Theme: Halloween

Brittle Bones

1 1/2 cups sugar

Pinch of salt

5 egg whites at room temperature

Pinch of cream of tartar

1 tsp almond, vanilla, orange or lemon extract

Preheat oven to 220* F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or tin foil. Prepare pastry bag with round #10 tip (about 3/8 inch diameter) or use a large ziplock bag with the corner cut off.

Combine sugar and salt in a small bowl. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in another small bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar mixture, beating constantly. Beat until stiff peaks form and meringue is shiny and smooth. Add extract; beat just until blended.

Fill pastry bag with meringue. Pipe a log 3 to 4 inches long. Pipe 2 balls on both ends of each log. Smooth any peaks with a wet finger. Repeat with remaining meringue.

Bake 30 minutes; turn off heat. Leave cookies in oven overnight; do not open the oven door.

Tip: to give the "bones" an ivory or aged look, add 1 to 2 drops of yellow food coloring with the extract.

Yield: about 24 cookies

Submitted by Jenn S.

Theme: Halloween

Spudnuts

2 cups milk, scalded (2 1/5 -3 minutes in the microwave)

4 Tbs. shortening

2/3 cup potato water

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup mashed potatoes

1 tsp. salt

Cool to lukewarm, then add:

1 Tbs. yeast, dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water, plus 1 Tbs. sugar

2 eggs

6 cups flour

Let rise, mix down and let rise again. Roll out 1/2 inch thick and cut into doughnut shape. Fry in 2-3 inches of heated oil (keep the oil on a low to medium heat or the dough will cook too fast and burn). Take out of oil and drain on a paper towel and let cool.

Glaze

1/2 cup milk

1 pkg. powdered sugar

1 Tbs. flour

1 Tbs. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Scald the milk (heat until bubbles form around the side; 2 1/2 to 3 minutes in microwave). Stir in the other ingredients and mix with beaters until smooth. The consistency will be on the runny side. Keep it warm. Dip the spudnuts in the glaze and let set.

Submitted by Allyn B.

Theme: Halloween