Halloween Fun Foods & Recipes for Kids
by Jenny Wandersheid of ChildFun.com

Try these goulish recipes from our friends at ChildFun.com for an especially fun Halloween!

Ghost Cookies
Using peanut shaped cookies, spread with white frosting or marshmallow fluff, add chocolate chips for eyes and nose. 

Witches Brew 

Mix up a batch of lemonade from concentrate. Add green food coloring to the lemonade to give it a spooky look. Get a plastic witch's cauldron and place a piece of dry ice in it. Pour the brew over the dry ice and watch your kid's delight. 

Potato Ghosts 

Hand sculpt mashed potatoes to look like a ghost. Place them on an oiled cookie sheet, brushed with melted butter, and put in the oven to heat and brown a little. You can serve it with bat shaped meat loaf (using a bat cookie cutter). 

Pumpkin Faces 

Ingredients: 

English muffins, Orange spreadable cheese, Raisins 

Directions: 

Let the children spread the cheese on the English muffin. Let them arrange the raisins to make the eyes, nose, and mouth. 

Spooky Sandwich Puzzles 

Let the children make their own peanut butter sandwiches with two pieces of bread. Give each child a Halloween cookie cutter and let them press the shape out of the center of their sandwich. They will now have a "spooky sandwich puzzle." 

"Hand" Snacks 

Ingredients: 

Clear food server gloves (one for each child), popcorn, candy corn, yarn 

Directions: 

Take one of the food server gloves and place a candy corn in each of the fingers. Fill the rest of the glove with popcorn. Fasten the top of the glove with yarn. Make a glove for each child in your class. 

Monster Cookies 

Ingredients: 

Oatmeal cookies, candy corn, chocolate chip pieces, raisins 

Directions: 

Each child creates a monster cookie by making a face on an oatmeal cookie (can be precooked or store bought cookies) by using candy corn, chocolate chips, marshmallows, raisins, etc. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet and place in a hot oven just long enough for the faces to melt. This creates truly monster faces. 

Ghost Toast 

Ingredients; 

Loaf of bread 
Margarine 
Shredded coconut 
Raisins 
Chocolate chips 

Directions: 

Each child makes ghost toast by spreading margarine to make faces on toast then sprinkling coconut on it. Put raisins or chocolate chips for eyes and mouth. Toast. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars (T. is tablespoon; t. is teaspoon) 

Combine: 

1 c. flour 1/3 c. brown sugar 

To this mixture, cut in 5 T. butter, softened. 

Stir in: 1/2 c. chopped nuts (I use walnuts, but pecans would be good, too!) 

Set aside 3/4 c. of the above mixture for top. Press remaining amount in a buttered 8x8" pan. Bake at 350 for 15 mins. Cool slightly. 

Combine until smooth: 

8 oz. cream cheese 1 1/2 cinnamon 3/4 c. sugar 1 t. allspice 1/2 c. pumpkin 1 t. vanilla 2 eggs 

Pour cream cheese mixture over baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved topping. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350. Cool before cutting. 

Note: I do not have an 8x8" pan, so I always make them in a 9x13" pan. (My neighbors just usually get some!) I double everything, except for the pumpkin. I put in the entire can! (The small 14 or 15 oz. ones...has about 2 cups in it.) I also use, instead of the allspice, about 1/4 t. of cloves and 1/2 t. of ginger. 

I cut them into about 1 1/2" squares, but they could be cut into bigger pieces and have whipped cream put on them!! Mmmmm..... 

Pumpkin Cheesecake 

2 - 8 oz pkgs of cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 - 16 oz can pumpkin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
dash of salt
2 eggs 

Mix together cream cheese and sugar. Blend pumpkin, spices and salt into cream cheese and sugar mixture. Add eggs one at a time. Pour mixture into pastry-lined 9" deep dish pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees, 50 minutes. 

Halloween Worms 

Cooking time: ~ 5 min. 

Prep time: ~ 15 min., plus overnight chilling 

Notes: Use a cleaned 1-quart milk or orange juice carton to hold straws 

1 pkg. (6 oz.) raspberry or grape flavor gelatin. 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin. 3 cups boiling water. 100 flexible plastic straws, slender 4 cup container, 3/4 cup whipping cream, 12 to 15 drops green food coloring 

1.In a bowl, combine gelatins. 

2.Add boiling water; stir until gelatins completely dissolve. 

3.Chill until lukewarm, about 20 min. 

4.Meanwhile, gently pull straws to extend to full length; place in tall container. 

5.Blend cream and food coloring with the lukewarm gelatin mixture. 

6.Pour into container, filling straws. 

7.Chill until gelatin is firm, at least 8 hours, or cover and chill up to 2 days. 

8.Pull straws from container (if using a carton, tear carton away from straws). 

9.Pull straws apart; run hot tap water for about 2 seconds over 3 to 4 straws at a time. 

10.Starting at the empty ends, push worms from straws with rolling pin, or use your fingers; lay worms on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. 

11.Cover and chill until ready to use, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. 

12.Worms will hold at room temp. up to 2 hours. 

Phantom Punch 

1 Qt. Orange Juice, 1 Qt. Seltzer Water or Club Soda, 1/2 Gallon Sherbert, Apple Pieces, Raisins, Tangerine Slices, Grape Juice 

Combine the liquid ingredients in a large bowl. Using a muffin tin, make 6 phantom faces by freezing apple pieces, raisins, and tangerine slices in grape juice. Float these on the mixture. Complete by slicing sherbert into small squares and float on top. Serves 8-10 thirsty ghosts! 

Frozen Jack O'Lanterns 

24 navel oranges, 1 gallon dark chocolate or fudge ice cream, 24 whole cinnamon sticks 

-Cut off the top of the oranges. -Gently hollow out the pulp, leaving a thick shell; hollow pulp out of cut-off tops too. -Cut Jack-O'Lantern faces into each orange. -Pack scoops of ice cream into shells (try to avoid letting ice cream ooze out of eyes or mouth). -Cut a small hole in the top of each orange. -Set tops back on over the ice cream and insert a cinnamon-stick stem through the hole. -Place in the freezer for at least 3 hours or until serving time. 

I just used this recipe for a party and (after some experimenting) found out it works best if you freeze the hollowed-out oranges BEFORE filling them with ice cream. (Otherwise, the ice cream begins to melt as soon as it is in the orange shell and can run out the holes that are cut in the face.) 


Black Cat Cupcakes 

1 1/4 cup Reduced Fat Oreo cookie crumbs, 18 1/4 oz. reduced fat chocolate cake mix, 24 pieces Halloween Oreo cookies, 16 oz. reduced fat milk, chocolate frosting, black string licorice, jelly beans, semisweet chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare 24-2 1/2" muffin cups with cooking spray and flour; set aside. Prepare cake mix according to package directions; stir in cookie crumbs. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on wire rack. Make cat faces on each of the remaining cookies: using some frosting, attach 4-1 1/2" licorice strings for whiskers, 2 jelly bean halves for eyes and 2 chocolate chips for ears. Let set at least 30 minutes. Frost cupcakes with remaining frosting. Stand cat faces on edge on each cupcake. Place 3" piece licorice string on back half of each cupcake for tail. 

Choco Lanterns 

12 miniature pumpkins, 1 cup sugar, 2/3 cup cocoa powder, 4 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 5 cups milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla 

Cut the tops off the pumpkins and remove most of the interior with a sharp knife. Then scoop to even out the inside. In a bowl, mix together the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Add the milk gradually as you mix with a wooden spoon. Pour into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the pudding thickens. Now add the vanilla and mix again. Remove from the heat and pour into the hallowed-out pumpkins. Chill until ready to serve. Makes 12 

Pumpkin Ice Cream 

1 can pumpkin pie filling, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 1/4 cups simple syrup (1 part water to 1 part sugar), 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Pour the mixture into an electric ice-cream maker. Freeze for 20 minutes,or follow the instructions for your ice cream machine. Makes 1 quart (4 cups) 

Chocolate Spiders 

4 cups semisweet chocolate baking chips 

Melt chocolate chips in top of double boiler. Let stand over the water until water is cool, about 10 minutes. Place wax paper on cookie sheet. Pour chocolate into a pastry bag that is fitted with a 1/8-inch or 1/4-inch tip. Squeeze chocolate onto wax paper in the shape of spiders. If chocolate is runny it needs to be cooled longer. Chill the spiders for about 10 minutes. When hard peel off wax paper. Store in refrigerator laid flat. 

Witches Fingers 

1 cup butter (softened), 1 cup icing, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp almond extract, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 3/4 cup whole blanched almonds, 1 tube red decorator gel 

In bowl beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla; beat in flour; baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Working with one-quarter of the dough at a time and keeping remaining dough refrigerated, roll heaping teaspoons full of dough into finger shape for each cookie. Press almond firmly into one end for nail. Squeeze in center to create knuckle shape. Using a paring knife make slashes in several places to form knuckle. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet in 325 degree over for 20-25 minutes or until pale or golden. Let cool for three minutes. Lift up almond; squeeze red decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond back in place so gel oozes out from underneath. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Makes about 5 doz fingers! 

Candied Apples 

12 red delicious apples, 12 wooden skewers, 4 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup light corn syrup, 1 tsp red food colouring, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 cup chopped peanuts 

Grease a large cookie sheet and set aside. Wash and dry apples. Insert a stick through stem, leaving about two inches sticking out. In saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, corn syrup, food colouring and water. Cook, stirring constantly, until ingredients are dissolved and liquid boils. Set a candy thermometer in mixture and continue cooking, without stirring until temperature reaches 290 degrees, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile place shopped peanuts in a bowl. Remove syrup from heat and dip the apples, one by one, to coat evenly. Work quickly. As you dip each apple roll in peanuts to coat then place on prepared cookie sheet. Let apples cool for at least an hour. 

Caramel Marshmallow Apples 

1 package (14 oz) caramels, 1 cup miniature marshmallows, 1 tbsp. water, 5 or 6 small apples, Wooden skewers 

Line baking sheet with buttered waxed paper; set aside. Combine caramels, marshmallows and water in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until caramels melt. Cool slightly while preparing apples. Rinse and dry apples. Insert skewers into apples. Dip each apple in caramel mixture, coating apples. Place on prepared sheet. Refrigerate until firm. For variety roll apples in crushed peanuts or drizzle with melted chocolate. 

Nightcrawlers 

12 large apples, 1 8-ounce jar boysenberry jam, 4 tablespoons butter, 12 gummy worms 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Core apples from the stem end to 1/2 inch from the bottom. Do not push through. Stuff each hole with 1 teaspoon each jam and butter. Place in a pan and bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the apples. When done, the apple should be tender but not mushy. Remove the apples from the oven. Let cool 15 minutes. Now set each apple in a bowl and spoon syrup from the baking pan around it. In top of each apple, insert a gummy worm with at least half of its body protruding. Makes 12 

Shrunken Apple Heads 

Large red or golden delicious apple, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1 tbsp. salt, Whole cloves, Rice, Bottle cap 

Peel apple and coat with mixture of lemon juice and salt. With a potato peeler, knife, or pumpkin carver carve out eye sockets, nose, mouth and ears. Stick whole cloves where eyes should be and rice where teeth should be. Sit apple on top of bottle cap. Place on a drying rack in a warm, dry place for about 2 weeks. Shape the face as it shrinks and hardens. Once dry, insert a strong wire to form body and add clothes if desired or other accessories. 

Halloween Spider Poke Cake 

Ingredients:1 box white cake mix, 1 pkg. green jello ,blue food coloring, chocolate frosting, 4 back licorice strips, 2 big green gumballs, 6 little gumballs Preparation Instructions: Prepare cake and gelatin according to package directions. Except use the 9" round cake pans for the cake. Cut a smaller circle out of one cake using it as the head. Fill the hole left over with the gelatin. Place the other layer on top and trip to shape. To prepare frosting, in a mixing bowl, add blue food coloring to the chocolate frosting until black in color. Frost cake black. Then use the black licorice as legs and gumballs as eyes. NOTE: When cake is cut into, it spurts green goop. 

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