Ingredients

Makes 40 to 50

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled) plus more for rolling and cutting out dough
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
Small candies or sprinkles, for decorating (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg. On low speed, mix in flour mixture. Divide dough in half, and form into 2 disks, each about 3/4 inch thick. Wrap disks in plastic; chill until firm, at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days.
On a lightly floured sheet of waxed paper, using a floured rolling pin, roll dough 1/4 inch thick. (If dough becomes too soft to work with, refrigerate for a few minutes.)
Using 2- to 3-inch Halloween cookie cutters, cut out shapes, dipping cutters in flour as necessary to prevent sticking; place on a baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart.
Bake until surface is dry to the touch, 10 to 15 minutes (if decorating, press candies into dough halfway through baking). Cool cookies 1 to 2 minutes on baking sheet; transfer to a rack to cool completely. Serve, or store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Ladies Fingers'

If Halloween night were to find you in a misty graveyard, suddenly feeling the touch of ghoulish fingers on the back of your neck, those fingers would probably bear a strong resemblance to our Cookie of the Week. And with red-stained blanched almonds standing in for fingernails, these creepy confections will beckon to you from beyond the grave, summoning you right over to their serving plate.

Ingredients

Makes 30

2 tablespoons red food coloring
30 blanched almonds
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats) or parchment paper, and set aside.
Place food coloring in a shallow bowl. Using a small paintbrush, color one rounded half of each almond. Set aside to dry.
Separate 1 egg. Set aside the white. In a small bowl, whisk together yolk, remaining egg, and vanilla. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Add egg mixture, and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic, and chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes.
Divide the dough in half. Work with one piece at a time, keeping remaining dough covered with plastic wrap and chilled. Divide the first half into fifteen pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece back and forth with palms into finger shapes, 3 to 4 inches long. Pinch dough in two places to form knuckles. Score each knuckle lightly with the back of a small knife. Transfer fingers to prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
When all fingers are formed, brush lightly with egg white. Position almond nails; push into dough to attach.
Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Cool completely

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Halloween Costume Ideas

Are you looking for some new costume ideas to spruce up your Halloween party? You will find lots of great ideas below that are sure to help you stand out from the rest of the crowd! There are also some great links to other costume sites at the bottom of the page.

Castaway:
Take an old pair of khaki pants and tear off the legs to create shorts (or wear an old pair of shorts). Wear a dirty white T-shirt, beard and long hair. Carry a volleyball. For extra effect, put a red hand print on the ball and on your face.
Deviled Egg:
Wear all white. Paint or attach a yellow circle to your stomach. Wear devil horns and carry a pitchfork. For extra effect, attach a devil tail to your pants.
Puppies for Sale:
Take a large box and cut a hole in the bottom so you can wear it around your torso. Then write "puppies for sale" on the box. Use make-up to give yourself a dog's face. You can even attach pictures of puppies or even puppy stuffed animals.
Floor of a Movie Theatre:
Dress up in all black and tease your hair so it stands straight up. Apply empty candy wrappers, chewed gum, lots of popcorn, and straw wrappers. If you can, attach real movie theatre cups and popcorn boxes for a realistic touch.
"Chip"-monk:
Dress in a monk's robe, rope belt, ring of hair, etc. Then hot-glue empty potato chip and/or tortilla chip bags all over.
Baked Potato:
Stuff your clothes with pillows and wrap aluminum foil around yourself. Wear a yellow hat to represent the butter. If you want an extra effect, get cotton stuffing from any craft store and hot-glue down the front of your shirt to represent sour cream. You can also use some grass from your yard to represent chives.
Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Showers:
Wear blue surgical scrubs, or a blue shirt and sweatpants. Glue cotton balls in a patchy pattern all over the shirt and pants. Carry a squirt gun to represent the "chance of showers".
Police Officer:
You can wear blue slacks and a blue shirt, or even use a Cub Scout or old school uniform. You can use construction paper or a dark color fabric to create the badges on your shoulders. You can always purchase an inexpensive policeperson's hat and a plastic badge.
Firefighter:
You can wear any color T-shirt underneath a yellow rain coat. Use dark colored tape to make "stripes" on the sleeves and bottom edge of your rain coat. You can wear galoshes to represent the boots. You can find firefighter hats at any costume or toy store. For added effect, you can cut the end of an old unused hose to carry with you. Also, if you have one, you can always carry a Dalmation puppy stuffed animal.
Taco:
Use yellow cardboard or a large sheet of foam rubber (1/4" to 1/2 "). Cut into a big circle to be folded in half. Draw dark "spots" on it to make it appear like a shell. Wear a brown leotard and tights or dark slacks and shirt to give the "meat" appearance. Attach strips of green and yellow crepe paper to your leotard or pants & shirt for lettuce and cheese. Attach red construction paper that has been crumpled into irregular shapes atop the "lettuce and cheese" for the tomatoes. You can carry a bowl for your candy that is decorated with dark colored crepe paper to represent the salsa.
Harry Potter:
Use a long black dress or even an oversized t-shirt for the under-robe. Use dark colored fabric (a tablecloth or sheet will work) as the cape. Use black cardboard or tag-board to cut out the shape of Harry's glasses and attach with a string or on top of an old pair of sunglasses. Make the wizard hat out of poster-board that is shaped like a cone. You can take white glue and add outlines of moons, stars and glitter to your hat. For the wand, use an unsharpened pencil and paint it whatever color you want and glue a star at the end with all kinds of sparkles. You can use a tube of dark lipstick to make the lightening scar in the center of your forehead.
Fleur Delacour:
Use purple or blue fabric to create the wizard robe. Use matching colored poster-board to create the cone shaped wizards' hat (or even purchase an inexpensive witches' hat to decorate). You will need face powder to make your skin look pale and blue eye shadow. You will also need the sparkly or even the glow-in-the-dark spray hair color that can be found at any store. For the wand, use an unsharpened pencil and add all kinds of sparkles and whatever other decoration you want.
Mother Nature:
Decorate an old skirt or pants & vest or shirt with silk (or real) leaves in a random pattern and glue them in place. Decorate the skirt or pants with flowers (fake or real) growing out from the leaves. Use the remaining leaves and small flowers to decorate a face mask or veil to wear over your face. Gather your twigs and secure with wire to make a nest. If possible, you can find an old fishing hat and glue your twigs in the shape of a nest on top of that.
Magician:
Wear a black tux jacket, black pants, white dress shirt, Top hat and stuffed bunny for your tricks.
Animaniacs:
Black cotton cap for hair, use pipe cleaners and felt for forming ears which can be glued to hat. Use a small slinky stretched and wrapped in black felt for the tail, black pants and shirt, white gloves for hands. Use lipstick for nose, white face paint for face, black face paint for neck. For Dot, add a red polka-dot skirt and yellow silk flower on hat. For Wacko, use a baseball cap turned around, ears will be glued to it, with blue sweat shirt with the sleves cut 1/4 length. And for Yacko, wear white pants

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 Tbsp ginger
1/2 Tbsp ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat sugar and oil until well blended. Add pumpkin and eggs
In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients then add to wet mixture. Mix well.
Drop by heaping teaspoons onto a greased cookie sheet.
Bake 10 - 12 mintues.
Cool, then make sandwich from 2 cookies filled with the following filling:
- 1 egg white, beaten
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
Combine egg, milk, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar. Beat well. Add one more cup of confectioners' sugar and shortening. Beat until smooth and spreadable.

Makes 36 pies

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 quart water
2 Tablespoons salt
2 cups pumpkin seeds
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil or melted, unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 250°F.
Pick through seeds and remove any cut seeds. Remove as much of the stringy fibers as possible.
Bring the water and salt to a boil. Add the seeds and boil for 10 minutes. Drain, spread on kitchen towel or paper towel and pat dry.
Place the seeds in a bowl and toss with oil or melted butter.
Spread evenly on a large cookie sheet or roasting pan.
Place pan in a preheated oven and roast the seeds for 30 to 40 minutes. Stir about every 10 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.
Cool the seeds, then shell and eat or pack in air-tight containers or zip closure bags and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Yields 2 cups

Pumpkin Casserole

2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup self-rising flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter
2 pinches ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla, melted butter and ground cinnamon to taste. Spoon into a casserole dish.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour.

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

Two 6-oz ready-to-fill graham cracker crusts
4 pt rum raisin ice cream
1 can (30 oz) pumpkin pie mix

Freeze pie crusts and a large metal bowl 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, soften 2 pints ice cream at room temperature. Scrape ice cream and pie mix into chilled bowl; mix until blended (a potato masher works well). Divide between pie crusts. Freeze 2 hours, or until hard.
Slightly soften remaining ice cream. Using an ice cream spade or scoop, top pies with ice cream. Freeze 30 minutes, or wrap airtight and freeze up to 1 month. Decorate with small candy pumpkins, if desired.

Makes 2 pies, 12 servings each

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie

This is a classic stewed pumpkin pie, with a lovely spiciness from the cloves, and aromatic with brandy. There were, in early America, versions of pumpkin pie made with sliced raw pumpkin, just as we make apple pies today.

Pumpkins, as prolific as their cousin zucchini, proved to be very useful to the English and other settlers in America. They can be dried or stored whole in cool, dry places in the house until they were wanted. They were used as a side dish for meat, and by the nineteenth century, pumpkin was one of the most common pie fillings.

The secret to making a good pumpkin pie from fresh pumpkin is to drain the pulp well after cooking. Mash it, then let it sit in a sieve for 10 minutes to allow most of the water to drip away before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2 cups homemade stewed pumpkin (or 1 15-ounce can plain pumpkin puree)
1 cup milk or half-and-half
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup light brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup brandy
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
¼ - ½ teaspoon ground cloves (clove lovers will want to use the larger amount)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust

Put the milk or half-and-half in a saucepan with the butter and the sugar, and warm them together until the butter melts. Add the warmed milk to the pumpkin in a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs, brandy, spices, and salt and mix until it becomes a smooth batter.
Line a 9-inch pie plate with your crust, crimping the edges, then pour in the pumpkin mixture. Bake for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serves 8