Wiggly Pumpkins

Ingredients:

• 2 packages (6 ounces each) orange gelatin
• 2-1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup cold milk
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
• Candy corn
• Black licorice and/or gumdrops
  

Directions:

1. Dissolve gelatin in water; set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Whisk milk and pudding mix until smooth, about 1 minute. Quickly pour into gelatin; whisk until well blended.
3. Pour into an oiled 13-in. x 9-in. pan. Chill until set.
4. Cut into circles or use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter.
5. Just before serving, add candy eyes and mouths.

Yield: 14-16 servings.

Pumpkin Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 carton (8 ounces) spreadable chive and onion cream cheese
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 celery rib or broccoli stalk
• Sliced apples and assorted crackers
  
  

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, beat cream cheeses until smooth.
2. Stir in the cheddar cheese, paprika and cayenne.
3. Shape into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm.
4. With a knife, add vertical lines to the cheese ball to resemble a pumpkin; insert a celery rib or broccoli stalk for the stem.
5. Serve with apples and crackers.

Yield: 2-1/2 cups.

Ghost Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 pound white candy coating, coarsely chopped


• 1 package (1 pound) Nutter Butter peanut butter cookies


• miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt candy coating, stirring occasionally.


2. Dip cookies into coating, covering completely. Place on waxed paper.


3. (Brush ends with a pastry brush dipped in coating where fingers touched cookies.)


4. While coating is still warm, place two chips on each cookie for eyes.


5. Let stand until set.

*** These make cute snowmen cookies. Justs add choc chip buttons and pipe a nose and scarf!

Black Cat Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) cake mix of your choice
• 1 can (16 ounces) chocolate frosting
• 48 nacho tortilla chips, broken
• 2 cups pretzel sticks
• Assorted candies: yellow gumdrops, miniature marshmallows, pink Nerds candies and red Air Heads candies

Directions:

1. Prepare and bake cake batter according to package directions for cupcakes; cool completely.
2. Using a star tip, pipe frosting on cupcakes.
3. Use pointed tips of tortilla chips for cat ears and pretzel sticks for whiskers.
4. Slice gumdrops. For each eye, press a gumdrop slice onto a marshmallow.
5. Add Nerds candies for noses.
6. Cut Air Heads candies into mouth shapes; position on cupcakes.

Yield: 2 dozen.