Use this homemade Black Cat Fudge recipe to make the witch for the Full-Moon Pumpkin Cheesecake in Nana’s Corner Halloween recipes and other spooky Halloween creatures for your Halloween celebration!

Black Cat Fudge

What you’ll need:

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chapped
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup shipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 16  (1 pound) confectioners’ sugar (about 4 1/2 cups), sifted
• White chocolate chips (about 30) - or white icing

What to do:

1. 1 line 11×7-inch pan with foil, extending foil beyond edges of pan; grease foil.
2. Melt chocolate and butter in medium saucepan over low heat; stir in corn syrup, cream, vanilla and salt. Remove from heat and gradually stir in confecitoners’ sugar until smooth.
3. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours.
4. Using foil as handles, remove fudge form pan; peel off foil. Using diagram as guide, cut out cats. Frequently clean knife with warm water and dray thoroughly to prevent sticking. Place 2 white chocolate chips on each cat for eyes. Using knife score feet to make claws. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve.
    
   Makes about 1 1/2 pounds (12 to 15 cats - 2 1/2″ high by 2 1/2″ wide)

Full-Moon Pumpkin Cheesecake

The cheesecake is the eerie background behind a chocolate fudge broomstick flying witch. Other possibilities are a fence with a cat against the Halloween moon or turn the pumpkin cheesecake into a pumpkin with a spooky face. Leave off the witch and serve the Pumpkin Cheesecake for Thanksgiving. Delicious! (more…)

Young children are often scared of what they might see when you open the door on Halloween night. Here is an original Halloween poem to help them learn that the ghosts, witches, and even a shrew are all children just like them on Halloween…really very, very sweet.

Don’t Be Scared on Halloween

Halloween is October 31
If you see witches, goblins, and maybe a shrew
You don’t have to run
For they are children just like you
When they come to the door
Don’t you run, remember it’s Halloween
You may hear screams and roars
From what you are about to see
Do not be scared from behind the door
It’s candy they like to eat
Don’t be surprised, they may be back for more
For they are really very, very sweet

~Nana’s Corner~

Having the grandchildren over for Trick or Treating or visiting on a day close to Halloween? Are you short on time for preparing Halloween party treats to serve them? Or, do you enjoy cooking with children? Here are sandwich, soup, and spooky ghost dessert Halloween party treats that will be fun to prepare for lunch or supper (with or for your grandchildren) and won’t take too much time:

Pumpkin Shaped Sandwiches

Total time: 45 minutes
Makes 12

Ingredients:

1 box (15 oz) refrigerated pie crusts
6 oz sliced extra-sharp Cheddar, Swiss or American cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

•  Heat oven to 425F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil.
• On work surface, unroll pie crust and cut each of the two crusts into 12 pumpkin shapes with a 3-in. pumpkin cookie cutter. Using a 2-in. round cutter, cut 24 rounds from the sliced ham and 24 rounds from the sliced cheese.
• Put 2 slices each of ham and cheese in the center or each of the 12 pumpkins. With a small brush, brush beaten egg around edges.
• Top with remaining pumpkins, carefully pressing on edges to seal. Using a spoon, make ridges on pumpkins by pressing into tops in a few places. With a small knife, pierce ridges in a couple of places to vent.
• Place on prepared pan. Brush tops with beaten egg. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until light golden. Let cool on rack a couple of minutes before serving.

Bloody Soup

Total time: 10 minutes
Makes 6 cups, 12 servings

Ingredients:

1 jar (24 to 26 oz) marinara sauce
1 jar (about 7 oz) roasted red peppers, drained
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 can (14 1/2 oz) reduced-sodium beef broth
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Red food color (optional)

Directions:

• Put sauce, peppers, tomatoes, oil and garlic in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
• Pour into a medium saucepan along with the broth and Worcestershire sauce. Stirring often, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
• Remove from heat; stir in a few drops of food color if desired. To serve, pour from a liquid measuring cup into shot glasses or other small cups.

Spooky Ghosts

Total Time: 20 minutes
Makes 8

Ingredients:

1 box (6.2 oz) Rice Krispies Treats (8 bars)
8 ( 8- 12-in) cookie sticks
2/3 cup white ready-to-use fulled fondant
Confectioners’ sugar
16 mini-chocolate chips
Styrofoam or floral foam

Directions:

• Roll each Rice Krispies Treat into a 2 1/2-inch-long bullet shape. Insert a cookie stick into flat end of treat, then stick into foam to stand straight.
• Scoop out 8 rounded tablespoons of fondant. Dust surface and rolling pin with confectioners’ sugar. Roll a Tbsp at a time into a 6- 6 1/2-inch circle.
• Drape fondant over Treat. Press on chocolate chips for eyes. Repeat with remaining fondant and chips.

Source: Woman’s Day Magazine, Nov. 1, 2008 issue

Did you make the Spooky Ghost Cookies shown in the picture with your older grandchildren yet to add to their Halloween fun? For your younger grandchildren, here are 3 quick and easy Halloween cookies to make. They really are creepy and yummy, too!

With your grandchildren, you can make Bloodshot Eyeballs, Spiders, and Funny Bugs. You’ll find the recipes below. Each fun Halloween cookie recipe makes just one scary creation so mix and match to make as many as needed.
 

Bloodshot Eyeballs

Ingredients:

2 fudge-covered chocolate sandwich cookies
1 tablespoon Fluffy White Frosting (see previous post)
2 green jelly beans
Red decorating gel

Directions:

• Frost cookies with Fluffy White Frosting leaving edge of cookie showing as shown in photo above.
• Press jelly beans into frosting to make pupils of eyes.
• Decorate with red gel to make eyes look bloodshot as shown.

Spiders

Ingredients:

1 (3-inch) oatmeal cookie for each serving
1 tablespoon of Fluffy White Frosting (see previous post)
1 small black jelly bean
1 large black jelly bean
1 black licorice whip
2 red candy-coated licorice pieces

Directions:

• Frost oatmeal cookie with Fluffy White Frosting.
• Arrange jelly beans on cookies to make spider head and body as shown in photo above.
• Cut 6 to 8 licorice whip pieces (about 1 1/2 inches long); curve and position for legs.
• Add red candy antennae to head as shown.

Funny Bug

Ingredients:

1 (3-inch) oatmeal cookie for each serving
1 tablespoon Fluffy White Frosting
2 miniature chocolate sandwich cookies
1 red gumdrop
2 cheese corn curls

Directions:

• Frost oatmeal cookie with Fluffy White Frosting (see previous post).
• Arrange sandwich cookies to make eyes as shown in photo.
• Attach gumdrop mouth and corn curl antennae.

Source: America’s Favorite Brand Name Holiday Recipes

Kids of all ages will enjoy these Halloween cookie recipes!

Halloween is a fun time to bake with your grandchildren. Cooking activities can be a great way to use skills your grandchildren are learning in school, such as reading, following directions, sequencing, fractions, measuring, motor skills, and creativity.

If you find your grandchild is very into cooking, encourage his or her interest. Not only is it an enjoyable hobby, it can be a rewarding career. The Spooky Ghosts Halloween cookie recipe is recommended for older grandchildren. You’ll find the Spooky Ghosts recipe below. 

For your younger grandchildren, I recommend the Halloween cookie recipes (Bloodshot Eyeballs, Spiders, and Funny Bugs) in my next post. Making simple, quick Halloween treats can be a fun way to introduce cooking and learning skills. The outcomes are fun to look at and eat, too!

Spooky Ghost Cookies

Ingredients:

1 recipe Butter Cookie dough (see below)
1 recipe Fluffy White Frosting (see below)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (about 60 chips)

• Preheat oven to 350F. Roll dough on floured surface to 1/4 inc thickness. Cut out ghost shapes.
• Bake on ungreased cookie sheets 10 to 12 minutes until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
• Prepare Fluffy White Frosting. Spread frosting over cookies, swirling to give ghostly appearance. Position 2 chocolate chips on each cookie for eyes.

Makes about 30 2 1/2 inch by 2 1/2 inch cookies

Fluffy White Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 container (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
• 3/4 cup marshmallow creme

Directions:

• Combine frosting and marshmallow creme in medium bowl.
• Mix well.

Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Makes about 24 cookies.

Source: America’s Favorite Brand Name Holiday Recipes