Halloween treats that are spooktacular

No tricks, only treats with these three fun to make recipes that will satisfy your sweet tooth!

Pumpkin Rice Krispies

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of pumpkin puree
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter 
• 1 10 oz. bag of marshmallows
• Pinch of pumpkin spice
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 1 box of rice krispie cereal
• Pretzel sticks for decoration
• Green frosting for decoration
• Orange food coloring (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat a large pot to medium low. Add the pumpkin puree and butter. Keep stirring until the butter is melted and mixed in with the pumpkin puree.
2. Lower the heat and add the whole bag of marshmallows. Stir constantly until it the marshmallows are one melted, combined mixture.
3. Sprinkle in some pumpkin spice and extra cinnamon. An optional drop of orange food coloring should be added in this step.
4. Simultaneously pour and stir in the rice crispy cereal. Leave ¼ of the cereal in the bag.
5. Scoop out the mixture into a bowl and let cool for 15 minutes.
6. Apply butter on your hands before making fist size balls. Stick in a pretzel stick and form the ball around it.
7. Lastly, add a little green frosting by the pretzel to look like a leaf and enjoy! Makes 11 rice krispie treats.

Candy Corn Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of softened salted butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup of oil (your choice of vegetable, canola, coconut, etc.)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 4 cups of flour
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
• Candy corn

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl (preferably metal or glass because it will help when chilled) Beat in oil, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside.
2. Whisk dry ingredients in a separate mixing bowl.
3. Mix in the dry ingredients gradually into the wet ingredients.
4. Chill dough in the freezer for 1 hour. If you have more time you can put it in the fridge for 3+ hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350.
6. Dough may be hardened to bowl and not as firm on the bottom so mix it together with a spatula. 
7. Use a cookie scoop, spoon, or your hands to make large balls and put on buttered or non stick sheet pan. 
8. Bake for 6 minutes. Take the cookies out of the oven and gently press in candy corn. Feel free to get creative and make faces with pieces of candy corn.
9. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
10. Let cool and enjoy! Makes 16 large cookies.

Death By Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 16 oz. of heavy whipping cream
• Oreos
• Milano cookies
• Black writing icing
• Gummy worms

Instructions:

*You can replace steps 1-7 by making instant chocolate pudding.

1. Melt chocolate chips in a medium bowl in the microwave at 30 second intervals or it will burn.
2. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.
3. Stir egg yolks in melted chocolate. Mixture should be thick. 
4. Place the egg whites in a bowl for a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed. Once foamy, gradually sprinkle sugar. Increase speed and beat until the egg whites form stiff peaks. 
5. One scoop at a time fold egg whites into the chocolate. The chocolate should become smoother as you incorporate the egg whites.
6. In a stand mixer, whip the cream.
7. Fold the chocolate mixture into the whipped cream.
8. Put as many Oreos you can fit into a food processor and blend into fine texture.
9. Layer the chocolate and crushed Oreos in small cups.
10. Use the black writing icing to put RIP on the Milano cookies. Stick them in the cups, decorate with gummy worms, and enjoy! Makes 12 small cups.