Halloween is around the corner, as is the dreaded candy crash. Many children will be trick-or-treating, attending parties at school and home, and there will surely be an abundance of candy and other sweets. However, with a little time, healthy snacks, and sweet Halloween magic, you can bring healthier treats to the little monsters in your life.

Banana Ghosts and Clementine Pumpkins

Banana ghosts and clementine pumpkins are a very simple, and very healthy, treat for children and adults. To make a banana ghost, simply cut a banana in half, insert a popsicle stick into the bottom, and decorate with either cheerio, chocolate drops, or raisin eyes. To make a clementine pumpkin, it is even simpler: peel a clementine, and near the top, place a small piece of celery for the pumpkin’s stem.

‘Candy Corn’ Fruit Cups

Candy corn fruit cups is a fun recipe for a Halloween party, whether at home or school, that gives the healthy touch of fruit with just a tiny bit sweet. For this recipe, you’ll need small plastic cups, one can of pineapple chunks (or, try mango), one can of mandarin oranges, and whipped cream. Building the candy corn fruit cup is simple: pineapples first, oranges second, with whipping cream on the top.

Caterpillar Grape Kabobs

Caterpillar grape kabobs are both fun and easy! You will need wooden sticks for kabobs, green or purple grapes, with cream cheese and chocolate drops for the eyes. This idea is especially fun because it adds a bit of ‘candy’ treats for the kids as well as plenty of fruit!

Witch’s Broom

As a non-sweet idea, witch’s brooms are just as fun. For this recipe, you will need pretzel sticks and cheese sticks. To make the end of the broom, cut the cheese sticks in half and cut them to fray as if like a straw broom. Then, insert the pretzel stick into the non-frayed end of the cut cheese stick.

Ghost-wiches

This idea is absolutely adorable: these sandwiches are ghost shaped and made with peanut butter and jelly. Feel free to make sandwiches shaped like bats, witch’s hats, tombstones; the possibilities are nearly endless. This idea is fun because it adds sweet to function.

For ideas about what to give trick-or-treaters, try cheese crackers, fruit snacks, and small toys or miniature games. Children will get the treat that they want, and you will feel better about their health, whether or not they are your children. Halloween should be about fun, not sugar crashes!

The post Healthy Treats for Halloween appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Haunted with the thought of a ho-hum Halloween? Never fear — trick-or-treaters will want more than just candy once they see your party table. Throw a fabulous Halloween party fit for little goblins or grown-up monsters with some devilishly good sweets.

Try these easy party ideas from Wilton to make your Halloween spook-tacular:

• Add some “pop” to popcorn: Trick out ordinary popcorn into a sweet-and-salty party pleaser. Drizzle on Candy Melts® candy for festive flavors, and then capture the Halloween spirit by adding fun sprinkle mixes.
• Masquerade cookies: Who says you can’t play with your food? Create edible masks with decorated shaped cookies and attach them to cookie sticks with melted Candy Melts candy. Set up a photo station at your party, so guests can take pictures with their cookie mask creations before eating them.
• Jack-o’-lantern cakes: It wouldn’t be Halloween without carved pumpkins. Make yours edible by baking a delicious pumpkin spice pound cake shaped like a pumpkin. Increase the fun by adding silly icing facial features.
• Midnight potions: Spice up the night with candy corn drinks served in containers guests can devour, making cleanup easy and delicious. Or, toast the night with the Witch’s Brew Mocktail.

For more Halloween ideas and inspiration, visit wilton.com.

Masquerade Cookies

Servings: 2 dozen cookies

• 2 -3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 -1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 -1/2 teaspoons Imitation Clear Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Imitation Almond Extract
• Royal icing
• Orange, Black, Green, Lemon Yellow, Brown and Violet Icing Colors, as desired
• Orange, Yellow, Orange, Lavender and Black Colored Sugars, as desired
• Halloween Jimmies, Nonpareils and Icing Decorations, as desired
• Candy Melts candy
• Cookie sticks

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In large bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. In second large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Add flour mixture to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Do not chill dough. Divide dough into 2 balls.

On floured surface, roll each ball into a circle approximately 12 inches in diameter by 1/8 inch thick. Dip eye and glasses cookie cutters in flour before each use. Arrange cookies on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8–11 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool completely on cooling grid. Decorate as desired using tinted royal icing, colored sugars and Halloween icing decorations. Use melted candy to attach sticks to backs of cookies; chill until set.

Pumpkin Spice Popcorn

Servings: 6 cups

• 6 cups popped kettle corn
• 2 cups mini pretzel twists
• 1 package (10 ounces) Pumpkin Spice Candy Melts candy
• 1 bottle (2.5 ounces) Pumpkin Mix Sprinkles

Spread popcorn and pretzels on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

In disposable decorating bag, melt candy in microwave at 50 percent power for 1 minute; remove bag and knead. Continue melting candy for 30-second intervals at 50 percent power until completely melted. Snip off end of bag and drizzle melted candy over popcorn mixture; immediately add sprinkles. Let stand until candy has hardened, about 20 minutes. Break into pieces to serve.

Caramel Apple Popcorn

Servings: 6 cups

• 6 cups popped popcorn, buttered and salted
• 3/4 cup roasted salted peanuts
• 1 package (10 ounces) Caramel Apple Candy Melts candy
• 1 bottle (2.5 ounces) Spider Mix Sprinkles

Spread popcorn and peanuts on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

In disposable decorating bag, melt candy in microwave at 50 percent power for 1 minute; remove bag and knead. Continue melting candy for 30-second intervals at 50 percent power until completely melted. Snip off end of bag and drizzle melted candy over popcorn. Immediately top with sprinkles. Let stand until candy has hardened, about 20 minutes. Break into pieces to serve.

Pumpkin Pound Cake

Servings: 16

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 -1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 -1/4 cups canned 100 percent pumpkin (not pie filling)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare Dimensions Large Pumpkin Pan lightly with vegetable pan spray with flour. Place on baking sheet.

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition; beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with pumpkin; mix well. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 70–80 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan. Turn onto cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.

Witch’s Brew Mocktail

Servings: 6

• 3 cups ginger ale, chilled
• 1 -1/2 cups pineapple juice, chilled
• 1/3 cup sweetened lime juice, chilled
• Green gel food color or green icing color (optional)
• Black Colored Sugar
• Gummy Eyeball Skewers

In large pitcher, combine ginger ale, pineapple juice, sweetened lime juice and, if using, gel food color.

To prepare glasses, dip rims of martini glasses in water, then in black sugar. Fill with drink mixture; add eyeball skewers.

Candy Corn Drinks

Servings: 8

• 1 cup (half of 12-ounce package) Bright White Candy Melts Candy, melted according to package directions
• 1 cup (half of 12-ounce package) Orange Candy Melts Candy, melted according to package directions
• 1 package (12 ounces) Yellow Candy Melts Candy, melted according to package directions
• Orange flavored fruit drink, orange, peach or mango juice or other favorite drink

Fill disposable decorating bag with melted bright white candy. Divide evenly among cavities of 8-cavity silicone shot glass mold, taking care to not get any candy on sides of mold. Repeat process with orange and yellow candy. Refrigerate until candy is set, about 30 minutes. Carefully remove candy glasses from mold and set aside. Fill with orange drink.

Family Features; Source: Wilton

The post Brew Up a Frightfully Fun Halloween Party appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

(BPT) – Whether prepping for trick-or-treaters or hosting a party fit for Frankenstein, turning your home into a haunted house can be fun and easy. With these tips, before you know it, your home will be transformed into the spookiest house on the block.

Create terrifying tombstones. Set the stage before trick-or-treaters even hit the front door. Use wood, cardboard or thick Styrofoam to create tombstones that you can put in your front yard. After cutting out the desired shape, use a matte gray spray paint to cover the surface, and then use black paint to write creative epitaphs such as “Dare to Disturb” or “Happy Haunting.”

Get creative with pumpkins. Everyone enjoys a good jack-o-lantern, but why not choose to think outside the box when decorating with pumpkins this year? Instead of carving, try spray painting or using your favorite Halloween candy to decorate pumpkins in fun, spooky patterns. Plus, this is a project that even the littlest witch can enjoy.

Download a haunted playlist. Nothing is quite as spooky as the sound of doors creaking or ghosts shrieking. Put together a haunted playlist that you can listen to while guests arrive, or stick speakers near an open window to entice the nearby trick-or-treaters to stop by for some candy.

Serve spine-chilling treats. Use your free time on Halloween to make these simple but yummy treats designed to look like spiders. Serve them when guests arrive to kick-off the scary festivities.

Reese’s® Peanut Butter Pumpkin Spiders (6 Servings)

Ingredients:

• 6 Reese’s (R) Peanut Butter Pumpkins
• 1/4 cup Hershey’s (R) Milk Chocolate Chips
• Large pretzel twists (2 -1/2 to 3 inches)
• 12 yellow Reese’s Pieces (R) Candies

Directions:

Line tray or cookie sheet with wax paper. Remove wrappers from peanut butter pumpkins and place alongside each other on tray leaving 1 inch of space between each peanut butter pumpkin. For each spider, cut 8 matching curved sections from pretzels which will form the legs. Set aside remaining pretzels pieces.

Place milk chocolate chips in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at medium 30 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave at medium an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted and smooth when stirred. Transfer to small heavy duty plastic food storage bag. Cut off one corner of bag about 1/4 inch from the tip.

Attach pretzel legs and yellow candy “eyes” to spider with melted chocolate; place dot of melted chocolate on each eye. Allow chocolate to set before moving spiders.

For more wickedly delicious recipes, visit CelebratewithHersheys.com.

The post No tricks here: Treat guests to a hair-raising Halloween experience appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.