Halloween Treats #5 - Chocolate Candy Corn Truffles

Dark chocolate and bitter orange offset the sweetness of candy corn in these fun but fancy truffles. Prep and Cook Time: about 30 minutes, plus at least 2 1/2 hours to chill. Notes: You'll need 64 fluted 1-in. paper candy cups for this recipe.

 
Yield: Makes 64 truffles

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 18  ounces  bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1  cup  whipping cream
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
• 1/4  cup  orange marmalade
• 1/4  cup  unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
• 64  candy corns (about 3 oz.)

Preparation

1. Line an 8- by 8-in. baking pan with a 12- by 17-in. sheet of foil or waxed paper.
2. In a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of hot water, use a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon to stir together chocolate, cream, Grand Marnier, and marmalade until chocolate is melted. Scrape chocolate mixture into prepared pan, smoothing top.
3. Chill until firm, at least 2 1/2 hours or (covered with plastic wrap) up to 1 week.
4. Put cocoa powder in a shallow bowl. Remove chocolate mixture from pan. With a long, sharp knife, cut chocolate mixture into 64 squares, each about 3/4 in. wide. Roll squares in cocoa powder to coat; place 1 square in each paper cup.
5. Gently press a candy corn into the top of each truffle. Store between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Halloween Treats#4 - Spooky spider eggs

No recipe - I figure everyone has their own favorite on this... but the design is cute for us Big Kids:)

Halloween Treats #3 - Tombstone Cookies

Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 dozen

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  cocoa (or cacao) nibs (see Notes)
• 6  tablespoons  butter, softened
• 1/2  cup  sugar, plus extra for sprinkling cookies
• 1  large egg
• 1/2  teaspoon  vanilla
• 1 1/3  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• Melted semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a blender, whirl cocoa nibs until each is about the size of a grain of rice.
2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar until creamy; beat in egg and vanilla.
3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa nibs; gradually add to butter mixture, blending thoroughly, to form a soft dough. Divide dough into thirds, cover each portion tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm (at least 1 hour), or up to 3 days.
4. On a floured board, roll out dough, a portion at a time, to a thickness of 1/8 in. (keep dough refrigerated when not in use). With a sharp knife, cut out free-form tombstone shapes (about 1 1/2 by 3 in.; cut bottom edges at an angle to make them easier to poke into the pots de crème), and place slightly apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle generously with sugar.
5. Bake cookies until edges are lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool completely before handling.
6. Using a pastry bag with a very fine tip, pipe the letters "RIP" in chocolate on at least 8 of the cookies. Stick these cookies into the Dark Chocolate Graveyard Pots de Crème and serve the rest of the cookies alongside.

Halloween Treats #2 - Jif® Crispy Treats (Decorate for the Season)

A great twist on an old classic!

Ingredients

• CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 (10 ounce) package marshmallows
• 1/2 cup JIF® Creamy Peanut Butter
• 6 cups crisp rice cereal

Optional items:

• M&Ms
• Orange and Black Squeezable Frosting
• Stick Pretzels

 Directions

1. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with no-stick spray.
2. Melt butter or margarine in large saucepan on low heat. Add marshmallows. Stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
3. Add peanut butter. Stir until well blended. Add cereal. Stir until well coated.
4. Press into buttered pan. Cool completely. Cut into 24 pieces. 

Decorate with black and orange frosting for Halloween. You can add eyes with M&Ms and legs with pretzels too!