WITCH'S BREW Ingredients: 3 pints purple grape juice 1 1/2 pints club soda Grapes Apples Directions: Mix the grape juice and soda in a pitcher. Halve the grapes And take out the seeds if there are any. Cut the apple into small chunks. Float the fruit in the brew just before serving; by magic, The grapes and apples will look just like eyes and teeth. --- Glowing Jack-O-Lantern Cookies 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter 1 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon milk Orange and green food coloring 1 (5.5-ounce) package lemon drop candy, crushed* Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C). Cover 3 baking sheets with foil; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt, Mixing well; set aside. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Stir in flour mixture. Add milk if batter is too stiff. Tint all but 1/8 of dough orange and tint remaining dough green. Roll 1-inch balls from the orange dough and flatten with the Bottom of a sugar coated glass. Place on prepared baking sheets. Roll stems out of the green dough and attach to the top of the " pumpkin". Carefully cut out wide spaces for the eyes, nose and mouth with a sharp knife. Fill holes in with the crushed lemon candy. (Candy will melt when baked) Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until done. Do not allow to brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and carefully Peel off foil. Makes about 3 dozen. *Crush lemon drops in food processor with a little powdered sugar. ----- Black Cat Cookies 1 cup crunchy peanut butter 1/3 cup water 2 large eggs 1 (18.25-ounce) package chocolate cake mix M&M's plain candies Red hot candies Preheat oven to 375*F (190*C). In a large bowl, beat together peanut butter, eggs, and water. Gradually add cake mix. Mix well. Form dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Flatten balls with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Pinch out 2 ears at top of cookie. Add M&M's for the eyes and red hots for the nose. Press fork into dough to form the whiskers. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks. ----- (http://www.bhg.com/recipes/recipedetail.jsp?recipeId=R069674) Chicken Lady Fingers with Romanian Romesco Dipping Sauce 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 -1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, Cut into 1/2-inch by 3-inch strips 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon unsalted butter Smoked Spanish or regular paprika Romesco Dipping Sauce 2 large red sweet peppers, halved lengthwise, Seeds and membranes removed, flattened 1 cup day old crusty bread, cubed 3/4 cup chopped fresh tomato (1 large) 1/3 cup sliced natural almonds, toasted 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish or regular paprika 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 cup olive oil Prepare sauce; cover and chill. For Chicken Fingers, In large bowl combine flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Coat chicken strips in flour. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and butter in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add chicken strips, one-third at a time, browning well on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Dip the end of each chicken strip in ground paprika. Serve with Romesco Dipping Sauce. Makes 10 servings (about 40 pieces). Romesco Dipping Sauce: For sauce, preheat broiler Place peppers on a broiler pan. Broil peppers, 4 to 5 inches from the heat, until skins are blacked, Turning once. Remove, stack pieces together, Cover with aluminum foil and let stand 15 minutes. Peel off skins; Discard skins. In blender combine peppers, bread, tomato, almonds, Vinegar, garlic, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and blend. Add 1/4 cup olive oil in steady stream through the top of Blender until mixture is almost smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl or storage container. Cover and chill until serving time. Tip: You can prepare the sauce ahead of time. Cover and chill up to 3 days. With Romanian Romesco Dipping Sauce ----- Devil Dog Cake Cake 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature 1-1/4 cups sugar, divided 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted 2 tablespoons bourbon or other liquor (brand, rum, port) 1/8 teaspoon salt Filling 1 8-ounce package cream cheese 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter 3 tablespoons sugar 3 ounces white chocolate, melted Ganache 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 1 cup heavy cream Pecan pieces for paws/feet For cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 15x10x2-inch -inch jellyroll pan. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving a short overhang on two sides for easy cake removal. Butter parchment. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with whip attachment, beat egg yolks on high speed until thick and pale, 4 minutes. With mixer running, beat in 3/4 cup of the sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Beat in the melted chocolate and the bourbon. Set aside. Fit stand mixer with a clean bowl and clean whip. On medium-high speed, beat egg whites until foamy; add salt. Beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining in remaining sugar, a tablespoon at time. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form, 30 seconds to a minute. In large bowl, whisk about 1/3 of egg whites into chocolate-yolk mixture to lighten. Gently fold in remaining whites in two additions until just combined. Pour batter into pan, smoothing with spatula. Bake 14 to 15 minutes or until tester inserted near center comes out clean. Run a knife around sides of cake to loosen. Cover top of cake with a piece of parchment. Cover parchment with damp (not wet) tea towel to soften top crust. Let cake cool completely in pan on wire rack. For filling: In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar on high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; beat in white chocolate until combined. When you are ready to fill cake, invert onto rack, peel off the parchment and invert again onto clean sheet of parchment (crust-side will be facing up). Spread with filling. Using the parchment paper to help, gently roll up cake lengthwise. (It may crack slightly-- do not worry. Just keep rolling-any cracks will be sealed by filling and the cake itself which is very moist and fudgy.) Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. For ganache, in small saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring cream to full boil. Remove from heat; stir in semisweet chocolate until completely melted. Cool 5 minutes. To assemble: Cut about 1-1/2 inch slice from each end of cake roll. Cut one of slices in half to obtain two 3/4� slices. Coating cut-side of each slice with some of ganache, attach larger slice to top of one end of cake roll for neck. Attach two smaller slices at bottom of back end of cake roll for back legs. Cut narrow strip of heavy card board or foam core to fit under cake. Slide cake onto support. Place on wire rack and set over baking sheet or jellyroll pan. Pour glaze over cake to cover, using small offset spatula to ensure even coverage. Let excess glaze drip off. Transfer cake on its support to serving platter. Add pecan pieces for front and back paws. Make 3 copies of head template and one of tail on color copier. Paste heads and tail to pieces of light cardboard (cereal box). Cut out silhouettes. Attach heads to floral wire or pipe cleaners with tape. Insert into cake. Makes 16 servings. ----- Red Eye Specials 30 small plum tomatoes (about 2 inches long) 2/3 cup purchased pesto 2 containers (6 oz. each) bocconcini (mini fresh mozzarella balls) About 30 pitted black olives 2 green onions Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Trim off the end of each half so that tomato cup will set upright. Scoop out insides of tomato with small spoon and/or melon baller. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon pesto into each tomato cup. Drain bocconcini and cut each piece in half. Use end of drinking straw to scoop out a little dent in center of the rounded side of each bocconcini. Use same straw to cut out "pupils" from olive halves. Place half a bocconcini in each tomato cup. Place olive inside the hole for pupil. For eyelashes, using scissors, cut the green top of the green onions into 1/4-inch pieces. Snip the onion ring so that you have a narrow strip. Use scissors to make multiple cuts almost to edge of strip. Tuck eyelashes into gap between cheese and tomato with toothpick. Makes 60 eyes (30 servings). ----- Sweet Skull Cake (http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/recipeboxadd?id=50016&name=Sweet+Skull) (http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/shoppinglistadd?id=50016&name=Sweet+Skull) (http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/recipebox) (http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/shoppinglist) No bones about it, partygoers will get a scream out of this playful treat. RECIPE INGREDIENTS: 12 marshmallows Confectioners' sugar 24 unfrosted cupcakes (white or yellow works best) White frosting Junior Mints, chocolate chips, and slivered almonds 1. Cut the marshmallows in half widthwise using kitchen shears dipped in confectioners' sugar (this keeps them from sticking). 2. Carefully pull each cupcake liner partially away from the cake and tuck half a marshmallow between the paper and the cupcake to create the skull's jaw. 3. Frost each cupcake and marshmallow, then add Junior Mints with white frosting dots for eyes, a chocolate chip nose, and slivered almond teeth. Hugs, Hel )O( Rain _HelenesPlaceSiteRing : Helene's Place Site Ring - HPSR_ (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HelenesPlaceSiteRing/) _The Hallowe'en Party_ (http://groups.google.com/group/TheHalloweenParty) _www.myspace.com/helthewitch_ (http://www.myspace.com/helthewitch) _http://groups.myspace.com/bestwitches_ (http://groups.myspace.com/bestwitches) -- Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass It's about learning to dance in the rain!!!!! Aspire to be Barbie - the bitch has everything. **************An Excellent Credit Score is 750. See Yours in Just 2 Easy Steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221823322x1201398723/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=Jul yExcfooterNO62) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
