Even the littlest chefs can lend a hand to make these Halloween sweets.
By Katie Workman
Ask a bunch of kids what their favorite holiday of the year is, and it might be a tie between their birthdays and Halloween. Getting in costume, roaming the streets with their friends, staying up late, and coming home with a bag filled with candy? For a kid, life doesn't get much better than this. But wait, there's more!
You can kick off their Halloween festivities with a few treats of your own, either on the magical night itself, or at a school party, potluck, or Halloween celebration you host in your home. And there are plenty of opportunities to enlist the help of your kids. And while these treats are very kid-friendly, there's no question that grown ups will be reaching for them, too.
1. Spiderweb Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes
The cream cheese frosting on these deep golden orange cupcakes is decorated with a spiderweb design that is surprisingly easy to make, and older kids will have a blast spooning the reserved frosting into a small self-sealing bag, cutting a tiny hole in one corner, and piping circles on the frosting. Younger siblings can help by drawing a toothpick through the circles to form a web pattern. And remember, perfection isn't the goal here; fun is!
Get the recipe.From 'Cupcakes!' by Elinor Klivans
2. Bloodshot Eyeballs
"Eeeewww!" These eyeballs may elicit squeals but curiosity will soon get the best of everyone, and they'll be popping these into their mouths. These are made from store-bought doughnut holes, and little ones can help pour over the warmed frosting and place the M&M on top for the pupil, older kids can help pipe on the jam to make he creepy "veins." These are fun to make, fun to shock your guests with, and, of course, fun to eat.
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3. Toffee Apples
These nostalgic treats are a perfect reward for an apple picking excursion, and are great for a Halloween party. Help your kids push a wooden stick firmly into the stalk end of each apple. Keep little hands clear of the hot toffee while it's cooking, and enlise the help of the big kids to dip the apples into the caramel. Let stand until the apples are completely cold and the toffee has hardened.
Get the recipe.From 'The Illustrated Kitchen Bible' by Victoria Blashford-Snell and Brigitte Hafner
4. Kellogg'sŪ Rice KrispiesŪ Treats Monsters
No great Halloween celebration is complete with a monster or two, and these creative creatures fit the bill perfectly. This popular treat forms the base of an artistic enterprise. Put out lots of different frostings, decorating gels and assorted candies and encourage the kids to let loose and come up with some very scary (or maybe very silly) ghouls.
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5. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling
The whoopie pie gets a makeover here. Its soft, cake-like cookie is flavored with pumpkin, and chilled cream cheese filling holds them together. You can make big ones, or bite-sized versions. Kids can help make the measure the ingredients and stir up the batter for the cookies, and the filling, but the assembly is the really fun part; one kid might be in charge of using an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to drop a large dollops of filling onto the flat side of the cookies, another kid responsible for placing another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling.
Get the recipe.From 'Baked' by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
6. Easy-as-Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Cooking seasonally keeps things exciting, but what's also fun is taking a seasonal ingredient, like pumpkin, and matching it with a surprising recipe, like ice cream. Kids love the fun of making ice cream. Thi s recipe is super easy - your kids mix up all of the ingredients, pour it into ice cream maker, slip the switch and watch as the smooth mixture thickens into creamy, delicious ice cream before their very eyes. Coconut milk gives this a wonderful flavor twist, and makes this a great option for those who are looking for lactose-free options.
Another great tip: make a batch of this ice cream, let the kids smooth it into a pre-baked graham cracker crust, and pop it into the freezer. It makes a great alternative to the classic pumpkin pie over the holidays. Perfect to make ahead of time, too!
Get the recipe.by Hannah Kaminsky
7. Black Cat Halloween Meringue Ghosts
These are the friendliest ghosts hanging out on Halloween night. If you've never made meringues, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy and kid-friendly the directions are. With supervision, kids of the right age can work the hand blender, and it's fun to see the egg whites start to form soft peaks. Then, scoop the mixture into a large zip-lock bag, and cut off one end and squeeze meringue out onto a cookie sheet to make each ghost. Even the little goblins can help with that! Melted chocolate chips dabbed on with a toothpick turn these light cookies into ghosts.
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8. Fresh Orange Gelatins
Have you ever made homemade Jell-O? Packages of powdered gelatin make it fun and simple to whip up your own homemade version of the jiggly stuff. This jelly is light, refreshing, and not too sweet.Kids love pouring the juice into individual serving cups, tucking in the orange segments and then seeing the liquid turn into a wobbly treat. The orange color and flavor is perfect for Halloween.
Get the recipe.From 'The Illustrated Kitchen Bible' by Victoria Blashford-Snell and Brigitte Hafner
9. Orange and Strawberry Juice
With adult supervision, kids love to whirl things up in the blender, and this pretty drink whips up in no time. Trying to get your kids to pause between candy runs is the adult version of a Halloween trick, but they'll be willing to take a breather for this festive drink with its pretty pinkish-orange color. Add a little sparkle with a splash of club soda. And let your little ones freeze some whole strawberries the night before and pop them in the drink just before serving for some edible ice cubes that won?t dilute your drink.
Get the recipe.From 'Simply Summer' by Angela Tunner
10. Candy Bar Cupcakes
These cupcakes are the perfect Halloween treat, both before and after the holiday. Pieces of candy bar?or whatever candy you and your kids like?are hidden in the bottom of these peanut butter-frosted chocolate cupcakes, which makes these cupcakes a game of trick-or-treat. Kids will love digging in the cupcakes to find the buried candy treasure, and you can let your kids pick and choose from amongst their loot to personalize these cupcakes with their favorite treats. This is a great way to use up leftover candy bars.
Get the recipe.From '125 Best Cupcake Recipes' by Robert Rose
