HALLOWEEN GOBLIN BALLS

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8 cups popped popcorn
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup water
1 tbs butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup orange and black gumdrops OR jujubes, chopped

place popped popcorn in a bowl; set aside. in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring sugar, corn syrup, water, butter and salt to a boil; cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. cook, without stirring, for 10 minutes or until at hard-ball stage (254 degrees on a candy thermometer), or until 1/2 tsp of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid but still slightly pliable ball. remove from heat. wearing oven mitts to shield against splatters, carefully stir in vanilla. pour over popped popcorn; using a greased spoon, toss until coated. stir in candy. wearing rubber gloves, form into 2″ balls; let cool on a baking sheet.

TRADITIONAL PUMPKIN PIE

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CRUST:

2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening
4-6 tbs cold water

FILLING:

6 eggs
1 (29 oz) can solid-pack pumpkin
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 cups evaporated milk

in a bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. divide dough in half. on a floured surface, roll out each portion to fit a 9″ pie plate. place pastry in plates; trim pastry (set scraps aside if leaf cutouts are desired) and flute edges. set shells aside.

for filling: beat eggs in a mixing bowl. add pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, salt, cloves, nutmeg and ginger; beat just until smooth. gradually stir in milk. pour into pastry shells.

bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. reduce heat to 350 degrees; bake 40-45 minutes longer, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. cool on wire racks. if desired, cut the pastry scraps with a 1″ leaf-shaped cookie cutter; place on an ungreased baking sheet. bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. place on baked pies.

makes 2 pies (6-8 servings each)

DESSERT DIVIDENDS

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When melting baking chocolate, place it on a piece of aluminum in its own wrapper and put into the oven while it is preheating or into the top of a double boiler. The chocolate will be ready when you need it.

Always add a little salt to recipes containing chocolate. It brings out the flavor.

If a recipe calls for brown sugar, use light brown sugar unless otherwise specified.

To soften hardened brown sugar , place a crisp lettuce leaf or a slice of fresh bread in the container. Or, place package in a 250 degree oven for 10 minutes, the roll out the lumps with a rolling pin or press them out with a spoon or fingers. When heated, the sugar must be used immediately.

Heavy cream doubles in volume when whipped. 1/2 cup of whipping cream will make 1 cup of whipped cream.

A pinch of salt added to heavy cream will make it whip faster.

Slip a piece of wax paper over the mixing bowl when whipping cream. Have the beaters poke up through a hole in the center. No splatters!

Freeze dollops of whipped cream on a cookie sheet. When frozen, transfer carefully to a box for storage. Nice for garnishing.

*Sprinkle strawberries with sugar and pour a bit of brandy or orange juice over them. Chill for several hours. Before serving, pour pink champagne over the strawberries and garnish with mint.

If custard curdles, pour it through a sieve.

*Fill the center of honeydew melon halves with lime sherbet for a delicious dessert.

*Honeydew is marvelous filled with strawberries and fresh pineapple with a sauce of beaten vanilla ice cream and brandy poured over.

Serve crystallized ginger or powdered ginger with any melon.

Nice garnishes for puddings, cakes, pies, etc:
Chocolate shavings made by using a parer on semisweet or cooking chocolate squares.
Frosted grapes made by dipping grapes into slightly beaten egg whites and coating with granulated sugar. Allow to dry on wax paper.
Melt semisweet chocolate and paint onto the backs of small leaves. Refrigerate. When
cool, peel off leaf. You will have a chocolate leaf.
Toast almonds, finely chopped or slivered, in a hot skillet or on a cookie sheet in a slow oven. Be sure to keep almonds stirred for an even medium brown.

Pretty mint garnish for berries can be done by brushing them with egg white and dipping into fine granulated sugar.

JACK-O-LANTERN CHEESE BALL

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2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (4 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup solid pack pumpkin
1/2 cup pineapple preserves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pretzel rod, broken in half

decorations: dark rye bread, red bell pepper, black olive slices, parsley sprigs

assorted crackers

beat cheeses, pumpkin, preserves and spices in a medium bowl until smooth. cover. refrigerate 2-3 hours or until cheese is firm enough to shape. shape mixture into a round pumpkin; place on a serving plate. using a knife, score vertical lines down the pumpkin. place pretzel rod in top for stem. cut 2 small triangles of red pepper for the eyes and one small triangle for the nose. slices olive slices in half for the mouth. cover loosely. refrigerate until serving time. serve with crackers.

WORMY BAKED APPLES

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6 large golden delicious apples
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter/margarine
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
6 gummy worms
1 cup whipping cream (optional)

core apples from blossom ends, leaving stem ends intact. mix raisins and walnuts and stuff into cavities of cored apples. set apples, stems up, in a 7″x12 pan. in a 1-2 qt pan, mix brown sugar, water, butter,cinnamon, and nutmeg; stir over high heat until mixture boils. pour hot syrup around apples. bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven, basting occasionally with syrup, until apples are tender when pierced and skin begins to crack, 30-35 minutes.

remove apples from oven; cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes or let cool to room temperature. set each apple in a small bowl and spoon syrup around fruit. in the top of each apple, cut a hole large enough for one of the gummy worms and tuck one end into each apple, leaving most of the worm dangling. offer cream to pour over the apples.

6 servings

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN COURDON BLEU

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6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
4 oz sliced ham
4 oz sliced swiss cheese
1 (8 oz) pkg herbed dry bread stuffing mix
1/4 cup butter, melted

mix together the cream of chicken soup and milk in a small bowl. pour enough of the soup into a slow cooker to cover the bottom. lay chicken breasts over the sauce. cover with slices of ham and then swiss cheese. pour the remaining soup over the layers, stirring to distribute between layers. sprinkle the stuffing mix on top, and drizzle butter over stuffing mix. cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours, or 2-3 hours on HIGH.

PEANUT BUTTER NUTELLA CUPCAKES

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PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES:

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup milk (preferably 2%)

preheat oven to 350 degrees. in a large bowl, cream butter, peanut butter and brown sugar until thoroughly combined and light and fluffy. mix in egg and vanilla.

in a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. add 1/2 of the milk to the mixture until combined. continue alternating dry ingredients and milk, mixing in between (finish with dry ingredients).

fill cupcake tins 2/3 full. bake for 18-22 minutes for regular cupcakes or 10-12 minutes for mini cupcakes (until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). let cool completely before frosting.

NUTELLA BUTTERCREAM:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup nutella
1 cup 10x sugar, sifted
1-2 tbs milk

beat butter until smooth. add nutella and beat together until thoroughly combined. slowly add 10x sugar, mixing until combined. add 1 tbs milk. add additional milk or 10x sugar as needed to reach desired consistency.

makes 18 regular cupcakes or 48 mini cupcakes

CANTONESE BEEF

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1 lb round steak, cut into thin strips
2 tbs oil
1 1/2 cups water
1 pkg mushroom gravy mix
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
4 scallions, sliced diagonally into 1″ pieces
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 cups dry minute rice

brown beef in oil in a large skillet about 5 minutes. combine water and gravy mix. add to beef with red bell pepper, water chestnuts, scallions, soy sauce and ginger. bring to a full boil. stir in rice. cover. remove from heat. let stand 5 minutes. fluff with fork.

AMBROSIA MOLD

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1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
2 cups boiling water
1 (8 serving) pkg OR 2 (4 serving) pkgs orange jello
1 3/4 thawed cool whip
1 (11 oz) can mandarin orange segments, drained
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup coconut (optional)

drain pineapple, reserving liquid. add cold water to liquid to measure 1 cup. stir boiling water into jello in a large bowl for 2 minutes, or until completely dissolved. stir in measured liquid. refrigerate 1 1/4 hours or until slightly thickened (consistency of unbeaten egg whites). stir in cool whip with wire whisk until smooth. refrigerate 10 minutes or until mixture will mound. stir in oranges, pineapple, marshmallows & coconut. spoon into a 6-cup mold. refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. unmold.