Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup - Spooky Treats

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon yellow curry powder

2 1/4 cups store-bought or homemade pumpkin purée

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 (13.5-oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk

Sour cream, for serving

Pumpkin seeds, for serving

Add the butter to a medium sauté pan set over medium-low heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onions, garlic and curry powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Transfer the mixture to a blender.

Add the pumpkin purée and chicken stock to the blender and blend until combined. Pour the soup into a large stock pot set over medium heat then whisk in the coconut milk. Cook the soup, stirring occasionally, until it is warmed throughout. Taste and season it with salt and pepper.

When ready to serve, divide the soup into bowls and garnish with sour cream and chopped pumpkin seeds.

This soup can be made vegetarian by swapping vegetable broth for the chicken stock.

https://www.justataste.com/thai-coconut-pumpkin-soup-recipe/

Spooky Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole - Spooky Treats

2 lbs. Idaho potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks

1 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons butter

3/4-1 cup milk or half and half

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 ounces cheddar or colby jack cheese, shredded

8 slices bacon

1/3 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water and 1 Tbs. salt to a simmer on the stove top.Add the potatoes and bring to boil. Boil for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, fry the bacon on the stovetop until crispy. Remove the bacon strips to a paper towel lined plate. Once they're cool enough to handle, crumble the bacon and set aside.

When the potatoes are done, drain, then return to the pot. Place the pot back on the burner, and use a potato masher to mash them over very low heat. Continue mashing until no lumps remain.

Turn off the heat, then add 4 Tablespoons of butter and ½ cup of milk or cream. Slowly mash in the added ingredients until smooth. Continue to add the cream, a little bit at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Taste the potatoes and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Spread the potatoes into a 9 inch deep dish pie dish and cover with shredded cheese and the crumbled bacon. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Allow the casserole to cool for 10-15 minutes before adding the spider web.

To make the web, add the sour cream to a zip lock bag and cut a tiny hole in one corner. Twist the bag above the sour cream and use your hand to squeeze the sour cream towards the hole. You may want to practice drawing a line once or twice before doing it on the casserole.

You'll start the web by drawing four straight lines through the center of the casserole, like you would cut a pie. Start by making a T through the center, and then follow that with an X through the center. In the end, you should have eight equal spaces. Starting in the center of the pie, draw a small circle, connecting each of the eight sections. Move a few inches outward and draw another circle. Move another inch or two outward and draw one final circle. Top with a fake spider of one made from olives. Serve while the potatoes are still warm. You can also prepare this ahead of time, refrigerate, then bake the day of and add the spider web right before serving.

https://neighborfoodblog.com/2014/09/loaded-mashed-potato-casserole.html

Severed Lady Fingers - Spooky Treats

Fresh lady finger cookies, cut into layers

Icing of your choice

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup white chocolate morsels

1-2 drops red food coloring

Heat whipping cream over medium heat and add chocolate morsels. Stir until chocolate is melted and well combined to create a chocolate ganache. Coat lady fingers with ganache.  Put almonds on the edge of fingers for nails. Add rings if you like.

Severed Hand Cheese Ball - Spooky Treats

3 8 oz pkg. cream cheese

2 Tablespoons worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon mustard

2 Tablespoons chopped onion

1 Tablespoon chopped garlic

¾ pound meat of your choice (I used less than a 1/4 lb. salami, pepperoni, ham each)

8 oz finely shredded cheddar

Save some ham for shaping face

Combine ingredients and chill for one hour. Shape into arm or hand. Put ham slices on top and chill until ready. Serve with crackers.

Scary Skull Cake - Spooky Treats

1 box cake mix

1 can vanilla frosting

Tubes of colored frosting

Mix batter according to package directions and make cupcakes. Cool.

Place cupcakes on tray close together in skull shape. Frost as one cake with white frosting.

Use tubes of decorative frosting to create eyes, nose, and mouth of skull. Add other designs as desired.

Meringue Ghost Shells - Spooky Treats

3 egg whites, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Dash of salt

1 cup sugar

Combine egg whites, vanilla, cream of tartar and salt. Beat until frothy. Gradually add sugar; a small amount at a time, beating until very stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved.

Cover cookie sheet with plain ungreased paper. Using a 9-inch round cake pan as a guide, draw a circle on the paper. Spread meringue over circle; shape into shell with back of spoon, making bottom ½ inch thick and mounding around edge to make side 1 ¾ inches high. Bake in very low oven (275 degrees) for 1 hour. Turn off heat and let dry in oven (door closed) for at least 2 hours.

Can also make individual meringue shells by drawing separate circles and spreading smaller amounts of meringue inside each circle.

Frankenstein Pasta - Spooky Treats

1 cup basil, fresh

2 cloves garlic

1/3 oz (167 kernels) pine nuts, dried

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 dash salt

1/3 cup olive oil

16 ounce whole wheat pasta shells

3 medium cucumber

4 oz – mozzarella cheese

1 cup – black olives, canned

In a blender or food processor, combine basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, salt, and olive oil (you can add pepper if you want as well).  Taste and add more salt, pepper or garlic if desired.

Bring a pot of water (about 5 cups) to a boil and add whole wheat pasta. Cook according to box instructions. Drain and add pesto sauce.  Stir well and let cool.

Peel and chop up 1 1/2 of the cucumbers and stir into pasta.

Pour out onto a platter and make a rectangle out of the pasta.  Cut two slices of mozzarella and make them into circles using a cookie cutter or knife. Use olives to create Frank's hair, pupils and mouth.  Use the rest of the cucumber to make "bolts" in the side of his neck

https://www.superhealthykids.com/frankenstein-pasta/