2 Ingredient Pumpkin Brownies

These yummy, super dense brownies consist of only two ingredients and they are healthy. Yep, you heard my right. I guess mine are technically 3 ingredients because of the sprinkles but they are optional so we’ll just stick with two. I have been lacking in the Halloween themed treats arena so I randomly bought a bunch of fun sprinkles and needed a way to use them in order to be festive and not get shunned by food bloggers across the land. It was a lazy way to make them Halloween-y but that’s all I’ve got for you.

The texture of these brownies is not typical but they taste delish so don’t be alarmed. They even look like fudge which isn’t a bad thing in my book! They are the best 2 ingredient baked good since 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins!

And make sure you have a little monster to help you clean up the utensils.

2 Ingredient Pumpkin Brownies
recipe from Cookies and Cups

1 Family Size box (19.5 oz) brownie mix
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
Sprinkles, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 9×9 pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. I only have an 8×8 (what kind of baker am I?) so mine were a little thicker and had to bake longer.

2. In a bowl mix together brownie mix and pumpkin until smooth. Top with sprinkles if desired.

3. Spread batter into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until set. Let cool completely.

Halloween Peppermint Patties

This is one of those recipes that I knew I had to try as soon as I saw it. But that didn’t make sense. I am not a huge fan of peppermint patties. We usually have them at Christmastime. I  eat way too many get my fill and don’t think about them again until the next Christmas. But they just looked too fun to pass up. They tasted just like the real thing!

My original idea was to roll the “dough” out then cut it with mini pumpkin cookie cutters then fully dip them in chocolate. I was sadly defeated by the sticky, uncooperative mixture. It just wasn’t stiff enough to cut with a cookie cutter. But I think I will try them again and just keep kneading in powdered sugar until it is stiff enough. I didn’t want to go there this time as I wanted to be able to report to you what the real recipe tasted like. I’m thinking green Christmas trees will be my experiment. Speaking of Christmas, you could make these in red and green and sprinkle them over cookie trays for friends and neighbors. Or make them in pastel colors for the kiddos Easter baskets. I always love giving and receiving handmade treats, they radiate love.

You don’t expect peppermint when you bite into something orange so that makes them even more fun for Halloween. They would be great for any Halloween themed party. Give them a try, you won’t regret it!

3  1/2 cups powdered sugar, plus extra, as needed
1/4 cup pasteurized liquid egg white product
1 teaspoon water, plus extra, as needed
1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
Orange food coloring, as needed, optional
2 (4-ounce) bars 53 percent cocoa dark chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (recommended: Nestle Chocolatier)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1.Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the powdered sugar, egg white product, 1 teaspoon water, peppermint extract and 1 to 2 drops of food coloring, if using. Mix on low speed until smooth. Increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture forms a stiff dough (if the mixture becomes too stiff, add extra water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time and beat until smooth). Put the mixture on a work surface dusted with powdered sugar and roll it into a log about 12-inches long and 1 1/4-inches in diameter. Slice the log into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces, form them into balls and flatten into discs. Arrange in single layers on the prepared baking sheets. Let the candies dry, uncovered, at room temperature for 3 hours.

3. Put the chocolate and vegetable oil in a small bowl and set it over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Dip 1 half of each candy into the melted chocolate and return them to the parchment paper until the chocolate has set, about 3 hours.

Monster Claws {Baked Chicken Tenders}

Noah is our little monster (at 6 months). He loves to growl when we ask him what a monster says. He’s so funny!

And these are his sweet, adorable little claws.

Not the monster and claws you were originally expecting to see huh? Well, I’ll get to those. There are just thousands, yes thousands, of pictures of our little man so I can always seem to find an appropriate one (or two or three) for almost any post or story I want to write. And I just can’t resist sharing them with you all.

A lot of the time when I see something really cute and creative, it just doesn’t end up looking as great when I make them. Happily, this was not the case when I made these Monster Claws for dinner recently. They really do look like severed monster fingers. Not only did they look good but they tasted great too. The cornflakes provided a nice crunch so that they almost seemed fried and were still pretty healthy. I’m sure any kiddo would love helping make and eat these creepy little fingers.

Monster Claws
recipe from Halloween Food, Fun & Crafts

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning, divided (I used a garlic seasoning)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch strips
1 1/2 cups cornflakes, crushed
2 Tbsp. green onion, chopped
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into triangles

Linked to:
Mangia Monday
Friday Food
Tasty Tuesday
Totally Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
What I Whipped Up Wednesday
These Chicks Cooked
Full Plate Thursday

Caramel Apple Cake Pops {The Improv Cooking Challenge}

I am so honored to have been asked (along with over 100 other food bloggers) to participate in The Improv Cooking Challenge hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain. Each month we are given two ingredients and asked to make a recipe from them. For the first month of this awesome challenge, we were presented with apples and caramel. I immediately knew I would make these yummy Caramel Apple Cake Pops.

Aren’t they the cutest darn things you have ever seen? Well, maybe not the cutest. This guy totally wins in my book. Sorry, I love sneaking in photos of my little man whenever I can! This is Noah at 3 months as a giraffe. He is going to be a monkey this year.

I love that these look just like tiny caramel apples but when you bite inside it’s a moist, spicy cake that is accented by the sweet, gooey caramel and salty, crunchy peanuts. Yum! The cuteness of these treats does come at a cost. They are kind of time-consuming to make since they all have to be dipped and rolled. But they are totally worth it. And it is so fun to see your guests reaction to them which is so important to me. I bake and cook because I love to feed others and make them happy! These do the trick!

These were great as written but I think next time I want to punch up the apple taste. I was thinking of two different routes for this. Either dicing an apple or two into small chunks and stirring them in or possibly grating an apple and mixing that in (possibly replacing some of the applesauce). I wasn’t sure about the grated apple…thinking it might add too much moisture. Caramel Apple Cake Pops
recipe from Fun Stuff Cupcakes

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup applesauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/2 cups roasted peanuts, chopped
30 wooden sticks
2 pkgs. (14 oz. each) caramels
5 Tbsp. milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 30 mini muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Stir applesauce, sugar, oil and egg in large bowl until well blended. Add flour mixture; stir until blended. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling three-fourths full.
2. Bake about 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
3. Line baking sheet with waxed paper; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place peanuts on plate or in shallow dish. Insert craft sticks into tops.
4. Place unwrapped caramels and milk in large microwavable bowl; microwave on high 2 to 3 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring after each minutes. Working with 1 cupcake at a time, hold cupcake over bowl and spoon caramel over cupcake, rotating stick until completely coated. Immediately roll in peanuts to coat cupcake, pressing nuts lightly with fingertips to adhere to caramel. Stand cupcake (stick side up) on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cupcakes (caramel may need to be reheated briefly if it becomes too thick). Let stand 20 minutes or until caramel is set.

Lady Behind the Curtain-Bringing the simplicity of entertaining into your life.

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Linked to the following wonderful blogs:
Full Plate Thursday
Sweet Treats Thursday
Mangia Monday
Totally Tasty Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday
Cast Party Wednesday
What I Whipped Up Wednesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Holiday Sweet Swap

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

Baking is a total stress reliever for me. Gathering all the ingredients immediately relaxes my shoulders and lets me breathe a little deeper. Cracking the eggs and pulverizing them in the disposal helps too. Sometimes if you came to my house and saw my island stacked with baked goods you might become worried. But I’m ok. I bake and I feel better.

These candy corn cookies were totally my therapy. The mixing, rolling, cutting, scraping and dipping soothed me. Not that I have that much to stress over. I’m pretty blessed and I know my worries are miniscule compared to many. But I stress anyway. Luckily, something beautiful and delicious is the result. And these were even sweeter because they turned out so cute and were for a good cause. I made them for a bake/handmade craft sale at my husband’s workplace. They raised over $1000 for the North Dakota chapter of The Make-a-Wish-Foundation. Isn’t that amazing? It’s feels pretty great to help out an outstanding cause while doing something I love!

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
4 tsp. milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Orange Food Coloring
¼ cup white chocolate chips
¼-½  cup yellow candy melts

1. Thoroughly cream shortening, butter, sugar and vanilla.

2. Add egg and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in milk.

3.  Sift together dry ingredients together then blend into creamed mixture. Mix in orange food coloring until desired shade has been reached.

4.  Divide dough in half and chill for 1 hour (or overnight – I usually make the dough the night before I am baking).

5.  On a lightly floured surface, roll to 1/4″ thickness (keep remaining dough refrigerated). Cut with candy corn shaped cookie cutter. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

6. Once cooled, melt yellow candy melts. Dip the bottom of the cookie in the melts and place on wax paper.

7. Once the yellow candy melts have hardened, melt the white chocolate and dip the tips of the cookies. Place back on the wax paper and allow to harden before serving. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 2 dozen cookies.

Spider Eggs {Deviled Eggs with Olives}

Today I wanted to bring you all another Halloween recipe with Spider Eggs. Sounds gross at first, right? But look at them…who knew spiders could be so precious? These would be such a fun treat to make with your kids then serve at your Halloween party. They would take such pride in helping assemble them and would be more likely to give them a try (if you have picky eaters on your hands). And they will be a hit with the adults too! They are a great appetizer to start out your Halloween themed meal.

Spider Eggs

12 eggs, hardboiled*
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. mustard
salt and pepper to taste
36 black olives

1. Remove shells from eggs and slice in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and place them in a food processor. Process until crumbly then add in mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Taste and add more of any ingredient to fit your tastes (this is how I do it, I don’t measure).
2. Spoon or pipe mixture into egg halves.
3. Slice 12 olives in half. Lay one half in the middle of each egg. Slice remaining olives in half, then slice each half into 4 strips. Lay 4 strips on each side of the halved olives that have been placed on the eggs.

*Keys to perfect hardboiled eggs: Place the eggs in a pot then cover with cold water; cover pot with a lid. Bring to a boil then immediately turn off the burner. Leave them for 15 minutes. Then run them under cold water or place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. This method will result in perfectly hardboiled eggs every time!

Linked to the following wonderful blogs:
Everyday Sisters
Strut Your Stuff Saturday
Seasonal Inspiration
Manic Monday
Totally Tasty Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Cast Party Wednesday
What I Whipped Up Wednesday

Witch Hat Biscuits

This week we are continuing on with Halloween themed treats with these fun little Witch Hat Biscuits.

I don’t use pre-made items too often but sometimes you just want some biscuits but don’t have the time to make the dough, knead, roll, cut and bake. Therefore, Grand’s biscuits sometimes grace our table. But never have they graced our table in such a fun, creative and delicious way! I think I will be baking up our biscuits like this all the time.

To make these cuties, you flatten your biscuits a bit so that you are able to cut them with a cookie cutter of your choice. The original recipe was called Bat Wing Biscuits and used a bat shaped cookie cutter but because I didn’t have one, I switched it up to a witch hat. What makes this recipe especially great is that it can be used throughout the year. Christmas trees, stars for New Year’s, hearts for Valentine’s Day…you get the picture. Or just follow the recipe with regular ‘ole circles.

They are baked part of the way, split open, slathered with a cheesy, butter mixture then baked until golden. These biscuits really are a great, simple way to round out any spooky Halloween meal.

Cheesy Witch Hat Biscuits
recipe adapted from Halloween Food, Fun, Crafts

1 can (16 oz.) jumbo buttermilk biscuits
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. dried basil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Flatten each biscuit into a shape just large enough to fit your cookie cutter. Cut out biscuits; discard scraps. Place biscuits on baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes

2. Meanwhile, combine butter, Parmesan, parsley and basil in a small bowl.

3. Split biscuits in half. Spread 1 tsp. cheese mixture on bottom half of each biscuit; top with remaining half. Bake 3 more minutes or until golden brown.

Candy Corn Mix

Who doesn’t love candy corn? I get so excited when I see it on the grocery store shelves. This snack mix ALWAYS graces my coffee table throughout the fall season and I’m the only one in the house that likes it. It’s so easy to throw together and tastes so yummy! My mom first tasted this at a work potluck and quickly passed it on to me knowing I would love it.

This recipe, if you can even call it that, consists of a 1:1 ratio of candy corn and dry roasted, lightly salted peanuts. I mix together a cup of each and it usually lasts me a couple days. This addicting mix tastes just like a Payday candy bar. Oh so good!

And I love being able to use my awesome Peggy Karr Halloween dish! Isn’t it cute?

Recipe linked to these wonderful link parties:
Fusion Friday’s
Friday Food
Sweets This Week
Holiday Sweet Swap
What I Whipped Up Wednesday
Mangia Monday
Mouthwatering Monday
Totally Tasty Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Cast Party Wednesday
These Chicks Cooked
Full Plate Thursday
Fat Camp Friday

Halloweenies {Crescent Mummy Dogs}

I love a anything themed (and sometimes go a tad overboard) and Halloween provides so many fun, creative ideas! I will be bringing you main dishes, desserts, snacks and beverages for all your Halloween party needs! And first up is Halloweenies! Clever, I know.

I made these for the first time last Halloween and they were a huge hit. I mean, who wouldn’t love a mummified pig-in-a-blanket? I made them using lil smokies to serve them as appetizers but this year I decided to go with hot dogs to make them a meal.

These would be so fun to make and enjoy with your kids. Noah is still too little to help in the kitchen but we will definitely be making these together next year. We’ll see how mummy-like his end up, but they will be beautiful all the same.

Halloweenies {Crescent Mummy Dogs}
recipe adapted from Pillsbury.com

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
10 large cheese hot dogs
Cooking spray
Mustard or ketchup, if desired

1 Heat oven to 375°F.

2. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate at perforations, creating 4 rectangles. Press perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles.

3. With knife or pizza cutter, cut each rectangle lengthwise into 10 pieces, making a total of 40 pieces of dough.

4. Wrap 4 pieces of dough around each hot dog to look like bandages, stretching dough slightly to completely cover hot dog. About 1/2 inch from one end of each hot dog, separate “bandages” so hot dog shows through for “face.” On greased large cookie sheet, place wrapped hot dogs.

5. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until dough is light golden brown and hot dogs are hot. With mustard, draw features on “face.”