Guru Goddess

What You Need:

1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. chocolate cake mix

1 (16 oz.) can chocolate ready to spread frosting

24 fudge stripped cookies, halved

24 chocolate kisses

Red decorating gel

How to Make It:

Prepare the cake and bake as directed on the package for 24 cupcakes.

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack

Frost the cupcakes with the frosting.

Place 2 halves of the cookies into each cupcake to represent the bat wings being sure the stripes are to the backside of the cupcake.

Carefully press a chocolate kiss into the front of the cupcake to represent the bats head.

Place two small drops of the red decorating gel onto the kiss to form the eyes.

If you want your cupcakes to look really batty scallop the edges of the cookies before adding them to the cupcakes. 

Makes 24 cupcakes

Preparation Time:  approximately 25 minutes

Baking Time:  approximately 20 minutes + cooling

Total Time:  approximately 45 minutes + cooling

What You Need:

1 1/4 C of water

1/3 C of canola oil

3 eggs

1 (18.25 oz.) box yellow cake mix with pudding

3/4 C ready to spread chocolate frosting

24 gummy worms

How to Make It:

Preset the oven temperature to 350 degrees allowing the oven to preheat.

Place paper cupcake liners into the cups on a muffin tin.

Spray the lines lightly with a non stick cooking spray.

Pour the water into a mixing bowl.

Whisk the canola oil into the water.

Add the eggs and whisk until well combined.

Add the cake mix powder and stir until blended in well.

Fill the paper lines 2/3 full of the batter.

Bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.

Remove the cupcakes to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes.

Using a wooden spoon handle make a hole in the center of each cupcake about as wide as a penny.

Place the frosting into a baggie and snip one corner off the bag.

Squeeze the frosting into the holes on the cupcakes allowing a small amount to top the cupcake.

Press a gummy worm into the frosting hole of each cupcake leaving a portion of the worm over the edge of the cupcakes. 

Kids will love these cupcakes.  Wrap them in decorative plastic wrap to give as treats or place them on your Halloween party table for the kids to enjoy. 

Makes 24 cupcakes

Preparation Time:  approximately 20 minutes

Baking Time:  approximately 22 minutes

Cooling Time:  approximately 20 minutes

Total Time:  approximately 1 hour 02 minutes

Nutritional Information (approximate value per cupcake):

Calories 200; fat 8 g; sodium 160 mg; carbohydrates 30 g; sugar 24 g; protein 2 g

What You Need:

1 (18 oz.) pkg. refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1 C of flaked coconut

Yellow, orange, red and blue food coloring

18 gum drop fruit slices

1 C of powdered sugar, divided

1 T of milk, divided

Mini chocolate chips 

How to Make It:

Roll out the cookie dough on a flat surface.

Use gingerbread men cutters and cut out 18 shapes.

Place the cutouts onto a baking sheet and bake according the directions on the package.

Remove the cookies and cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

Place the coconut into a bowl.

Add enough yellow food coloring to color the coconut to resemble the color of straw.

To make the scarecrow hats place the gum drops on a lightly sugared surface and roll them out flat.

Cut hat shapes out of each gum drop.

Divide the powdered sugar into 3 mixing bowls.

Place 2 to 3 drops of the orange, red and blue food coloring into each separate bowl.

Add the milk to each bowl and stir to form a paste, adding more milk if necessary to reach the desired consistency.

When the cookies have cooled, frost the heads, hand and feet of each cookie with the orange frosting.

Press the tinted coconut into the frosting on the head, hands and feet area.

Use the blue and red frosting to frost on the scarecrows shirt.

Place the hat onto the scarecrows head by placing a little orange frosting on the back of the hat and pressing it onto the scarecrow.

Place 2 to 3 of mini chocolate chips down the front of the scarecrows shirt for buttons.

Scarecrows are a favorite sight around Halloween.  These scarecrow cookies won’t last long so make a second batch to be sure you have enough to go around.  Use any shade of food coloring you like to make the shirts. 

Makes 18 cookies

What You Need:

1 (12 oz.) pkg. vanilla baking chips

2 T solid shortening, divided

Orange food coloring

1 (16 oz.) pkg. cream filled chocolate cookies

32 Popsicle sticks

1 (6 oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate chips

How to Make It:

Place the vanilla baking chips and 1 T of shortening together in a microwave safe bowl.

Place in the microwave on high for 1 minute.

Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir until smooth.

If the chips haven’t melted enough return the bowl to the microwave for 30 seconds then stir again until smooth.

Add the food coloring and stir until you reach the desired color of orange.

Remove the tops off all the cookies.

Dip each Popsicle stick in the melted chip mixture and place one on each cookie half.

Return the tops to the cookies and place them on a sheet of waxed paper.

Place the cookies in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Reheat the chip mixture for 15 seconds in the microwave if it has hardened.

Dip each of the cookie pops into the melted chocolate covering the cooking well and allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl. 

Return the cookies to the wax paper and freeze for 30 minutes or until set.

Place the chocolate chips and remaining shortening into a microwave safe bowl.

Microwave on high for 1 minute then stir until smooth.

Drizzle the mixture over each of the cookie pops.

These lollipops are a little different than the norm but the kids will love them.  Wrap individual cookies and hand out to all your trick or treaters or give each party guest their own special Halloween treat.

Makes 32 lollipops

What You Need:

1/2 C butter, softened to room temperature

3/4 C brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 t vanilla extract

1 C of flour

1 C quick cooking oats

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1 (12.6 oz.) bag of Halloween M&M’s

1/2 C chopped pecans

1/4 C sweet coconut, flaked

How to Make It:

Preset the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Generously spray a 12 inch pizza pan with a non stick cooking spray.

Place the softened butter in a small mixing bowl.

Add the brown sugar and beat on low speed until creamy.

Bread the egg in the bowl and add the vanilla.

Beat on medium speed until well combined.

Stir in the oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt until blended in well.

Stir in 1 C of the M&M candies.

Press the batter onto the prepared pizza pan.

Sprinkle the top of the batter with the pecans and coconut.

Press the remaining M&M’s into the batter.

Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack then cut into triangles.

This quick and simple cookie pizza will brighten any child’s Halloween.  If you can’t find Halloween M&M’s in your local store go www.mms.com and order your own customized candies or you can buy regular M&M’s and use only the orange and brown colored ones in this cookie.  The rest of the M&M’s can be placed in a bowl for everyone to munch on during the party.

Makes 12 cookie triangles