Recipe: Kid's Halloween Party Recipes (31) - 09-27-97 Recipe Swap (updated)

MONSTER BASH!
31 Kid's Halloween Party Recipes
Recipe Swap - September 27, 1997

RECIPES IN THIS FILE:
Ghost Suckers
Eyeballs
Ghost Hand Punch
Green Slime
Graveyard Cake
Black Cat Cake
Bug Cookies
Tomb Stone Cake
Witch Cup Cakes
Chocolate Spiders
Halloween Worms
Monster Popcorn Hands
Halloween Spider Cake
Cool Whip Grave Yard Dessert
Pumpkin Patch Cake
Halloween Black Punch
Aquarium Jello
Cheesecloth Ghosts
Chocolate Spiders and Webs
Crispy Marshmallow Ghosts
Halloween Goblin Balls (popcorn balls)
Orange Worms
Fudgy Bat Cookies
Ghost Cookies
Jack O Lantern Cookies
Jack-O-Lantern Pie
Black Cat Cupcakes
Dirt Cups
Rice Krispies Treat Cake
Blood-Shot Eyeballs
Ghoul-Ade

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KIDS HALLOWEEN PARTY IDEAS

PARTY PICS:
"I took Polaroid pictures of each kid as they arrived and attached to the premade up goody bags." Linda Gross -- Springfield, VA.

GHOST SUCKERS:
Take a round-headed lollipop. Lay the head in the center of a white handkerchief (disposable tissue or cloth depending on how classy/expensive you want). Fold and gather the handkerchief down around the stick and tie just below the head with a thread/ribbon/rubber band. Add 2 black dots for eyes. Voila - a ghost. These make good party favors. I've got a book that suggests writing the invitation around the outside of the handkerchief before assembling and mailing them in padded envelopes.

EYEBALLS:
Make Rice Krispie Treats and form the treats into balls, about 1 or 2 inches across. Add a pastel M&M or other small round candy for the iris and dot the candy with frosting or gel for the pupil. A big hit at a recent 8-year old party and my 5-year old is eager to try it out.

GHOST HAND PUNCH:
Ahead of time, buy some new latex gloves. Wash one out and fill with water. Fasten the arm closed and freeze it. Float it in the punch before serving. (Source - a magazine from McDonalds)

GREEN SLIME:
Serve lime jello out of a bowl. Don't cut it nicely - slop it out.

GRAVEYARD CAKE:
you make a sheet cake and frost with chocolate frosting. Then you cover it with crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, so it looks like dirt. To make headstones use a flat vanilla cookie (rectangle shaped) and decorated with icing, use gravestone motifs like: RIP, skulls, etc. Put the headstones on the cake, standing up to looke like headstones. Add some small Halloween decorations, like ghosts, witches, black cats.

THE BLACK CAT CAKE:
You take two round cake layers. One you leave whole, the other is cut so there is three pieces; one bow shaped (middle) and two kind of long oval shaped ones (either end). Anyway you take the bow shaped piece and put it on the bottom of the cake, like a bow tie. Take one of the oval shaped pieces and cut in half the short way, so you have to triangle shaped pieces. Put on top of the round layer, like ears. Eat the third piece. Frost the whole thing with dark chocolate frosting. Pipe on eyes with green frosting, and nose & lips with red; use licorice shoe laces for whiskers.

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BUG COOKIES:
Buy Mallomars or other fluffy chocolate covered cookies, black or brown pipe cleaners, white letter icing in a tube and mini chocolate chips. Snip and bend pipe cleaners and stick them into marshmallows for bug legs. Put big dollops of icing with mini chocolate chips in the center for eyes.

TOMB STONE CAKE:
Bake a cake in a 9x12-inch pan. When cool, round off two of the corners to make the shape of a headstone. Frost with cookies and cream frosting (this makes it look like granite) and use dark icing in tube or black licorice laces to write RIP, Happy Halloween, or any other message you want.

WITCH CUPCAKES:
Make cup cakes. Add green food color to white frosting to frost cup cakes. Make witch face with an assortment of items like black licorice laces for hair, for eyes use mini M&Ms, Butterfinger BBs or other small candies, peanuts in the shell for nose, chocolate chips for moles, etc. Just be creative!

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Cora, NC (08:27:04 am) : My best idea for kids Halloween parties, costumes and food is to get The Penny Whistle Halloween Book by Meredith Brokaw and Annie Gilbar, ISBN 0-671-73791-0 in paperback. It has great ideas for entire parties and lots of ideas to build upon to suit your needs. It's great!

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CHOCOLATE SPIDERS
Source: Gifts That Taste Good by Leisure Arts and Anne Van Wagner Young
Makes 2 dozen

12 oz chocolate flavor Twizzlers
4 oz milk chocolate candy melts, melted

Cut twizzlers into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Slice each piece in half lengthwise. On waxed paper place 4 legs (pieces) on each side.

Drop 1 teaspoon melted candy in middle for body. Use a toothpick to smooth to uniform circle and connect all candy pieces. Cool completely before removing from waxed paper.

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HALLOWEEN WORMS
Source: Sunset Magazine, 1990's
Makes about 100

1 pkg. (6 oz.) raspberry or grape flavor gelatin
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
3 cups boiling water
100 flexible plastic straws
Tall and slender 4 cup container (same height as extended straws)*
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
12 to 15 drops green food coloring

In a bowl, combine (dry) gelatins. Add 3 cups boiling water; stir until gelatins completely dissolve. Chill until lukewarm, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, gently pull straws to extend to full length; stand up in tall container.

Blend heavy cream and food coloring with the lukewarm gelatin mixture. Pour into container, filling straws. Chill until gelatin is firm, at least 8 hours, or cover and chill up to 2 days.

Pull straws from container (if using a carton, tear carton away from straws). Pull straws apart; run hot tap water for about 2 seconds over 3 to 4 straws at a time.

Starting at the empty ends, push worms from straws with rolling pin, or use your fingers; lay worms on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Cover and chill until ready to use, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Worms will hold at room temperature up to 2 hours.

*Use a cleaned 1-quart milk or orange juice carton to hold straws.

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MONSTER POPCORN HANDS
From: chrismyrt

This is fun as an activity for the kids to do themselves.

Pop popcorn enough to fill a handful of clear hospital gloves or other, place a candy corn into the end of each finger then fill with popcorn until full at palm and tie off with red yarn. Then you can place one of those black spider rings on the ring finger.

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Velma TN: Chrismyrt, Monstor Hands is one of the cutest ideas I've seen, and not very expensive. Thanks.

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HALLOWEEN SPIDER CAKE
From: Carol B, Fl
Makes 8 servings

When cake is cut in to, it spurts green goop.

FOR THE CAKE:
1 (18 1/4 oz) box white cake mix
1 (4-serving-size) pkg green gelatin
FOR THE BLACK FROSTING:
Blue food coloring
Chocolate frosting
DECORATIONS:
4 black licorice
2 big green gumballs
6 little gumballs

Prepare cake mix according to package directions and bake in 2 (9-inch) layers. Remove from pans and set on rack to cool.

Prepare gelatin according to package directions.

Cut a smaller circle out of one cooled cake layer. Fill the hole with gelatin. Place the other layer on top and trim to shape (curve the edges).

To prepare frosting, in a mixing bowl, add blue food coloring to chocolate frosting until black in color. Frost cake. Then, use the black licorice as legs and gumballs as eyes.

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HALLOWEEN COOL WHIP GRAVEYARD DESSERT
Source: Cool Whip
From: CarolB, Fl
Makes 15 servings

FOR THE CRUST:
2 1/4 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs, divided use
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine, melted
FOR THE FILLING:
1 (8 oz) pkg fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 (12 oz) tub Cool Whip Lite topping, thawed, divided use
2 cups boiling water
2 (4 serving-size) pkgs orange gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
Ice cubes
DECORATIONS:
1/4 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
7 rectangular shaped sandwich cookies
7 oval shaped sandwich cookies
Decorator icing: brown, green, orange and white
Candy corn
Candy pumpkins

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9x13x2-inch baking pan with cooking spray and flour.

TO PREPARE CRUST:
Combine 2 cups cookie crumbs, granulated sugar, and butter in a small mixing bowl. Press firmly into prepared pan.

Bake for 10 minutes and then chill.

TO PREPARE FILLING:
Combine cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, and 1/2 cup Cool Whip in a mixing bowl. Spread over crust.

In another mixing bowl, combine boiling water into gelatin until completely dissolved. Mix cold water and ice cubes together to make 1 1/2 cups. Stir ice water into gelatin until thickened. Remove any remaining ice cubes. Spoon gelatin over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.

TO DECORATE:
Spread remaining Cool Whip over gelatin layer. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs. Decorate as a "grave yard" by poking sandwich cookies on end into dessert. Decorate the cookies as tombstones with the decorator icing. Scatter candy and pumpkins around the surface.

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HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN PATCH CAKE
Source: Washington Post, 1990's
From: CarolB, Fl
Makes 16 servings

2 boxes (18 oz each) devil's food cake mix
White frosting (enough for 2 cakes)
Orange and green food coloring
3 pieces candy corn
1 piece black licorice

Prepare cake mixes according to package directions. Except make the cakes in 2 (12-cup) Bundt Pans with ridges (to resemble a pumpkin). Also, take enough batter to make one cupcake to use as stem.*

Unmold cooled cakes and place them bottom to bottom.

Set the cakes on a large platter and frost them with the white frosting that has been tinted orange.

Frost cupcake with white frosting tinted green. There will be a hole in the middle of the cake. Fill with leftover frosting and set green cupcake on top (pumpkin stem). Place candy corn where eyes and nose should be. Then, place licorice where mouth should be.

*Cupcake can be substituted with a ice cream cone covered with green frosting.

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HALLOWEEN BLACK PUNCH
From: Judi, TX

This is always popular at Halloween with the little ones. For ice, take a plastic glove and fill with water and freeze. You can put in fingernails or whatever "scares" you and the kiddos like the way it tastes.

I called Kool-Aid and got the recipe for black Kool-Aid, which they call Halloween Punch. It makes 32 half-cup servings.

1 envelope orange unsweetened Kool-Aid*
1 envelope raspberry unsweetened Kool-Aid*
2 cups sugar
3 quarts water with ice cubes
1 liter ginger ale

Mix (dry) Kool-Aid and sugar in pitcher; add water and ice. Stir.

Add ginger ale just before serving.

*You can also get the black color by mixing grape and lemon-lime or grape and orange.

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AQUARIUM JELLO

"Great idea for a simple dessert at kid's parties!"

goldfish bowl, nice and clean
Red Hots or Jelly Belly gravel beans
blue Jello
ice cubes
cold water
purple endive
parsley sprigs
gummy fish

Use a new or well cleaned goldfish bowl. In the bottom, the original recipe called for red hots as the 'gravel', but I plan to use the Jelly Belly beans that look like rocks.

Mix up as much blue Jello as your bowl will hold. Mix using ice cubes and cold water instead of the cold water called for on the box. Pour this into the bowl over a knife blade or something to keep from disturbing the gravel. If you want it to have 'seaweed', poke a couple of pieces of purple endive or something similar down into the gravel.

When the whole thing starts to jell, use a wooden skewer to push gummy fish into different parts of the bowl. If you're going to be able to supervise the serving, you could even add a plastic diver man, etc.

TOXIC AQUARIUM JELLO

Well, what we'd do for a Halloween party would be to make a Toxic Aquarium. Mix orange and blue jello to get a putrid shade of green. Lifesavers make old tires and you can toss in other junky things for trash on the bottom of the sea. Something barrel-shaped for that illegally dumped toxic waste. Float your fish upside-down on top, and add a plastic skeleton or two. Haven't figured out a good way to put something on the bottom to represent the sand.

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CHEESECLOTH GHOSTS (not edible)

What you need for those are:
Cheesecloth
fabric stiffener or white glue
googly eyes (available in craft stores)
balloons
drinking glasses
nylon thread or fishing line (optional)

First, blow up the balloons and set them in the drinking glasses; this will provide a form for you to mold the ghosts around.

Cut squares about 12-14-inches of double layers of cheesecloth. Dilute the fabric stiffener or white glue 1:1 with water, dip the cheesecloth squares in the glue mixture and wring out the excess. Drape the cheesecloth on the balloon in a ghostly shape. You can have the ghost's hemline trail the table for a standup ghost, or you can have a sheer drop for a flying ghost. Let dry overnight.

When dry, remove the balloons, glue on the googly eyes and attach nylon thread to the beads of any ghosts you want to fly through the air. Hang the flying ghosts wherever appropriate! The standup ghosts can stand on a table.

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CHOCOLATE SPIDERS AND WEBS
Source: Pat Stockett, 1994
Makes about 2 dozen spiders or 1 dozen webs

1 (6 oz) pkg semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
Spider web pattern (follows)

In the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, stir the chocolate until melted; remove from heat. Let stand over water until chocolate is cool but still fluid, about 10 minutes. Or melt chocolate in microwave.

Lay pattern on a 12x15-inch baking sheet and cover with waxed paper. Put chocolate into a pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch diameter tip or a paper cone; fold top edge down to seal. Squeeze chocolate out of pastry bag onto waxed paper, tracing spider or web designs that show through from the pattern underneath. If chocolate is too runny to hold lines, let cool a little more. As pan is filled, transfer pattern to another 12x15-inch, cover with waxed paper and continue. Chill spiders or webs on pan until firm, about 10 minutes.

Gently peel paper away from chocolate. Spiders and webs are delicate and melt fast, so handle gently and quickly. If made ahead, arrange in single layers, separated by waxed paper; store airtight in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Serve as candy or to top desserts.

SPIDER AND WEB PATTERNS:
On a 12x15-inch sheet of light-colored paper, boldly draw at least 1 pattern for spider and web. You can either repeat the pattern as you pipe the chocolate onto the waxed paper, or you can draw a pattern that includes designs for multiple items.

Start with spider legs: draw a half circle that is 1 1/2-inches across. Inside and about 1/4-inch parallel to it, draw another half circle. Back to back to the big half circle, repeat the 2 curved lines; you now have 8 legs. Where the lines curve together, draw a small circle to intersect all 4 lines to make the body. Draw a small circle for the head on top the first circle.

For the web, draw a 4-inch long cross. Draw diagonal lines to bisect the quadrants. Connect these spokes with concentric loops.

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CRISPY MARSHMALLOW GHOSTS
Source: Canadian Living magazine, Nov 1995
Makes 14 Ghosts

"Decorate by drawing faces with chocolate, or use candies and licorice strings."

FOR THE PALLOR ICING (makes 2 cups):
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp water
1 egg white
1 pinch cream of tarter
1 pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
FOR THE GHOSTS:
1/3 cup butter
6 cups miniature marshmallows
1 tsp vanilla
8 cups crispy rice cereal
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

TO PREPARE THE PALLOR ICING:
In top of double boiler over boiling water, combine sugar, water, egg white, cream of tartar and salt. With electric mixer, beat at high speed for 7 minutes or until stiff glossy peaks form. Fold in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until thickened. (Can be stored up to 3 days.)

TO MAKE THE GHOSTS:
In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; stir in marshmallows until smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Scrape into large bowl; stir in cereal until coated.

Set bowl over saucepan of boiling water. Using rubber gloves, shape cereal mixture into 4-inch long ghost shapes. Let stand for about 30 minutes or until firm.

Spread with Pallor Icing; let stand for about 30 minutes or until set.

In top of double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, melt chocolate; pipe onto ghosts to make faces.

Ghosts can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 3 days.

VARIATION:

JACK-O-LANTERNS:
Add orange food coloring with vanilla; shape into 1 1/2-inch balls. Create face with currants, red fruit leather, and licorice shoestrings and twists.

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HALLOWEEN GOBLIN BALLS (popcorn balls)
Source: Canadian Living magazine, November 1995
Makes 24 popcorn balls

8 cups popped corn
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup orange and black gumdrops or jujubes, chopped*

Place popped corn in bowl; set aside.

In small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring sugar, corn syrup, 1/3 cup water, butter and salt to boil; cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Cook, without stirring, for 10 minutes or until at hard-ball stage of 254 degrees F on candy thermometer, or until 1/2 teaspoon syrup dropped into cold water forms rigid but still slightly pliable ball. Remove from heat.

Wearing oven mitts to shield against splatters, carefully stir in vanilla. Pour over popped corn; using greased spoon, toss until coated. Stir in candy.

Wearing rubber gloves, form into 2-inch balls; let cool on baking sheet.

*Currants and diced apricots can replace the candy.

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ORANGE WORMS
Source: Cookbook Digest, September/October 1993
Makes 13 worms

"Wiggle these worms any way you want on your plate. If you like, give them 'eyes' made from licorice bits."

2 cans Apricot halves packed in light syrup
4 Envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 cups Orange juice

Place apricots in colander and let drain. Place drained apricots in food processor, cover, and whirl until well blended.

Place gelatin in 3 quart pan, add orange juice, and let stand for 5 minutes to soften gelatin. Place pan on burner and bring to a boil over med/high heat, stirring with whisk. Turn off burner and remove pan to rack. Add apricots and mix with whisk until well blended.

Pour into baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 4 hours, until set.

Use butter knife to cut gelatin crosswise into 9 inch long, 1 inch wide strips. (you should have about 13 strips). Use pancake turner to remove strips to serving plate. Use your hands to twist strips into worm shapes.

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FUDGY BAT COOKIES
Source: Gifts That Taste Good by Leisure Arts and Anne Van Wagner Young, 1990
Makes 3 dozen cookies

9 oz chocolate wafer cookies
4 oz milk chocolate candy melts, melted

Use a serrated knife to carefully cut 18 of the cookies into quarters. Save remaining cookies for another use.

For each bat, place 2 cookie quarters 1/4-inch apart on waxed paper. Repeat with remaining quarters. Drop about 1/2 teaspoon of melted candy at center of each bat, connecting cookies. Use a toothpick to smooth melted candy into a uniform circle. Cool completely before removing from waxed paper.

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GHOST COOKIES
Source: Gifts That Taste Good by Leisure Arts and Anne Van Wagner Young, 1990
Makes 32 cookies

6 oz vanilla flavored almond bark
1 (15 1/2 oz) pkg Nutter Butter cookies
Small black jelly beans

Melt almond bark following package directions. Dip 2/3 of each cookie in melted candy, shaking gently to remove excess coating. Place on wire rack with waxed paper underneath.

For eyes, cut jelly beans in half and place on cookies. Cool completely before removing from rack.

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JACK O LANTERN COOKIES
Source: Gifts That Taste Good by Leisure Arts and Anne Van Wagner Young, 1990
Makes 20 Cookies

9 oz chocolate wafer cookies
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
24 oz vanilla flavor almond bark
Orange paste food coloring
Black licorice candy

Spread a small amount of peanut butter on the flat side of the cookies; top with remaining cookies.

Cut licorice into triangles and squares to make faces.

Melt almond bark following package directions. Remove from heat and tint with food coloring. Using tongs, dip each sandwich cookie in melted candy, coating completely. Gently shake each cookie to remove excess coating. Place on wire rack with waxed paper underneath.

Place licorice pieces on the cookies for faces. Cool completely before removing from rack.

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JACK-O-LANTERN PIE
Makes 8 servings

1 cup boiling water
1 (4 serving size) pkg jell-o orange flavor gelatin
1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened (2 cups)
1 (6 oz) prepared chocolate flavor crumb crust
FOR DECORATING:
Cool Whip, thawed
Candy Corn
Black licorice, cut into 1-inch pieces

Stir 1 cup boiling water into gelatin in medium bowl 2 minutes or until completely dissolved. Spoon in ice cream, stirring until melted and smooth. Refrigerate 10 minutes or until slightly thickened (consistency of unbeaten egg whites).

Spoon into crust. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.

Just before serving, make jack-o-lantern face on pie with whipped topping, candy corn and licorice. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.

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BLACK CAT CUPCAKES
Source: Nabisco, 1990's
Makes 24 cookies

1 1/4 cup Reduced Fat Oreo. cookie crumbs
1 (18 1/4 oz) reduced fat chocolate cake mix
16 oz reduced fat milk chocolate frosting
Black string licorice
Jelly beans
Semisweet chocolate chips
Halloween Oreo Cookies (orange filling)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 24 (2 1/2-inch) muffin cups with cooking spray and flour; set aside.

Prepare cake mix according to package directions; stir in cookie crumbs. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on wire rack.

Make cat faces on each of the remaining cookies: using some frosting, attach 4 (1 1/2-inch) licorice strings for whiskers, 2 jelly bean halves for eyes and 2 chocolate chips for ears. Let set at least 30 minutes.

Frost cupcakes with remaining frosting. Stand cat faces on edge on each cupcake. Place 3-inch piece licorice string on back half of each cupcake for tail.

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DIRT CUPS
Makes 10 servings

2 cups Cold milk
1 (4-serving-size) pkg Jell-o instant chocolate pudding
1 tub Cool Whip topping, thawed
1 pkg Chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos)
10 (7 ounce) plastic cups
SUGGESTED DECORATIONS:
Gummy worms
Gummy frogs
Candy flowers
Chopped peanuts

Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mix. Beat with whisk until well blended, 1-2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.

Stir in whipped topping and half of crushed cookies.

Place 1 tablespoon crushed cookies into cups. Fill cups 3/4 full with pudding mixture. Top with remaining crushed cookies. Refrigerate 1 hour. Decorate as desired.

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angel, LA: Another good idea we do is:

RICE KRISPIES TREAT CAKE

Make a 1/4 sheet (9x13-inch) of rice crispy treats. Cut in small pieces but keep in cake sheet form (in one piece).

Ice the top like you would a cake except for the sides so everyone can see what it is. Make a pumpkin patch on the top or any Halloween scene.

Bring to school party and all the kids have to do is look and enjoy then pull out the pieces because they are already cut.

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BLOOD-SHOT EYEBALLS
From: Vicki,La
Makes 12 Eyeballs

6 medium eggs, hard-boiled, cooled and peeled
6 oz whipped cream cheese
12 green olives stuffed with pimentos
Red food coloring or ketchup

Half eggs widthwise. Remove yolks (reserve for other dishes), fill the hole with cream cheese, smoothing surface as much as possible.

Press an olive into each cream cheese eyeball, pimento up, for an eerie green iris and red pupil. Dip a toothpick into ketchup and draw broken blood vessels in the cream cheese.

Serve on a bed of lettuce.

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GHOUL-ADE
From: Vicki,La
Makes 20 servings

"This will be black as midnight and frightfully delicious!"

1 package unsweetened grape Kool-aid grape
1 package unsweetened orange Kool-aid
2 cups sugar
3 quarts cold water
1 quart ginger ale, chilled

Mix all together in punch bowl or large pitcher.