S'mores Halloween Treats ~ Ghastly Ghost Peeps®

Frighteningly simple to make ~ when Mary @ Home is Where the Boat is

first featured these, I knew I wanted to add them my repertoire too.  

So a friendly shout out and a big thank you to Mary.
Please go visit her blog, you're in for a treat!

The ingredient list is as follows: A box of Ghost Peeps®, you'll need

12 'ghosts' to make enough for an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Butter, sugar,
pinch of salt, your favorite brownie recipe or boxed mix. About 1/2 cup chocolate

morsels, and 36 chocolate mini-morsels.

I hope you can see the layers here, on the bottom of the baking dish;

Graham cracker crumb crust, the brownie layer, chocolate morsels,

and topped off with the golden 'ghosts'.

Apparently ghosts are frightened of spiders.

Cutting between the 'ghosts' you have a perfect serving size for dessert.

They are quite RICH tasting, so maybe you'll want to share,

half, as I did.  (But probably not with any sort of Araneae.)

Happy Haunting!!

I hope you receive treats, no tricks this Halloween. :)

If you would like a printable copy of the instructions, you'll find it on
my recipe blog HERE.

Thank you for stopping by today~


Happy Halloween!!

Smoky Cheddar Spritz Crackers

As we were growing up our mother would make Spritz Butter Cookies  almost every year during the holidays, and also cheese 'straws' throughout the year.  Maybe your mom or grandmother did as well?

My sister and I followed the same tradition as we started our own families, we would decorate the cookies in all sorts of pretty ways  and sometimes with colored cookie dough ~  They are a perpetual favorite and always look so festive on the cookie tray.



Sadly, my cookie press finally went kaput after many years of use, so when I saw good reviews about this set made by OXO I was compelled to replace my old Mirro metal version.  Plus, I fell for the pumpkin disk in the Autumn set. :)
OXO's great reputation and all of the unique disk motifs,  its' ease of use and care sold me. 

The press comes with 12 decorative disks; all of the traditional ones I remember -
snowflake, heart, wreath, tree, buttercup, daisy, etc. as well as some, new to me (all really cute!) :
shell, sunflower, fleur de lis, bear (little teddy bear!), leaf, butterfly
See more about the press and other disks below.


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Of course you can use any cookie press or disk to make these delicious cheese straw crackers, follow your favorite recipe or choose the one I favor (it's over on my recipe blog, link below.)
This is my favorite recipe for a savory cracker using the cookie press.

Like most all Spritz-type cookies the recipe is really simple,  just a bit more involved than a shortbread dough.  
But for the cheese crackers I jazz mine up a little by adding 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder and 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric (it adds a very subtle warm flavor and nice color.)
Sometimes I mix it up by using Smoked Paprika (as I did this time) instead of plain sweet paprika.  If you like them spicier, increase the amount of cayenne pepper, or hot paprika.



Tip for crispy crackers:
I like these crackers to be crisp, but not brown, so after baking and cooling all of the batches,  I place them in a single layer on the baking sheets and place in a 175ºF oven for a several minutes until they dry out a little, they will crisp even further after cooling. Keep an eye on them while they're in the oven so they don't turn dark. 
Alternately you can place in your oven set to 'warm',  or the lowest temperature available and do the same.  
Either way you choose, do watch them as ovens vary.
When the crackers are crisp, I turn off the oven and leave the oven door open just a bit until the crackers are completely cool, then store in airtight containers for up to a week or so.
These are really good served on the cheese/fruit tray or along with soup or a salad. They make a nice gift from the kitchen, too.
If you give them a try, I hope you enjoy!
A printable version of the recipe and tips can be found on my recipe blog by clicking this link.





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Additional Disks for the OXO Cookie Press
Also available separately are two sets of additional seasonal disks, (six disks in each set):  
OXO Good Grips Cookie Press ~ Autumn or Springtime ~ Disk Sets
The Autumn set includes:  Spider, Web, Owl, Turkey, Leaf and Pumpkin
The Springtime set includes: Cherry Blossom, Rose, Love, Double Heart, Shamrock, Bouquet

(You can click the link above to learn more)

Thanks for coming by today, friends.
Bon Appetit!
~m.


Note:  The folks at OXO don't know who I am, (no compensation from them.) I'm just sharing a product I like... I hope you like it, too.  :o)

Spooky Eye-Popping Soup for Halloween

I saw this presentation on Home is Where the Boat is,  a wonderfully creative blog by my friend Mary.   If you're not familiar with Mary's blog I urge you to go visit, you're in for a treat!

For the Spooky Eye-Popping Soup I made a recipe similar to this one;  I used half lean ground beef and half Italian sausage,  fusilli instead of tortellini, omitted basil leaves ~  I used a couple of pinches of dried oregano instead,  and chopped the vegetables into small dice just so the 'eyes'  would get most of the attention.  




If you would like an even simpler soup you may like this one,  directions for making the eyeballs can be found here as well.  I simply used bite size mozzarella (bocconcini) and placed  thin slices of stuffed green olives on them to resemble  pupils and irises. 

It's a fun and flavorful soup to help get everyone in the mood for Halloween.


Thank you for stopping by today friends ~ Have a BOO-tiful week!  :)
~mari xo

Spiced Pumpkin Cake with Maple Frosting

There are still some tomatoes on the vine, but our first frost is just around the corner . . . might as well face it, we're feeling the nip of Fall in the air. We've already been lighting up the wood stove to take the chill off of the mornings and evenings.
And as much as I detest the shorter days and less sunlight, there are some things I do love about Fall. Baking is one of them.



It is a welcome excuse to crank up the oven and bake at this time  of year and the payoffs are plentiful:
Warm kitchen...  delightful aromas...  comforting, cozy atmosphere... good food to look forward to... satisfied tummies... Happy memories...
All of the above make for warm fuzzies and a happy family. :)

In summer we have all kinds of fresh fruit to keep a sweet tooth satisfied, in the cooler months we must become a little more creative.  Apples, pumpkins, pears and preserved fruit to the rescue, and soon the citrus will become more abundant.  I've been baking some apple sweets which I'll share soon, but in the meantime . . . 




This is a simple little sheet cake, you can use canned pumpkin (plain, not pie filling), or cook your own pumpkin or squash. Since I had a can of pumpkin open for another recipe, I decided to make this little cake. It doesn't take many ingredients and it goes together quickly.



The original recipe yields a 9x13-inch cake pan, but we don't need that much cake at once so I made a half recipe and baked it in a 9x9-inch pan. If a 9x9-inch cake is still too much for you, you can bake it, then divide it in half, wrap well and freeze the half and enjoy the other half immediately. When you want to serve the remainder, thaw and spread the frosting on  when it's completely thawed, or just sprinkle with powdered sugar.




The frosting is made with pure maple syrup, cream cheese butter and powdered sugar and a little vanilla extract.   The maple flavor is very mild, if you like it more pronounced  you could add some maple flavor extract . . . but I try to avoid the artificially flavored stuff, so I don't. 
I reduce the sugar amount by a bit, because I don't care for overly  sweet things, and if you reduce the cream cheese by a tablespoon or so,  the maple will be a bit more prominent.

I serve the toasted chopped pecans in a little dish with a spoon, on the side since many people have trouble digesting them. This way it makes everybody happy.
Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee, and it makes a fine little dessert.    If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, it's over on my recipe blog . . .
Click here.
Thank you for stopping by ~ I would love if you would leave a comment so I know you've visited!
Blessings!
~mari  :)  

Witches Brooms ~ Foodie Friday Mysterious Ingredient Club

This is my second entry for Foodie Friday's second  Mysterious Ingredient Club sponsored by Rattlebridge Farm.

Michael Lee West, owner of Rattlebridge Farm  generously supplied each participant with these spooky Halloween sprinkles by Wilton  to do with as we might ~



I decided upon these 'Witches Brooms' cookies as my additional entry this week.



If you would like to make them you'll need:
Pretzel Rods, cut to about 4-1/2 inches Cookie dough  (I made Maple sugar cookie dough) Peanut butter cookie dough, or any other smooth dough would work.  Probably you could use store bought, too. Chocolate Morsels Butterscotch or Peanut Butter Morsels A little solid shortening




To assemble: Form the dough into approximately 1-1/2-inch balls. Press each ball into the cut end of the pretzel rod. Flatten slightly, then press fork tines into dough, to represent broom straws. Bake according to cookie recipe directions. Remove cookies from pan and place on a rack to cool.
When completely cool, melt chocolate chips with shortening (2/3 cup chocolate chip to 2 teaspoons shortening is enough for 20 cookies*) Spoon chocolate over lower part of broom handle and top part of broom bristles, leaving bottom of bristles uncovered. Allow to cool and firm up.




Melt butterscotch chips with shortening. (1/3 cup butterscotch chips to 1/2 teaspoon shortening*) Drizzle over chocolate. Allow to stand until firm before storing in airtight container.
*You may need to add a little more melted shortening to make the melted chocolate and butterscotch  chips the right consistency for drizzling.
EDIT: Back to post the cookie recipe for those who want it ~
Makes 20 cookies  (I must have made my broom parts too large because the recipe only produced 14 when I made them.)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 2 Tablespoons water 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon salt 10 pretzel rods (about 8-1/2" long),  cut in half cross-wise (I noticed the pretzel rods I bought were only about 7-inches long, you want the cut rods for the broom handle to be between 4 and 4-1/2 inches long.)
Heat oven to 350ºF. In a medium bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, water and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Stir in flour and salt. Shape dough into 20 (1-1/4" balls).
Then just proceed with the directions above.
Happy baking!!

Please come on over to our host Michael Lee West's blog Rattlebridge Farm see what's going on for this Foodie Friday!

Thank you for stopping by friends!
Blessings, ~ mari

Foodie Friday ~ Mystery Ingredient Club!

Happy Foodie Friday featuring our Mystery Ingredient hosted by Michael Lee West at Rattlebridge Farm.
Michael generously sent each of the Mystery Ingredient Club participants Wilton's Creepy Sprinkle Lab:


 

4 vials filled with assorted sprinkles in a lab stand!
Oh, the possibilities are endless~ I decided upon Bark Candy with a Halloween theme.





I built the bark layers upon cinnamon graham crackers, then spread melted white chocolate over the crackers and sprinkled with peanut butter-filled pretzels, Marcona salted almonds, mini-dark chocolate morsels, M & M candies, and the Wilton Sprinkles.

 

If you assemble the layers in a shallow sheet pan, it's easy to move  it to the refrigerator in order to hasten the chocolate firming up.  As soon as it's set up remove from the fridge and break into  large chunks then random smaller chunks. 




The topping possibilities are seemingly infinite ~ (you can use dark chocolate as the base if you prefer) sprinkle broken-up:   leftover Halloween candy cookies candy bars mini marshmallows any kind of nuts  sweetened breakfast cereal mini crackers  (such as goldfish or small cheese crackers)  popcorn, etc.


Have fun with it and enjoy!

I'm sending a big thank you to Michael Lee West for her hospitality and generosity ~
Please come visit Foodie Friday to see what's cooking this week.

Thank you for stopping by today!
~mari

Acorn Candy Kisses

These are pure fun! And a good project for the kiddos ~ you can "glue" the pieces together with thick Royal Icing, a little melted chocolate or peanut butter.
If you can find the "Pumpkin Spice" Hershey's Kisses they make the acorns a bit more realistic as they are a light caramel color.  I couldn't find them in my area this year so I used a mix of plain milk chocolate kisses along with some of the caramel filled type (really good, but sweet ~ I like them because the caramel filling is liquid, not chewy.)

I am really happy you stopped by and thank you for any comments you would like to leave. I appreciate each one and I would love to come visit your spot on the internet.

Happy Autumn!

Favorite Sour Cream Apple Pie (circa 1992)

Creamy, tender apples baked under a thin, crackly cinnamon-sugar topping, it's no wonder this recipe is still popular today as it was when first published in "Gourmet Magazine" over 20 years ago. 


And it slices so beautifully, thanks to the sour cream custard filling.  It's easy to make too as it only requires a bottom crust (and if you're short on time refrigerated or frozen pie crust pastry will do.)
The original recipe suggested serving each slice with a dollop of ginger flavored whipped cream, but I've never made it that way. I prefer a slightly sweetened dollop of freshly whipped cream, or a scoop of good quality vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.
It's a wonderful way to send 2012 out on a sweet note. If you try it, I hope it will become one of your favorites too!



Happy New Year, friends!!    Thank you so much for your friendship and all of your  kind messages and  support throughout this past year. ((Hugs!!))

I'm wishing you all the best; health, happiness, peace and prosperity in 2013. 
xo and blessings~
Mari

Challah (with dough from the Bread Machine)

Although I've made many loaves of Challah in my life, I had never used my bread machine to make the dough until recently.
After seeing many positive reviews for this recipe I gave it a try.  The recipe makes enough dough for two  braided loaves, but I made one braided loaf and formed the remainder of the dough into Challah rolls by forming the dough into balls, then baking them in well greased muffin tins. 
I added about 1/2 cup or so more flour than the recipe stated, taking note I (along with a few other reviewers) determined the dough was  too sticky to handle otherwise. With the additional flour it turned out very well.
Over time I've found it truly helps to read the reviews for a recipe when they are available, in order to pick up pointers for changes or improvements.



I know, I know, it is not proper to cut the Challah with a knife (the knife, being a symbol of violence/death  should not be present at the peace of the Jewish sabbath),  rather the bread should be torn.  However, when the bread is a day old I love to toast it, so I slice it.
I coated the top with the traditional egg wash, and  applied sesame seeds (optional.)
TIP ALERT:
Have you ever attempted to sprinkle sesame seeds,  poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, etc. to the top  of bread or rolls before baking only to have most  of them bounce off of the egg washed surface?
That used to happen to me all  the time, until I learned this neat trick from a baker a few years ago:
1. Pour the amount of seeds or nuts you will be using into a small, shallow bowl or saucer.
2. Apply egg, milk or water wash to the top of the formed dough.
3. Slightly moisten the fingers of your dominant hand with water or milk and dip (the flat, palm side of) your fingers into the seed/nut bowl;  (the seeds will stick to your fingers.)
4. Gently press your (seed coated fingers) onto the surface of the dough, they will adhere to the dough and release from your fingers. Repeat until the surface is coated as you like.
As if by magic the seeds/nuts will stick, and you will have very few wasted seeds. It's a great tip, and I hope you'll give it a try the next time you need to apply seeds or nuts to your bread.
Thank you for stopping by today, friends! If you try this recipe and/or technique for the seed topping,  I hope you'll be pleased with the results.

Blessings to all!
~mari