Trick or Treat: Halloween recipes

Whether you have a date with a goblin or a meeting with your fellow witches, brew up some tricks and treats this Halloween with these frighteningly delicious concoctions. Alternatively, if you’re opting to curl up alone this fall with the latest horror flick in your dorm, these snacks make for ghoulishly good company.

Goosebumps Punch (Courtesy of Rebecca Hubbell from Sugar and Soul Co)

Such large quantities of radioactive pond water have never tasted this good. Serves 6.

Ingredients:

1 ½ liters lemon-lime soda

6 drops green food coloring

½ quart rainbow sherbet

15 gummy worms

Instructions:

1. Combine cold lemon-lime soda and food coloring in a large punch bowl and stir.

2. Add in scoops of sherbet until the package is empty.

3. Add half of the gummy worms to the punch bowl, reserving the rest for garnish when you serve each cup.

4. Use a ladle to transfer to each cup and serve.

Monster Munch (Courtesy of Wholefully.com)

Throw in all your leftover candy for a sweet and salty surprise. Serves 12.

Ingredients:

12 cups air-popped popcorn

3 cups mini-twist pretzels

1 cup roasted, salted peanuts

1 cup candy corn

1 cup Reese’s Pieces

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup butter

Orange candy melts and sprinkles for garnish

Instructions:

1. In a very large bowl, mix together the popcorn, pretzels, peanuts, candy corn and Reese’s pieces. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring the honey, sugar, salt, peanut butter and butter to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring for five minutes. Remove from heat, and drizzle caramel over popcorn mixture.

3. Stir to coat.

4. Spread the popcorn mixture onto two baking sheets covered in parchment. Drizzle with melted candy melts and top with holiday sprinkles. Let cool completely, then break apart to serve.

Peanut Butter Spider Cookies (Courtesy of Stefanie Fauquet)

They’re so cute they just might cure arachnophobia.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar for rolling

48 miniature Reese’s cups unwrapped and frozen

96 candy eyes

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a large bowl, beat together shortening, peanut butter, egg, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and milk.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

4. Gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture and beat until blended.

5. Form into 1-inch balls.

6. Roll in sugar and place a couple of inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

7. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden.

8. Immediately, gently press an upside down frozen peanut butter cup on top of each cookie and move to wire rack to cool.

9. After placing and moving all of the cookies on the wire rack, put in place the candy eyes while chocolate is still slightly soft.

10. Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes to allow cookies to firm.

11. Put chocolate chips in the corner of zippered sandwich bag.

Microwave for 20 seconds, knead and repeat until chocolate has melted.

12. Clip tiny piece off of the corner of bag to allow for piping and draw eight legs on each spider cookie.

13. Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes to allow legs to set.