A healthy Treating

With the increase of cavities and diabetes, maybe it is better to give out healthy treats on Halloween if you are one of those health cautious parents. This recipe is very simple and it can serve many kids with a healthy halloween treat.

Peanut Butter Masked Apples

Prep time: about 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. unsalted roasted peanuts
• 1 tbsp. peanut oil
• 5 or 6 apples

Tools:

• blender
• mixing spoon
• storage container
• measuring cups and spoons
• Knife and spreading knife

Directions:

• Mix the peanuts with the peanut oil, and pour the mixture into the food processor.
• Process the mixture until it's very smooth.
• Store your smooth peanut butter in a sealed container in the fridge. It will be good for 2 weeks.
• For Halloween Night Cut the apples into as many slices as you want(six is preferred). Then simply coat the apples with a thin layer of homemade butter using a spreading knife.

Posted by John Nguyen

Trick or Treat Cupcakes

This is a delicious chocolate and peanut butter cupcake recipe to give out to your trick or treaters.

Ingredients:

Devil's Food Cake:
-1 1/4 cups cake flour
-1/2 cup processed unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup+2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
-1 1/4 or 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
-3 large eggs
-1/2 cup buttermilk
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/2 cup strong, hot coffee

Peanut Butter Buttercream Filling:
-1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
-1 cup creamy peanut butter
-1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar

Ganache Frosting:
-4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
-1/2 cup heavy cream

Decorations:
-desired candies

Directions:

Devil's Food Cake:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 12 slot muffin pan with large paper or foil cupcake liners. Next, sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Repeat the previous step two more times. Beat the butter and sugar together at high speed for 15 seconds until combined in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs one at a time and continue beating until each egg is incorporated. Continue beating until light and fluffy for about 6 minutes longer. With the mixer at its lowest speed, beat in 1/3 the sifted flour mixture. Beat in the buttermilk and vanilla, and then another third of the flour. Beat in the coffee and then the remaining flour. Fill the sections of the muffin tin 1/2 full and bake for about 15 minutes or until the centers spring back when lightly pressed. Set the pan on a rack to cool.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Filling:
Beat the butter and peanut butter at medium speed in a mixing bowl until blended. Reduce the mixing speed to low and gradually beat in the sifted powdered sugar. Increase the mixing speed to high and beat for about 3 to 5 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Pour the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a medium, plain tip with filling. Insert tip into each cooled cupcake and squeeze approximately 3 tablespoons of filling into each cupcake.

Ganache Frosting:
Place the white chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a scald in a small saucepan or pot. Pour the heavy cream over chocolate and let sit for about a minute, then whisk until smooth. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until thick, but still pourable. Add food coloring if you desire a colored frosting. Dunk the top half of the cupcakes into the frosting to coat, then place on a rack and decorate with the desired candies. Transfer the cupcakes into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes for until it set.

Posted by Yukari

Kids Halloween recipes

Halloween is around the corner! It time to get your kids in the spirit by making some spooky holiday treats. These recipes are easy and FUN for kids of all ages.

Halloween Drink Recipes

Orange Punch
1 gallon orange juice
1 liter ginger ale
1/2 gallon orange sherbert
Mix together orange juice and ginger ale. Scoop sherbert and add to punch.

Green Ghoul Punch
1/2 gallon limeade
1 liter ginger ale
1/2 gallon lime sherbert
Mix together juice and ginger ale. Scoop sherbert and add to punch. Add marshmallows and maraschino cherries to float in punch.

Kristine

Howling Hot Peanuts

This party starter is sure to make all your guests howl in delight how wonderful they are. Simple and nutritious, it's a great way to kick off a Halloween Party.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
2 cups dry roasted unsalted peanuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Mix honey, salt, cumin, cayenne, garlic, onion and chiptole powders. Drizzle over peanuts and toss until evenly coated.
Spray a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment. Spread nuts out on the prepared pan in a single layer. Cook for 45 minutes until slightly golden.
Set the nuts aside and allow them to cool then transfer to serving bowl. Enjoy.

Posted By Darryl

Haunted Gingerbread House

(Diagram for gingerbread house)


Yields about 30 servings

Ingredients:

Gingerbread:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup shortening

3/4 cup full-flavor molasses

1/3 cup cold water
3 1/2 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour or unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Decorating Frosting:
1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon full-flavor molasses
Assorted Halloween picks, cake decorations, candies and/or cookies (as much as needed)

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9x9x3 inches square pan and rectangle pan that is 12x16x2 inches.Mix the brown sugar, shortening and molasses in large bowl. Then stir in water. Stir in the remaining ingredients except for the frosting and candies. Press one-third of the dough into the square pan. Press the remaining dough into rectangle pan.Bake 1 pan at a time for about 15 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched in center. Cool for about 5 minutes. Then turn the gingerbread upside down onto a large cutting board. Immediately cut the gingerbread cookies as shown in diagram (cut windows if desired). Then cool completely.

Prepare Decorating Frosting While The Gingerbread Is Cooling Off :

Mix 1 cup of the powdered sugar and the remaining ingredients until the frosting becomes smooth. Stir in enough remaining powdered sugar to make the frosting stiff. (If frosting becomes too stiff, stir in additional milk.)

Assembly:

Decorate front of house as desired using Decorating Frosting and assorted Halloween picks, Halloween rings, candies and/or cookies. For windows, cut yellow tissue paper slightly larger than outline of windows. Brush the tissue paper with vegetable oil and "glue" to back side of windows, using frosting.Use frosting to attach supports to back of house, sidewalk to front of house, door and sign to front of house and fence to sidewalk. Decorate the gingerbread house as desired.

Posted by Yukari

Scary Gingerbread Men

This week I would like to introduce to you Cacao Chocolate. Cacao Chocolate is a very rich form of dark chocolate. It's taste is very pure as it is plentiful of Cacao which is the plant that chocolate comes from. This type of chocolate is usually found in the expensive chocolate section within Target. A bar usually ranges from 5 dollars or more. The reason it is so expensive is because it is very rich in antioxidants that can be very beneficial to your body. Luckily, we would only need two bars of this dark chocolate for our recipe.

Ginger man Ginger man Please Don't Get Me

Ingredients

Gingerbread:

• 16 ounces unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
• 1 bar of Cacao Chocolate
  
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 6 1/4 cups cake flour
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Gingerbread House Templates, recipe follows

Royal Icing:

• 3 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more as needed
• 1/2 bar of cacao chocolate
  
• 2 egg whites*

Directions

First you must place the bar of cacao chocolate in a pan and melt it. As it is melting, n a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until it is smooth. Add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time until incorporated. Add the molasses and vanilla and mix. Then add in the melted cacao chocolate.

Sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, and salt. Working in batches, and mixing after each addition just until combined, add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar/chocolate mixture. Shape the dough into a thick disk, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease 2 cookie sheets.

On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough in half and roll each piece out into a large 1/4-inch thick sheet. Transfer the dough sheets to the sheet pans; then cut out the gingerbread shapes with any cutting material or your own design as you please.

Bake until stiff and toast-y, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely.

Make the Royal Icing: In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the confectioners' sugar and egg whites together. Add more sugar, if necessary, to reach a spreadable consistency. Then add in half a bar of melted cacao chocolate, this will give it the dark color that it needs. Decorate the gingerbread men accordingly to the scary Halloween season.

By John Nguyen

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

This is a great recipe since it turns your left over pumpkin carving seeds into a great snack. You'll never throw them away again!!!

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups pumpkin seeds, cleaned and rinsed
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the pumpkin seeds with the garlic powder, salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper on prepared baking sheet and toss to combine.

3) Bake for about 15 minutes, or until seeds are crispy and light golden brown.

4) Remove from the oven and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon to release any seeds that have stuck to the baking sheet, and cool completely before serving.

Roasted seeds will keep in an airtight storage container for up to 1 week.

Posted By Darryl

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen

Ingredients:
· 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
· 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
· 1 cup sugar
· 1 large egg
· 1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
· 4 ounces White chocolate, chopped
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; set aside.


2. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until smooth. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture in two parts and pumpkin puree in one, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined (do not over mix).

3. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto two baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets once during baking. Immediately transfer cookies to wire racks, and cool completely.


4. When cookies have cooled, set them (still on rack) over a baking sheet or waxed paper. Place white chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water; stir until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until completely melted. Pour chocolate into a resealable plastic bag. Snip off a corner with scissors or a knife to make an 1/8-inch hole; pipe white chocolate over cookies. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm in about 20 minutes.

5. Enjoy!

Post by: Yukari

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Servings: 8

Crust:

1/3 cup reduced-calorie margarine, room temp.

2 cups graham-cracker crumbs

Filling:

1 container (24 ounces) nonfat cottage cheese

1 tub (12 ounces) light cream-cheese

1-1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar

2 large egg whites

2 large eggs

1 can (16 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

2 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Lightly grease bottom and sides of 9x3-inch springform pan.

Crust: Mix margarine and cracker crumbs in a bowl until evenly moistened. Press over bottom and 2 inches up sides of prepared pan.

Filling: Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Process cottage cheese and cream cheese product in a food processor or blender about 2 minutes, scraping down sides 2 or 3 times, until thick and smooth. Add brown sugar, process until sugar dissolves. Add eggs and egg whites and process just until blended. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in pumpkin, cornstarch, spice and vanilla until well blended and smooth. Pour into crust. Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until top of cake looks set. Shut off oven. Cool completely on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate in pan at least 6 hours or up to 4 days.

-Kristine