by Zyania Garcia Hernández

The chilly air and color-changing leaves persuades everyone to eat a cozy snack, especially if it was made from the warmth of the heart. Here are a few fancy fall treats to do with the changing temperature! 

Ghost Strawberries

Ingredients:

• White Chocolate

• Milk Chocolate

• Strawberries

Directions:

With clean and fresh strawberries, dip them from bottom to top into melted white chocolate. Set aside to cool. Once the white chocolate has hardened, use a toothpick to add the eyes and mouth of a ghost with the milk chocolate.

Autumn Puppy Chow

Ingredients:

• Candy Corn

• Reese’s Pieces

• Chocolate Chips (Milk or dark chocolate)

• 9 cups Rice Chex Cereal

• ¼ cups Unsalted Butter

• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

• 1 ½ Powdered Sugar

• ½ cup Peanut Butter

Directions:

Melt chocolate, butter and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the base for 30 seconds, constantly stirring until it is completely melted and smooth. Add the vanilla extract in the base as well. Place the Chex Cereal in a bowl and pour the base, gently stirring the batter around the cereal with a spatula. In a clean plastic bag, put the powdered sugar in and add in the cereal. Sealing the bag tightly, shake the ingredients together until the cereal is powdered with the white sugar. Once coated, open the bag and place the cereal in another bowl. Add in the chocolate chips and candy.

Apple Spice Mug Cake

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup Flour

• ¼ cup Milk

• 3 tbsp Brown Sugar (Divided)

• 3 tbsp Salted Butter (Divided)

• ⅓ sliced Apple

• ½ tsp Apple Pie Spice  ( Divided)

• ¼ tsp Baking Powder

Directions:

Combine ½ tbsp butter, brown sugar, apple spice and half of the apple slices in a microwave safe mug. In a separate bowl, mix together the rest of the butter, milk, vanilla extract and 2 tbsp brown sugar. Pour the batter on top of the soft apples, placing the rest of the apples on top. Bake in the microwave for 2 minutes. 

Halloween Bark

Ingredients:

• Leftover candy

Examples:

• Gummies

• Candy corn

• Chocolate

Examples:

• White

• Milk

• Dark

Directions:

Cut up any leftover candy into bite size pieces and add into a pan of melted chocolate. Refrigerate and cut with a knife once cooled.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

Cookie Dough

Ingredients:

• ½ tsp Baking Soda

• ½ tsp Cinnamon

• ¼ tsp Nutmeg

• ¼ tsp Salt

• ¼ tsp Ginger

• ⅓ cup Pumpkin Puree

• 1 ½ cups Flour

• ⅔ cup Brown Sugar

• ¼ cup White Sugar

Directions: 

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger and salt. In a mixer, combine butter, brown sugar and white sugar until the mixture is lighter. Add pumpkin puree in the mixture with medium speed then add in the dry ingredients. Make 2 ½ tbsp balls of cookie dough on parchment paper and refrigerate for around an hour.

Cheesecake filling

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

• ⅓ Granulated Sugar

• 1 cup Cream Cheese

Directions:

With an electric mixer, add sugar, vanilla extract and cream cheese. Mix on medium high until smooth. Once smooth, scoop 1 ½ tbsp of the mix and place on top of parchment paper then place in the freezer for about 45 minutes.

Bake Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Flatten cookie dough and place cheesecake filling in the center, then try to cover it with the surrounding dough. On baking sheets, put the cookies 3 inches apart then bake for 16-19 minutes.

Happy Baking!