FAVORITE STAFF RECIPES

Halloween Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Ingredients

Monsters

• 6 ounces dark-green candy melting wafers

• 1 to 2 teaspoons of coconut oil or vegetable shortening; if needed

• ½ cup dark-green sanding sugar, plus more as needed

• 12 large strawberries with green tops, rinsed and dried as well

• 24 small candy eyeballs

• 1-ounce chocolate chips (Optional)

Ghost

• 6 ounces white candy melted wafers

• 1 to 2 teaspoons coconut oil or vegetable shortening; if needed

• 12 large strawberries with green tops, rinsed and dried well

• 1-ounce black candy melted wafers or chocolate chips

Pumpkins

• 6 ounces of orange candy melted wafers

• 1 to 2 teaspoons coconut oil or vegetable shortening; if needed

• 12 large strawberries with green tops, rinsed and dried well

• 1 ounce chocolate chips

Directions:

1. For the monsters: Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Put the candy wafers in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally once the wafers soften, until smooth. If the candy starts to reharden or seize up, stir in a teaspoon or so of coconut oil or shortening and stir again until smooth.

2. Spread the sanding sugar in a small shallow bowl. Gather a strawberry at the leaves and dip into the melted candy, letting the excess drip back into the bowel. Gently press the coated strawberry in the sugar, coating it completely (Don't press too hard or you’ll get too much sugar on the strawberry). Set leaf-side down on a prepared baking sheet and repeat with reaming strawberries. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes, keeping the reaming melted candy warm in the double boiler.

3. Spread a tiny bit of the remaining melted candy on the back of 2 Candy eyeballs and press them on near the tip of the strawberry. Meanwhile, if you’d like to make mouths on your monsters, melt the chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe mouths onto the monsters. Let sit until eyes and mouths are set, about 10 minutes.

4. For the ghosts: Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Put the candy wafers in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally once the wafers soften, until smooth. If the candy melts start to reharden or seize up, stir in a teaspoon smooth. If the candy melts start to reharden or seize up, stir in a teaspoon or so of coconut oil or shortening and stir again until smooth.

5. Gather a strawberry at the leaves and dip into the melted candy, letting some but not all of the excess drips back into the bowl. Set leaft- side up on the prepared baking sheet, letting the excess melted candy pool into the front to create the bottom of the ghost. Repeat with the remaining strawberries. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, melt the black candy wafers or chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave, following the microwave instructions on the package if using candy wafers. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Once the white candy has set, pipe small ovals for the nose and eyes on each ghost and let set 10 to 15 minutes.

7. For the pumpkins: Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Put the candy wafers in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally once the wafers soften, until smooth. If the candy starts to reharden or seize up, stir in a teaspoon or so of coconut oil or shortening and stir again until smooth.

8. Gather a strawberry at the leaves and dip into the melted candy, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Set leaf-side up on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining strawberries. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.

9. Meanwhile, transfer the remaining orange melted candy to a piping bag fitted with a plain tip. Once the coating on the strawberries has hardened, pipe vertical lines from top to bottom for the ribs on a pumpkin. Refrigerate until set, about 5 minutes.

10. Melt the chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe eyes, mouths and noses on the pumpkins to resemble jack-o’-lanterns and let set 10 to 15 minutes.

Credit: www.foodnetwork.com

Pumpkin Ice Cream Floats

Ingredients

3 heaping tablespoons of pumpkin butter

• 1 (12-ounce) bottle of ginger beer but I prefer Bundaberg ginger beer

• 9 scoops vanilla bean ice cream

Instructions

1. In a large carafe mix the pumpkin butter and ginger beer together until the pumpkin butter has completely dissolved. Set aside.

2. Divide the ice cream scoops between 3 glasses, then pour equal amounts of the pumpkin ginger beer mixture into each glass.

3. Serve immediately.

Credit: https://thismessisours.com

Halloween Cake Pops

Ingredients:

• One 15.25-ounce box yellow cake mix (plus required ingredients)

• 1 cup vanilla frosting, plus more as needed

• 10 ounces orange candy melting wafers

• Jumbo black nonpareils, for decorating

• 10 ounces black candy melting wafers

• Black sanding sugar, for decorating

• One small orange nonpareils, for decorating

Directions:

1. Prepare and bake the cake according to the package directions for a 9-by-13-inch pan. Let cool completely.

2. Break the cake into pieces and transfer to a food processor. Add the frosting and process until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 30 seconds. If the mixture doesn't come together, add more frosting 1 tablespoon at a time until it holds its shape.  

3. Using a 3/4-ounce scoop, form the mixture into about 46 balls and put them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, put the orange candy melting wafers in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted according to the package directions. Dip 1/2 inch of the tip of each of 46 lollipop sticks into the candy and then stick each tip halfway into a cake ball. (It's ok to use one color for this part.) Refrigerate the cake pops until completely chilled, about 1 hour.  

5. Microwave the orange candy again until melted and pour into a tall narrow glass. Dip 23 cake pops into the candy and let any excess run off. To make spider cake pops, place a jumbo black nonpareil on top and slightly above center of as many of the orange-dipped pops as you choose while the coating is still wet. Stick the orange-dipped pops--both the plain and nonpareil-topped ones--in a 9.8-by-11.8-inch Styrofoam block and let set completely.

6. Meanwhile, place the black candy melting wafers in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted according to the package directions. Pour the candy into a tall narrow glass. Dip the remaining 23 cake pops into the candy and let any excess run off. To make black sparkle cake pops, sprinkle as many of the black-dipped pops as you choose entirely with the black sanding sugar while the coating is still wet. To make black cake pops with orange nonpareils, sprinkle the remaining black-dipped pops with the small orange nonpareils while the coating is still wet. Stick the finished black-dipped pops in a second 9.8-by-11.8-inch Styrofoam block and let set completely.

7. Microwave the black candy again if needed. Transfer to a small piping bag and cut a small piece off the end.

8. To finish the spider cake pops, pipe a mound of black candy directly behind the jumbo black nonpareils. Pipe 4 legs on each side. Stick the finished pops back into the Styrofoam block and let set completely.

9. To make orange spider web cake pops, hold each remaining plain orange-dipped cake pop over a sheet of parchment paper and pipe black zigzag stripes over the pops, letting the excess fall onto the parchment paper. Sprinkle with black sanding sugar while the piping is still wet. Stick the finished pops back into the Styrofoam block and let set completely.

Credit: foodnetwork.com