So, it’s Halloween — and somehow it creeped up on you before you knew it. You meant to pull together something cool for the kids, or neighboring trick-or-treaters, or friends getting together tonight, but time just got away from you. Grabbing a bag of same-old, same-old candy off the big-box shelf seems so blase. You think, “Isn’t there some quick, easy conjure I could pull off that makes me look more creative than that?”
Of course there is.
Last-minute fixes are always fun to seek out. They tend to make us ask, “Now why didn’t I think of that?” These are all simple. The most time-consuming part of any of them might be a quick stop at the store for what you don’t already have.
Witches, spiders and bones, oh my
Pillsbury offers an idea for those crescent rolls in the fridge. With a few chocolate chips and a bit of confectioners’ sugar, they turn into witches’ hats. Find instructions at the end of this article.
Oreo spiders are a sweet-n-salty treat: just stick four pretzel sticks — spider legs — in each side of double stuff Oreos. Use two white chocolate chips, or dots of icing, for eyes.
Speaking of pretzel sticks, make your own haunting pile of “bones” by sticking miniature marshmallows on both ends of each pretzel and dip the whole thing in melted white chocolate. Once dry, stack them for effect, or package in small cello bags and tie off with orange and black ribbon as individual favors.
Scarecrow munch, anyone? Elevate popcorn with melted white chocolate chips and caramel candy corn. The recipe from ourthriftyideas.com is on 6B. Serve it up in a big party bowl, or separate this treat into cellophane bags or small decorative boxes. It’s “gourmet” enough for your happy hour friends, but yummy for younger Iron Men and Wonder Women, too.
Eerily easy
OK, these are almost effortless. For a spooky spin, fill a clear latex glove with candies (small candy rolls like Smarties nicely fill the fingers) and tie it off with decorative ribbons. (May I suggest placing the detached “hand” on a bed, as though emerging from underneath the pillow?)
Here’s one I’m doing for some nephews and nieces: Haphazardly “wrap” a Hershey (or similar) candy bar with just enough masking tape to mimic mummy wrapping — not too thick or tight — and attach a pair of eyes. (See photos below.)
Lastly, it may be too late to use these two lunchbox/classroom snack suggestions this Halloween, but you may want to file them away for next year: Apply googly eyes to an upside-down vanilla pudding cup to create a squat, sweet Casper — or pull out the trusty black Sharpie in the kitchen drawer and add spooky eyes and a “ooooh” mouth on the wrapping of individual white string cheese sticks. (For orange cheese sticks, make a pumpkin face.) If you’re in a frightful pinch, hopefully one of these suggestions helps out. Easiest Halloween smiles ever.
CHOCOLATE CRESCENT WITCH HATS
1 can (8 ounce) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons powdered sugar or unsweetened baking cocoa
(Source: pillsbury.com)
SCARECROW MUNCH
Total time: 10 minutes
2 bags homestyle popcorn
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup caramel candy corn
(Source: ourthriftyideas.com/2013/10/recipe-scarecrow-munch.html)
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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