Halloween: Caramel Apples From Culinary Institute of America

Check out how easy and less expensive it is to make your own caramel apples for the spooky season.

From Denny: One of the pleasures of childhood during the spooky silly Halloween season was when one of our neighbors, the local baker, used to make awesome candied apples. They were beautiful and his wife gave them out every year at the door as she congratulated the kids on the creativity of their costumes.

Fast forward into adulthood and now chefs have taken off with their own versions of the candied apple, offering all kinds of variations like the caramel apple, the caramel apple with nuts and the chocolate coated apple.

Of course, the food companies got on the trend wagon and now have sent the price of those same childhood delights soaring into the stratosphere price wise. The Culinary Institute of America is here to show us how easy - and far less expensive - it is to make our own caramel apples! To get the freshest apples that are not coated with wax like the grocery store versions, take a trip to your local farmers' market to pick up your area's apple stars of taste.



Caramel Apples

From: Chocolates and Confections at Home with The Culinary Institute of America

Makes: 12 to 18 apples

Skill level: 1


Ingredients:

12–18 Apples
12–18 sticks
4 oz (½ cup) Water
1 lb (2 cups) Sugar
1 can (14 oz) Sweetened condensed milk
12 oz (1 cup) Light corn syrup
6 oz (12 tbsp, 1½ sticks) Butter, unsalted, soft
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Vanilla extract


Directions:

Clean and dry the apples. Insert a stick into the stem end of each apple. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine the water, sugar, condensed milk, corn syrup, and butter in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant rubber spatula.

Continue stirring while cooking until the batch reaches 245°F. This is a good estimation of the required temperature. When the thermometer reads 240°F, begin testing the caramels using the spoon technique outlined on page 30 (below). The cooled piece on the spoon should be firm but not hard when the caramel is properly cooked.

Stir in the salt and vanilla extract.

Pour the caramel into a 2-quart saucepan or other narrow, deep, heatproof container.

Dip the prepared apples in the hot caramel. Allow the excess caramel to drain off and place on the prepared pan. Allow to cool fully, about 20 minutes. Any excess caramel can be poured onto parchment paper or into a buttered pan, allowed to cool, and cut and wrapped.

Caramel Apples with Nuts: Before the caramel has cooled completely, roll the dipped apple in chopped toasted walnuts or pecans.

Chocolate-Coated Caramel Apples: After the caramel has cooled entirely to room temperature, melt and temper 2 lb/5¹⁄³ cups milk chocolate, chopped into ½-inch pieces, and dip the apples. Roll in chopped toasted nuts before the chocolate sets fully, if desired.


Keys to Success from the Culinary Institute of America:

• If using supermarket apples, wash off the wax for the caramel to adhere.

• Caramels tend to foam during cooking. Use a larger than normal saucepan to prevent boiling over.

• A few degrees can make a big difference in the finished product: Undercooked caramel will be too soft, and overcooked caramel will be too hard to bite.

• If the caramel gets too thick during dipping, rewarm it by stirring it over low heat or in the microwave.


Spoon Technique for Testing Sugar:

Place a small bowl of ice water next to the saucepan of cooking sugar.

As the sugar boils, spoon small samples of the syrup out of the saucepan and immerse the spoon holding the syrup in the ice water.

Allow the syrup to cool for several seconds, then remove the spoon from the water.

Take the cooled sample of syrup between your thumb and forefinger and squeeze it to evaluate the consistency.


*** Here's the Culinary Institute of America's newest cookbook they are promoting:

Chocolates and Confections at Home with The Culinary Institute of America



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13 Lollapalooza Halloween Posts to Make You Grin!

From Denny: Here's a roundup of all the funny and informative Halloween posts from this week - Dennys Blog Feeds where you can view all the blogs at a glance for description and headlines to recent posts:

5 Crazy Funny Halloween Posts for Recipes, Costumes, Parties

From Denny: I've been writing intensely all day to get out all the funny Halloween related videos I've found and tasty recipes! I'm downright bug-eyed that I'm not sure which end is up - literally by the funny odd photo I found on StumbleUpon.

You will enjoy all these crazy posts as they were great fun to write:

5 Campy Halloween Posts, Costume Ideas and Recipes

Halloween Italian Comfort Food: Halloween Purses, Pumpkin Risotto, Chocolate Pudding Cake, Pumpkin Bread Pudding, Nutella Apples

Video: Halloween Campy Cakes - Chocolate Spider Cakes, Ghoulish Ghost Cakes

4 Campy Halloween Drinks for Your Party, Find Out Halloween Trivia



This little kittie is staying indoors come Halloween night... smart move, Oh, Wise One...

From Denny: What is Halloween without something a bit campy and ridiculous? The first post has a recipe and some sophisticated inexpensive decorating ideas. The costume ideas for you and your soon-to-look-ridiculous dog are the funniest. I like the X-Ray Machine costume best.

The second recipe shows you how to easily assemble your own Oreo cookie black Halloween spider cookies which are sure to be a hit with the kids at the door or your friends at your posh Halloween party!

Halloween

Video and Recipe: Halloween Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Pound Cake, Decorating Ideas, Pumpkin Carving Tips, Amusing Costume Ideas for You and Your Pets

Recipe: Fun Halloween Oreo Spider Cookies



OK, these posts are so scary they are funny! (Lame, I know... I just love it when people over-hype their products. It's so outrageous.)

Funny

Lampooning Perfectionists is the latest Cheeky Quote Day! segment over at The Social Poets to get you laughing and thinking about how to improve your life without making it stressful.

Lampooning Perfectionists - Cheeky Quote Day 28 Oct 2009

I went cruising the web looking for more funny chocolate quotes than I already have stashed on Romancing The Chocolate blog and ran into funny Sandra Boynton's site. She has a new movie short just released a couple of days ago. B. B. King sings alongside his famous sidekick Lucille.

Let's all support her as this is her first movie debut. The little documentary that sidekicks it is interesting as to how many people it really takes, all the hoops they have to jump through, just to make a tiny film - and she made it funny too!

5 Funny Chocolate Quotes, Sandra Boyntons B. B. King Video

In case you missed any of these cute little Halloween funnies over at Dennys Funny Quotes, here's a repeat:

(Featured new today) Video: Creepy Hotels for Halloween Getaways

Repeats:

Funny Halloween Quotes, Halloween Cartoon

Cheeky Quote Day at The Social Poets, Funny Halloween Animation

*** Handmade Unique - lists posts from several blogs around the blogosphere with Halloween posts.

*** Thanks for visiting, everyone, and thanks for your great support! Have a fun and safe Halloween!

*** Editorial political cartoons will be here tomorrow for Sunday's post. Come on, you know that Halloween is so campy and funny that no writer can resist the temptation of writing posts for the silly holiday we enjoy so much. It's just too much fun! You know me; I'm always up for a good grinner! :)

Halloween Italian Comfort Food: Halloween Purses, Pumpkin Risotto, Chocolate Pudding Cake, Pumpkin Bread Pudding, Nutella Apples

From Denny: Italian cooking goes Halloween! Featured is Pumpkin Risotto, Trick-or-Treat Halloween Bags which are phyllo dough purses with stacked layers of eggplant, prosciutto ham, mozzarella cheese, tomato, basil. More goodies from this chef family are the recipes for Baked Pumpkins filled with Pumpkin Bread Pudding topped with Pomegranate Sauce, Bittersweet chocolate pudding cake with butterscotch sauce and Caramel Nutella apples.

All of these recipes come from Chefs Marion, Anthony, Rosanna, John and Elaina of the New York City restaurant Fresco by Scotto. These chefs are exceptionally clear on fast-paced television.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Bittersweet chocolate pudding cake with butterscotch sauce

From: The Scotto Family

Makes: 10 servings

INGREDIENTS

For chocolate pudding cake

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup butter
• 1 3/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup hot water

For butterscotch sauce

• 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup

DIRECTIONS

1. To make chocolate pudding cake: Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and ½ cup of the cocoa powder.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and 1 cup of the brown sugar at medium speed until light. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. Spoon the batter into the dish.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ¾ cups brown sugar and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and the hot water. Pour the liquid over the batter and place the baking dish into a larger pan. Place the pan in the oven and pour enough hot water into the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish.

5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the pudding is barely set and has begun to pull away from the sides of the baking dish.

6. To make butterscotch sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, and remove from the heat. Serve the pudding warm with the warm butterscotch sauce.



Trick-or-treat Halloween bags

From: The Scotto Family

Makes: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 box phyllo dough sheets
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 slices eggplant, 1/4 inch thick, brushed with olive oil and grilled on both sides
• 8 Italian plum tomatoes, cut 1/4 inch thick
• 6 slices fresh mozzarella, cut 1/4 inch thick
• 18 fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 6 slices prosciutto, sliced thin, 8 inches in length
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Stack 1 slice of eggplant, 2 slices tomato, 1 slice mozzarella, 2 basil leaves, and top with 1 more slice of eggplant. Season with a pinch of oregano and top with ¼ teaspoon Parmesan cheese. Assemble 5 remaining stacks the same way.

2. Place 2 prosciutto slices lengthwise on work surface. Place stack in middle of prosciutto slices and fold prosciutto over the top to wrap stack.

For phyllo bags:

1. Place one sheet of phyllo on work surface. Brush a little olive oil all over sheet, especially the edges of phyllo. Place a second sheet on top in the opposite direction to make a cross. Brush oil on top of second sheet as before. Salt and pepper entire surface.

2. Place vegetable prosciutto filling in middle of the phyllo. Pull all the sides up toward the center to make a bag. Pinch all four corners of phyllo dough together with your forefingers and thumbs. Brush the outside of each bag with olive oil. Continue the same procedure to make a total of 6 bags.

3. Place the assembled bags on a baking tray brushed with olive oil. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until phyllo bags become a light golden brown.

4. Place a few spoonfuls of Halloween sauce on the bottom of each serving dish, add a phyllo bag and serve (see recipe below).



Halloween sauce

From: The Scotto Family

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 shallots, peeled, finely minced
• 2 yellow peppers, split in half, deseeded, rough-chopped into small pieces
• 2 yellow tomatoes, cored, rough-chopped
• 1 small yellow squash, split in half lengthwise, deseeded, rough-chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat olive oil in sauté pan over medium to high heat. Sauté garlic and shallots for approximately 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add peppers, tomatoes and squash all together. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium to low heat for 20 minutes.

2. Allow vegetables to cool off for 10 minutes, place in blender and puree to smooth consistency.



Pumpkin risotto with toasted almonds

From: The Scotto Family

Makes: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

Pumpkins

• 4 small pumpkins, weighing 2 pounds or less, tops removed, insides scraped and deseeded

Risotto

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds; set aside 1/4 cup for garnish
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan, then reduce the heat and keep at a bare simmer.

2. Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and wine and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the onions are translucent and the white wine is reduced. Add the rice and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes, until every grain is coated the liquid.

3. Place pumpkins in preheated oven.

4. Add 1 cup of the chicken stock until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock, about ½ cup at a time, stirring frequently and making sure all the liquid is absorbed before adding more stock. When half the stock has been added, add pumpkin puree. Continue to add stock. Cook until the rice is tender and creamy, about 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the butter and Parmesan cheese and toasted almonds.

6. Remove pumpkins from oven, fill with risotto, top with almonds and serve immediately.



Baked pumpkins filled with pumpkin bread pudding topped with pomegranate sauce

From: The Scotto Family

Makes: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

Pumpkin bread pudding

• 3 medium-size pumpkins, tops removed, insides scraped and deseeded
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin
• 1 cup (packed) plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 10 cups 1/2-inch cubes egg bread or brioche (about 10 ounces)
• Powdered sugar

Pomegranate sauce

• 4 large pomegranates (about 3 pounds)
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
• 3/4 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

For pumpkin bread pudding:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk half-and-half, pumpkin, dark brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and vanilla extract in large bowl to blend. Fold in bread cubes.

For pomegranate sauce:

1. Cut the pomegranates in half. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl. Using a spoon or your fingers, scrape the seeds into the sieve.

2. Using a wooden spoon or a flat meat pounder, press on the seeds to extract 2 cups of juice. Discard the seeds and set the juice aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, mix the cornstarch with the sugar. Slowly stir in the pomegranate juice and mix well. Cook the sauce over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce begins to thicken and darkens to a deep wine color and the sauce coats the back of the spoon.

4. Remove from the heat and let cool. The sauce may be made ahead and stored in a jar in the refrigerator. It will thicken somewhat if stored. When ready to use, thin with a little warm water if necessary.



Caramel Nutella Apples

From: The Scotto Family

Makes: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

For caramel apples

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk, about 3/4 cup
• 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Wooden candy apple sticks
• 6 apples

For Nutella apples

• Wooden candy apple sticks
• 6 apples
• 1 jar Nutella

DIRECTIONS

1. To make caramel apples: Mix all ingredients in a 2-quart pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until soft ball stage (about 230 to 236°F on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat. Cool for about 5 to 10 minutes. Skewer apples; dip one by one in caramel.

2. To make Nutella apples: Heat Nutella in the top of a double boiler. Skewer apples; dip one by one in Nutella.

*** Thanks for visiting, everyone!

*** For more Halloween recipes and funny Halloween videos:

Video: Halloween Campy Cakes - Chocolate Spider Cakes, Ghoulish Ghost Cakes

4 Campy Halloween Drinks for Your Party, Find Out Halloween Trivia

*** Handmade Unique - lists posts from several blogs around the blogosphere with Halloween posts. Pay her a visit!

Video: Halloween Campy Cakes - Chocolate Spider Cakes, Ghoulish Ghost Cakes

From Denny: Chef Annabel Karmel keeps us laughing and baking fun cakes for campy Halloween. I had more fun finding these crazy Halloween videos for you on all my blogs... :)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Ghoulish ghost cakes

From: Annabel Karmel

Makes: 10 cakes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter plus extra for greasing
• 3 quarters cup plus 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• Cornstarch for dusting
• 1 1/3 pounds white rolled fondant icing
• 1 tube of black writing icing

DIRECTIONS

Beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, adding a tablespoon of flour with each egg. Beat well and fold in the remaining flour.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spoon the batter into 10 greased and floured dariole moulds till just over half full. Place on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Allow to cool, cut off the top of the cakes to form a flat surface, then turn out onto a board or plate. Allow to cool completely.

Dust your work surface with cornstarch and roll out the icing.

Cut out 8x6'' circles. You can use a saucer as a guide.

Drape these over the sponge cakes to form ghosts. From the trimmings either use a mini cutter to cut out some tiny white oval shapes or roll out some tiny balls of white icing into oval shapes.

Dampen them with a little water and stick them onto the front of the ghost.

Use a blob of black writing icing for the pupils of the eyes.



Chocolate spider cakes

From: Annabel Karmel

Makes: 16 cakes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, cut into 2cm cubes and softened
• 1 cup packed plus 2 tablespoons soft light brown sugar
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (optional)

Decoration

• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
• Licorice laces
• 16 mallowmars
• Licorice allsorts
• Mini candy-coated chocolates (mini M&Ms)
• 1 tube writing icing

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 muffin pans with 16 paper liners.

Put the chocolate, butter and sugar in a heatproof bowl and melt, stirring frequently. You can melt the chocolate in the microwave (about 3 minutes, stirring after each minute) or over a pan of warm water (make sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water). Leave to cool slightly.

Whisk together the eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Stir this into the cooled chocolate.

Put the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a strainer or sifter and sift over the chocolate mixture, then fold in, along with the milk chocolate (if using). Spoon into the paper liners, filling to around 2/3 full (an ice-cream scoop is good for this).

Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until the muffins are risen and just firm to the touch. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Now for the decoration: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water.

Using a palette knife or flexible spatula, cover each cake with some of the melted chocolate.

Arrange eight licorice strips for the spider's legs and stick a mallowmar in the center of each. finish with licorice allsorts and chocolate candy eyes. You can use a blob of writing icing to stick the candy on the licorice allsort.

*** Thanks for visiting, everyone!

*** For more Halloween recipes and funny Halloween videos:

4 Campy Halloween Drinks for Your Party, Find Out Halloween Trivia

Halloween Italian Comfort Food: Halloween Purses, Pumpkin Risotto, Chocolate Pudding Cake, Pumpkin Bread Pudding, Nutella Apples

*** Handmade Unique - lists posts from several blogs around the blogosphere with Halloween posts. Pay her a visit!

7 Tasty Posts 4 Halloween AND Funny, What More Do You Want?

This little kittie is staying indoors come Halloween night... smart move, Oh, Wise One...

From Denny: What is Halloween without something a bit campy and ridiculous? The first post has a recipe and some sophisticated inexpensive decorating ideas. The costume ideas for you and your soon-to-look-ridiculous dog are the funniest. I like the X-Ray Machine costume best.

The second recipe shows you how to easily assemble your own Oreo cookie black Halloween spider cookies which are sure to be a hit with the kids at the door or your friends at your posh Halloween party!

Halloween

Video and Recipe: Halloween Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Pound Cake, Decorating Ideas, Pumpkin Carving Tips, Amusing Costume Ideas for You and Your Pets

Recipe: Fun Halloween Oreo Spider Cookies



OK, these posts are so scary they are funny! (Lame, I know... I just love it when people over-hype their products. It's so outrageous.)

Funny

Lampooning Perfectionists is the latest Cheeky Quote Day! segment over at The Social Poets to get you laughing and thinking about how to improve your life without making it stressful.

Lampooning Perfectionists - Cheeky Quote Day 28 Oct 2009

I went cruising the web looking for more funny chocolate quotes than I already have stashed on Romancing The Chocolate blog and ran into funny Sandra Boynton's site. She has a new movie short just released a couple of days ago. B. B. King sings alongside his famous sidekick Lucille.

Let's all support her as this is her first movie debut. The little documentary that sidekicks it is interesting as to how many people it really takes, all the hoops they have to jump through, just to make a tiny film - and she made it funny too!

5 Funny Chocolate Quotes, Sandra Boyntons B. B. King Video

In case you missed any of these cute little Halloween funnies over at Dennys Funny Quotes, here's a repeat:

Video: Creepy Hotels for Halloween Getaways

Repeats:

Funny Halloween Quotes, Halloween Cartoon

Cheeky Quote Day at The Social Poets, Funny Halloween Animation

Video and Recipe: Halloween Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Pound Cake, Decorating Ideas, Pumpkin Carving Tips, Amusing Costume Ideas for You and Your Pets

From Denny: Since so many are searching for Halloween recipes I thought I'd put up a few of my favorites recently featured on NBC, enjoy! I never get to actually watch these clips in real time so I'm always cruising the site for what I've missed. These are really cute and were done for the countdown to Halloween series.

Chef Lauren Chattman demos how to make a simple Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Pound Cake:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Pound Cake

From: "Cake Keeper Cakes" by Lauren Chattman

Makes: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3⁄4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• pinch nutmeg
• 1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1⁄4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1⁄3 cup milk
• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat the inside of a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust it with flour.

2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl.

3. Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.

4. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the pumpkin purée and vanilla. Stir in the milk.

5.Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, 1⁄2 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, invert it onto a wire rack, and then turn it right side up on a rack to cool completely.

TIPS

Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper at room temperature for up to three days or in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic, for up to one week.



How to use Halloween candy to decorate your table. Yeah, like that's going to last very long in my house! :) This year's best-selling Halloween candy is still candy corn - and sour watermelon rinds. I really like what she did with the various new flavors of candy corn for a floral decoration. Her ideas are fast and easy too!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Pumpkin Carving Tips and Demos - this is too funny - they now have power tools to gut that pumpkin called, creatively enough, The Pumpkin Gutter:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Creative costume ideas - I still like it best when a 10-year-old girl came to my door on Halloween. I didn't recognize what she was supposed to be since she had all these weird magazines hanging off of her clothes and her wide-brimmed crunched hat was askew, so I asked. Her answer was hilarious. She said, "I'm an attacking tourist!" For families searching for inexpensive non-scary costumes for the whole family these selections are both creative and pretty tame, some amusing.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Creative costumes for your pets! From the DIY guys comes inexpensive funny costumes for your dog like going as a piece of tuna sushi, a Hershey's kiss or a skunk, a unicorn, a camel or the Best of Show: an X-Ray machine...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

*** Cute owl blog divider is from Shabby Blogs

*** Thanks for visiting, everyone, and come back often for a good grin along with a yummy chocolate recipe!

Recipe: Fun Halloween Oreo Spider Cookies

Photo from Kraft Foods

From Denny: This little fun cookie idea for Halloween just got me laughing so hard I had to share this with you! :) It's so very clever AND easy to create! What a treat for the kids at a Halloween party! Sure to be a big hit with the arachnid lovers in your family.

From: Kraft Foods

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 20 min
Makes: 6 servings, 1 spider each

Ingredients:


48 pieces (1-1/2 inches each) black shoestring licorice
6 OREO Cookies
12 black jelly beans
1 Tbsp. ready-to-spread chocolate frosting

Directions:

INSERT 8 licorice pieces into cream filling around side of each cookie for "spider's legs," using frosting to secure.

ATTACH 2 jelly beans to each spider with frosting for the "eyes."

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Fun Idea

Top ice cream sundaes or frosted cupcakes with cookie spiders just before serving.