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Oregon Family Magazine

Scary Treats for Goblins and Ghouls

10/01/2013 ● By Sandy Kauten
This Halloween, throw a wickedly wonderful fete for family and friends. With help from the Wilton entertaining experts, you'll have all the tricks to treat your guests to a spooky celebration that will leave them howling with delight.

Halloween's not just for the kids anymore, so before you put on your costume, grab your baking and decorating supplies and get ready to let the creepy crawlers loose.

"Halloween is the one time of the year that you can take your decorating skills to the dark side," said Nancy Siler, vice president of consumer affairs at Wilton. "From finishing pumpkin cookies with ghastly grins to creating creepy cakes decorated like graveyard skulls, it's the perfect holiday to have some fun in the kitchen."

Try this recipe for a Tower of Horror Treats for a spook-tacular Halloween party. For more unique decorating ideas and recipes visit www.wilton.com.

Tower of Horror Treats

Skull Cakes:

4           cups all-purpose flour
2-2/3     cups granulated sugar
1           tablespoon ground cinnamon
2           teaspoons baking powder
1           teaspoon baking soda
1/2        teaspoon salt
1/2        teaspoon ground cloves
            pinch ground nutmeg
1-1/3     cups vegetable oil
4          eggs
2          cups applesauce
            Buttercream icing

Preheat oven to 325ºF.  Prepare Dimensions Mini Skull Pan with vegetable pan spray.
In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves and nutmeg. In small bowl, whisk together oil, eggs and applesauce. Add to dry ingredients, stirring until well combined. Fill each cavity about 2/3 full with 1/3 cup batter. Reserve remaining batter.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove to cooling grid and cool completely. Bake remaining batter as above.

To assemble, cut the domes off of fronts and backs of skulls and sandwich with buttercream icing.  Makes 8 skulls

Cookie Bones

1           cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1-1/2     cups granulated sugar
1           egg
1-1/2      teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2        teaspoon almond extract (optional)
3           cups all-purpose flour
1           teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray Bones Cookie Pan cavities with vegetable pan spray.

In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Beat in egg and extracts; mix well. Combine flour and salt; add to butter mixture. Beat until well blended.

Press dough into prepared pan cavities, filling 2/3 full.

Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until light brown around edges. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn pan over; lightly tap pan to remove cookies. Cool completely on cooling grid.

To decorate and assemble:

Yellow candy color from Primary Candy Color Set, optional
3     (12-ounce) bags White Candy Melts Candy, melted
1     (12-ounce) bag Black Candy Melts Candy, melted
       Large Candy Eyeballs
       Brown Color Dust (optional)

Place assembled cakes and cookies on cooling grid positioned over cookie sheet. If desired, add yellow candy color to melted white candy; pour over cakes and cookies until well coated. Chill 10 to 15 minutes or until set. Repeat if needed.

Using disposable decorating bag, pipe melted black candy face details on skull cakes; chill 5 to 10 minutes or until set. Attach candy eyeballs to skulls with dots of melted candy. If desired, brush Color Dust highlights on candy-covered bones and skulls.

Using melted white candy, secure four decorated skull cakes to cake base or serving platter, hold until set; insert decorated bone cookies between cakes. Add second row of skulls, positioning between the skulls below and securing with melted candy; hold until set. Add bone cookies between skulls. Secure final skull to top of tower with melted candy; hold until set. Arrange remaining bone cookies around base of cake tower.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Source: Wilton Enterprises/Family Features