Scary Halloween Treats - Spider Meatballs, Witches Fingers: Recipes

Scary Halloween treats, Witch Finger Cookies, Hot Dog Mummies - I recently received an email asking for a recipe from one of my hubs, to be used at a boy's Halloween Birthday Party. As I pored over my collection looking for that particular recipe - Halloween Meatball Spiders - I wondered if there might be others searching for the recipes for these fun-to-make, delectable Halloween goodies.

So here, revealed for you in this article - unearthed, dis-entombed, forever freed from the shadows - are these monstrously good Halloween treats and goodies. OK, that's enough with the Halloween metaphors. I dug out my Granny's old cookbook from the top shelf at the back of my cupboard, and looked up the recipes.

Ingredients:

• 1 packages wieners/hot dogs
• 1 package refrigerator pastry or biscuit dough - Pillsbury Crescent Roll dough works well
• Mustard for decoration

Method:

• Preheat the oven according to the instructions on the refrigerator pastry package
• Roll out pastry and slice into thin ribbons
• Wrap each wiener with pastry dough so that it resembles "mummy wrapping", leaving a space for the "face"
• Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake according to instructions
• Remove from oven and cool slightly
• Using a toothpick, add two tiny dabs of mustard for the mummies "eyes"
• Serve warm
  

These little cuties are a variation on what we called "Pigs In Blankets". My dad made "piggies" using Vienna sausages wrapped in his home-made pastry, and baked to crusty perfection.

These "hot dog mummies" can also be baked in home-made pastry - a whimsical snack for a "grown-up" Halloween party.

Any leftover scraps can be rerolled into a rectangle about 1/4" thick and slathered with butter and home-made strawberry jam, or with butter and a cinnamon/brown sugar mix.

• Cut the rectangle into long strips, about an inch wide.
• Place four strips, one on top of the other, and press down gently.
• Cut the layered strips into into roughly two inch lengths
• Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a hot oven for 12 - 15 minutes, or until just golden and crispy.
  

Shortbread Fingers

Ingredients:

• 2 cups butter (real butter)
• 1 cup sugar
• few grains salt
• 4 cups sifted flour
• 1/4 tsp vanilla (optional)
• red-tinted icing, and halved almonds for "finger-nails"
  

Method:

• Cream butter and sugar 'til smooth and fluffy
• Add vanilla
• Add flour 1 cup at a time and mix well after each addition
• Turn out on the mixing board and kneed until all the cracks have disappeared
• Shape into "fingers" and flatten one end for the almond "finger-nail"
• Spread on ungreased pan and prick with fork
• Mark in the "crease lines" and shape the "knuckles"
  
• Bake at 350 F for 15 min or until lightly golden
• Once cooled, place a dab of red icing on the flattened end of each Witch Finger
  
• Gently press the almond finger-nail in place - refer to the picture for placement
  

Fun finger-food for adults to make and for kids to enjoy...

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of lean ground beef, or ground turkey, or ground chicken
  
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 or 4 Tbsp flour (as binder)
  
• 1 Tbsp finely minced green onion or chives
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 1 pkg dry Chinese noodles
• 1 or 2 black olives, finely chopped (for "eyes")
• 1 small bag corn tortilla chips - vegetable flavored chips will have a lovely red and green color that will look great under the meatballs

© 2010 Text by Elle Fredine, All rights reserved