Candied Apples

8 apples

8 wooden craft sticks

3 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

8 cinnamon red hot candies

1 teaspoon red food coloring

Directions

Carefully remove the stem from each apple. Insert a wooden craft stick in top of apple (where stem was).

Butter a baking sheet.

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup water over MEDUIM heat. Using a candy thermometer, allow temperature to get to 275 - 290 degrees.

DO NOT STIR CANDY MIXTURE.

Test for doneness by dropping a small amount of syrup mixture into a cup of cold water. If syrup is hard, but can still be pulled into threads, it is done.

Remove syrup from heat and stir in red hot candies and food coloring, until just blended.

Dip each apple into syrup mixture and twirl quickly to coat. You can tilt the pan to make it easier to cover apples. Keep turning apple as you lift it out of the pan.

Set apples onto the baking sheet and let them cool completely.

Boo Bugs and Dip

These cute little edible critters look right at home on any party platter.

Bugs

1 (11 oz.) can refrigerated breadsticks

24 cocktail size smoked link sausages

3/4 cup shoestring potatoes OR chow mein noodles

Ketchup, barbecue sauce or mustard

Dip

1 cup ranch dressing

1 tablespoon ketchup

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bugs

Unroll breadstick dough and separate at the perforations into 12 breadsticks. Take a knife or kitchen scissors, cut each breadstick in half crosswise, making 24 pieces.

Wrap each piece of dough around center of each sausage. Pinch the sides closed. Leave open the ends to let sausage peek out.

Place each wrapped piece on the sheet seam side down. Space 1/2-inch apart.

Bake 11 - 14 minutes, or until golden brown. Immediately place on a serving plate. Cool 2 minutes.

Insert shoestring potatoes (or chow mein noodles) into the baked dough to make bug legs and antennae. Use ketchup and mustard to make bug face and decorate body.

Dip

Spread ranch dressing in a 9-inch glass pie plate or dinner plate.

Spoon ketchup into a small resealable plastic food storage bag.

Seal the bag and use scissors to cut a tiny hole in the bottom corner of bag.

Squeeze ketchup out of bag and draw a coil design over top or ranch dressing. Take a toothpick and drag it all the way through the coil, starting from the center. Create a web design.

Apple Brownies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

3 medium apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine melted butter and sugar; beat until fluffy. Fold in the apples and walnuts.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture; blend. DO NOT OVERMIX.

Spread batter evenly into baking dish.

Bake 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Regular Brownies

3/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. chocolate
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Blend melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. In separate bowl, mix flour, chocolate, baking powder, and salt. Fold egg mixture into flour. Put in greased pan, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Turtle Brownies

1 box German chocolate cake mix

2/3 cup evaporated milk, divided

1 6-ounce pkg. semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 bag caramels

3/4 cup melted butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine dry cake mix with 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Press half of mixture into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake for 5 minutes.

Unwrap caramels and melt with remaining 1/3 evaporated milk. Sprinkle chocolate chips over partially baked brownie base. (You don't have to let this partially baked brownie base cool before adding chocolate chips).

Sprinkle on walnuts. Pour caramel mixture over top. Pat reserved cake mixture into flat pieces with your hands. Lay randomly on top of caramel.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool.

Peanut Butter Brownies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cocoa

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add peanut butter; stir until peanut butter is melted. Stir in sugar and vanilla.

Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat well.

Remove 1 and 3/4 cups batter; stir cocoa into this part. Spread chocolate batter into prepared pan. Spread remaining batter on top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until brownies just begin to pull away from side of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Makes about 36 brownies.

Frosted Fudge Brownies

2 cups sugar

8 oz. butter (2 sticks)

4 egg yolks, slightly beaten

4 oz. (4 squares) unsweetened baking chocolate

1 cup sifted flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans

4 egg whites, beaten until stiff peaks form

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Put sugar in mixing bowl. Melt chocolate and butter together over low heat, stir until well blended and smooth.

Add sugar; mix well. Add beaten egg yolks; mix well. Add flour and vanilla; mix well. Stir in chopped pecans. Fold in beaten egg whites.

Spread in a 10x15x1-inch greased and floured jelly roll pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. When cool, spread on chocolate brownie frosting.

Chocolate Brownie Frosting

1 stick butter (4 oz.)

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

1 box confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 tablespoons milk

Chopped pecans, optional

Melt butter and chocolate over low heat; stir until smooth then add confectioners' sugar. Heat milk until hot; add to chocolate mixture. Add vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread over brownies and sprinkle with chopped pecans, if desired.