Alien Palmiers-Halloween Puff Pastry Treats

It's been a busy season and I barely had time to whip up anything for my favorite holiday of the year- Halloween. These are absolutely scrumptious and can be made anytime of the year but with the addition of green food coloring and candy eyes they make delicious aliens Halloween snacks.

Ingredients:
1-7 oz box Odense Almond Paste cut into slices
1/2 cup sugar plus more for dusting
1-17.03 oz box frozen Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, thawed
Sparkling sugar
Egg
Candy eyes (medium and/or varied in size)
Optional: green food coloring
Powdered ginger, cinnamon and cardamom

Directions:

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Remove one pastry sheet from the box and let sit on counter for 10 minutes.
Keep the other sheet in refrigerator.

Add the sliced almond paste and ½ cup sugar to food processor.
For green, add a bit of green food coloring at this time.
For light spices – add a 1/2 teaspoon each powdered ginger, cinnamon and cardamom.

Process until the mix is the texture of sand.

Makes about 2 cups almond sugar.

Dust the counter with granulated sugar and unfold one pastry sheet.

Roll out to 11" X 15" with the long side, horizontal to counter.

Brush the surface with a scrambled egg.

Scribe a line in the center of the pastry then roll the sides of pastry sheet to meet in middle.

Sprinkle the dough evenly with 1 cup of almond sugar mixture.
Tightly roll each side so both rolls of pastry sheet touch on the scribe line.

Roll in plastic and place in freezer for 15 minutes or the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Repeat with second sheet of puff pastry.

Cut pastry into ¾” slices with a sharp knife.

Dip one side of each piece into the sparkling sugar and lay flat, sugar side up, onto parchment paper.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Immediately (and carefully) add candy eyes after removing the pan from oven.

Allow to cool to room temperature.

Spooktacular (doughnut) Bats

Super simple Halloween treats!
They're fast and easy--perfect for that treat/snack you forgot to make for a school/sports/dance party.
Run to the store-get the stuff and whip these up!

Ingredients:
Chocolate covered doughnuts (I used Entemanns mini chocolate frosted doughnuts)
Broken Nabisco Chocolate Wafers (broken in half)
Chocolate frosting (for glue)
Candy eyes

Fang options:
Slivered almonds, sprinkles, chocolate covered sunflower seeds, cut mini marshmallows and flattened vanilla Tootsie rolls. 

Break the wafer in half and stick a wing on either side of the doughnut.
 
Your choice for fangs:
If using almond slivers or chocolate covered sunflower seeds- just shove them in the doughnut.
OR
If using sprinkles-poke 2 holes with a toothpick and add a sprinkles in each hole.
OR
If using mini marshmallows-cut fang triangles from a mini marshmallow and attach with dabs of frosting.
OR
If using a vanilla Tootsie roll-warm a roll in the microwave for 10 seconds then flatten it with your fingers.
Cut lots of fangs from the candy using (clean) scissors.
Attach with dabs of frosting.
 
Add the candy eyes with dabs of frosting (I just dip the back in the frosting and stick them on).
 
Break 2 triangles from a wafer and add to the top of the doughnut to make the ears.

Ta-da!
You're done!

Witch Heads

 

Last winter I worked on a few crepe paper projects for work. I thought it would be fun to make an ice cream cone surprise ball- you know that kind that has small treats and candies rolled into it? The ice cream cone idea didn’t go any further but as I was working, I “saw” it upside down and it looked like a witch's head! 

NOW it’s finally Halloween time and I made few witch head surprise balls. I think they could work for a party or just maybe as special treats for family members.
Here’s how I made it:

Materials:
Black card stock
Crepe paper(green)
Googly eyes
Pipe cleaner
Aleen’s Tacky Glue
Stapler
Glue Stick
Clear Tape
10”-12” paper plate
5" lid or compass

Trace then cut a 5” diameter card stock circle.
Fold the paper plate in half.
Trace the half circle onto the card stock then cut it out.

Roll the half circle into a cone and staple the edge in place.

Set the cone on the center of the 5” circle (the brim) and trace around the cone bottom, and then cut out the center.

Tape the slit in the circle back together.

Set the cone down into the hole and line up the taped slit with the stapled edge.

Add a line of tacky glue were the circle edge meets the cone. Set aside and allow to dry.

Fold the 4" pipe cleaner in half and twist it about .5“ from the ends –set aside.

Start the witches head by rolling the crepe paper around the largest treats and treasures (and most special) then add the more flat candies closer to the outside of the ball.

Secure the end with glue stick.
It's really okay if the balls are misshapen-so are witches heads.

Tape the nose on with clear tape and add crepe paper around it and over the head again- (glue stick to helps hold the crepe paper in place). I imagine you could try just twisting some paper and taping it on but I wanted a hook in the nose.

When the brim connection glue is completely dry, trim off any excess paper from the cone.

Trace around where the hat will sit on the witch's head and add glue just inside the line.
Set the hat on the head.

Add the eyes and the pipe cleaner mouth with tacky glue.

Then put the head in a cup to hold it up while everything dries.

Goldfish Cracker Delights

Not every project I develop for work goes to finish and gets published.  These goldfish snack tests are leftover from an assignment- “make something from goldfish crackers that we haven’t seen before"; meaning re-invent the wheel! make a new mousetrap! and re-design the fork!

Working with goldfish crackers is not rocket science but it is delicious. And yes – I was thinking ahead to Halloween (aren’t I always planning for Halloween?) 

I think they're pretty easy to figure out how to make- just use frosting or melted chocolate for glue (or actual glue as in the case with the glitter fish necklace).