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.

Cheesy Googly Eyes

You can see (no pun intended) that you can add little mozzarella string cheese disks and olive googly eyes to anything.

 

I made this rigatoni pie for work (recipe here) but added the eyes to nachos, mini pizzas, regular pizza or even crackers.

Cut the olive in half and then push the straw through the skin side. 

You can cut the extra olive off the back.

Different diameter straws will yield different sized pupils.

(yes, I punched out the pupils while I was talking to my mother-in-law on the phone. #multitasking).

Cut the cheese disks from the string cheese. 

Set everything up so it's ready to go.
Make whatever you’re going to make (pizza, nachos etc.) then add the cheese disks at the end for the last couple of minutes. Remove from the oven and push in the olive pupils. 
 
If you're making the crackers- put the Triscuits in the oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes- it doesn’t take long for the cheese to get just melted enough to add the olive pupils.

Halloween Marshmallow Monster Eyes

 
These brownie bite eyes are fast and easy to make- in keeping with my 10 minute Halloween crafts. You can make them with cookies or cupcakes but brownies are the best because each brownie is warmed and there is nothing better than gooey warm brownies.

Materials:

• Brownie bites (you can bake your own but if your short on time like me- just buy them at the store).
• Regular size marshmallows
• Gummies Life Savers
• String licorice or Pull and Peel Twizzlers
• Mini chocolate chips

Additional equipment:
A microwave
Scissors
Oil (spray is the fastest)

Cutting marshmallows is sticky business- spray a little oil (or wipe it) onto the scissors before you start cutting and they will release longer. When the scissors get really sticky just wash them and start again.
 
Lay out the Gummies Life savers on a plate and add a mini chocolate chip to each center hole, set aside.

Separate lengthens of the licorice (or Twizzlers) and cut into 1" sections for the lashes; set aside.

Put up to 4 brownie bites on a microwaveable plate.

Cut marshmallows in half and add one half, cut side up, to the top of each brownie bite.

 

Microwave the brownie bites with marshmallows for 7 to 21 seconds until they puff up. I push stop and start after 7 seconds because my microwave reverses direction which I think makes them puff up more evenly. But micowaves vary in strength and speed...

Carefully remove the plate and squish the Gummies Lifesaver in the center then add the eye lashes.

 

 

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!

Halloween Fruit Flies

Owww! So creepy! I know that's what you're thinking. But these fruit bugs and spiders made from nuts and dried fruit are really delicious and an alternative to candy AND more importantly-really fun to make!

So easy- and the secret ingredient for antenna- Chow Mein noodles.

I developed these for work awhile back and they're still a favorite snack around here, especially with Halloween on the horizon.