Brew Up a Frightfully Fun Halloween Party

Haunted with the thought of a ho-hum Halloween? Never fear - trick-or-treaters will want more than just candy once they see your party table. Throw a fabulous Halloween party fit for little goblins or grown-up monsters with some devilishly good sweets.

Try these easy party ideas from Wilton to make your Halloween spook-tacular:

• Add some "pop" to popcorn: Trick out ordinary popcorn into a sweet-and-salty party pleaser. Drizzle on Candy Melts® candy for festive flavors, and then capture the Halloween spirit by adding fun sprinkle mixes.
• Masquerade cookies: Who says you can't play with your food? Create edible masks with decorated shaped cookies and attach them to cookie sticks with melted Candy Melts candy. Set up a photo station at your party, so guests can take pictures with their cookie mask creations before eating them.
• Jack-o'-lantern cakes: It wouldn't be Halloween without carved pumpkins. Make yours edible by baking a delicious pumpkin spice pound cake shaped like a pumpkin. Increase the fun by adding silly icing facial features.
• Midnight potions: Spice up the night with candy corn drinks served in containers guests can devour, making cleanup easy and delicious. Or, toast the night with the Witch's Brew Mocktail.

For more Halloween ideas and inspiration, visit www.wilton.com.

Masquerade Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Imitation Clear Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Imitation Almond Extract
• Royal icing
• Orange, Black, Green, Lemon Yellow, Brown and Violet Icing Colors, as desired
• Orange, Yellow, Orange, Lavender and Black Colored Sugars, as desired
• Halloween Jimmies, Nonpareils and Icing Decorations, as desired
• Candy Melts candy
• Cookie sticks

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In large bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. In second large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Add flour mixture to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Do not chill dough. Divide dough into 2 balls.
3. On floured surface, roll each ball into a circle approximately 12 inches in diameter by 1/8 inch thick. Dip eye and glasses cookie cutters in flour before each use. Arrange cookies on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8-11 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool completely on cooling grid. Decorate as desired using tinted royal icing, colored sugars and Halloween icing decorations. Use melted candy to attach sticks to backs of cookies; chill until set.

Pumpkin Spice Popcorn

Ingredients

• 6 cups popped kettle corn
• 2 cups mini pretzel twists
• 1 package (10 ounces) Pumpkin Spice Candy Melts candy
• 1 bottle (2.5 ounces) Pumpkin Mix Sprinkles

Preparation

1. Spread popcorn and pretzels on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
2. In disposable decorating bag, melt candy in microwave at 50 percent power for 1 minute; remove bag and knead. Continue melting candy for 30-second intervals at 50 percent power until completely melted. Snip off end of bag and drizzle melted candy over popcorn mixture; immediately add sprinkles. Let stand until candy has hardened, about 20 minutes. Break into pieces to serve.

Caramel Apple Popcorn

Ingredients

• 6 cups popped popcorn, buttered and salted
• 3/4 cup roasted salted peanuts
• 1 package (10 ounces) Caramel Apple Candy Melts candy
• 1 bottle (2.5 ounces) Spider Mix Sprinkles

Preparation

1. Spread popcorn and peanuts on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
2. In disposable decorating bag, melt candy in microwave at 50 percent power for 1 minute; remove bag and knead. Continue melting candy for 30-second intervals at 50 percent power until completely melted. Snip off end of bag and drizzle melted candy over popcorn. Immediately top with sprinkles. Let stand until candy has hardened, about 20 minutes. Break into pieces to serve.

Pumpkin Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups canned 100 percent pumpkin (not pie filling)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare Dimensions Large Pumpkin Pan lightly with vegetable pan spray with flour. Place on baking sheet.
2. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition; beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with pumpkin; mix well. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake 70-80 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan. Turn onto cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.

Witch's Brew Mocktail

Ingredients

• 3 cups ginger ale, chilled
• 1 1/2 cups pineapple juice, chilled
• 1/3 cup sweetened lime juice, chilled
• Green gel food color or green icing color (optional)
• Black Colored Sugar
• Gummy Eyeball Skewers

Preparation

1. In large pitcher, combine ginger ale, pineapple juice, sweetened lime juice and, if using, gel food color.
2. To prepare glasses, dip rims of martini glasses in water, then in black sugar. Fill with drink mixture; add eyeball skewers.

Candy Corn Drinks

Ingredients

• 1 cup (half of 12-ounce package) Bright White Candy Melts Candy, melted according to package directions
• 1 cup (half of 12-ounce package) Orange Candy Melts Candy, melted according to package directions
• 1 package (12 ounces) Yellow Candy Melts Candy, melted according to package directions
• Orange flavored fruit drink, orange, peach or mango juice or other favorite drink

Preparation

1. Fill disposable decorating bag with melted bright white candy. Divide evenly among cavities of 8-cavity silicone shot glass mold, taking care to not get any candy on sides of mold. Repeat process with orange and yellow candy. Refrigerate until candy is set, about 30 minutes. Carefully remove candy glasses from mold and set aside. Fill with orange drink.

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