Halloween Fun

Pumpkin Cheese Ball

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8 oz.) carton spreadable chive and onion cream cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 celery rib or broccoli stalk
Sliced apples and assorted crackers

In a small mixing bowl, beat soft cheeses until smooth. Stir in the cheddar cheese, paprika and cayenne. Shape into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. With a knife, add vertical lines to a ball to resemble a pumpkin; insert celery rib or broccoli stalk for the stem. Serve with apples and crackers. Yields 10 to 15 servings. Katie Ann Miller, Clark, Mo.

Hocus Pocus Sherbet
2 pints orange sherbet (softened)
½ cup orange juice
1 pint vanilla ice cream (softened)
½ cup fresh or frozen unsweetened blueberries
½ cup fresh or frozen unsweetened blackberries

In a small bowl, combine the sherbet and orange juice. In a blender, combine the blueberries, blackberries and ice cream. Cover and process until well blended. Layer sherbet and berry mixtures into chilled glasses. Serve immediately. Yields 4 servings. Mrs. Ura Yoder, Madison, Mo.

Cute Pig Cookies
1 cup butter or margarine (softened)
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (8 oz.) cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
Frosting:
½ cup butter or margarine
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
6 tbls. milk
3 to 4 drops red food coloring
Pink sugar wafer cookies
36 marshmallows, halved
Reese’s candy bar sprinkles
Cream the butter and sugar together. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture and bake at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Frosting: Melt butter. Add sugar, vanilla, milk and food coloring; mix until smooth. Frost the cookies. Cut sugar wafers into triangles; place on each cookie for ears. With a toothpick, poke two holes in each marshmallow half for nostrils; press light brown candy sprinkles into holes. Place nose on the cookies. Add dark brown candy sprinkles for eyes. Yields 24 servings. Lydia Miller, Clark, Mo.

Frightening Fingers
1 cup butter (no substitutes)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
2 ¾ cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Red decorating gel
½ cup sliced almonds

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Divide dough into fourths. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll into 1-inch balls. Shape balls into 3x1⁄2-inch fingers. Using the flat tip of a table knife, make an indentation on one end for the fingernail. Place a sliced almond on the indentation. Make 3 slashes in the middle of each finger for knuckles. Place 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 20 to 25 minute, or until lightly browned. Cool for 3 minutes. Squeeze a small amount of red gel on nail, allowing gel to ooze around nail. Remove to wire rack to cool. Yields about 5 dozen cookies. Dortha Strack, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Trick-or-Treat Turnovers
½ lb. ground beef
1 tbls. onion, finely chopped
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed
¼ cup prepared mustard
2 (16 oz.) tubes large refrigerated flaky biscuits
1 egg, slightly beaten

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add cheese and mustard; cook and stir until cheese is melted. Cool slightly. Flatten each biscuit into a 4-inch circle; place four biscuits greased 15x10x1-inch baking pans. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of meat mixture onto each. Using a sharp knife or cookie cutters, cut out jack-o-lantern faces from remaining biscuit circles; place over meat mixture and pinch edges to seal tightly. Re-roll scrapes if desired and cut out stems for pumpkins. Brush with egg. Bake at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Yields 8 servings. Nancy Tune, Salem, Mo.

Sappy Trees (Sticky Palms)
1 small apple
1 stalk celery
¼ cup peanut butter
Drizzle honey
4 toothpicks

Make a small platform of peanut butter (about 2 tablespoons). Flatten out to 1/4 inch thick and put in freezer to harden. Core apple and slice thinly (about 1/4 inch thick). Take 1 slice of apple and stick 3 toothpicks through it horizontally to make a crisscross shape. Cut 3 more apple slices in half and slide each half piece carefully onto the end of each toothpick sticking through the first apple slice to make the top of the palm tree. Turn the apple top upside-down and insert another toothpick carefully into the middle of the first apple slice. Wash one stalk of celery and cut into 4-inch long pieces. Drizzle a tiny amount of honey down the center of each piece. Fill each celery stalk to the brim with peanut butter, but do not overflow. Join the 2 stalks of celery together peanut butter sides touching. Wipe off any excess peanut butter. Stick the joined celery stalks into the chilled peanut butter platform and top with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter. Insert the apple top into the peanut butter on top of the celery stalks toothpick side down. James Wheeler (age 11), Mound City, Mo.

Coconut Macaroon Treats
1 1⁄3 cup coconut
1⁄3 cup sugar
3 tbls. flour
½ tsp. salt
2 egg whites
½ tsp. almond extract
Candied cherry halves

Combine coconut, sugar, flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in egg whites and almond extract; mix well. Drop by spoonful onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Add a cherry half in center of each cookie. Bake at 325° for 20 to 25 minutes, or until edges are golden. Remove from sheets and cool. Yields about 1½ dozen cookies. Ada Yoder, Clark, Mo