Halloween Treats

Our church is having our annual 'Chilly Chili Fest' this Friday! (Note - not so 'chilly' here in Florida... the a.c. had to be turned back on today when the house temperature reached 86 degrees... ugh.) But nonetheless our little festival, which includes a chili cook-off is one of the highlights of my year! So excited! Drew was going to dress up as a lego but I ran out of time and couldn't seem to find the right size box... strange I know, seeing that I have a gazillion boxes laying around... Anyway, a sweet friend loaned us a costume for him and you will just have to wait and see how adorable he is before I tell you what it is. We will be hosting this little festival at our house and I wanted to make a few cute little (easy) treats that could also act as a little decoration. How cute and tasty do these look?! I can't wait to try them... (I'll let you know how they turn out.)

*All recipes and photos come from the magazine Simple & Delicious (can access the recipes online here.)

{Halloween Pretzel Treats}

Ingredients

• 8 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
• 1 package (10 ounces) pretzel rods
• 1 cup orange candy coating disks
• Yellow, orange and brown jimmies

Directions

• In a microwave, melt baking chocolate; stir until smooth. Dip each pretzel halfway into chocolate allowing excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.
• In a microwave, melt candy coating disks; stir until smooth. Dip pretzel tips into coating allowing excess to drip off; sprinkle with jimmies. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 2 dozen.

{Caramel Corn Treats}

Ingredients

• 5 cups caramel corn
• 2 cups miniature pretzels
• 1 cup miniature cheddar cheese fish-shaped crackers
• 1-1/4 cups Reese's pieces, divided
• 1 package (10-1/2 ounces) miniature marshmallows
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the caramel corn, pretzels, crackers and 1 cup Reese's pieces. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt marshmallows and butter; add vanilla and stir until smooth. Pour over pretzel mixture; stir until well coated.
• Press into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. pan. Sprinkle with remaining Reese's pieces; press lightly. Let stand until set. Cut into bars. Yield: 2 dozen.

. . .

Ok. So you have to try this recipe. AMAZING. I am pretty sure I (with the help of my 8 month old...) consumed 3 entire sweet potatoes. haha. They have a little kick to them which is a great mix to the sweet nature of a sweet potato. I didn't have the ingredients for the dip so I just consumed them (literally... like a vacuum...haha) by themselves. Sooo good.

{Spicy Sweet Potato Chips & Cilantro Dip}

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 large sweet potatoes (3-1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 
  DIP:
• 1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• Place sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Combine the oil and seasonings; drizzle over potatoes and toss to coat.
• Arrange in a single layer in two ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown, turning once.
• In a small bowl, beat the dip ingredients until blended. Serve with sweet potato chips. Yield: 16 servings (3 cups dip).

Let me know if you try them!!!