The Bribe

Here are the treats that I used to bribe my family with on Halloween. (so they would eat their bat wings)

Pumpkin Dessert Dip (this would be great for Thanksgiving)

1 pkg. cream cheese (8 oz)

1 jar marshmallow creme (7 oz)

1/2 c. canned pumpkin

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Microwave the marshmallow creme for 10 sec. (no more---this makes it easier to get out of the jar). Mix all ingredients until well blended; cover. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled. Serve with assorted fruit, graham cracker sticks, or ginger snaps.

Pumpkin-pecan Tasties

1 (15 oz) packaage refrigerated pie crusts

3/4 c. canned pumpkin

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/8 tsp. salt

1 egg slightly beaten

1/4 c. half and half, light cream or 2% milk

1/3 c. chopped pecans

1 T. packed brown sugar

1 T. butter, melted

Let pie crusts stand according to package directions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll crusts. Use a 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter to cut 12 rounds from each pie crust. Gently ease pastry rounds into the bottoms and up sides of 24 ungreased 1 3/4 inch muffin cups; set aside.

For filling, stir together pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add egg; stir until combined. Gradually add half-and-half (or milk). Stir just until combined.

For pecan topping, stir together pecans, brown sugar, and melted butter.

Spoon about 2 tsp. filling into each pastry-lined cup. Top each with a scant 1 tsp pecan topping. Bake in the preheated oven about 35 minutes or until lightly browned.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

CAKE1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)3/4 cup all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon ground cloves1/4 teaspoon salt3 large eggs1 cup granulated sugar2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)FILLING1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature1 cup powdered sugar, sifted6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened1 teaspoon vanilla extractPowdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Directions

FOR CAKE:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

FOR FILLING:
BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

COOKING TIP:Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

It Finally Happened!

I grossed out my family. Every year I like to try "Halloween" recipes. In the past I have tried things like mummy dogs, a fun thing to serve in October. As I started searching for things to make this year, a menu started to take shape. Here is our menu:

tub of ribs (how fun to have bone in ribs to eat)

bat wings (marinated chicken wings)

chopped kidneys (roasted potatoes---find the recipe here)

Worms (check out Jessica's post)

swamp grass (an ordinary green salad)

bones (rhodes rolls shaped like bones)

What I didn't realize is that the bat wings would gross out my family. I was given the recipe at a class I went to. It uses chicken wings with the tip included. When you pull them out, they are the shape of a bat wing. I thought it sounded like a fun thing to make, and a little more grown up than mummy dogs. The chicken tasted great, but half of my guests could not get past the way the bat wings looked. (there is black food coloring in the marinade) I had to bribe some of them with dessert to get them to try them. My mother, sister and husband were good sports though. It's probably a good thing my son in law is so in love with my daughter because he has serious doubts about me now!

Here are the recipes for the things we ate. You can decide whether you are brave enough to eat bat wings.

BBQ Ribs

Pork Loin Back Ribs and your favorite barbecue sauce. I used the Sweet Baby Rays.

Step One: Cut the ribs in smaller pieces. I left 2-3 bones together. Boil the ribs for one hour in a large stock pot full of water and a 1/4 cup of vinegar. I used apple cider but you could use white vinegar also.

Step Two: Remove ribs from water and cover with barbeque sauce

Step Three: Grill until glazed, gooey and yummy! Turn several times and coat with more sauce. Grill about 15-20 minutes.

Bat Wings

Directions

1 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1/4 cup light-brown sugar

1/4 cup black bean sauce

1 teaspoon black paste food coloring

20 large whole chicken wings with tips

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, black bean sauce, and food coloring. Set 1/3 cup soy sauce mixture aside.

2. Place chicken wings in a large re-sealable plastic bag and pour remaining soy sauce mixture over wings; seal bag. Turn bag until wings are well coated. Refrigerate, and let marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight, turning chicken wings every 30 minutes to coat.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.

4. Remove wings from marinade, shaking off any excess; discard marinade. Place them in an even layer on prepared baking sheets, arranging them so that wings are extended. Bake until juices run clear, 20 to 25 minutes, brushing with reserved soy sauce mixture every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with any remaining soy sauce mixture. Let cool slightly on a wire rack.

Bones

12 Rhodes Dinner rolls, thawed but still cold

1/4 C. butter, melted

Parmesan cheese

poppy seeds

Method:

Using the flat of your hand, roll the center part of a roll into a 6-inch rope leaving both ends large and rounded. With scissors, clip 1 1/2 inched into the center of each end. Separate and lay the cut sides flat on a large sprayed baking pan. They will look like bones. Brush well with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and poppy seeds. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 20-30 minutes. Remove wrap and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

I realized that I needed to roll mine thinner in the beginning.

Pear/Vanilla Freezer Jam

I've always loved pears and in past years tried a few cooked pear jam recipes. Unfortunately, most of them seemed too much work for just a few cups of jam. Recently, Marian shared this wonderful recipe. It was easy and tastes wonderful!


PEAR - VANILLA FREEZER JAM

4 cups peeled, chopped pears (about 5-6)
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/4 c. + 2 Tb. fresh lemon juice
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or substitute 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract)
1 pkg. pectin
4 c. sugar

Chop pears in food processor until finely chopped. Place pear, lemon rind, juice and vanilla bean (or extract) in a large saucepan. Stir in pectin. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir in sugar; cook 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat. Skim foam from surface and discard. Remove vanilla bean. Scrape seeds into pear mixture; discard remainder of bean. Stir 5 minutes to evenly distribute fruit in jam. Cover and chill. Pour into containers.

Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 6 months.

NOTE: Although the original recipe calls for a vanilla bean, I was unable to locate one in the stores were I looked. In fact, most clerks had no idea what they were or where I would find one. An internet search recommended a 3/4 tsp - 1 tsp. vanilla extract substitution so this was what I used. However, an actual vanilla bean would have made a stronger vanilla flavor, and including the seeds would have left a dark fleck throughout the mixture that my jam didn't have.

Vanilla beans
(In case you want to know what they look like!)

Blood Worms

Mom and I originally found these about a month ago here at the Idea Room. We made them for our Ward's Halloween party and found them to be a disgusting hit. There was an immediate crowd surrounding them as I placed them on the dessert table. And I was a little surprised so many people wanted to try one... They are pretty gross... However, these little guys even talked about them at Bishopric meeting the next morning. They were also a hit at the "Monster Mash" I threw on the 30th. They are pretty easy, and take a little effort and time... but they sure get some of the best reactions... :)

Ingredients:

100 flexible plastic straws{The straws with a bendable neck make the ridges for the most realistic worms.} Place bendable necks of straws at the bottom of the container.

an empty, cleaned 1-quart milk or orange juice carton to hold straws. {tall and skinny is the best. We used a vase and had some trouble getting them out at first... the cardboard would make life so much easier... The straws will fill up to the height of the container, the taller the better.}

1 package (6 ounces) raspberry or grape flavor gelatin
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
3 cups boiling water
3/4 cup whipping cream
12 to 15 drops green food coloring
waxed paper

Directions:
1. Combine gelatins in a bowl and add boiling water; stir until gelatins completely dissolve.{important note: add water to gelatins... not the other way around... it doesn't work so well the other way...}
2. Chill until lukewarm, about 20 min.
3. Pull straws to extend to full length; place in tall container. Wrap together with a loose rubber band to hold straws together.
4. Blend cream and food coloring with the lukewarm gelatin mixture.
5. Carefully pour into container, filling straws. {it doesn't really matter where you pour as they will all equal out.}
6. Chill until gelatin is firm, at least 8 hours, or cover and chill up to 2 days.

7. Pull straws from container or, if you're using a carton, simply tear the carton away from the filled straws. Pull straws apart.
8. Run hot tap water for about 2 seconds over 3 to 4 straws at a time. Starting at the empty ends, push worms from straws with rolling pin, or use your fingers.
9. Lay worms on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Cover and chill until ready to use, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Worms will hold at room temperature for about 2 hours.