Halloween Treats!

 

So, you know how I don't know how to stop making things for holidays? Yes, it's overkill, but I can't turn my creativity off...ever...for our Halloween party this week, I decided two kinds of cookie weren't enough, so the day before the party I tried a NEW recipe I found on; wait for it: Pinterest! They were quite labor intensive, but when has that stopped me? They turned out terrific (and they tasted good too!)

Black Cat Cookies (from www.landolakes.com)

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Candy corn
Red cinnamon candies

Combine sugar and butter in large bowl; beat at medium speed until well mixed. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla; beat until well mixed. Combine all remaining ingredients except candies in medium bowl. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture to butter mixture. Beat until well mixed. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a ball; flatten to 1/2 inch. Wrap each half in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours). Heat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, one-half at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 3-inch round cookie cutters. Place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Using fingers, pinch up ears at top of each circle. Make indentions in the dough (with a piece of candy corn) to mark where the eyes will go (once the cookies are removed from the oven) and press 1 red cinnamon candy on each cookie for nose. Press tines of fork on each side of cookie below eyes to form whiskers. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are set. Immediately press candy corn "eyes" on the cookies and l let them cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire cooling rack.

 

I baked the cookies for the shortest time possible so they were chewy and brownie-like...yum!

 

 

I also made some "goodie bags" for all the kids who came to our party: three kinds of candy corn combined with "harvest" colored M&Ms. It's taken me 3 days to un-Halloween our house....bring on the next holiday!