Simple Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

We're sharing this super simple roasted pumpkin seeds recipe on the OSSS blog today.  It's a perfect salty snack to counteract all the trick-or-treating sweets and easier than you might think!  

Southwest Jack-o-Lantern Stuffed Peppers

Looking for a fun, filling, and healthy Halloween dinner? Look no further than these adorable jack-o'-lantern stuffed peppers.  They are cute, festive, and delicious!  And the filling can be made ahead!

Grab the full recipe and printable over at Or So She Says and let us know if you make them!

Spooky Guacamole Bowl

It's October!!!! I can't believe  the year is winding down. We are looking forward to the upcoming holidays! We shared this recipe a few weeks ago on Eighteen25's Spooktacular September series. Check it out for some fun ideas! We love fun and festive food for any holiday, but oftentimes Halloween food can cross a line that makes it a bit unappetizing.   We're all about making fun festive food that doesn't make you cringe! :) 

We like to "spookify" our favorite foods.  So enter Spooky Guac.  [Sidenote: I did come across a Halloween guac recipe called "Guacamoldy", but even that was too much for me to be able to call it that and still eat it.]  Isn't guacamole the perfect party food and the perfect color for a Halloween spread? And the kids think it's totally awesome to have a spider and her web in the guacamole bowl.

We simply used 2 olives to make a quick little edible spider--a little black spider ring (dollar store) would also work great too! For the web, we just piped some sour cream into circles and dragged a toothpick (or chopstick) from the center to the outside edges to get the spider web effect.  You could use any guacamole, but here's the link to our favorite guac recipe.  

It's fun, cute, and festive and doesn't take too much effort--so add it to your Halloween party menu/celebrations!

Here are a few of our other Halloween faves:

Mummy Stromboli | Pumpkin Roll | Spooky 7-layer Dip

Yummy Mummy Dogs

Tootsie Pop Ghosts {in an Egg Carton Graveyard}

Spiderweb Sugar Cookies

Spider PB & Banana Sandwich

Yummy Mummy Pretzel Dogs

We are half way through the month of October already and if you're like me, you might already be thinking of something spooky to serve for dinner on Halloween.  We have a long-standing tradition in our family of eating something fun and festive on Halloween night and these little guys will be making another appearance on our menu this year.    

These mummy dogs, a festive twist on these oh-so-delicious pretzel dogs, are sure to please both young and old this season.  The kids love to help with them, which is always a plus...unless you don't like sweeping flour off your kitchen floor.  ;)

We're sharing the recipe over at Or So She Says today, so head there to read the full post and to grab the printable recipe.  If these make it on to your holiday menu, send us a picture or come back and tell us about it! We love to hear from our readers!

PRINTABLE RECIPE {CLICK HERE}

Spudnuts {aka The BEST Doughnuts known to man}

Hey friends. I have a great recipe for you today! Spudnuts! Have you heard of them? I shared them here a few weeks ago. Spudnuts are a kind of doughnut, they are similar to these classic doughnuts I posted a few years ago, but the dough is quite a bit softer due to the fact that it has mashed potatoes (aka spuds) in it.  I have several recipes that I love adding mashed potatoes to. Have you tried any of them yet?  I have a few more to come too, they seriously are the magic ingredient to some tender delicious dough!  

The result of this spudnut dough is a deliciously soft dough, so soft I just want to pinch and squeeze it.  It's then cooked til golden and frosted with chocolate icing, or dipped in a vanilla glaze or rolled in sugar or cinnamon sugar.  It's mouthwatering good! I'm drooling for a hot fresh one right now!!! 

Spudnuts and doughnuts seem like such a fall kind of food to me (although I'd like them any time of year, really!).  That's the time of year I especially want to make them. I've added a Halloween touch to these ones pictured with some Halloween sprinkles that I bought at my grocery store bakery.  You can make them with our without sprinkles.  

We've made homemade doughnuts/spudnuts a tradition in our family. We now religiously have them every fall.   Our first go at doughnuts was 3 years ago.  My husband and I had been wanting to make them, but since we had no experience in doughnut making we decided not to invite guests over to share them with. Well, we didn't have to worry after all, I read several good tips (which are listed in this post today and also here), and they turned out perfect! They were utterly delicious! We ended up taking them to our friends that night, so they could help us eat them while fresh! So if  you are feeling like you might not be up for doughnut making, let me reassure you that it really is worth a shot! Since our first attempt, we've hosted several doughnut parties. When my husband graduated with his master's degree he requested a doughnut fry to celebrate!  I think we made 200 doughnuts that night. Generally we keep it to a smaller group. So we've done big and small doughnut parties.  I think they are such a fun thing to do in the fall. Serve them with some warm or cold cider and/or milk and invite the street to enjoy a lovely fall evening. 

My brother-in-law, Thomas, comes from a family where doughnut making is  basically part of their blood.  And he really has given us lots of good pointers and helps.  Including what kind of oil to use (see recipe) and why you want some giant chopsticks (aka long wooden dowels).  Regular chopsticks work just fine too, but if you want to be a true spudnut/doughnut ninja then these wooden dowels will be your best friend.  I think they are about 2 feet long, you can buy dowels at Home Depot or Lowe's.  They are so nice for getting the doughnut into the oil and for letting them drip on once you pull them out.  

Here they are going into the oil:

And here they are coming out and dripping a bit. 

If you prefer a vanilla glaze or sugar dusting, do it while they are warm, it will stick better. 

If you're more of chocolate iced doughtnut person, like my daughter who is lost in thought as she devours this doughnut is, then you'll let the doughnut cool just a bit til it's barely warm or completely cool and then dip the top half into the warm chocolate icing. Mmmm.
 

Below I've shared recipes for spudnuts, chocolate icing and vanilla glaze.  If you'd rather skip the icing or glaze you can also roll/dust the spudnuts in sugar or cinnamon-sugar. Mmmm! Anyway you have them, you will enjoy them! My first choice would be chocolate icing, then vanilla glaze, then a cinnamon sugar dusting.  Now that I've shared more than you probably care to know about doughnuts, here ya go. Jump in!  If you read this far I consider you a true friend or real doughnut enthusiast!

Enjoy!

I have printable versions below in various options depending on what you're after, here they are listed in one spot.

RECIPES:

• Spudnuts {printable - click here}
• Spudnuts AND Chocolate Icing AND Vanilla Glaze Recipes (all 3 in 1 document) {printable - click here}
• Chocolate Doughnut Icing {printable - click here}
• Vanilla Doughnut Glaze {printable - click here}

Spudnuts

Print Spudnut ONLY recipe {Click Here}

Print Spudnut AND Chocolate Icing & Vanilla Glaze Recipes {Click Here}

Yield: about 50 spudnuts

Ingredients:

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½ cup butter

2 cups milk

¼ cup water

1 cup mashed potatoes (I use instant)

½ cup white sugar

2 eggs, beaten

½ tablespoon vanilla

6-8+ cups all-purpose flour, separated

½ tablespoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon yeast (I use instant)

Oil for frying (we prefer crisco or peanut oil for a less oily taste)

Ice/glaze (recipes below) or dust with sugar or cinnamon sugar

Directions:

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I’ve added a lot of notes in here for helping you in case you are new to doughnut making. So don’t be overwhelmed with the instructions. Just read it thought before you start and you’ll have success!

In a medium size sauce pan melt the butter and heat the milk over medium heat, bring to a gentle boil to scald the milk.  Once it starts gently boiling turn the heat off, add the water, mashed potatoes and sugar. Let it cool to lukewarm. If you are in a hurry you can stick the pan in a bowl or sink of ice (taking care to not let it get in the pan).

Once it’s cooled to lukewarm dump into a large mixing bowl or into a mixer (such as a Bosch or Kitchenaid) add the beaten eggs and vanilla. Mix with dough hook until smooth. In a small mixing bowl combine 3 cups of flour with the salt, baking powder, and yeast (if you are using active dry yeast proof it in ¼ cup of warm water and then add to the wet mixture). Stir with a wire whisk to combine.  Add this mixture to the mixer and mix on low until smooth.  Add 2-3 cups more of the flour and let it mix on high.  I like to judge the amount of flour I need by the way the dough is looking. If the dough has enough flour it will clean the sides of the bowl and you’ll have a nice ball of dough that is mixing around the hook. Once it’s looking like it’s getting close, I’ll add about a tablespoon or so of flour at a time until it’s cleaning the sides of the bowl.  Knead for 5 minutes on high. (If you’re it doing by hand - mix in the large mixing bowl until it’s mostly come together and then knead it on a floured surface until smooth and elastic and it’s only slightly tacky to the touch (5-10 minutes).  

Once it’s kneaded I like to lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in it, cover it with a flour-sack towel and let it rise until doubled (takes 45-60 minutes depending on how warm your house is).  Then punch it down and let it rise once more (you could probably really skip this step if using instant yeast, don’t skip it if you are using active dry yeast).  After the two rises lightly flour your clean work surface and divide the dough in half.  Roll the dough out until it’s ½ inch thick and cut (flour your cutter to prevent sticking) with a doughnut cutter (or I used a clean pineapple tidbit can for the outer ring and a small medicine cup for the hole in the center. You could also use a round cookie cutter and a spice lid or something else that looks like a good size for cutting the doughnut hole). Re-roll the dough that isn’t used and cut again.  Transfer the cut doughnuts and holes onto a few lightly floured baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches in between each doughnut. Cover with a flour-sack towel and let them rise for 30-45 minutes or until doubled. Repeat with the other remaining half of the dough.

Prepare the glaze/icing or sugar dusting while they have their final rise. (Recipes below on their own page)

Now it’s time to fry them.  We prefer using a dutch oven on our campchef stove outside (mostly because I don’t want to smell the lingering fried smell in my house). You can also use a deep-dish electric skillet or deep dish skillet or pan on the stovetop.  If you do this in the house, for easier cleanup - line the area around your fry pan in foil and drain doughnuts on a cooling rack that is set over paper towels with foil under that. Only place utensils on the foil when you’re not using so you have less clean up.

Heat oil (preferably Crisco or Peanut Oil, corn oil will work too, but it will have more of a oil flavored taste to it) to about 350 degrees F. You need enough oil so that whatever pan you’ve chose to use will have about 2 inches and have plenty of extra space above that in the pan. If you don’t have a candy thermometer for checking the temperature, you’ll heat the oil on a medium-low heat and to test the temperature I’ll place a doughnut hole or small glob of dough in the oil and see how it reacts. If the dough sinks and doesn’t cook, it’s not hot enough. If it turns dark brown immediately, turn off the heat and let it cool. If it starts to brown slightly and takes about 20-30 seconds to look cooked, it’s just right.  You can use chopsticks or long wooden dowels to turn the doughnut - they’ll need to cook for about 30 seconds on the first side and 20-30 on the second (For doughnut holes use a slotted spoon for removing them from the oil). Try doing one first and let it cool on a cooling rack and see how done the middle is, if it’s still doughy try frying just a little longer on the next one or increasing the temperature ever so slightly. Once you know the oil is the right temperature place a few in the pan, taking care to not crowd them.  We do 2-3 at a time in our dutch oven. Once they are done frying remove them with the dowel or shop sticks and let them drip for a second and then place them on a cooling rack.  While the doughnuts are still very warm dip them in the glaze (and place on another rack to let excess drip off (put a pan or something under to catch drips for easier clean up) or use a sugar or cinnamon-sugar coating and eat warm or let them cool.  Enjoy! These are best fresh (the day of).  

Recipe Source:

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Combined and halved two recipes I had from my brother-in-law, Thomas, and my sweet friend, Leisa F. Also used tips from Top-Pot’s Doughnut Cookbook.

Chocolate Doughnut Icing

Printable of Just the Chocolate Icing {click here}

Makes enough for about 2 dozen doughnuts

Ingredients:

---

4 ½ cups (1 pound) powdered sugar

1 ½ teaspoons corn syrup

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons hot water (more if needed)

⅔ cup (115 grams) semisweet chocolate chips or pieces, melted

Directions:

---

Notes: [ This icing works best when warm. If you’d like to make this ahead of time, simply cover the icing with plastic wrap and make sure the plastic wrap touches the icing and seals all the air out of it.  Then when you’re ready to use heat a sauce pan with gently boiling water and stick the bowl (glass or metal works best here) over the water on top of the pot and stir it until it’s smooth and runny enough to dip the doughnuts in.]

In a large mixing bowl (metal or glass works best if you want to make ahead of time - see note above) mix powdered sugar, corn syrup, salt, vanilla, and hot water in a large mixing bowl and mix with a hand mixer until smooth and no lumps remain.  Scrape the bowl as needed. Add the melted chocolate and mix until it’s combined completely.  If the icing seems to thick simply add more hot water a teaspoon at a time until it’s reached the desired consistency.  

To ice the doughnut, dip one side of each mostly cooled or completely cooled doughnut into the warm icing. Let it set up for 10-15 minutes before serving for a bakery style look.  Or eat right away, who doesn’t love a hot doughnut?

Recipe Source:

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barely adapted (added more vanilla) the recipe from Top-Pot Hand Forged Doughnut Cookbook for “Simple Chocolate Icing”

Vanilla Doughnut Glaze

Print the Vanilla Glaze Recipe {click here}

Yield: glazes about 2 dozen doughnuts

Ingredients:

---

⅓ cup butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

4 tablespoons hot water (or as needed)

Directions:

---

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Using a wire whisk, stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and no lumps are left. Remove from heat, and stir in hot water one tablespoon at a time until the icing is somewhat thin, but not watery. Dip cool or warm doughnuts in the glaze.

The glaze works best when hot/warm.  If you make it ahead of time, simply cover it with plastic wrap making sure the wrap covers the surface completely so no air can dry it out. When you’re ready to use remove the plastic wrap and warm, stirring constantly, over low to medium-low heat until it’s ready to use. Dip doughnuts immediately.

Recipe Source:

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From the Classic Crispy & Creamy Doughnuts I shared here.

Mummified Stromboli {with Picture Tutorial}

 

If you've been around a while you might remember our Stromboli recipe posted back in 2011. Well, today's version is basically the same, but we've put a fun Halloween twist on it. And in case you aren't familiar with Stromboli, it's kind of like a giant calzone. Pizza fillings inside the bread.  Yum!

Stromboli happens to be a family favorite (our mom made it for us lots when we were young) and it didn't take much more effort to put this spooky twist on it.  For me when it comes to Halloween food, there are some things that I just cannot handle.  It has to actually look appetizing for me to eat it.  Jell-o worms? No, thanks.  This yummy mummy isn't too out of my comfort zone.  It's delicious as well as spooky and if your kids are anything like mine they will go crazy for it.  Definite crowd-pleaser.     

1. Start with your favorite pizza or bread stick dough.  Our favorite recipe is at the bottom if you keep scrolling.

2. Roll it out into a large rectangle, as long as and slight wider than a cookie sheet.  

3. Top with your favorite sauce, cheese, and pizza toppings.  Visit our pizza post if you need suggestions on what to stuff your mummy with.  Just steer clear of toppings with too much moisture here since they will make the mummy soggy.  (ie, pineapple, raw peppers)

4. Snip the sides with kitchen shears or a pizza cutter and start wrapping your mummy up.

5. Give him some eyes and bake to golden perfection! My favorite part is watching him "rise" in the oven as he bakes. :) haha!

Mummified Stromboli

Printable Version

Ingredients: 

For the dough:

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 Tbsp white sugar

1 Tbsp instant yeast (I use SAF brand instant yeast)

1/2 tsp salt

3 - 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Olive Oil

Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling

Your favorite sauce and fillings:  Ham, sausage, pepperoni, and olives is a favorite combo at our house.

Mozzarella cheese

Pepperoni, black olives, green olive, cheese for mummy face.

Directions:

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In mixing bowl add warm water, sugar and instant yeast. Let sit for 3 minutes or so until sugar and yeast are softened.

Add salt and flour and knead in mixer for 3 minutes or by hand for 8-10 minutes. You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl or counter

Place dough on lightly floured counter top or bread board and cover with a clean towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.  Roll dough into a rectangle about as long as and slightly wider than a cookie sheet. Transfer dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheet and center it with the sides draped over.  Put sauce (not too much or it can get soggy), cheese, and toppings inside.

Using kitchen shears, cut the sides into 1 inch wide strips.  Begin folding them over onto each other and pinching them to seal to create your mummy.  

Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Give the mummy eyes, and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.  Let set for 10 minutes before slicing.

Originally posted at Eighteen25 blog.

Check out some of our other Halloween Recipes here.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

I can't believe we are on to November already.  Hopefully pumpkin is a fall thing and not just an October thing, because I am not quite over it yet.  When I found this recipe last year from The Girl Who Ate Everything I immediately knew I had to make them.  And I did just that.  Many times over.  They were cakey, delicious, and super moist.  Plus these are so much easier than spooning out and baking pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.  I adapted the recipe slightly to use oil instead of butter and subbed half of the butter for applesauce.  That way I can eat them for breakfast and not feel too bad about it.  

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

Printable Version

Ingredients:

---

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice (see notes at bottom for substitution)

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

½ cup oil

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 1/2 - 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

---

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Lightly spray grease the foil.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the oil, applesauce, sugar, and pumpkin puree on medium-high speed until smooth with a mixer; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Lift cake from pan, peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares.

Notes:

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I usually use half all-purpose flour and half whole-wheat with great results.  

I like these best served chilled, so I usually refrigerate them after they are fully cooled.  

*For the pumpkin pie spice, triple this: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon cloves.

Recipe Source:

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Slightly modified from The Girl Who Ate Everything (subbed oil and applesauce for the butter)

Spider PB & Banana Sandwich

So this isn't technically a recipe, but it's a fun thing to do for your kids lunch around Halloween!  We made these today for lunch and my daughter had fun eating his legs so he couldn't crawl away, and proceeding to eat the rest of him as she evil-ly laughed "bahahaha, I'm eating you, spider!".  

She is pretty camera shy, but she was so excited to eat lunch today! Which was refreshing, sometimes meal time is a battle at this house.  

Happy Halloween! 

Spider PB & Banana Sandwich

2 slices of bread 
Peanut butter
Honey/Jam
2 raisins (for eyes)
1/2-1 banana (depending on how long of spider legs you want)
Circle cookie cutter 

Spread pb on bread and top with honey or jam.  Place 2nd slice of bread on top and then cut through the sandwich with the circle cookie cutter.  Place on plate and top with raisin eyes, and banana legs.  

Enjoy!