Halloween Treats - Dirt and Cats

Dirt Cake
20 ounce package of Oreo cookies
8 ounce package of cream cheese
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 packages (3 ounces) chocolate pudding
12 ounce package of whipped topping

Crush the cookies in a food processor. You can also put the cookies in a couple of large bags and crush them with a rolling pin or a meat mallet. Prepare the pudding according to the package directions. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, margarine, and sugar together. Add in the pudding and mix well. Add in the whipped topping. In a square 8 x 8-inch pan, layer the cookie crumbs and the pudding mixture, making sure to end with the cookie crumbs on top. Push some gummy worms into the cake mixture partway and put others on top of the cake. For added Halloween fun, you can put small plastic black spiders and other plastic bugs on the cake. If you do this, just make sure to warn your guests that the bugs are not edible! If you want to make it into a Halloween graveyard cake, break a graham cracker into fourths and frost the pieces with white or gray icing. With black icing, write “RIP”, the names of some of your party guests, etc onto the frosted graham crackers. Push the finished “gravestones” partway into the cake. Candy pumpkins can also make easy and fun decorative accents for this Halloween cake. (Be sure to store this cake in the refrigerator.)

Black Cat Cookies
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/3 cup water
2 eggs
1 package chocolate cake mix
M & M’s or candy corn
Red hots

In a medium bowl, mix the peanut butter, eggs, and water together. Slowly add in the cake mix and mix well. Roll the dough into1-inch balls and flatten them. Pinch two ears into the top of each cookie. Add the M&M’s or the candy corn for the eyes and use a red hot for the nose. Press a fork into the dough on each side of the cat’s “face” to form the whiskers. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. A tasty, fun, and easy Halloween treat.

Jill Seader shares her favorite baking recipes along with her stories at http://www.YourBakingStory.com. She also invites you to share your own baking recipes and stories. Happy Baking!