Keep a creepy eye on these Halloween treats

By J.M. HIRSCH - Associated Press | Wednesday, October 22, 2008 10:09 PM PDT ∞

Are ghouls and goblins haunting you this Halloween? Try giving them an evil eye. Or even a whole platter of them.

With a bit of ingenuity and some basic craft and kitchen skills, it's easy to create an army of eyes to keep watch over the season's spooky happenings. And don't worry about precision; disfigured eyes are all the better.

The folks at Martha Stewart Living magazine use radishes and green olives to create "Eyeball Highballs" ---- grotesque eyes frozen in cubes of ice. They suggest the eyes are perfect for a macabre martini.

To make these eyes, peel small red radishes until mostly white (just a bit of "blood" red skin is left for effect). Cut a small, 1/2-inch hole at one end and insert a green olive with pimento. Fill an ice cube tray with eyes, then cover with water and freeze. (See marthastewart.com and search for "eyeball highball" for further details.)

For a sweet take on eerie eyeballs, switch from radishes to marzipan, a claylike paste of ground almonds and sugar that is easily molded. Marzipan is widely available in the baking section of most grocers. When buying, be sure it is soft.

In this recipe, the marzipan is rolled into balls. (Note: There's a 24-hour drying period.) An "iris" and prominent bloody veins are painted onto each using tinted white chocolate. A final glaze of light corn syrup gives the eyes that authentic glassy, half-dead look.

For a simpler (though less convincing) version, knead severals drops of red gel food coloring into a 7-ounce package of purchased decorating marzipan. Divide the marzipan into 12 pieces, roll into balls, then press a chocolate chip into the center of each to create a pupil.

And for ghoulish eyes that give you the chills, use a melon baller to create eyeballs of vanilla ice cream suspended in red Jell-O.

Marzipan Eyes

Ingredients:

One 7-ounce package cake decorating marzipan (which differs from baking marzipan)

Powdered sugar

2 ounces good-quality white chocolate, divided

Blue, green and red gel or paste food coloring (available at baking supply shops)

12 chocolate chips

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Mini cupcake liners, optional

You'll also need a thick magic marker, toothpicks, and four thin-bristle paint brushes.

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Set aside.

Divide the marzipan into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. If the marzipan is too sticky to work, dust the counter and your hands with powdered sugar. Place the balls on the baking sheet.

Gently press the bottom of the magic marker into the top of each ball to emboss a circle. Leave the balls uncovered for 24 hours, during which time the marzipan will dry slightly.

After 24 hours, break the chocolate into small pieces and divide evenly between two small glass bowls. Microwave the chocolate in 10-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted.

Use a toothpick to add blue food coloring, a drop at a time, to one of the bowls of chocolate. Stir between each addition until you achieve the desired color. Repeat the process to color the second bowl of chocolate green.

Use the brushes to paint the embossed circle (the iris of the "eye") of each ball either blue or green. Carefully press a chocolate chip, point-side down, into the center of each iris to form a pupil. Allow the chocolate to dry several minutes.

Mix several drops of red food coloring with 1 to 2 drops of water. Use a brush to paint "veins" along the whites of the eyes. Be generous to give the eyes a bloodshot look. Allow the veins to dry several minutes.

Once dry, use another brush to paint the eyes with corn syrup to give them a glassy, shiny look. Once dry, use a spatula to transfer the eyes to a tray or small cupcake liners. Cover and store at room temperature for up to a week.

Makes 12 eyes.

For a step-by-step photo slideshow of these directions, go to: http://www.odense.com/recipes/orr.cfm?recipeid91

(Recipe provided by Andre Prost Inc., importers of Odense Almond Paste)

Floating Eyeballs

Two 3-ounce boxes of red Jell-O

1 pint vanilla ice cream

20 chocolate chips or candy-coated chocolate chips

20 gummy worms

You'll also need 10 small serving bowls, preferably clear.

Make the Jell-O according to package directions in a large measuring cup with a pouring spout. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, use the melon baller to scoop two balls of ice cream. Arrange the balls next to one another in the center of one serving bowl. Gently press one chocolate chip into the center top of each ball. Place the bowl in the freezer; repeat process with remaining bowls.

Once the Jell-O has cooled (but not set), remove one bowl from the freezer. Pour just enough Jell-O in the bowl to come halfway up the ice cream "eyes." Place the bowl in the refrigerator and repeat with remaining bowls.

To serve, garnish each bowl with gummy worms.

Makes 10 servings.

BLOODY EYEBALL CUPCAKES

For the cupcakes:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 12 pieces

3 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the filling:

6 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam

4 drops red food coloring

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

For the frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon table salt

15 drops white food coloring (optional)

To decorate:

12 small red gum balls

Two .75-ounce tubes red decorating gel

To make cupcakes: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat two 6-cup muffin tins with baking spray. Or coat the tins with cooking spray, then dust with flour and tap to remove any excess.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on low to combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add butter, a piece at a time, and beat until the mixture resembles coarse sand, about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. Add the milk and vanilla, then increase speed to medium, and mix until light and fluffy and no lumps remain, about 3 minutes.

Fill the muffin cups three-quarters full (do not overfill) with batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean, about 18 to 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

To make filling: In a small bowl, whisk together jam, food coloring and corn syrup. Set aside.

When cupcakes have cooled, cut a cone of cake out of the center of each. To do this, insert the tip of a paring knife at a 45-degree angle about 1/8 inch from the top edge of the cupcake and cut all the way around the top (cutting about 3/4 inch into the cupcake).

Remove the cone of cake from the center. Cut away all but the top 1/4 inch of the cones, leaving only small disks of cake. Set aside.

To fill cupcakes: Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of filling into cavity of each cupcake. Gently place disks of cupcake over filling, being careful not to press too hard. You do not want the filling to ooze out.

Frosting: In large bowl, use electric mixer on high to beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Slow the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until combined.

Increase mixer speed to high and beat until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium and add the milk, vanilla and salt. Increase speed to high and beat until fluffy, about another 30 seconds. If desired, beat in white food coloring.

Spread a generous amount of the frosting over each cupcake, being careful not to detach the top disk of cake. Place one gum ball in the frosting at the center of each cupcake to form the pupil.

Use the red decorating gel to draw veins in the frosting radiating outward from the pupil. Makes 12 cupcakes.

---- Cupcake portion of recipe from "The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book" (America's Test Kitchen, 2008)

If you can flatten dough with a rolling pin, you can make these spooky ghost treats. It's as easy as rolling out purchased fondant (a type of cake icing that looks and feels like clay) and draping it over marshmallows.

There's also plenty of room for creativity. Fondant, which is widely available at craft and baking shops, can be purchased in different colors and flavors, or tinted with food coloring (knead the coloring into the fondant a drop at a time).

Give the ghosts personality by creating faces using small candies pressed into the fondant. Or use decorating gel (the tubes sold at the grocer will work fine) to draw them. Pretzels, licorice and other small items can be used for adding arms and feet.

This project is ideal for young children, as precision isn't necessary and all the ingredients are edible right out of the package.

Fondant will dry and harden, so cover unused portions with plastic while making the ghosts. The ghosts can be left to air-dry, then used as decorations. If you plan to eat the ghosts, do so within a few hours of making (the taste of fondant doesn't improve with age).

FONDANT GHOSTS

Cornstarch

1- to 2-inch chunk white fondant

1 large marshmallow

Black decorating gel

Lightly dust the counter and your hands with cornstarch to prevent the fondant from sticking.

Gently knead the fondant in your hands until soft. Break off a small piece and roll it into a ball. Place the ball on top of one end of the marshmallow to create a rounded head shape for the ghost.

Form the remaining fondant into a ball, then use a rolling pin to flatten it into a circle about 1/8 inch thick and 4 inches round. If desired, use a biscuit cutter to create a perfect circle.

Drape the fondant over the prepared marshmallow, shaping and folding it to create flowing sides. Use the decorating gel to draw a face. The ghost can be decorated with candy, pretzels or other foods. Makes 1 ghost.

---- Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens' "Halloween Tricks & Treats," 2008

These whoopie pies got dressed up for Halloween ---- with seasonally orange cookies and gross-out green (but still delicious) cream filling. The cookies can even be prepped a month ahead, covered tightly in plastic wrap and frozen. Make the filling just before using.

To turn these whoopie pies into pumpkins, use orange food coloring in the filling instead of green. Then pipe a small dollop of purchased green frosting on top of the assembled pie to create a "stem."

GOBLIN PIES

For cookies:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup buttermilk

5 to 6 drops orange food coloring

For filling:

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 cups marshmallow sandwich spread

2 tablespoons green food coloring

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

To make cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In large bowl, combine butter and brown sugar. Use electric mixer on medium to beat until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Add pumpkin and mix to combine. Reduce mixer speed to low, then add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Add orange food coloring, then beat until evenly blended.

Portion 16 mounds of batter (1/4 cup each) onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each.

Bake, rotating sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted at center comes out clean, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely. When cookies are cool, prepare filling.

Filling: In large bowl, combine butter and powdered sugar. Use electric mixer on medium to beat until smooth (it will look crumbly at first). Beat in vanilla and salt.

Add marshmallow and beat until smooth, then add green food coloring and beat until evenly colored.

To assemble: Arrange 8 cookies on the counter, flat sides up. Divide filling evenly between the cookies, about 1/2 cup per cookie, and spread in an even layer. Filling also can be piped onto the cookies.

Place a second cookie, flat side down, over the filling on each.

If you store the pies in the refrigerator, remove them about 1 hour before serving. Serves 8.