Halloween Cookies

I saw this picture my favorite recipe site and I couldn't resist it. You can make them more cartoonish if you don't want to scare the kids. Add some more green dye and make them a little more log-shaped.

* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup confectioners' sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon almond extract
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup whole almonds
* 1 (.75 ounce) tube red decorating gel

1. Combine the butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer; gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt, continually beating; refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
3. Remove dough from refrigerator in small amounts. Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon at a time onto a piece of waxed paper. Use the waxed paper to roll the dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie. Press one almond into one end of each cookie to give the appearance of a long fingernail. Squeeze cookie near the tip and again near the center of each to give the impression of knuckles. You can also cut into the dough with a sharp knife at the same points to help give a more finger-like appearance. Arrange the shaped cookies on the baking sheets.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are slightly golden in color, 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Remove the almond from the end of each cookie; squeeze a small amount of red decorating gel into the cavity; replace the almond to cause the gel to ooze out around the tip of the cookie.

Halloween Recipes

Maybe two years ago, I was watching "Everyday Italian" and Giada was making Halloween recipes. She was saying how there are no black foods so it's touch to think of things (she was making squash and eggplant pasta) but I took that as a challenge. Here are some of my ideas.

Grilled Cheese:
Make grilled cheese with pumpernickel bread and cheddar cheese.

Sweet Potato Nachos/Burritos
The amounts for this recipe are all "to taste" and depend on how many people you're feeding. The sweet potatoes and black beans give you a great orange and black combo. Put on a sour cream ghost or some salsa guts to jazz it up.

Poke raw whole sweet potatoes twice with a fork, on top. Bake sweet potatoes at 400 until soft.

Mix in any combination of the following:
black beans, drained and rinsed
cumin
salt
frozen or canned corn
salsa

The following can be mixed in, served on top, or on the side:
cheddar cheese (if the potatoes are still hot, it will melt on its own mixed in)
sour cream
cream cheese
fresh cilantro

Serve as nachos with corn chips or spoon into a tortilla for a delicious burrito. Wrap up in a tortillas, brush with oil, and bake for lower-fat chimichangas. Layer in a baking dish with tortillas for a Mexican lasagna.