Cookie Treats and Count of Head Lollipops

When you're preparing Halloween treats, it's important to keep the kids in mind. Cakes are always great for parties and large gatherings, but when trick-or-treaters start showing up, you'll want to have individual snacks prepared to hand out at the door. These neat treats shouldn't prove too challenging, and are sure to add plenty of spirit to any ghoul or goblin's goodie bag!

For Masquerading Pumpkin Cookie Treats, you'll need:

  • Pan: Blossom Cookie Treat Pan
  • Icing Tips: #3, 16
  • Icing Colors: orange, golden yellow, violet, kelly green, black
  • Icing Type: Buttercream
  • Also: Cookie Treat Sticks

How to do it:

  1. Tint your cookie dough orange for a jack-o’-lantern effect.
  2. Bake and cool cookies according to the recipe and instructions on the cookie pan label.
  3. Pipe in the eyes, nose and mouth using tip 3.
  4. Cover the mask area with tip 16 stars.
  5. Add a stem with tip 16 lines and top it off with a tip 16 rosette.

(serves 1)

For Count of Heads Lollipop, you'll need:

  • Candy: Smiley Face Candy Mold, Candy Melts--1 package each of red, light cocoa, yellow, green, white
  • Also: 4" Lollipop Sticks, Melting/Decorating Squeeze Bottle, Decorator Brush Set

How to do it:

  1. Using a decorating brush, paint the mouth, eyes, fangs and hair right in the mold with melted candy melts.
  2. Refrigerate for a few seconds until the features harden.
  3. Fill the mold to the top using a squeeze bottle filled with melted face-color candy melts. (To make the pasty white face, use white candy melts. To make the green face, combine yellow and green candy melts.)
  4. Place the lollipop sticks in the mold.
  5. Refrigerate until firm.

(each serves 1)

Buttercream Icing
The sweet, buttery flavor makes this the best-tasting of the different icing types, and it also looks beautiful for most decorating ideas. The consistency can vary from thin to stiff, depending on your needs--a thinner icing will favor corn syrup rather than sugar, which stiffens. It's best used for icing cakes smooth, for borders and writing, or for a variety of flower and figure decorations.

You'll need:

  • 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine
  • 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
  • 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (app. 1 lb.)
  • 2 tablespoons milk*

What to do:

  1. Cream butter and shortening with an electric mixer. Add vanilla.
  2. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl often.
  3. When all the sugar has been mixed in, the icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until it's light and fluffy.
  4. Keep the icing covered with a damp cloth until it's ready. For best results, keep the icing bowl in a refrigerator when it's not in use.

Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored for 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

(Yields 3 cups)

* Add 3-4 tablespoons of light corn syrup per recipe to thin for icing cake.

-- Cake Decorating, The 2000 Yearbook, Wilton Enterprises