Haunted Pumpkin Bars

These recipes for October are spooky and delicious!

Haunted Pumpkin Patch Bars

4 eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
16 oz. canned pumpkin (may substitute pumpkin pie filling but reduce sugar to 2/3 cup)
2 cups flour, sifted
2 tsp. each baking powder and cinnamon
1 tsp. each salt and baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup walnuts (optional)

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
¼ cup honey

Place eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin in a large bowl and beat until fluffy; set aside. In another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg. Add to pumpkin mixture and stir until blended (add walnuts if desired). Spread batter in greased 9×13 pan. Bake at 350º for 35 minutes or until lightly browned; cool. For frosting, mix cream cheese with honey until well-blended, spread evenly on the cooled cake. If desired, decorate with additional walnuts (as rocks), crumbled graham crackers (as dirt), orange M&Ms, candy pumpkins, ghost marshmallow peeps, or gummy worms. Cut and serve.

Halloween Party Ideas

While a costume party is traditional for Halloween, it isn’t necessary for a fun evening. Neither are complex decorations. Simple mood lighting and a few white scarves or napkins (ghosts) hanging from walls will create an ambiance for guests. Set the stage with a few real or cut out pumpkins, store-bought spider webs, battery candles, and some ghostly music (Phantom of the Opera, Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor). Welcome guests with a Bloody Mary bar, dipping the rims of glasses in Tabasco sauce and salt. For a larger group, consider some extra nibbles:

Goblin Green and Bloody Red Salsa with Blue Corn Chips (store-bought salsa and chips)
Witches Cauldron Guacamole with Blue Corn Chips (your favorite guacamole recipe and store-bought chips)
Devil’s Meatballs (frozen cocktail meatballs heated in chili sauce and grape jelly)