Hey there! Molly and Chelsea here! We’re the besties and food bloggers from Bests and Bites. We’ve been best friends for over 20 years (so like, 90% of our lives) and we love nothing more than food, health/fitness and pool days!

We’re so glad we could share this Halloween recipe with you and hope you love making it for your spooky soirees this fall!

How adorable are Halloween treats? There’s no less than 10000 spooky recipes on Pinterest and every single one has an adorable place in my heart. And this one has a very special place because it’s comes together in a snap and it the epitome of fall: pumpkin spice and mummy decorations.

The base of this recipe is exactly like you’d start rice crispy treats. Measure out the cereal (which will be cheerios here rather than crispies) and melt the butter. But this is where it changes! Add a little pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice to the melted butter and mix well to combine. There isn’t a ton of pumpkin puree here but it’s just enough to tell it’s made for fall.

When you mix the marshmallows in just keep stirring so it won’t burn. It’s best to use a wooden to avoid sticking. Oh and DO NOT forget to grease your pan:) Nobody wants a bunch of cereal stuck to a pan.

Expert tip: spray a rubber spatula with cooking spray before you spread it in the pan. This way the marshmallow-y cereal won’t stick to your spoon and you can press it firmly to set.

My favorite part about this is obviously the googly eyes! The bars just look like a  cereal trip with chocolate until you add the eyes and they’re instantly transformed into the spooky Halloween treat!

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Mummy Cereal Bars

Servings 9

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups honey nut cheerios
• 12 ounces 1 bag of white chocolate melting morsels
• 18 candy googly eyes

Instructions

• Spray an 11x7 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Once melted, add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice and mix well. Add the marshmallows and stir continuously until they're all melted and mixture is sticky, but smooth, about two minutes. Add the cereal and mix well, making sure everything is coated with the marshmallow mixture.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan and press firmly down with a rubber spatula spray with cooking spray to avoid sticking. Allow to set for 15 minutes.
• In a microwave safe bowl, add the white chocolate chips and place on high for 30 seconds, remove and stir and return to microwave in 30 second increments until melted, stirring between each one. Transfer melted chocolate to a pastry bag or plastic bag with 1/4 and inch of the tip cut off and pipe melted chocolate on top of cereal bars back and forth horizontally, saving a little extra to add the eyes. Place bars in the fridge for 10 minutes to set.
• Cut bars in long rectangles and use left over melted chocolate to place eyes on the bars towards the top of the rectangles.

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Calling all Cookie Monster lovers! (me waving my hand high in the air) Along with Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster is one of my favorite Sesame Street characters.

So single mindedly obsessed with cookies, Cookie Monster is a man…er…puppet after my own heart.  A girl has got to have her cookies.

I happened upon some Cookie Monster Bark on Pinterest the other day and decided that this would be a fun project for my grandkids to make when they will be here in a few days. It is hot outside and this project requires no cooking, although now that I think about it, it is summer and this IS made with chocolate.  (can you say MELT?)

We’ll just have to eat the whole thing inside.  I don’t think my grandsons will mind.

Anyway, I wanted to put my own twist on the Cookie Monster Bark and one night while I was JUST going to sleep (you know how that is, don’t you?…) this idea came to me.

It was a breeze to make and I loved how it turned out with all of the little Cookie Monster faces and mini cookies.  My grandsons are going to have a blast making this.

And then eating it.  It might have to be on a day when their mom is gone and it’s just me and them. 

Here is a quick video showing you how it’s done and then the recipe will follow.

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Cookie Monster Bark

Author This Grandma Is Fun

Ingredients

• 2 - 12 oz bags of white candy melts
• 1 12 oz bag of blue candy melts
• 1 12 oz bag of black candy melts
• Edible Googly Eyes
• Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Toothpicks.

Instructions

• Melt the white candy melts per the instructions on the bag.
• Pour the melted chocolate onto a silpat mat or some waxed paper. I poured mine onto a jelly roll sized pan
• Melt the blue candy melts per the instructions on the bag. I think I used half of the bag.
• Drop melted blue chocolate by the spoonful all over the white chocolate. Leave some room between drops.
• Take a toothpick and pull the blue chocolate into the white chocolate by making lines all the way around the circle of blue chocolate to resemble Cookie Monsters fur.
• Let set in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Melt about a cup of the black candy melts per the instructions on the bag.
• After the bark has set, take a toothpick and dip into the black melted chocolate and draw mouths on the Cookie Monster faces.
• With some blue melted chocolate, place the googly eyes on Cookie Monster. We tried to make them cock-eyed just like his!
• Again with some blue melted chocolate, dip a mini chocolate chip cookie into the blue chocolate and place the cookie near Cookie Monster's mouth.
• Chill in the refrigerator until completely set.
• After it has hardened, cut or break the bark around the Cookie Monster faces.

So I will just end with a quote from Cookie Monster…

Me Want Cooookkkkiiiieeee!!!!!

Enjoy!

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The post Cookie Monster Bark appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

When we were kids, my Uncle Dean (my Dad’s brother) would join us for Thanksgiving and Christmas day dinners when he wasn’t sailing around the world. He was an avid traveler and listening to him share stories about his latest adventures around the globe is a favorite memory of mine. It is not however my favorite memory of Uncle Dean.

My favorite memory was marveling at his ability to eat the largest amounts of food is the shortest amount of time. Whenever he was home for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, he would eat three times as much food as anyone at the table and be done eating before we even thought about having seconds.

When it came time for dessert to my utter amazement, Uncle Dean would put down several servings of pie. Followed by multiple large pieces of my Mom’s famous fudge.Uncle Dean always said traveling halfway around the world to be home with his family and to enjoy my Mom’s cooking was worth the trip!

Who knows maybe one of your grandchildren will gobble up their Rice Krispie Drumstick faster than my Uncle Dean could

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Rice Krispie Turkey Drumsticks

Author Adapted by This Grandma is Fun

Ingredients

• 6 pretzel rods
• White melting chocolate
• Mini marshmallows
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 6 C. Cocoa Krispies or Cocoa Pebbles cereal

Instructions

• Break your pretzel rods in half. Scratch off salt from pretzel rods.
• Melt white chocolate and place one or two mini marshmallows on <g class="gr_ gr_47 gr-alert gr_gramm Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="47" data-gr-id="47">end</g> of <g class="gr_ gr_48 gr-alert gr_gramm Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="48" data-gr-id="48">pretzel</g> rod, dip pretzel rod with mini marshmallow in melted white chocolate. Place on wax paper to set.
• When pretzel rods have fully hardened melt butter and marshmallows in <g class="gr_ gr_51 gr-alert gr_gramm Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep" id="51" data-gr-id="51">large</g> saucepan. Stir in rice <g class="gr_ gr_50 gr-alert gr_gramm Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="50" data-gr-id="50"><g class="gr_ gr_53 gr-alert gr_spell ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="53" data-gr-id="53">krispies</g>,</g> turn <g class="gr_ gr_49 gr-alert gr_gramm Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="49" data-gr-id="49">heat</g> on low. Butter your hands and scoop about 1/2 cup of rice <g class="gr_ gr_54 gr-alert gr_spell ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="54" data-gr-id="54">krispies</g>. Shape into drumstick around the pretzel round. Place on wax paper to cool.

Notes

Adapted from Mommy Savers

The post Rice Krispie Turkey Drumsticks appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Modern Gingerbread from The Party Dress

Christmas Cornflake Wreaths from Tastes Better From Scratch

Mini Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies from Pinch of Yum

Linzer Cookies from Cooking Classy

Turtle Tassies from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Nutella Pinwheels from White Lights on Wednesday

Pecan Snowball Cookies (Ours!)

Easiest Shortbread Ever from So Much Better with Age

White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies (Ours!)

Pistachio Kiss Pudding Cookies from Yesterfood

*****

Christmas Cookie Workshop Recipes 1-10

Christmas Cookie Workshop Recipes 21-30

The post Christmas Cookie Workshop Recipes 11-20 appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Peppermint Oreo Pops (Ours!)

Cran-Pistachio Cookies from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Chocolate Dipped Macaroons from Something Swanky

Salted Caramel Chocolate Pillows (Ours!)

Cherry Chocolate Crinkle Cookies from The Weary Chef

Gingerbread Man Cookies for Kids (Ours)

Chocolate Toffee Cookies from My Baking Addiction

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Eggnong Cookies from Cooking Classy

Mini Gingerbread House Cookies from Cake Time

Holiday Chalkboard Sugar Cookies from A Turtle’s Life for Me

*****

Christmas Cookie Workshop Recipes 1-10

Christmas Cookie Workshop Recipes 11-20

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For every one of those varieties, there must be at least one delicious recipe.  Fall’s favorite fruit is so versatile that it can be prepared in hundreds of delicious ways.  We’ve found a month’s worth of sweet apple treats and dessert recipes for you to drool over.

Caramel Apple Bar from Craftberry Bush

Apple Pudding Cake with Cinnamon Butter Sauce from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Brown Butter Apple Tart from Brooklyn Supper

Apple Butter Danish Ring from Taste, Love & Nourish

Apple Gingerbread Bars from Sarah’s Cucina Bella

Caramel Apple Crumble Pie from Averie Cooks

Apple Snickerdoodle Cobbler from Baked by Rachel

Mini Apple Pie Cookies from Made From Pinterest

Caramel Apple Upside Down Bread Pudding from Vintage Monday

Apple Stack Cake from Brave Tart

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls from The Recipe Critic

Apple Pie Wontons from Overtime Cook

Individual Cream Cheese Apple Dips from Made From Pinterest

Caramel Apple Brownies from Foodie Crush

Apple Upside Down Biscuits from Cookin’ Canuck

Salted Caramel Apple Cupcakes from Delicious Everyday

Bavarian Apple Torte from Made From Pinterest

Apple Cranberry Cheesecake Pie Bites from Julie’s Eats & Treats

Apple Cobbler Cupcakes with Pumpkin Pie Frosting from Cupcake Project

Caramel Apple Bars from Inside BruCrew Life

Cinnamon Apple Macaroons from Desserts for Breakfast

Apple Pie Fries from Made From Pinterest

Apple Ice Cream Bowls from Dreyer’s

Sweet and Salty Apple Nachos from Wishes and Dishes

Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze from Life In Grace

Stuffed Apple Cinnamon Sticks from The Bitter Side of Sweet

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies from Scrambled Henfruit

Colorful Candy Apples from Made From Pinterest

Apple Pie Pizza from Dessert for Two

Dutch Apple Pie with White Chocolate Butter Sauce from Oh Sweet Basil

Yum!  Don’t those look delectable?  We’d love to hear about some of your favorite apple recipes.  Leave us a link to yours in the comment box if you have one you’d like to share with us.  Happy apple picking!

This post has been shared with: Living Well Spending Less

The post An Apple a Day: 30 Treats & Desserts appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Oreo Turkeys are a much better use of a great cookie. It takes advantage of so many of Oreo’s good traits. I recommend double stuff for this treat because it is easier to insert the candy corn, but for eating, I like the traditional cookie. Brown Eyed Baker had the great idea to set her Turkeys atop cupcakes. I thought this would be perfect for a bake sale, or class party. Start by making cupcakes and leveling the tops like this.
In addition to the cupcakes you will need: Candy Corn, Whoppers, Reases Mini Peanut Butter Cups and Chocolate or black, yellow, red frosting. I used the ready made kind and found it helpful to get a plain tip for the details.

I ran some black icing along the edge of the cookie.

Then I inserted the 5 candy corn for the tail.

I took my cooling rack and laid it on it’s side to support the turkeys as they are drying. Then I put black icing along the edge of the feathered cookie, and stuck it to the cookie that forms the base using the cooling rack to support them while the icing hardened. They will look like they are lying on their backs.

To get a flat edge, I cut the peanut butter cups like this.

Using black frosting I attached it to the cookie. Then used frosting to attach the whopper for the head. When the icing has hardened (it didn’t take long. 5 minutes or so) you can turn your turkey right side up to add the details.

To make the beak, I broke the tip of of some candy corn, and affixed it with a dab of yellow icing. To finish it off, I ran a little red along the side of the beak for the Wattle. Are you impressed that I know that? Don’t be. I looked it up. For the eyes I used a dab of yellow and then a chocolate sprinkle. Later I ended up adding a dab of black for the eyes, because the sprinkles fell off. Then use yellow icing to add feet and your turkey is ready to perch on it’s very own cupcake. Now that your cupcakes have a flat top you can frost it and add the turkey.

This turkey rocks it’s cupcake!

For a great way to package cupcakes like these try this DIY cupcake Holder:

This is post has been shared at these link parties: Hun, What’s for Dinner, Memories by the Mile, Naptime Creations, Inside BruCrew Life, Mandy’s Recipe Box, SugarBee Crafts, Cupcakes and Crinoline, Chef in Training, BlackBerry Vine, BeBetsy, Homestories A to Z, Cornerstone Confessions, The DIY Dreamer, Made in a Day, Fluster Buster, The NY Melrose Family, And Sew We Craft Together, Cassidy’s Cooking Collection

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