Witch Finger Cookies (Scary Halloween Food)

This recipe gives “finger food” a whole new meaning. My 1st-grader sister-in-law is going to participate in the Halloween parade at her school, and I thought it would be fun to bring some scary treats to share with her classmates. After deliberating with the munchkin, we decided to make finger-shaped cookies.

To start, I made the first batch of cookie dough with a few drops of pandan extract to give the cookies a green color. My munchkin helped me out shaping the fingers but we realized they were shaped way too big as they expanded after baking. I exclaimed: "Those are Shrek's fingers!" to which my little one responded: "Why would you chop off Shrek’s fingers?!?!". After calming her down, we settled on calling them “witch” fingers. I made the second batch much smaller with less pandan to make it more realistically like a witch's skin (I'm just guessing since I've personally never met one). The fingernails are made of candied blanched almonds and the fingers are dipped in fruit preserves to imitate blood.

The finger cookies look very realistic, so I don't know if they're appropriate for 6-year-olds. I’ll tell you tomorrow what the reaction was.

Halloween Food Ideas

Halloween is right around the corner. Have you made any plans yet? What costume are you going to pick? Sunny, my 14-year-old sister-in-law decided she wants to be a chick-magnet, so she's creating her own witty costume with a large foam magnet with baby chicks attached to them. I don't know if I'm going to be a cat or Morticia Addams. I definitely have the hair to be Morticia, so I’m leaning towards her.

My favorite part of Halloween is that it gives us all an excuse to eat sweets. To help you make your own at home, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite Halloween-themed sweet and savory treats. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Lasagna Recipe

Lasagna is one of the ultimate comfort foods our family enjoys. It's butternut squash season, so I've been cooking with it a lot lately, and I thought it would be fun to use it in a lasagna dish.

To start, I roasted butternut squash pieces in the oven with herbs and honey, then blended it into a smooth purée. I then stacked layers of pasta sheets in between creamy, cheesy white sauce and butternut squash purée. It’s a perfect combination of sweet and savory, and it really enhances the natural sweetness of the ricotta.

The lasagna dish can be prepared in advance (the day before) and kept it in the refrigerator overnight. It might not be the healthiest but it will definitely satisfy your appetite on cold days.

Pumpkin Protein Drink Recipe

I think if he could, my husband would drink pumpkin pie. He already inhales it every Thanksgiving! So this pumpkin protein drink is about as close as it gets to making his dreams come true. It's an ultra easy breakfast to make when you're on the go, and it’ll get you in the mood for the soon-to-be holiday season.

The drink is packed with vitamins, protein (I added soy protein) and calcium, making it markedly healthier than the real deal, and perfect for vegetarians like my husband Lulu.

Chocolate Pistachio Cream Pie (Easy Dessert Recipe)

I love the combination of pistachio and chocolate. These mini pies are made with a filling of pistachio pudding nestled in a chocolate-flavored graham cracker crust. To accentuate the chocolate flavor, I added a thin layer of Nutella in between.

For the pistachio cream, I made a hassle-free pudding using pistachio-flavored Jell-O instant pie filling. I've made pistachio pudding in the past using corn starch, half and half and pâte de pistache but the pistachio flavor doesn't come as well. So why go through the headache when the Jell-O product tastes better?

You could top the mini pies with meringue or whipped cream but I thought it wasn't necessary, so I decorated them with crushed pistachios. Voilà!