No Brainer Halloween

I meant to do a pre-Halloween post full of fun crafts and recipes.  I just didn't get around to it.  I also dropped the ball on my usual Halloween tradition of making sweets and cards and mailing them to friends and family.  We had company, then we were out of town, and then I was busy...I did carve out some time to make cards.

There were scary vampire owls.

Dancing skeletons.

Specimen jars.

But in the end, they didn't come together to my satisfaction.  I put them aside and pulled out my trusty Halloween binder...

...and decided to make witch fingers, among other things, for the gift boxes.  You know, sugar cookie dough, shaped like fingers, with slivered almond fingernails.

Here are mine, pre-baking.

My first two batches spread.  Each cookie was about 3" thick.  I realized that I wouldn't have time to bake a replacement batch, so I just threw in the towel for Halloween this year.  So, friends and family, I will make it up to you at Thanksgiving!  Gobble gobble!

Todd needed some scary treats for his office party, though, so I tried another batch a few days later.  Instead of using sugar cookie dough, I used shortbread, which spreads less.  I still got *some* spreading, but I'm moderately pleased with how they turned out.

I decided to make brain cupcakes, too.  These are so easy to make, and I think they have a lot of impact.  Just use your favorite cupcake and vanilla buttercream recipe.

Pipe on a swirl...

Flatten/spread it with a spatula.

Pipe a thin line down the middle, and then two layers of squiggles. 

Then do the other side.

Voila!  You can make them really creepy by spooning a little cherry pie filling into the center of the batter.  

A quick, easy, tasty, and disgusting Halloween treat?  Kind of a no-brainer!  ;) 

Happy Halloween!