Need some ideas for cool Halloween treats? We got you

Old-time trick or treating with homemade treats and going house-to-house has become fall festivals and trunk or treating with oodles of candy and bags of popcorn.

Make no mistake, I appreciate the hard work that churches, schools and businesses do to make the festivals or trunk or treating fun for the kids. Some participants don costumes and decorate their trunks with amazing props. The kids love it, but then they do not know the Halloween or festivals of yesterday.

Back in the Dark Ages of the ‘50s and ‘60s, receiving homemade treats or getting soaked bobbing for apples was what we expected.

One teacher always made the best cookies, and my great-grandmother put freshly made popcorn balls in every bag. A bank president decorated his patio as a haunted house and had special goodies for all of us. Of course, he knew all of us and simply joined in the fun. All that took place until a few deranged folks started putting harmful ingredients into the treats. How sad!

When my daughter was in elementary school, we hosted a Halloween party complete with mummy hot dogs, apple bobbing, and yes, popcorn balls. Creating the treats was as much fun for me as it was for my daughter’s friends. I was, however, amazed that some of the attendees had never bobbed for apples.

Today, there is even fewer of the homemade treats because schools and festivals do not want to run the risk of serving homemade treats, especially with COVID.

Parents and grandparents can create old-time goodies for the kids at home or host a Halloween party at home. Hosting a bewitching bash is fun for adults and kids. Don’t forget to let the kids help or make some of the goodies.

My granddaughter loves baking cookies and making candies, so we make our treats and share with friends. She enjoys creating pretzel and marshmallow skeletons, dirt pudding complete with gummy worms and ginger monster cookies. The pretzel-marshmallow skeletons packaged in clear bags make good party favors.

Snack foods, sandwiches and sweets are easy to make. Instead of bobbing for apples, use those apples in turkey, cheese and apple tea sandwiches. An orange punch will do double-duty as a table decoration and beverage.

Here are ideas for a frightfully good, old-fashioned time.

White chocolate pretzel and marshmallow skeletons

You will need:

Large marshmallows

White chocolate covered pretzels or regular pretzel twists and vanilla candy disks (melted in microwave)

Black decorating icing (the kind in the tube works best for decorating skeletons faces)

Lollipop sticks and clear cellophane bags.

Orange ribbon.

To make:

Gather ingredients. Melt white vanilla disks to dip pretzels in. Using tongs works well for this. Place dipped pretzels on rack placed over waxed paper. This allows coating to drip without making a mess.

Let pretzels dry.

Place 4-5 pretzels to make the body on the sticks. Put miniature marshmallow at the bottom to keep pretzels from sliding off. Place large marshmallow on top for the head. Decorate eyes, nose and mouth with black icing. Let dry. Place completed skeletons in cellophane bag tied with an orange ribbon.

Note: The skeletons also can be placed in the center of cupcakes.

Boo cups

3 1/4 cups cold milk

2 packages (4-serving size each) instant chocolate pudding and pie filling

1 tub (8 ounces) refrigerated whipped topping, thawed and divided

20 Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed, divided

Assorted small round and oval shaped candies

Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Gently stir in 1/2 of the whipped topping and 1/2 of the crushed cookies

Spoon 1 tablespoon of the crushed cookies into each of 15 individual cups. Spoon pudding mixture evenly into cups, top with remaining crushed cookies.

Drop remaining whipped topping by spoonsful onto desserts to create ghosts. Decorate with candies to create eyes. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Store leftover desserts in refrigerator. Makes 15. – Recipe from Kraft Foods

Turkey, gouda, apple tea sandwiches

2/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons whole berry cranberry sauce

24 very thin slices of wheat or white bread, crusts removed

12 slices deli turkey

2 medium apples, thinly sliced

12 thin slices Gouda cheese

4 cups fresh baby spinach

Place mayonnaise and cranberry sauce in a small food processor. Cover and process until blended. Spread over each bread slice.

Layer the deli turkey, apple slices, cheese and spinach over each of 12 bread slices; top with the remaining bread. Cut each sandwich into quarters.

Note: cranberry-mayonnaise spread can be prepared ahead of time and stores in the refrigerator. – From Taste of Home Holiday & Celebrations 2021

Old-time popcorn balls

2 quarts popped popcorn

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Place popped popcorn in a large bowl and set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine molasses, sugar, water, vinegar and butter. Cook, without stirring, over medium heat until the mixture reaches 235 degrees on a candy thermometer (soft-ball stage). Add baking soda and stir well.

Remove from heat and immediately pour over popcorn, stirring gently with a wooden spoon until well coated. When cool enough to manage, quickly shape popcorn mixture into 3-inch balls, dipping hands in cool water to prevent the syrup from sticking. – From Taste of Home Holiday & Celebrations 2021

This story was originally published October 24, 2021 at 12:00 AM.