Scarecrows, witches and vampires are the perfect potion for Halloween

You'll have a scary good time in the kitchen this Halloween with McCormick Food Colors and Extracts. Your little ghosts and goblins will scream with delight when they help stir up some fun with these Harvest Scarecrow cookies. Shredded wheat, wafers, licorice, candy corn and pure vanilla flavor turns simple sugar cookies into smiling, delicious Halloween treats.
 

Harvest Scarecrow Cookies 

Makes 3 dozen or 36 (1 cookie) servings.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 9 to 10 minutes per batch

1 package (17.5 ounces) sugar cookie mix
1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
1 container (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
54 sugar wafer cookies
Shredded wheat cereal, broken up
Assorted decorations, such as candy-coated pieces and red string licorice

1. Prepare cookie mix as directed on package, adding vanilla. Cut out rounds with 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter.

2. Bake and cool cookies as directed on package.

3. Frost cookies with vanilla frosting. For the scarecrow’s hat, break a sugar wafer cookie in half. Press wafer cookie half into the top of the frosted cookie. Place a whole wafer cookie below the cookie half. Press shredded wheat around sides of the face for straw hair. Use candy-coated pieces and string licorice to decorate the face.

And what's Halloween without a wicked witch. Fun and easy to prepare, these chocolate witches will delight the entire family.

Wicked Witch Cupcakes

Makes 24 (1 cupcake) servings.
Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

1 package (18 1/4 ounces) chocolate cake mix
1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
24 chocolate ice cream cones
4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
24 chocolate wafer cookies
1 container (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
McCormick® Assorted Food Colors & Egg Dye
Assorted decorations, such as green gum drops, red candy-coated pieces and black string licorice

1. Prepare cake mix as directed on package, adding vanilla.

2. Bake as directed on package for cupcakes. Cool cupcakes on wire rack.

3. Dip open end of each ice cream cone into melted chocolate. Attach to chocolate wafer cookies to make the witch’s hat. Let stand 30 minutes to allow chocolate to harden. Tint frosting green with 1/2 teaspoon green food color. Frost cupcakes. Place witch’s hat on each cupcake. Use candy-coated pieces for the eyes and gum drops, cut into triangles, for the nose. Cut string licorice into assorted lengths for the hair.

Find these recipes and much more, at www.mccormick.com

And what would Halloween be without vampires. Or at least a jam oozing vampire cookie.

Kiss from a Vampire Cookies Recipe

This recipe from TasteofHome.com is a must for your Halloween. Kids and adults will enjoy the delicious buttery vanilla flavor bursting with a sweet raspberry jam. Be sure to use McCormick's pure vanilla and almond extracts to bring these vampire cookies to life.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. round cookie cutter.
• Place half of the circles on greased baking sheets. Place a 1 teaspoon of jam in the center of each circle; top with remaining circles and press edges lightly to seal. Use a toothpick to poke two small holes (resembling a vampire bite) in the top of each cookie.













• Bake at 325° for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are set. (Jam will escape from tops of cookies as they bake.) Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 dozen.

Kiss from a Vampire Cookies Recipe photo by Taste of Home