By Bellefontaine Nhan | Staff Writer

Spooky season is finally here. Here are three yummy and fun Halloween-themed recipes that can be made at home.

Spooky Witches’ Fingers

 Spooky Witches’ Fingers can be realistic and creepy, but they are some of the easiest sweet and salty snacks that can be conjured up at home. This recipe calls for only a few ingredients.

1 1/2 vibrant green candy melts

6 jelly beans that are cut in half, lengthwise

6 or more pretzel sticks

   The first step towards creating these delicious Witches’ Fingers is melting the candy melts, which can be done in the microwave. Stir every so often to make sure the texture is smooth. Next, grab the pretzel sticks and dip them into the melted candy mixture. 

  Place these coated sticks on parchment paper. Next, use one of the jelly bean slices and place it onto the end of the pretzel. The jelly beans will look like fingernails. 

   Then, use a toothpick and create lines on the rest of the pretzel to create the knuckles. Finally, let the coated pretzels dry completely and enjoy. Find this recipe and many more at Tasteofhome.com.

Mummified Meatballs

   One scrumptious main meal is Mummified Meatballs in crispy potato skin coffins. This recipe is a little bit more difficult, but very tasty and fulfilling. It makes about four servings.

2 medium russet potatoes 

4 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning

4 teaspoons of grated Parmesan cheese

12 cooked meatballs— can be any brand

4 sticks of string cheese, about 1 ounce— pulled into thinner strips

8 eyeball candies

   The first step is to preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, pierce the two potatoes with a fork multiple times and place them into the microwave for ten minutes. When the potatoes are done, carefully take them out and let them cool completely. Then, cut the potatoes lengthwise into halves, scooping out most of the “flesh”, leaving about half-an-inch around the shell. 

   This excess flesh can be discarded or saved for another cooking project. Next, place the potatoes— cut side down— on a piece of parchment paper. Rub each side with some olive oil, and then flip the potatoes over. On each potato halve, sprinkle the Italian seasoning plus a teaspoon of parmesan cheese. Next, place the potatoes into the preheated oven for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the skins are crispy.

   As the potatoes are baking, place meatballs onto a microwave-safe plate and put a few paper-towels on top of them. Microwave the meatballs until they are hot— this should take about 70 to 75 seconds per batch. After taking them out of the microwave, let them cool. They need to be cool enough so the cheese will not melt on them for a period of time. 

   Wrap a quarter of the string cheese strips around the meatballs, this will create a mummy effect. Repeat until all meatballs are covered. Next, once the potatoes are ready, take them out of the oven. Place the wrapped meatballs onto the potato skins. Lastly, add the eyeball candies. Now, the Mummified Meatballs are ready to be devoured. This recipe can be found at Allrecipes.com, along with many more spooky themed meals.

Monster Chocolate Cupcake

   Halloween just screams sweets, whether it be candy, cake, or ice cream. A simple and adorable dessert recipe for this Halloween is the Monster Chocolate Cupcake. This cupcake recipe is universal and can be used for other occasions. It yields 12 servings.

Chocolate Cupcake

1/2 cup of milk

1 tablespoon of vinegar 

1/2 cup of unsalted butter— at room temperature

10 tablespoons of white sugar

2 teaspoons of vanilla sugar

2 large eggs

3/4 cup and one tablespoon of all-purpose flour

1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of baking soda

1 pinch of salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package cream cheese— 8 ounces, softened

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2 drops of green food coloring

24 individual candy eyeballs

   Step one is to combine milk and vinegar in a bowl and let this stand until the milk curdles— this process takes about five minutes. Next, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease or line a twelve-cup muffin tin. Step three is to combine the butter, white sugar, and vanilla sugar into another large bowl. It is best to use an electric mixer. Mix until the consistency is smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, but only one at a time, and then continue mixing.

   Then, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into another bowl. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and curdled milk to the creamed butter mixture. Mix until the entire batter is well combined. The next step is to spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each about three quarters full. 

    Bake in the oven for about 14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Take the muffins out of the oven and let them cool for a full hour. Then, while the cupcakes are cooling, begin making the cream cheese frosting. 

   First, combine the cream cheese and quarter cup of butter in a bowl and beat this mixture with an electric mixer until it is well combined. Add in the vanilla extract and slowly stir confectioners’ sugar gradually. Color the frosting with a few drops of the chosen food coloring.

   After creating the frosting, place the frosting into a pastry bag. Or instead, use a plastic ziploc bag and snip a little at the corner. Now, decorate the cupcakes with the frosting. Get creative and make the cupcakes as spooky as desired. After using the frosting, add two eye candies to each cupcake and now it is ready to eat. This recipe can be found on Allrecipes.com, as well as many more delicious recipes.