Homemade Treats For Trick-Or-Treaters

If you're tired of your kids feasting on purchased candy, make a few homemade treats this Halloween instead.

In The Early Show's "Five-Minute cooking School" Thursday, cookbook author and cooking teacher Tori Ritchie offers recipes for some fun items you can whip up yourself.

Ritchie was in the flagship store in Manhattan of specialty home furnishings retailer Williams-Sonoma, The Early Show's partner in the "Five-Minute Cooking School."

RECIPES

Caramel Popcorn Ghosts

Created from caramel popcorn balls, these ghosts make ghoulish party favors for Halloween gatherings. Take care when working with the caramel, since it's very hot when cooked.

8 cups popcorn
3/4 cup chopped toasted almonds
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2 Tbs. water
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large oiled bowl, combine the popcorn and almonds. Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, water, butter and salt. Boil until a candy thermometer registers 270º to 275ºF. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Lightly oil a baking sheet. Pour the caramel over the popcorn mixture and toss with 2 rubber spatulas to coat evenly. Working quickly, using oiled hands, shape the popcorn into small balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Let cool.

Wrap each popcorn ball in a square of parchment paper, place in a cellophane bag and tie a ribbon at the base of the ball.

Makes 25 popcorn ghosts.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

For another recipe, go to Page 2.Pumpkin Patch Cakes

These petite, pumpkin-shaped cakes can be served on their own or joined together with frosting to form three-dimensional pumpkins. Dust the cakes with confectioners' sugar, finish them with colorful frostings, or pipe on smiling or scary jack-o'-lantern faces. To make cupcakes, ladle batter into paper-lined muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes (makes 2 dozen cupcakes).

For the cakes:
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2 1/4 tsp. salt
5 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 3/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
14 Tbs. (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 2/3 cups pumpkin puree

For the frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Food coloring as desired

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously grease and flour the wells of a pumpkin patch pan; tap out excess flour.

To make the cakes, over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the brown and granulated sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the pumpkin puree and beat until incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer.

Divide half of the batter between the wells of the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center of a cake half comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake halves cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes.

Gently tap the pan on a work surface to loosen the cakes. Invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. Let the cakes cool completely before decorating. Wash and thoroughly dry the pan, grease and flour the wells and repeat with the remaining batter.

Meanwhile, make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter and beat until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in food coloring as desired.

To assemble the cakes, using a bread knife, cut off any portion of each cake that rose above the rim of the pan. Place a cake half, flat side up, on a cake stand or plate and spread the frosting on top. Place its matching cake half, flat side down, on top. Repeat with the remaining cakes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then decorate as desired.

For unassembled cake halves, decorate the exterior of each half as desired.

Makes 24 cake halves or 12 assembled cakes.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.