Baking homey cakes for Halloween

Brown Spider Caramel Popcorn Balls are gooey, crunchy, buttery, brown sugar caramel popcorn balls decorated with inexpensive, easy-to-find licorice ropes and candies to resemble big, creepy spiders. If your hands are sensitive to heat, wear powder-free disposable rubber gloves, available at hardware stores. The licorice candies can be found at CVS drugstores. Those with allergies can omit the roasted peanuts.

12 yellow and black or pink and black licorice allsorts

6 black licorice ropes

3 quarts popped popcorn

1 cup salted, roasted peanuts (optional)

½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

½ cup tupelo honey, or any dark honey

½ cup molasses

¼ cup butter

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Slice the licorice allsorts in half crosswise. Set aside. Using scissors, cut the licorice ropes in half lengthwise, then cut each half lengthwise again to make 4 long, thin strands. Cut each of the 4 strands in half crosswise to make 8 strands for the spiders’ legs.

In a large bowl, combine the popcorn and peanuts.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, honey, molasses, butter and salt. Bring to a boil and heat until the mixture reaches 255 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 7 to 8 minutes.

Pour the syrup over the popcorn and peanuts and mix well. Using greased or gloved hands, quickly shape the popcorn into 6 ovals. Keep the popcorn balls warm in the oven while you assemble each one.

Working with 1 popcorn ball at a time, stick 2 licorice allsorts slices on one of the tapered ends of the popcorn ball to resemble eyes. Insert 4 licorice ropes on each long side of the oval to resemble legs. If the legs and eyes do not stick easily, use a lighter to lightly melt the candies so you can stick them on.

Per serving: 533 calories (percent of calories from fat, 33), 8 grams protein, 86 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 20 grams fat (7 grams saturated), 21 milligrams cholesterol, 611 milligrams sodium.

Per serving (without peanuts): 391 calories (percent of calories from fat, 18), 2 grams protein, 81 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 8 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 21 milligrams cholesterol, 413 milligrams sodium.

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Pumpkin Phatty Cakes

Hands on: 25 minutes Total time: 3 hours Serves: 12 (24 cookies)

Pumpkin Phatty Cakes are like soft, gingery sandwich cookies, but they have the scrumptious autumn touch of tender, pumpkin cookies filled with almond mascarpone cream. The batter, cookies and filling can be made ahead of time for super fast and easy assembling come Halloween night to treat kids and adults alike. The cookies can be baked as simple drop cookies, or baked in sheets of individual silicone pumpkin molds, available at Target stores.

For the cookies:

21/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2¼ cups dark brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 (14-ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin

½ cup heavy cream, room temperature

For the filling:

1 (15-ounce) container Italian mascarpone (domestic mascarpone is too soft)

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees if baking the cookies in silicone pumpkin molds (otherwise, wait until dough has been refrigerated).

To prepare the cookie dough: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter on low speed until smooth. Add brown sugar and cream again until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until combined. Add the pumpkin and mix on low speed until combined. Add the heavy cream and mix on low speed until combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until flour is absorbed. Increase speed to medium to create a smooth mixture. The dough will be soft.

To make the cookies: If making drop cookies, tightly cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. If you are using pumpkin molds, drop tablespoonfuls of batter into the molds. Using the back of a small spoon, lightly spread the batter in the molds. It doesn’t have to be perfectly even or smooth, as the cookies will spread into the molds as they bake.

For drop cookies, drop tablespoonfuls of batter onto parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake the cookies, in molds or on sheets, for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on sheets or molds before removing to a baking rack to cool.

To make the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the mascarpone, sugar and almond extract and stir until smooth. Refrigerate, tightly wrapped, until ready to use.

To assemble the cookies: Once the cookies are completely cool, make sandwiches by spreading a tablespoonful of filling on the flat side of a cookie and topping with another cookie, rounded side out. If using molds, slice excess from flat side of cookies.

If cookies will not be eaten within 4 hours of assembling, refrigerate until ready to use.

Per serving: 570 calories (percent of calories from fat, 48), 6 grams protein, 69 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 31 grams fat (9 grams saturated), 124 milligrams cholesterol, 359 milligrams sodium.

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Brain Funnel Cakes

Hands on: 35 minutes Total time: 35 minutes Serves: 12 (3 brains)

Brain Funnel Cakes are kooky, crispy treats the kids will love. Lightly spiced with yummy fall flavors of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg, these fun and easy-to-make fried snacks look like squiggly brains, complete with green kiwifruit brain ooze, raspberry blood spots and gummy eyeballs.

For the funnel cakes:

2 eggs

1½ cups milk

¼ cup granulated sugar

2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2½ teaspoons baking powder

4 cups vegetable oil, for frying

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3 pair gummy eyeballs (available in Target’s Halloween candy section)

For the kiwifruit ooze:

2 ripe kiwifruit

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the raspberry blood spots:

1 (2-ounce) package Just Raspberries dried fruit (available at Whole Foods Market)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Special equipment:

Heavy-bottomed pot

Large funnel and wooden spoon to stopper the funnel or large plastic zip-top bag

Slotted metal spoon

Heatproof tongs

To make the funnel cake batter: In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt and baking powder. Using a wooden spoon, create a well in the dry ingredients. Add the eggs and milk and whisk together until smooth. Set aside to rest while you make the kiwifruit ooze and raspberry blood spots.

To make the kiwifruit ooze: Peel the kiwi and cut into medium chunks. Place the kiwi and sugar in bowl of a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.

To make the raspberry blood spots: Place the Just Raspberries and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process until a powder is formed. Set aside until needed.

To fry the funnel cakes: In a large pot, heat the oil to 375 degrees. While the oil is heating, line a cookie sheet with layers of paper towels for draining the cakes. Pour 1/3 of the batter into the funnel (you can use a wooden spoon handle or chopstick to stopper the funnel) or plastic bag, zipping the bag shut. If using a plastic bag, snip off a corner. Using a squiggly, curlicue motion, quickly pipe the batter into the hot oil, clustering the batter together in a circular shape. Fry for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy, turning once during cooking. Drain on paper towels. Repeat twice more with the remaining batter.

To assemble the brains: In a small bowl, combine the ¼ cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon. Gather the funnel cakes into rounded mounds to resemble the shape of brains and place on a serving platter. Using a small sieve, sift the cinnamon sugar over the brains. While the brains are still warm, push the gummy eyeballs into the cakes, between squiggles. Spoon little trails of kiwifruit ooze on and around the brain, and sprinkle dabs of the powdered raspberries on the brain.

Per serving: 507 calories (percent of calories from fat, 67), 5 grams protein, 38 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 38 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 38 milligrams cholesterol, 287 milligrams sodium.