(NAPSI)—You and your friends and family will have much more than the ghost of a chance at a happy Halloween with a little planning and a pair of deliciously spooky treats.

To help, Jennifer Sbranti, lifestyle expert and party-planner extraordinaire, shares two of her simple tips for impressing the goblins at your Halloween get-together:

• Make treats a day ahead of time so you can attend to last-minute details the day of the party.

• Let your kids join in on the fun—the final product doesn’t have to grace the cover of a magazine and a few extra hands are always helpful.

Halloween Scotcheroo Treats

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Cool time: 45 minutes

Yield: 24 treats, approximately

1 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

6 cups crispy rice cereal

1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

1½ cups butterscotch chips

Candies for decorating

Frosting OR melted white chocolate for decorating

Cook corn syrup and sugar together in a large pan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter; mix well. Add cereal; stir until evenly coated. Pour into greased 15 x 10-inch pan and pat into place. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread over cereal. Cool at least 45 minutes, or until firm. Cut into bars or fun shapes for Halloween. To make Cute Cats, cut circles using a 2- to 3-inch biscuit cutter. Attach candies with a dab of melted white chocolate or frosting to make eyes, nose and ears. Pipe on whiskers with frosting.

Caramel Corn Gift Bag

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Yield: 4 quarts

4 quarts popped popcorn

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup

½ cup butter OR margarine

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract

Treat bags OR bowls

Halloween candies, nuts, dried fruits, etc.

Spray a large shallow roasting pan with cooking spray. Add popcorn and place in preheated 250° F oven while preparing caramel. Mix brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 5 minutes WITHOUT STIRRING. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour syrup mixture over warm popcorn, stirring to coat evenly. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and spread on foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cool; break apart. Store in tightly covered container. To serve, set out small bowls of your favorite candies, nuts or fruits and let your guests individualize their own Halloween treat.

Learn More

For more Halloween recipe inspiration and party tips from Sbranti, you can download a digital copy of the Halloween Party Treats guide on the Karo Syrup Facebook page, at www.KaroSyrup.com and at www.KaroSyrup.com/halloweenbooklet.pdf.

 

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)