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Tricks or Treats?

By Kayla
10/10/2016

Fall is a beautiful time of year. The leaves are changing. The weather is crisp. And it is the season for amazing food. If you’ve been tasked with bringing the treats to your next event or group, we’ve got a few ideas to get you in the season.

Pumpkin Patch Dirt Cups

Dirt cups have been around for awhile, but why not add a little pumpkin to spice it up? All you need is a package of chocolate instant pudding, 2 packages of Oreos, pumpkin candies, green sour patch straws and plastic containers to serve in. To make, pulverize the Oreos in a food processor. Make the pudding according to instructions. Layer the Oreos and pudding in the plastic cups. Place a few pumpkin candies and half a sour patch straw (the vine) on top. Now you’ve made a pumpkin patch. The kids will be eager to dig in.

Miniature Caramel Apples

Caramel apples are a fall staple, but they can be a little hard on the teeth. Instead, try bite-sized ones. They are easier and less messy to eat, especially for the kids who may not have all their teeth. All you need is a couple of large apples (whatever kind you prefer), soft caramels, milk, lollipop sticks, and a melon baller or metal coffee scoop. Start by peeling the apples. Use the melon baller/scoop to make your apple bits. Place them on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Push a lollipop stick into the middle of each ball. Place in the fridge or freezer. Melt the caramels with 2 Tbsp of milk in a pot over medium to low heat. Once the caramel is smooth, dip the apple bits in and replace on the cookie sheet. Put in the freezer to harden the caramel. Feel free to get creative by dipping them in a topping, such as nuts, salt or crushed pretzel.

Pretzel Pumpkins

There are so many pumpkin crafts and treats. One of the easiest (and possibly cutest) is the pretzel pumpkin. Just dip small pretzel twists in melted orange candy (this can generally be found at craft stores). While the coating is still wet, place a green mini M&M at the top to be the stem. Place the pretzels on a wax paper-lined baking sheet and freeze or refrigerate to harden.

Candy Corn Treats

Rice krispie treats seem to have unlimited potential. A perfect fall rice krispie shape is candy corn. In addition to the rice krispie treat ingredients, you will also need dark chocolate and white chocolate candy coating and orange gel coloring. Make the rice krispies according to your favorite recipe. After melting the butter and marshmallows, stir in a few drops of the orange coloring. Once the treats have set, cut them into triangles, rounding the corners to look more like the candy corn shape. Melt both the chocolate coatings according to instructions. Dip the base of the triangle in the dark and the top in the white, leaving some of the orange in the middle. Set on wax paper to harden.

Fall Caramel Corn

What you need: popped popcorn, salt, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, baking soda, mini Rollo’s, and Harvest Blend M&Ms. Melt 1 cup of butter in a saucepan. Add 1 cup of brown sugar and stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil, while stirring continuously. Add 2 tsp of vanilla after 4 minutes. After another minute, add ½ tsp of baking soda. Drizzle ¾ of the caramel mixture over the popcorn (about 10 cups of it). Pour the popcorn onto a prepared cookie sheet. Pour the rest of the caramel on top and immediately add the candy so that it will stick to the popcorn. Once cooled it is ready to be devoured.

S’mores

The most classic of all fall treats is the S’more. The cooler weather means bonfires are a must. All you need is marshmallows, chocolate squares and graham crackers. Roast your marshmallow over the fire, then sandwich it with the chocolate between two graham crackers and enjoy. Looking for a little less mess? Try it in a waffle cone. Fill a cone with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips. Wrap in foil and set over the fire for a little while. Great for kids, because all that gooey goodness is stuck inside the cone.

What are your favorite fall treats? Share with us on Pinterest or Facebook.



Christian Retreats Network /

Based at Lake Williamson / PO Box 620 / Carlinville, IL 62626

info@christianretreatsnetwork.org