week 3 halloween {{recipes}} and a linky

wow week three already of....

 only two more weeks left of our little project!

This weeks recipes from Amber are focused on SNACKS!
Perfect for after school or 

for small children!

OR 

maybe some finger foods (get it...ha ha) for your Halloween party! 

1.) Buried Alive Banana-Cranberry Muffins

 Not only are these muffins delicious but healthy, too. The tartness of the cranberries offsets the sweet banana batter and the texture is smooth and light. Like I said before... DELICIOUS! Even those who don't like traditional banana bread will be converted by these fluffly, cake-like muffins. 

 Serves: 20 muffins
Start-to-Finish: 30 min prep + 25 min bake

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (no substitutions)
2 eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3-4 bananas very well mashed)
1/2 cup buttermilk (I never have buttermilk so I substitute with 1/2 TBSP lemon juice mixed with 1/2 cup milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 cups chopped frozen or fresh cranberries

*don't forget the cake sticks {toothpicks with decorative ends} I like THESE and THESE from amazon! *

Directions:
1.  Move oven rack to low position so that tops of muffins will be in center of oven.
2.  Heat oven to 350°F.
3.  Grease or paper line your muffin tins.
4.  Mix sugar and butter in large bowl.
5.  Stir in eggs until well blended.
6.  Add bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla.
7.  Beat until smooth.
8.  Stir in flour, baking soda and salt.
9.  Stir in chopped cranberries.
10. Pour into muffin tins (approximately 3/4 full).

11. Bake 20-22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
12. Cool 10 minutes.

 13. Rough up the tops of the muffins so it looks like overturned dirt.
14. Insert your cake picks into the roughed-up muffin and serve

2.) SPIDER SNACKS

Spider snacks are fun and simple. They require almost no time at all to put together and you can substitute many of the ingredients for things you already have on hand and still get a fun treat.  The Ritz crackers can be any round cracker, the peanut butter can be cream cheese or frosting, the spider legs can be chow mein noodles (they make the legs really wiggle which I like, but my kids wont eat them yet), and the eyes can be raisins for a healthier treat. 

 Serves: 4 (2 spider snacks each)
Start-to-Finish: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

16 Ritz crackers
64 stick pretzels
1/2 cup peanut butter
decoration for eyes (marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, M&Ms, chocolate morsels, raisins, etc...)

Directions:
1.  Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on all the Ritz crackers.
2.  Set pretzels in 8 of the Ritz cracker to look like spider legs.
3.  Top the pretzel crackers with the non-pretzel crackers to make a sandwich.
4.  Decorate with marshmallows and mini chocolate chips to make eyes (You can use peanut butter to hold them in place)

 

Now lets see what you've BREWING up for Halloween....
Don't forget to add this button to the bottom of your post or somewhere on your blog to be considered to win!!! 

 

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Check back on SATURDAY to see what recipe was the most popular!!! :)

It could be YOURS! 

*ps - you MAY win a little something too for it* 

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