Planning a day full of frightfully delicious fun? You’re in the right place. We’ve got all the Halloween food ideas you need! Looking for a creepy-cute breakfast to serve your kids in the morning? How about some family-friendly drinks and party-worthy appetizers to snack on before trick-or-treating? Need a horribly delicious dessert to round out your Halloween dinner menu? From ghost pancakes and spiderweb-covered hot cocoa bombs to mummified hot dogs and vampire cupcakes, these halloween foods are sure to scare up everyone’s appetite. Best of all, none of these recipes are too tricky to make, chocolate-covered strawberries included. Sure, they require a bit of planning and know-how but with this recipe, you’ll find that they come together pretty easily. And, they’re one of the many Halloween foods that you can whip up a bit in advance; just be sure you don’t keep them in the refrigerator for longer than an hour. If you do, the moisture in the refrigerator can cause the candy eyes to run.

This Halloween charcuterie board (aka “char-booooo-terie” board) is the perfect spooky spread for grown-up party guests and kids alike. In addition to Italian salumi, it’s filled with dark, elegant fruits and olives, ghoulish cheeses, including a balsamic spiderweb Brie, and easy spooky crafts, like white chocolate pretzel “bones.”

These adorable pretzel pumpkins are the perfect sweet-and-salty treat for Halloween or any fall festivity. They’re incredibly easy to make with just three ingredients: A mini pretzel twist provides the perfect shape to fill with melted orange candy wafers, and a bit of sour candy makes a classic green stem.

This deep, dark chocolate cake is the perfect canvas for an eerie holiday dessert. Top it with a spider web or a mummy made from melted and stretched marshmallows.

An orange bell pepper — carved and ready for Halloween — becomes an edible bowl for creamy mac and cheese.

You won’t be able to keep your hands off these creepy butter cookies — even though a dip in raspberry jam makes them look like a pile of detached fingers!

Ruby chocolate is the perfect coating for these brains, but any color candy melting wafers work just as well if you want a silly rather than scary vibe. You can use a homemade recipe or store-bought cake mix for the red velvet cake.

Made with store-bought crescent dough, these mummy dogs will be a hit at dinner or a Halloween party. The dough is very forgiving and easy to wrap, and the best part is it doesn’t need to be perfect — these are ancient mummies after all.

These charming ghost cupcakes are decorated with the social media-famous flat frosting method, a technique that produces a smooth, expert-looking finish that’s super easy once you learn the secret. We start with rich chocolate cupcakes that get their spooky black-as-night color from black cocoa powder, then pipe a simple ghost shape on top with homemade vanilla buttercream. Gently flipping the cupcakes over and letting them chill creates a flat, even surface for decorating. When turned right-side up, just add eyes and a mouth to turn each into a classic Halloween ghost.

If you love elaborately decorated cakes but don’t always have the time or championship baking skills to make it happen, this is the perfect Halloween party dessert recipe for you. Store-bought yellow cake mix, pumpkin spice instant pudding and simple designs make it easy to pull off this festive jack o’ lantern cake. The pudding mix makes the cake sturdy and bouncy — the perfect texture for slathering on the 3-ingredient marshmallow cream frosting. It’s finished off with chocolate eyes and a cute, toothy grin.

This simple method for tempering chocolate will give you smooth, shiny hot cocoa bombs. Use a good-quality bittersweet chocolate with at least 70% cacao for best results. You can make the bombs ahead of time, but wait until right before serving to cover them in the webbing.

Packed with blueberries and loaded with cream cheese frosting, these mummy muffins are the perfect Halloween party treat.

How do you make chicken bites look like little pumpkins? The trick to this savory treat is a few strategic (but straightforward) knife cuts. The nuggets are soaked in buttermilk, then coated in Cheddar-cracker breadcrumbs and stuffed with mozzarella for the ultimate chicken and cheese experience.

This easy chocolate roll cake starts with a package of chocolate wafer cookies that becomes a Halloween dessert centerpiece. We upped the spooky effect by decorating the cake with gummy spiders on a “web” made from melted marshmallows. We color the marshmallow with orange food coloring but feel free to change it to green or whatever color you like. When ready to serve, slice through the marshmallow webbing and scary spiders to reveal a beautiful hypnotic swirl.

Making these spider web-inspired treats is easier than you think. After you hard-boil and cool your eggs, lightly crack their shells all over. That way, when you soak them in the savory soy sauce mixture, a little bit of color can seep in.

Put your favorite spooky cookie cutter to work for one of the cutest Halloween appetizers around. We combined the iconic caprese salad flavors of tomato, mozzarella and basil on these loaded toasts that are heavy on Halloween spirit but light and refreshing to eat. For the best result, bring your ghost cookie cutter along when you’re shopping so you can select a hunk of mozzarella that’s large enough for stamping your cutter. All the cheese trimmings are used on more traditionally arranged crostini to serve alongside the ghoulish ones so nothing goes to waste.

This adorable take on a pumpkin-shaped cheese ball gets its bright orange coloring from ground-up cheese puffs and its stem from a bell pepper.

These colorful treats will be a hit at your Halloween party and they’re so easy to put together. The spider web decoration is made with melted marshmallows. Using gloves and working on foil to stretch the web makes cleanup a easy.

One look at this apple cider-based punch’s red hue and it’s love at first sight. Finish each glass with a wormy apple — a gummy worm and an apple slice, that is — that’s sure to delight guests.

These creepy-crawly spider cookies are entertaining for little ones and adults to make together. From pushing chocolate candies into warm cookies, to drawing spider legs with chocolate and making silly eyes, there’s plenty of fun for everyone.

Tap into your inner sculptor and make some edible Halloween art with cheese — three different kinds to be exact! Cheddar, goat cheese and a red wine and paprika-brushed Monterey Jack represent those iconic candy corn colors.

There’s a creepy surprise when you cut this brain open: meatballs covered in prosciutto! It’s all very ghoulish.

Did you ever get the feeling that someone (or something) is watching you? It could be these fun Halloween treats!

For meat lovers and the not-so-faint-of heart: This edible skeleton will likely bring a ghoulish chuckle from your guests.

What looks like a gory encounter with the Count himself is just raspberry jam brightened with a drop of red food coloring. And if you dare sink your own teeth into them, you’ll find that more raspberry jam and chocolate await in the center.

This eyeball cake is the stuff of Halloween nightmares: When you slice into it, a gush of raspberry jam flows out.

The classic white pizza takes a ghostly turn with this recipe. Using prepared pizza dough makes this easy recipe even easier, and no sauce to simmer makes it simpler still.

These cookies are monster sized and monster themed, making them perfect treats for your Halloween party. They bake up crispy on the edges and chewy inside. Feel free to vary the sprinkles and add some non pareils to the mix. Candy eyeballs come in various sizes so play around to see which combo you like best — we happen to think one medium and one large makes the monster look delightfully deranged.

Although it looks almost like a cake, this graveyard is made up of individual cupcakes, making it a self-serve party option. Just grab your cupcake and go–no knives necessary.

His and hers Halloween shakes (one mint, one vanilla) are made in a single batch, then dressed up for the holiday in this ultimate trick-or-treat.

This easy, Halloween-inspired recipe can be made ahead and served later as a scary-good party dessert.

Get crafty with this edible witch’s hat: chocolate-flavored rice cereal, green food coloring and edible gold dust transform ordinary crispy rice treats into a sweet Halloween centerpiece.

This webbed guacamole is a super-easy way to make a themed appetizer for your next Halloween party. Mexican crema (or sour cream) is used for the web and black olives make an edible spider.

Why should kids have all the fun for Halloween? For your holiday table, include treats for grown-ups, like these vodka-spiked Jell-O shots. They’re beautifully layered in a baking dish with colors meant to evoke candy corn and flavors inspired by a creamy orange ice pop. Simply cut them into squares then top with lightly sweetened whipped cream and some orange and black sprinkles.

This giant crispy rice cereal treat is filled with silky chocolate mousse and covered in a pink buttercream frosting.

Break out your gingerbread man cookie cutter early this year; it’s just the tool you need to make these easy cookies. With a little icing, you can pipe your way to haunted Halloween treats.

A deep, rich caramel makes for a classic shiny apple. Toppings (like mini chocolate candies, shredded coconut, crushed cookies or chopped nuts) make them extra special.

This no-bake pumpkin cheesecake has a jack-o’-lantern brownie grin.

Start gingerbread season a little early this year with a haunted display for Halloween. Make gumball pumpkins, chocolate tombstones and a scary (but candy-sweet!) monster hiding inside the house.

Spook your friends and serve a delicious brain on Halloween. This no-bake strawberry cheesecake made in a plastic mold looks hauntingly real. Top it with fruit syrup “blood” and you’ve got the scariest dessert in town.

Spook yourself sweet this Halloween season with festive sugar cookies that are no trick, all treat.

All eyes (har har) will be on the punch bowl when this scary concoction is part of the spread. Pair blueberries and sweet lychees to make the edible eyeballs.

Don’t worry: No pancakes were harmed in the making of this recipe. A drizzle of sweet strawberry sauce creates the gruesome yet delicious effect.

We topped elegant strawberry shortcake with a ghoulish white chocolate skull in this spectacular Halloween dessert. Pour over the hot strawberry sauce to reveal the surprise inside!

Fresh fruit awaits you in these chocolate-dipped webbed treats. Thick slices of tart apple stand in for candy.

This frighteningly real-looking smoked salmon appetizer is perfect for your Halloween spread.

Trisha keeps the cheesecake bars and raspberry sauce simple in this recipe (relying on store-bought sugar cookie mix and a jar of raspberry preserves) so that you have time to make the broken glass caramel for decoration.

It doesn’t matter if you’re hosting a monster mash or a small gathering of ghosts and goblins from around the neighborhood, no Halloween party is complete without a few scary snacks. That’s why we’ve rounded up everything from themed appetizers to desserts. You’ll even find a few drinks and light dinner ideas, like these skull burgers. Use a paring knife to cut eyes and a nose into hamburger bun tops. Make cheeseburgers; place a piece of lettuce on each bun bottom, then a cheeseburger, then a bun top. Cut a zigzag through the bottom third of each burger to make the mouth. Squeeze ketchup into the eye and nose holes and on the sides of the burgers—and you’ve got the perfect bite for any party.

Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large pot. Stir in one 10-ounce bag marshmallows until melted. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon each pumpkin pie spice and vanilla; tint with orange food coloring. Off the heat, stir in 8 cups crispy rice cereal. Let cool slightly, then form into 1-cup balls (6 to 8). Cool. Press sliced green licorice into the tops for stems. Cut out shapes from fruit leather for faces; press onto the pumpkins.More photos after this Ad

Quarter and core a red apple; brush with lemon juice. Cut out a wedge from the skin side of each piece to form a mouth. Fill with peanut butter, then insert sliced almonds for teeth.

Toast white sandwich bread; spread with marinara sauce. Top with thin strips of mozzarella for gauze and sliced black olives for eyes. Broil until the cheese melts slightly.

Roll out white fondant until 1/8 inch thick on a cornstarch-dusted surface. Cut out 4-inch rounds using a cookie cutter or paring knife. Stick a small unwrapped lollipop in the center of a frosted chocolate cupcake, then drape a round of fondant on top to form a ghost. Add eyes with black decorating gel.

Pulse 1 1/2 cups pretzel sticks with 2/3 cup speculoos (cookie butter) and 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder. Refrigerate until firm. Roll into 1-inch balls (about 12), then roll in green sprinkles. Pipe on dots of vanilla frosting and attach candy pearls for eyes.

Combine 1/2 cup ketchup with 1 tablespoon relish; spoon into a shallow bowl and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Put 1/4 cup mayonnaise in a resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Pipe a spiral of mayonnaise on top of the ketchup, then drag a toothpick from the center to the edges of the bowl to make a web design. Serve with chicken fingers.

Skewer 6 halved Twinkies on lollipop sticks or straws and dip in 12 ounces melted vibrant green candy melts thinned with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Remove to a parchment-lined baking sheet; let set. Decorate with black icing for hair and faces, candy eyes, and black licorice for bolts. Let set.

Whisk 1 stick melted butter with 1 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon apple pie spice in a large bowl. Whisk in 11/4 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon each baking powder, baking soda and salt. Divide among 12 lined muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees F until a toothpick comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool. Roll out sugar cookie dough and cut into shapes with a small bat cookie cutter. Bake at 350 degrees F until just golden. Let cool. Cover the cookies with chocolate frosting and press in black sanding sugar. Top the cupcakes with sweetened whipped cream and the bat cookies.

Gently tear bread slices in half. Place on a platter, leaving a little space between the halves. Squeeze ketchup along the torn edges. For each bandage, cut a 2-inch-wide strip from the center of a bologna slice. Cut a 2-inch square from another bologna slice and place on top of the larger piece. Use a skewer to make holes on both sides of the bologna bandage. Place on the bread and drizzle with more ketchup.

Whisk 2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 4 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk in 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk, 5 tablespoons melted shortening and 4 tablespoons melted butter. Tint half the batter orange and half yellow with food coloring. Preheat a round waffle iron to the lowest setting. Spoon some orange batter into the middle and some yellow batter around it. Cook until just crisp. Separate into triangles and dip the tips in melted white chocolate.

Arrange pretzel logs on a plate, using peanut butter to secure. Pipe peanut butter on chocolate-covered raisins; press onto the pretzels. Add chocolate sprinkles for legs. Pipe on dots of peanut butter and attach mini candy pearls for eyes.

Beat 3 egg whites with 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Gradually beat in 3/4 cup sugar; beat until thick and glossy. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Remove 1/4 cup meringue; tint with black gel food coloring. Transfer the white meringue to a piping bag with a large round tip. Pipe 3-inch skulls (8 to 10) onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Pipe on the black meringue with a small round tip for faces. Bake at 250 degrees F until crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 hours; cool.

Bake frozen curly fries as the label directs. Toss with chili powder while still hot. Squeeze some ketchup into the bottom of short glasses, then add the fries, letting them hang over the sides. Squeeze ketchup around the rim of the glasses.

Make the meringue for Meringue Skulls (previous slide). Pipe 2-inch-high ghosts (12 to 15) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, adding peaks for arms. Bake at 250 degrees F until crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 hours; cool. Insert mini chocolate chips for eyes.

Mash 1 avocado with lemon juice and salt. Spread on toasted rye cocktail bread. Decorate each with sprouts for hair, radish slices and black olives for eyes, a caper for a nose, a cucumber slice for a mouth and jarred roasted red pepper for a tongue.

Brush wonton wrappers on both sides with melted butter; fit each into a mini muffin cup. Bake at 350 degrees F until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool; remove from the pan and draw eyes with edible markers. Puree a 15-ounce can each pumpkin puree and drained chickpeas, 1/4 cup each tahini, water and olive oil, 1 garlic clove, the juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon each kosher salt and cumin and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Serve with the ghost crackers.

Cut 4 peeled bananas in half crosswise and insert a skewer into each half. Freeze until firm, 1 hour. Microwave 4 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate in 20-second intervals, stirring, until melted. Dip the bananas in the chocolate; press 2 candy eyeballs on each and let set, about 10 minutes. Microwave 8 marshmallows until puffed, 10 to 15 seconds. Stir until smooth; let cool slightly. Using a spoon, scoop up some of the marshmallow (it will stretch into a thread) and wrap it around the bananas. Transfer to a parchment-lined plate and freeze.

Cut out a ghost shape from white sandwich bread with a 3-inch cookie cutter. Toast in a buttered nonstick skillet over medium heat until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and add 1 lightly beaten egg white to the hole. Cover and cook until the egg white sets and the bread is golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Decorate with hot sauce for eyes.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Insert a lollipop stick into the top of 6 apples. Microwave 3 cups white candy melts in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted. Dip each apple into the white candy and let the excess drip off. Transfer to the prepared pan; let set. Roll mini marshmallows between your thumb and index finger to make bone shapes. Using more melted candy, attach the marshmallows to the apples to look like a hand.

Fill blue-corn taco shells with desired fillings, ending with shredded lettuce and guacamole. Decorate with dollops of sour cream and sliced black olives for eyes.

Cut a 7-ounce package of soft black licorice into small pieces. Divide a 750-ml bottle of vodka between 2 large glass jars; add 80 orange Skittles to one jar and the licorice to the other jar. Let the Skittles infuse for 1 day, then strain through a sieve lined with a coffee filter (this will take several hours). Let the licorice infuse for 2 to 3 days, then strain. Serve the vodka on the rocks with candy garnishes.

Press gummy fangs into the holes of doughnuts. Insert chocolate chips for eyes and add red gel icing for blood.

Melt 2 cups white candy melts; drizzle 12 trails of the candy on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dip 12 trimmed strawberries in the remaining white candy and place on the trails. Repeat with more strawberries (do not trim) using 1 cup green candy melts, but do not make the trails. Let set. Draw faces with edible markers.

Mix 8 ounces softened cream cheese, 1 cup shredded cheddar, 1/4 cup salsa and 1/4 teaspoon chili powder; season with salt and pepper. Chill until firm, 1 hour. Roll into 1-inch balls (about 18), then roll in crushed black-bean or blue-corn chips. Insert whole chips for wings; decorate with sour cream and diced pimientos for eyes.

Peel clementines; stick a small piece of celery on top of each for a stem.

Cut 1 round refrigerated pie dough into 16 strips (about 1/2 inch wide). Wrap the strips around 6 hot dogs, overlapping slightly. Bake at 375 degrees F on a parchment-lined baking sheet until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly. Punch out black olives with a pastry tip for eyes; secure with mustard.

Cut faces out of 4 slices American cheese using a paring knife; set aside. Season 1 1/2 pounds ground beef with salt. Form into 4 patties; make an indentation in the center of each. Cook in an oiled nonstick skillet over medium heat, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Top each patty with a slice of the cheese and serve on a bun bottom.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large pot. Stir in one 10-ounce bag marshmallows until melted; tint with neon green food coloring. Off the heat, stir in 6 cups crispy rice cereal. Let cool slightly, then butter your hands and shape into four 6-inch-long hands on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dip the bottom of Jordan almonds in chocolate-hazelnut spread; press into each finger for fingernails. Cool.

Combine 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut and a few drops of black food coloring in a resealable plastic bag; massage to tint the coconut. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Make the cereal treat mixture for Cereal Monster Hands (previous slide); do not tint green. Let cool slightly, then form into two 8-inch feet on a parchment-lined baking sheet; cool. Cover with chocolate-hazelnut spread, then press in the black coconut. Add Bugles for toenails.

Cut 2 oranges in half; scoop out the flesh. Fill the orange cups with scoops of orange sherbet and top with blackberries. Freeze until set.

Pipe red gel icing around the edge of small glasses; place in the freezer. Blend 1 pint vanilla ice cream with 1/4 cup milk in a blender; pour into the prepared glasses.

Skewer mini marshmallows on each end of 1 cup thin pretzel sticks. Dip in 12 ounces melted white candy melts; remove to a parchment-lined baking sheet with a fork. Let set. Toss with crumbled chocolate cookies for dirt.

Hard-boil 12 eggs; peel. Slice off the top quarter of each and trim the bottoms so they sit upright. Scoop out the yolks; mash with 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 2 teaspoons each hot paprika, hot sauce and mustard. Season with salt. Spoon into the egg whites; dust with more paprika and decorate with sliced red bell pepper for horns.

Blend 2 cups spinach, 1 chopped peeled apple, 1 cup ice, 1/2 frozen banana and 1 tablespoon each honey and lemon juice until smooth and thick. Pour into 2 bowls and top with fruit, nuts and/or seeds to make a face.

Melt 6 tablespoons butter with 1/2 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate; set aside. Whisk 1 3/4 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 cup milk, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla, then stir into the flour mixture. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture. Divide among 12 lined muffin cups; bake at 350 degrees F until a toothpick comes out clean, 22 to 28 minutes. Cool. Poke holes in the tops and insert gummy worms.

Drain a can of lychees in syrup; stuff each with a blackberry. Put 1 or 2 in small glasses. Prepare a box of red gelatin as directed and divide among the glasses. Chill until set.

Sandwich peanut butter between soft chocolate chip cookies. Break mini pretzel twists at the curves and insert into the peanut butter for legs.

Stir together 3/4 cup thawed frozen limeade concentrate, 3 1/2 cups cold water and one 12-ounce can chilled ginger beer in a punch bowl. Add 1 cup coconut rum or vodka. Scoop 1 pint green tea ice cream into the punch. Pour 2 more cans ginger beer over the top to create foam.

Combine 1 cup water, 1 stick butter and 1/2 teaspoon each sugar and kosher salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Add 1 cup flour and stir until the dough forms a ball. Transfer to the bowl of a mixer and beat in 4 eggs, one at a time. Transfer to a piping bag with a large round tip. Pipe 6-inch crooked fingers (about 16) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet; press a Brazil nut into the end of each. Sprinkle the dough with grated Gruyere and paprika. Bake at 400 degrees F until puffed, about 30 minutes.

Whisk 2 cups milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1 egg in a saucepan; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until smooth and thick, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Divide among 4 ramekins and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours. Decorate with gummy rings and chocolate candies for eyes; pipe on strawberry jelly for bloodshot lines.

Pipe melted chocolate around the rim of chocolate ice cream cones and attach each to a chocolate wafer cookie; let set. Scoop mint chocolate chip ice cream onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and top each with a cone hat. Decorate with licorice candies for hair and faces. Freeze until firm.

Pulse 4 cups cheese puffs in a food processor until finely ground. Toss 6 cups hot popcorn with 3 tablespoons melted butter, the cheese crumbs and 2 tablespoons Parmesan to coat. Add 3 more cups cheese puffs and 2 cups lightly crushed seaweed snacks; season with salt. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds.

Cut up black licorice laces. Stick into chocolate doughnut holes to look like spider legs.

Stir one 64-ounce bottle cherry or cranberry-cherry juice, 1 liter ginger ale, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1 tablespoon grenadine in a punch bowl. Add 2 cups frozen cherries and 1 sliced orange. (To spike it, add 2 cups bourbon or rye and 3 dashes orange bitters.) Stir 1/4 cup light corn syrup with 1 teaspoon molasses and 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring in a small bowl. Dip your finger into the mixture and run it along the rim of the punch bowl; continue until the rim is coated and the mixture drips down the sides.

Use a paring knife to cut off the top and core a large orange bell pepper, then carve a jack-o’-lantern face. Puree one 15-ounce can drained black beans, 1/4 cup canned fire-roasted tomatoes, 1 tablespoon each hot sauce and vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon ground cumin; season with salt. Spoon into the pepper.

Make Jack-o’-Lantern Bean Dip (previous slide). Spread in a bowl and pipe on a sour cream web.

Spread seedless raspberry jam on the flat side of a peanut butter cookie. Cut mini marshmallows in half on the diagonal and arrange halfway around the edge. Sandwich with another cookie spread with marshmallow cream.

Finely chop 8 ounces dark chocolate. Microwave three-quarters of the chocolate and 1 teaspoon shortening in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted. Stir in the remaining chocolate until smooth. Dip gummy worms in the chocolate; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Let set at room temperature, at least 30 minutes.

Whisk 1/2 cup soy sauce with 1 tablespoon each grated ginger, sugar, Chinese five-spice powder, sesame oil and sambal oelek (Asian chili paste). Add 2 pounds chicken wings; marinate 1 to 4 hours. Remove and transfer to a baking sheet; season with salt and Sichuan pepper. Bake at 450 degrees F until dark and crisp, 30 minutes. Brush with 1/4 cup each hoisin sauce and honey. Continue baking until glazed and sticky, 10 more minutes. Coat with black sesame seeds.

Combine 16 ounces room-temperature cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, 3 tablespoons minced onion, 2 tablespoons salsa, 2 teaspoons ground cumin and 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno in a large bowl; beat with a mixer until combined. Scoop onto plastic wrap and use the plastic to form the mixture into a 5-inch pumpkin-shaped ball; refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. Unwrap and roll in crushed nacho-flavor tortilla chips. Press a bell pepper stem into the top.

Prepare 2 cups pancake batter. Remove 1/3 cup of the batter and stir in 1/4 cup melted chocolate; thin with water until pourable and transfer to a small squeeze bottle. Spoon the plain pancake batter into a hot buttered nonstick skillet, then pipe the chocolate batter over the top to make a spider web. Cook until bubbling, about 1 minute. Flip and cook 1 more minute.

Slice the bottoms of pitted super colossal black olives so they stand upright. Pipe in smooth guacamole and sprinkle with Cotija cheese. Add halved sliced olives for handles.

Cut out bat shapes from dark pumpernickel bread slices with a 3 1/2-inch bat cookie cutter; toast. Sandwich with pimento cheese spread.

Melt 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips with 1 stick butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat; whisk in 3/4 cup each dark brown sugar and granulated sugar. Cool. Whisk in 4 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla, then whisk in 1 cup flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Fold in 1 cup chopped chocolate sandwich cookies. Spread in a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish; bake at 325 degrees F, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool. Cut into rectangles; top with chocolate frosting and more chopped chocolate sandwich cookies. Use edible markers to draw tombstones on Milano cookies; insert into the brownies.

Sandwich dulce de leche between Italian waffle cookies. Attach pecans with chocolate frosting for bugs; pipe lines of frosting for legs and antennae.

Brush 1 thawed frozen puff pastry sheet with 1 lightly beaten egg white; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Fold in half and roll out into a 7-by-11-inch rectangle; cut into twelve 11-inch strips. Tie the ends of each into knots and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; brush with more egg white and sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar. Bake at 400 degrees F until puffed and crisp, about 20 minutes.

Microwave 4 ounces chopped dark chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted. Let cool, then spoon into a zip-top bag and snip off a corner. Pipe a spiral onto the inside of 4 martini glasses, then use a toothpick to drag lines out from the center, creating a web pattern. Freeze until just set, 10 minutes. Meanwhile, blend 1 pint vanilla ice cream and 1/4 cup milk in a blender; spike with rum, if desired. Pour into the glasses.

Cut small holes in mozzarella balls and insert pimiento-stuffed olives. Wrap in prosciutto. Serve on crostini.

Melt 12 ounces pink candy melts. Stir in 3 cups toasted oats cereal until coated. Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets and let set. Sandwich strawberry jam between 2 clusters.

Break 4 ounces squid ink spaghetti into pieces; cook as the label directs, then drain. Toss with 2 tablespoons each olive oil, chopped parsley and shaved Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Crumble 4 frosted red velvet cupcakes; freeze 15 minutes. Roll into 1-inch balls (6 to 8); transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and insert a lollipop stick into each. Dip in 1 cup melted white candy melts and press a sour candy disk into the center of each. Attach a small chocolate candy to each sour candy using the remaining white candy melts. Let set. Decorate with red gel icing for bloodshot lines.

Cook 1 cup chopped onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup chopped peeled potato and a pinch of cayenne; cook 3 minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Add 3 cups chopped peeled butternut squash; cook until tender, 20 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender. Ladle into bowls; slide a plastic witch finger onto the end of each spoon.

Cut bacon slices into 4 pieces. Wrap each piece around a pitted date; secure with a toothpick. Bake at 400 degrees F, turning once, until crisp, about 8 minutes; cool slightly, then remove the toothpicks. Tuck thinly sliced dates under the bacon for antennae.

Place 4 eggs in a pot; cover with cold water by 1 inch and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes. Drain the eggs and run under cold water to cool. Lightly tap the eggs against the counter to crack all over. Fill 2 tall wide glasses three-quarters of the way with warm water. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar and a few drops of red food coloring to each, then add 2 eggs to each glass. Refrigerate 4 hours; drain and peel the eggs.

Trim 1 head cauliflower and cut a sliver from the center to create two lobes. Rub with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons each chopped sage and kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Wrap in foil; bake at 450 degrees F until tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Unwrap; sprinkle with Parmesan and broil until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Pipe warmed pizza sauce for veins.

Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 1/4 cups milk, 4 tablespoons melted butter, 2 eggs and a little vanilla, then whisk into the flour mixture. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto a hot buttered skillet and cook until bubbly; flip and cook until golden. Transfer to plates and top with butter. Stir chocolate sprinkles into maple syrup; drizzle on the pancakes.

Cut hot dogs in half lengthwise, leaving 2 inches intact at one end, then cut each side into 4 strips to make 8 legs. Fry in an oiled skillet until the legs are browned and curled. Serve with ketchup mixed with black gel food coloring.