Ghoulishly Good Halloween Party Snacks

These adorable pumpkin cheese balls go great alone or serve them with crackers or pretzel sticks.

Ingredients

* 8 tablespoons smoked Cheddar cold pack cheese food (from 8-oz container), well chilled
* 2 teaspoons finely chopped peanuts
* 4 butter-flavored pretzel spindles or sticks, broken in half
* 16 tiny pieces fresh parsley leaves

Directions

1. Line small serving plate with waxed paper. Roll each level tablespoon cold pack cheese food into a ball; place on waxed paper-lined serving plate. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes for easier handling.
2. With end of toothpick, draw ridges around balls to resemble pumpkins. Dip bottoms of cheese balls in chopped peanuts.
3. Just before serving, insert pretzel halves into cheese balls for pumpkin stems. Decorate with parsley for leaves. Store in refrigerator.

Create a ghoulish cupcake creation with some tasty ingredients! A few ideas are:

Crushed chocolate covered Oreos for dirt

Wafer or peanut cookies as tombstones. Write spooky messages with gel frosting.

Gummy Worms

Create eyeballs with melted white chips. Use an M&M with a dot of black gel frosting for the pupil. Create bloodshot red lines on the white of the eye with red gel frosting.

Marshmallows make great ghosts and skulls. A dab of black gel frosting for the face details.

It won't take long for these delicious ghost treats to disappear!

Ingredients

* 1 three-foot fruit snack roll (any flavor), unwrapped
* 14 pretzel sticks (2 to 3 inches long)
* 2/3 cup white vanilla chips, melted
* 1 1/2 teaspoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips (52 chips)

Directions

1. Line large cookie sheet with waxed paper or parchment paper. Unroll fruit snack roll. With kitchen scissors, cut 3/4-inch-long fringe on one long side of snack roll. Cut fringed roll into 2-inch pieces.
2. To make each "broomstick," wrap piece of fringe around one end of pretzel; press to seal. Place "broomsticks" on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.
3. Drop rounded 1/2 teaspoonfuls of melted white vanilla chips crosswise onto pretzels; shape to resemble "ghosts" seated on "broomsticks."
4. Press 3 miniature chocolate chips into each "ghost" for eyes and mouth. Let stand at room temperature for about 45 minutes or in freezer for about 5 minutes or until set. Peel candies from waxed paper.

Make your guests grin when they crunch into these spooky Halloween apple treats!

Ingredients

* 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 tsp. vanilla
* 2 large apples, cut into quarters
* 1/4 cup slivered almonds

Directions

1. BEAT cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Add sugar and vanilla; mix well.

2. CUT thin wedge in peel side of each apple piece; fill with 1 tsp. cream cheese mixture. Insert 4 to 6 nuts in cream cheese mixture in each apple to resemble teeth.

3. SPOON remaining cream cheese mixture into serving bowl. Serve with apples for dipping.

Create some deliciously creepy finger foods with creative sandwiches!

Create tombstone shaped sandwiches and write spooky messages with mustard colored with black gel food color. Peanut butter and jelly tombstone sandwich messages can be written in squeezable jelly.

Created a festive grilled cheese by cutting out silly jack-o-lantern faces on the top slice of bread.

Turn a sub sandwich into a serpent sandwich with green olive eyes and a red pepper tongue!

Your guests won't be scared to dive right in to this spooky layered dip!

To create edible spooky spiders use a whole black olive for the body and sliced strips of black olives for the legs. To save time you can use already prepared Guacamole.

Ingredients

Bean Layer
* 2 cans (16 oz each) lowfat refried black or pinto beans
* 1/4 chopped cilantro
* 2 Tbsp lime juice
* 1 Tbsp hot Mexican chili powder
* 1 tsp minced garlic
* 3 large plum tomatoes sliced
* 1 1/2 cups thick and chunky salsa
* 1 cup (4 oz) shredded Mexican cheese blend

Photo: Mary Ellen Bartley

Guacamole Layer
* 4 ripe avocados
* 3 Tbsp lime juice
* 2 Tbsp lime juice
* 2 Tbsp minced red onion
* 2 large jalapeno chilies, seeded and minced

Directions

1. Bean Layer: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. Scrape the mixture onto a 12- to 14-in. round serving plate and smooth into a 10-in. circle with a spatula. Arrange tomato slices around edge of bean layer to make a border.

2. Drain salsa in a strainer to get rid of excess juice. Spread over bean mixture, leaving some of the bean layer showing around the edge. Sprinkle cheese over salsa, leaving some of the salsa layer showing.

3. Guacamole: Halve avocados; remove seeds and spoon flesh into a medium bowl. Add lime juice, onion, jalapenos and salt, and mash until fairly smooth. Spoon over cheese layer and spread into an even layer.

4. Place sour cream in a zip top bag; seal bag and snip a small tip off one corner. Pipe a spiderweb design over guacamole and onto the plate. Decorate with toy spider. Serve with tortilla chips.

* Plan Ahead: You can make 4 hours ahead, cover and refrigerate.