[2] Fresh ginger root is dried, then ground (photo © Silk Road Spice Merchant—which sells beautiful spices).

We don’t have the skill that of the professional who created these nifty skeleton designs, but we used the opportunity to practice, practice, practice (and although we still need a lot of practice, the cookies taste great). You can also try a paint brush instead of piping.
 
 
RECIPE: HALLOWEEN SKELETON GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Ingredients

For The Gingerbread

• 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

 
For The Royal Icing

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 large egg whites, beaten

1. CREAM the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and beat well. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again to thoroughly combine.

2. SIFT the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add to creamed mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.

3. DIVIDE the dough into three balls and flatten slightly. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and chill thoroughly: at least an hour (or you can do this part a day in advance).

4. ROLL out the dough and use your cookie cutter to create the forms. Bake at 350°F for 9 minutes. Cool and ice.

5. MAKE the icing: Sift the powdered sugar and cream of tartar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat in the beaten egg whites, for about 5 minutes or until the icing is thick enough to hold its shape. Use immediately.
 
 
> GINGERBREAD HISTORY

> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF COOKIES

> THE HISTORY OF COOKIES
  

While crafty cooks are inspired to turn ice cream cones into witches’ hats and use candies to create ghost and black cat faces on a scoop of vanilla or chocolate, specific Halloween ice cream flavors don’t typically come to mind. (When did you last see pumpkin ice cream?)

Baskin Robbins will sell you an ice cream cake in the shape of a jack o’lantern or a haunted house.

But our friends at Talenti inspired us by carving a jack o’lantern face into their Alphonse Mango Sorbetto, naturally colored like a harvest moon.

Perfect, we thought; and promptly bought a few pints to carve and then pass, lid on, around the dinner table as a Halloween surprise.

With its deep orange color, we nominate mango a Halloween flavor, served plain or with a scoop of vanilla for a delicious “Creamsicle” effect. For extra panache, layer the flavors in a glass parfait or sundae dish or a wine goblet.

More Halloween ice cream ideas:

• Substitute orange sorbet for mango, or serve them together.
• Freeze orange or mango sorbet into balls and make jack o’lantern faces with a tube of black decorating gel.
• Top ice cream with a Halloween cookie, such as Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Oreos, Pepperidge Farm Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies (soft, oversize cookies you can use as a base for the ice cream), or Lucy’s Gluten Free Pumpkin Patch Cookies. We also discovered a local brand of ginger snaps shaped like jack o’lanterns (plain ginger snaps will do) and pumpkin spice cookie mixes from Betty Crocker and Pillsbury.
• Candy corn: a few kernels create a seasonal garnish for vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
• Try eyeball candy instead of a maraschino cherry.

 
Other ideas? Let us know!

The roasted almonds are sweetened with sugar, brown sugar and honey, and spiced with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and pumpkin powder (dried, ground pumpkin—look for it at natural food stores or online). The 19.75-ounce can is available at retailers nationwide (approximately $9.95 depending on retailer).

It’s easy to make spiced nuts—almonds, pecans, walnuts or other favorite—to enjoy:

• With cocktails
• As snacks
• As garnish for cakes, cupcakes, puddings, ice cream and other treats
• In green salads with goat cheese or blue cheese
• As sides with coffee, tea and hot chocolate
• As gifts, in a small tin, plastic container or cellophane bag tied with ribbon

 
RECIPE: PUMPKIN SPICED NUTS

We adapted this recipe from one by Spice Islands. The nuts can be made up to three days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. If you’re making a lot, it’s best to make them in small batches to ensure that the nuts are thoroughly coated.

Limited Edition Planters Pumpkin Spice Almonds. Nuts are better-for-you for snacking; these Planters nuts have 5 grams of protein in every serving.

• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin powder
• 1/8 teaspoon finely-ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground clove or nutmeg
• 2 cups almonds

 
Varying The Spices

Instead of a pepper-allspice blend, you can use cayenne and other favorites. There is no right or wrong combination: just what you like. For an herbal edge, we often add rosemary or sage. Consider adding:

1. PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. COMBINE corn syrup, sugar, salt, black pepper, allspice and white pepper in a bowl. Add pecans; stir gently to coat. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.

3. BAKE almonds for 5 minutes; stir. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes more, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer pecans to a sheet of wax paper. Separate nuts with a fork. Cool.
  

Dana’s Bakery makes delicious macarons; they’ve been a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week, and a favorite gift we send to macaron lovers (the Macaron Of The Month Club is a luxurious gift for the connoisseur).

The cookies are both tender and tantalizing, thanks to Dana’s eye for color and palate for flavor. We haven’t found more creative offerings anywhere.

The “Flavor of the Month” for October is Candy Corn, is a vanilla macaron in candy corn colors—orange, white and yellow. And surprise: There’s a piece of candy con embedded in the filling.

Candy Corn macarons are available until October 31st at DanasBakery.com or by calling 1.800.477.1816 ($30 for twelve).

Bonus: All macarons are made with gluten-free almond flour.

THE HISTORY OF MACAROONS & MACARONS
  

Pumpkin cider, with or without rum. Photo ©
Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog.

People speak of comfort foods; this is a comfort drink. Thick, flavorful, fragrant pumpkin cider made with pumpkin purée is a seasonal treat that can be served to kids or turned into a cocktail with spiced rum.
RECIPE: SPICED PUMPKIN CIDER

Ingredients For 2 Drinks

1. COMBINE the pumpkin, cider, spice and cinnamon stick in a medium-large pot. Bring the mixture to a boil; then simmer for 20 minutes. If you’d prefer a thinner drink, add more cider to achieve desired consistency.

2. REMOVE the cinnamon stick; strain the mixture to remove any clumps. Add the rum stir. Garnish with optional whipped cream or nutmeg. Serve warm.