Tot Chefs!

In the public library where I work as a Youth Services Specialist, we host a quarterly baking program I dubbed "Bake with Me" where children as young as 2 and old as 6 can experience real food creation as they become tot chefs for the morning! It's a cooking class/story experience that encourages motor skills, counting skills, and creativity, while promoting special one-on-one time with parents and caregivers. For the fall season, however, our Halloween "trick" was that none of our "treats" required any baking at all! On Oct. 25, the kids and I created four special Halloween desserts that are cute, easy, and so much fun! If you need ideas for next Halloween, or for funny kids snacks any time of year, check out the simple recipes below:

Apple Fangs (inspired by the Disney Family Fun "Apple Bites" recipe)

Ingredients:

1/4 apple (cut in half twice)

1 Tablespoon peanut butter

2 almond slivers

Directions:

1.) Spoon peanut butter (or a peanut butter substitute if your child is allergic) onto the center of the apple slice.

2.) Press 2 almond slivers onto the peanut butter for fangs.

3.) Bite carefully, if you dare...and enjoy!

Mummy Wands (inspired by the Bright Ideas M&M'S blog "Mummies" recipe)

Ingredients:

1 large pretzel stick

1 Tablespoon vanilla frosting

2 mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1.) Use a spoon to drizzle or smear vanilla frosting onto your pretzel stick in strips like a mummy's wrapping.

2.) Dot the stick with 2 mini chocolate chips for eyes.

3). Time to eat it! Spookily delicious!

Banana Ghosts (Inspired by the Disney Family Fun "Banana Ghosts" recipe)

Ingredients:

½ banana (cut horizontally)

Drizzle of honey

¼ cup coconut flakes

2 mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1.) Cut your banana in half and drizzle with honey to coat.

2.) Roll the banana in coconut flakes until it looks white as a ghost.

3.) Add 2 chocolate chips for the eyes!

Spider Cookies (the most labor intensive, but the most adorable--inspired by many similar recipes, such as the Bright Ideas M&M'S blog "Spider Cupcakes" recipe).

Ingredients:

1 Oreo or other sandwich cookie

1 Tablespoon chocolate frosting

2 Tablespoons chocolate sprinkles

2 candy eyes

4 mini pretzel sticks

Directions:

1.) Dip cookie top in frosting, then sprinkles.

2.) Use dots of frosting to stick candy eyes to the cookie top.

3.) Snap pretzels in half to make 8 legs. Open the cookies and place 4 on each side, sticking them into the cream!

These directions were kept especially short and sweet so that the kids and parents could easily follow them in the limited time period of a single library program. The results were definitely a success!

Nom, nom, nom the mummy!

Spider cookies!

And some kids got a little experimental with their spiders....