Treats, Treats, Treats!

Fall is a wonderful time to have fun with your friends and enjoy some homemade goodies. Your friends will be impressed when you tell them you made the treats yourself. They may even want the recipe to make some too. So head to the kitchen and cook up a batch (or maybe two!) of yummy snacks to share.

Sugar Cinnamon Chips

·        Use any variety Pita bread

·        butter

·        sugar

·        cinnamon

Instructions:

Mix a small amount of cinnamon and sugar together in a cup.

Separate Pita bread, cut into triangles or 1/2 in. strips.

 Coat lightly with butter.

 Sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar mix.

Spread chips on cookie sheet and bake at 350° on middle rack until golden brown (20-30 minutes. Courtesy Kangaroo Brand foods.

Smucker’s Spider Web Tartlets

 Serving Size: 8 Tartlets

 Ingredients: 

• 1 16-ounce log refrigerated sugar cookie dough

• Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

• 1 cup (12-ounce jar) Smucker’s Apricot Preserves

• 3/4 cup flour

• 1 tube black cake decorating gel

Directions:

1.      Preheat the oven to 375° F degrees.  Unwrap cookie dough and place in medium mixing bowl.  With floured hands, knead flour into cookie dough.  Roll dough back into log shape, place on clean cutting board and cut into eight equal slices.  With floured fingers, place dough circles onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with nonstick spray.

2.      Gently press dough circles, flattening to make each one approximately 4 inches in diameter.  With thumb and forefinger, pinch the edge of each dough circle to create a ridge all around.  Pinch each dough circle along the ridge to make eight points.

3.      Spread 2 tablespoons of Smucker’s Jam (or Simply Fruit) onto each dough circle, making sure to spread it all the way to the edges and in the points.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes.  Bake 12 - 14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

4.      Remove tartlets from baking sheet and cool on wire rack.  When cool, use the black decorating gel to make a spider web design. Compliments of Smucker’s.

Autumn Punch

This hot brew, made from orange gelatin and apple juice and stirred with cinnamon sticks, is sure to warm up everyone

·         3 cups boiling water

·        1 pkg. (8-serving size) JELL-O Brand Orange Flavor Gelatin

·        4 cups boiling apple juice

·        8 cinnamon sticks

Stir boiling water into dry gelatin mix in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in boiling apple juice. Pour into 8 mugs.
Serve hot with cinnamon sticks. Makes 8 servings, about 1 cup each.

Banana in a Blanket  

• 1 flour tortilla - “6” diameter
• 1 tbsp. smooth peanut butter
• 1 medium banana

 Instructions: 

 Lay tortilla on plate.  Spread peanut butter evenly on tortilla.  Place banana on side closest to you and roll.  Compliments of Carrie Hall 

OREO® Caramel-Dipped Apples 

•  5 medium apples, washed, well dried
• 1 pkg. (14 oz.) KRAFT Caramels (about 50)
• 12 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, coarsely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
• 1 square BAKER'S Premium White Baking Chocolate, melted
• Yellow and red food coloring (optional)

Insert wooden pop stick (from bag of caramels) into stem end of each apple; set aside.

Place caramels and 2 Tbsp. water in large saucepan; cook on medium-low heat until caramels are melted, stirring frequently.

Dip apples into melted caramel, spooning caramel over apples to coat.

Roll in chopped cookies, pressing cookies gently into caramel to secure. Place on wax-paper-lined baking sheet; let stand 25 minutes or until caramel is set.

Stir 4 drops yellow food coloring and 1 drop red food coloring into melted white chocolate to tint orange. Cool 15 minutes. Drizzle over apples; let stand until firm. Store in refrigerator up to 2 days. Courtesy of Kraft

 Smucker’s Ooey Gooey Fruit Dip 

Serving Size:  16 2-tablespoon servings

 Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup Smucker’s Grape Jam or Jelly
• 1/2 cup Smucker’s Seedless Raspberry Jam
• 1/2 cup Smucker’s Apple Butter
• 1 16-ounce can dark sweet cherries, drained

Directions: 

In a blender, mix all ingredients together until well-blended, but not liquefied. Slowly pour dip into a saucepan and warm mixture over medium heat, stirring, just until jams are melted.  Refrigerate dip until chilled and serve with apple and/or pear slices.