Delish Thursday: It's A Graveyard Smash With This Halloween Treat

Hi Friends!

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year…”

Okay, I know that is a Christmas carol, but it fits for this time of year as well. Who doesn’t love Autumn?

I have to guess that your menu, like mine, changes as the temperatures get cooler. And as we flip the calendar to October it is also a fun time to make our menu a little more ghoulish. (No that is not a typo, I didn’t mean goulash, I really did mean ghoulish! Although ghoulish goulash is not a bad idea!)

I love to make Halloween treats and recipes!

Every October around this time we gather as a family and have a pumpkin painting contest. It is a great tradition that we all look forward to every year.

Our sons, daughters-in-law and grandkids all paint pumpkins and at the end of the evening there are prizes for everyone.

Part of the fun of that evening is the menu. We always have hot dogs, chili, Cheetos Bones, graveyard veggies (raw carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, etc.), Monster Stomp cookies or Monster Toe cookies ( I switch these up, or if I have time, I make both.), Graveyard Crunch and homemade root beer. The food is monstrously delightful.

This month I am going to share some of these recipes with you and encourage you to start your own family pumpkin painting traditions. Enjoy and HAPPY OCTOBER!!!

GRAVEYARD CRUNCH

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 18 (1/2 cup) servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup maple-flavored syrup
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 cups GOLDEN GRAHAMS cereal
1 cup dry roasted or honey roasted peanuts
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup candy corn
1 cup M&M’s candy (Preferably Halloween colors)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Place the syrup, butter and cinnamon in a large microwavable bowl.
Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir until the butter is completely melted.
Add the cereal and peanuts; mix lightly.
Pour mixture onto a well-greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan and spread it out evenly.
Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Cool completely.
Break into pieces and place in a large serving bowl.
Add marshmallows and candies.
Mix lightly.
Store in a tightly sealed container at room temperature.

* Other ideas you can add to this once the baked mixture has cooled are pretzel sticks or chocolate covered pretzels, Bugles, chocolate covered candies (raisins or peanuts), Reese's Pieces, or mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Delish Thursday is a KDXU weekly feature written by local St. George culinary expert Laura Squires. Laura doesn't have a restaurant or bakery, but if you've ever tasted her food, you know that she is one of the best food artists in the world! Laura has been a resident of Southern Utah for more than 30 years.