Slithering Snake Stromboli

Adapted from www.foodnetwork.com. You also can use refrigerated pizza dough.

1 can (8 ounces) reduced-fat crescent rolls

Flour for dusting

4 tablespoons honey or spicy Dijon mustard

10 thin slices of ham

10 thin slices of salami

10 thin slices of pepperoni

8 ounces shredded Italian-blend cheese

3 egg yolks, divided

Liquid food coloring

2 whole cloves

Toothpicks

2 small pimiento-stuffed olives

1-inch piece of roasted red pepper or 1 sun-dried tomato

PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees.

LINE a baking sheet with foil and grease the foil or coat with nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray.

LIGHTLY DUST work surface with flour. Spread out the crescent dough on work surface, but do not separate. Carefully press together the perforated seams so that you have 1 piece of dough. Roll out to make a large rectangle. Make sure the dough is not stuck to the surface.

BRUSH the dough with choice of mustard, leaving a 1-inch border. Layer the meats down the center of the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border on the ends. Sprinkle the cheese on top of meat slices.

FOLD 1 side of the dough completely over the meats, lengthwise, tucking it under if necessary. Fold the other side over, pressing to seal the filling inside.

LIGHTLY BEAT 1 egg yolk. Brush the egg yolk over the dough. Then fold the dough in half again lengthwise and pinch the seam together to seal. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Shape into an S and taper one end for a tail; round the other end into a head shape.

BEAT the 2 remaining egg yolks together. Transfer to 2 to 3 separate small bowls and add food coloring of choice. Using a brush, paint the snake with the egg yolk mixture.

INSERT 2 cloves into the head to look like nostrils and 2 stuffed olives for eyes, securing them with toothpicks. Create a mouth or tongue with the roasted red pepper. Bake the snake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from oven. Let set 10 minutes before slicing.

Yield: Serves: 12 (1 1/2-inch slices)

Haunted Graveyard Pudding Cake

Adapted from www.kraftfoods.com.

2 packages (3.9 ounces each) chocolate instant pudding

3 cups cold 2 percent milk

1 tub (8 ounces) frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed

1 1/2 cups crushed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies

5 Vienna Fingers cookies

Decorating gel

5 candy pumpkins

Candy corn

Gummy worms

In a large bowl, WHISK together the pudding mixes and milk for 2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in the whipped topping and half of the cookie crumbs. Spread into a shallow dish, such as a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining crumbs.

Refrigerate 1 hour. Meanwhile, DECORATE the Vienna Finger s as desired with decorating gel to resemble tombstones.

INSERT decorated cookies into top of dessert just before serving. Scatter the candies and gummy worms throughout the graveyard. More decorating tips: Use snipped pieces of green chewy fruit snack rolls to create grass around the graveyard. Spoon mounds of additional whipped topping to resemble ghosts and use chocolate sprinkles or mini chocolate chips for eyes.

Yield: Serves 18

Marshmallow Skulls On Brownie Coffins

Adapted from Martha Stewart Halloween, October 2011 issue.

1 box (18.25 ounces) favorite brownie mix

Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray

25 to 30 marshmallows

Chocolate sprinkles

3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips melted

PREPARE the brownie mix according to package directions using a 9-by-13-inch pan. Cool the mix and then cut the brownies into coffin or tombstone shapes. A measuring spoon with a rounded edge works great as a guide to making a tombstone shape. Cut out as many as you can; you should get at least 25 shapes that are about 1 1 / 2 inches wide and 2 inches long.

SPRAY a clean pair of scissors with nonstick spray to keep the marshmallows from sticking. Using scissors, trim a curved side from each marshmallow to create a flat surface for the skull to rest on. To shape the face, trim a little off each side, angled in from top (forehead) to bottom (chin). To taper the chin, trim a little off the bottom of each marshmallow at an angle. Cut a slit above chin for a mouth.

Using a toothpick, POKE 2 holes in each marshmallow for eyes and 1 in- between for a nose; insert sprinkles into the holes. Set aside.

PLACE the brownie tombstones on a plate. Drizzle each one with melted chocolate and place a marshmallow skull on top.

Yield: Serves 25

Gnarly Chicken Tender Witches’ Fingers

Adapted from several recipes.

Don’t cut the tenders perfectly straight, the more unevenly shaped the better. Using purplish/black pitted Kalamata olives for fingernails adds flavor and gives the witches’ fingers a creepy look.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper to taste or favorite all-purpose seasoning

1 large egg, beaten

1 cup Italian or favorite bread crumbs

12 chicken tenders, cut in half lengthwise

12 whole black olives, pitted, cut in half lengthwise

1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded

1 cup pizza or marinara sauce for dipping

PREHEAT the broiler. Grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil and set aside.

PUT the flour in a pie plate and season with the salt and pepper or all-purpose seasoning. Place the egg in a bowl and place the bread crumbs on a shallow dish or pie plate. Working in batches, dust the chicken tenders with the seasoned flour. Then dip them into the bowl of beaten egg, letting the excess drip off and then roll each strip in bread crumbs. Place strips on baking sheet.

BROIL the witches’ fingers about 8 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked through.

Meanwhile, to make fingernails, CUT the olives in half lengthwise. Trim the halves into pointy nail shapes.

REMOVE the chicken fingers from the broiler and carefully place olives on the tips of the fingers. If they don’t stay on, add a dab of cream cheese to the tip of the nail and press the olive on so it holds in place.

ARRANGE the witches’ fingers on a bed of shredded head and serve with pizza or marinara sauce. You can also serve these with barbecue sauce and ranch or honey mustard dressings.

Yield: Makes 24