SCARE UP SOME HALLOWEEN CREATIONS IN YOUR OWN FUN FACTORY.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Time to scare up some goodies to serve at a spooky, fun Halloween party for ghosts, goblins, and witches young and old.

To get the festivities in gear, offer a brew with floating ice hands. The hands are made by filling plastic gloves with water, tying securely at the cuff and then freezing. Fill the punch bowl with any mixture of juices or concentrates desired or use our easy recipe. Make sure to choose a juice with a vibrant color so the ice hands will show up as they float in the punch bowl.

Candy eyeballs go together in a jiffy with peanut butter, powdered sugar and chopped candy. Once rolled into balls, dip in melted white chocolate, then make eyes with BB's candies and squirt on bloodshot markings using a tube of red decorator gel.

Other options include Black Widow Mini Cakes - with Red Vines used for spider legs. Make the web on the serving plate. Or top cupcakes (use a mix for convenience) with gummy worms and dirt (made from Oreo cookies). Spiderweb Munch is another sweet that looks creative and tastes great - and of course if you'd like popcorn balls, there's a simple recipe for those, too.

For more substantial fare, offer a black pot - or a pumpkin - filled with your favorite chili or stew - or even soup. Let the kids express themselves and design jack-o'-lantern faces on mini pieces of pizza dough or English muffins. Set out pizza or tomato sauce, pieces of cheese, olives and red or green pepper and let them make their own.

For more fun stuff, have gummy worm candies crawl out of the mouth of a pumpkin cake or on top of brownies or make a graveyard cake by baking in a rectangular pan, then frosting and decorating with miniature Hershey bars, decorated with frosting gels, if desired.

To make the party or even a family gathering more fun, don't overlook the array of Halloween-themed pans, baking items, frostings, sprinkles and candies (in black and orange) available at places like Target, Wal-Mart, Cost Plus and cake decorating supply stores.

Natalie Haughton, [phone]

natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com

CANDY ``EYEBALLS''

1 cup creamy peanut butter (not all-natural)

2 tablespoons butter OR margarine, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 (2.1-ounce) Butterfinger OR other candy bar, finely chopped

1 (12-ounce) package white chocolate chips

3 tablespoons vegetable shortening

2 (1.7-ounce) packages Butterfinger BBs candies

1 small tube red decorator icing

Line 2 baking sheets with wax paper. Beat peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar until mixture holds together and is moistened. Stir in chopped candy bar. Shape into 1-inch ``eyeballs.'' Place on prepared baking sheets. Freeze 1 hour.

Melt white chips and shortening in large, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on medium-high (70 percent) power 1 minute 30 seconds; stir until smooth. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring until just melted. Remove one baking sheet of frozen ``eyeballs'' from freezer (keep other sheet in freezer until ready to use).

Dip one ``eyeball'' into melted white chocolate mixture using a wooden pick or skewer. Shake off excess and return to baking sheet. Gently press 1 Butterfinger BB on top of ``eyeball'' to make a ``pupil.'' Repeat procedure with remaining ``eyeballs'' on baking sheet. Refrigerate until coating is set. Repeat with remaining sheet of ``eyeballs'' and coating. You may find it necessary to reheat white chocolate mixture before dipping second batch.

Before serving, pipe red decorator icing around eyeballs to create bloodshot markings. Store in covered container in refrigerator. Best served cold. Makes about 33 ``eyeball'' candies.

BONE CHILLIN' BREW

FLOATING HANDS:

Water

Clear plastic food preparation gloves (available at restaurant supply and other stores)

Rubber bands OR twist ties

PUNCH:

2 (64-ounce) bottles punch-flavor 100 percent juice (such as Libby's Juicy Juice), chilled

1 (12-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, slightly thawed

4 (12-ounce) cans lemon-lime soda, chilled

For Floating Hands: Pour water into gloves, adding enough water to fill gloves loosely but not so full that the fingers will not move. Fasten gloves securely with rubber bands or twist ties so no water leaks out. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Place filled gloves on paper towels. Freeze 3 hours or longer, until firm.

For Punch: Combine 2 bottles juice and undiluted lemonade concentrate in a large punch bowl. Gradually stir in soda. Carefully cut gloves off hands with scissors. Float hands in punch. Makes about 24 (8-ounce) servings.

SPIDERWEB MUNCH

1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup powdered sugar

3 cups toasted rice cereal

Heat chocolate and 3/4 cup peanut butter in a small, heavy-duty saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth; remove from heat. Add powdered sugar, stir vigorously until smooth.

Place cereal in a large bowl. Add 1 cup melted chocolate mixture; stir to coat well. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Using a small metal spatula, shape into a 10-inch circle with slightly raised 1-inch-wide border. Pour remaining chocolate mixture in center of circle; spread to border.

For Spiderweb: Place remaining 1/4 cup peanut butter in small plastic bag. Cut tiny corner from bag; squeeze (heat in microwave a couple of seconds if necessary to soften) to pipe concentric circles on top of chocolate. Using a wooden pick or tip of a sharp knife, pull tip through peanut butter from center to border. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm. Garnish with a black plastic spider. Cut into wedges. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

GUMMY WORM CUPCAKES

CUPCAKES:

1 (18.25-ounce) box devil's food cake with pudding mix included (Betty Crocker recommended)

1 1/3 cups cola drink (Dr Pepper recommended)

3 eggs

1/2 cup canola oil 

FROSTING:

2 cans white vanilla-flavored frosting (Betty Crocker Creamy Deluxe Ready-to-Spread White Frosting recommended)

20 drops yellow food coloring

10 drops red food coloring

1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Gummy worm candies, halved

1/2 box cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos recommended), filling removed and cookies crushed

Line 2 (12-cupcake) muffin pans with paper cupcake liners. Set aside.

For Cake, in a large mixer bowl, combine cake mix, soda, eggs and oil. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl often. Fill cupcake papers 2/3 full with cake batter. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely on cooling racks before frosting.

For Frosting, in a medium mixing bowl, combine frosting, food colorings, orange extract and sifted powdered sugar until well blended. Spoon frosting into a pastry bag or zip-top bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round decorating tip. Pipe a ``cup'' onto the top of each cupcake by starting at the outside edge, circling twice and then working toward the center. Finish cupcakes by sticking gummy worms into frosting and sprinkling tops with crushed cookie ``dirt.'' Makes 24 cupcakes.

From Sandra Lee, Food Network show host and cookbook author.

MINI BLACK WIDOW CAKES

FILLING:

1 cup unwrapped caramels

1/4 cup whipping cream

CAKE:

1 (18.25-ounce) package devil's food cake mix

1 stick butter OR margarine, melted

1/8 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped Red Vines (red licorice; cut Red Vines in little pieces with scissors)

ASSEMBLY:

Glaze (recipe follows)

24 to 48 Red Vines (or use black, if desired) to make spider legs

Red Vines Syrup (recipe follows)

To make Filling, place caramels and cream in a pan over low heat. Stir until completely melted. Caramels burn easily, so do not walk away from them. Remove from heat and let cool.

To make Cake, in a mixer, combine cake mix, melted butter and milk. Mix on medium speed until well blended. Mixture will resemble dough.

Spray and flour mini cupcake tins (approximately 24 mini cupcakes). Fill each cupcake tin with 1 packed tablespoon chocolate cake mixture. Press on bottom of cupcake tins and partway up the sides. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 6 to 7 minutes.

Remove from oven and add 2/3 teaspoon caramel mixture to each. Place 1/2 teaspoon chopped Red Vines over caramel. Fill cupcake tins with 1 pressed teaspoon of chocolate mixture over caramel and Red Vines. Return to oven and bake until cupcake top is puffed and cracked, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 25 minutes. Carefully remove from cupcake tins. Appearance will be chewy and brownie-like.

To assemble spiders, place mini cakes upside down on a cake rack or wax paper and Glaze (by pouring and spreading glaze over them). Chill until set.

To make spider legs, cut Red Vines in half (horizontally), then cut each half lengthwise into 2 to 4 pieces depending on size of spider legs desired (thin vs. fat). Poke licorice around sides (in middle) of mini cupcake to make spider legs (so they are hanging out). Put Red Vines Syrup in squirt bottle and use to make eyes and mouths on mini cakes. Use syrup to draw a spider web on each serving plate. Top each with mini cupcake (with spider legs). Serve immediately. Makes 24 mini spider cakes.

GLAZE: Melt 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons butter over low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate mixture is smooth.

RED VINES SYRUP: In a medium pan, pour 1 cup water over 2 cups chopped Red Vines. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until vines are melted and mixture is smooth. Whisk in 1 tablespoon flour to thicken, if desired. Cool.

From Lulu Powers, a Los Angeles caterer.

TRICKS FOR TREATS

Ice cream cone witches' faces and hats

Place scoops of your favorite ice cream flavor on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Decorate with black shoestring licorice hair, chocolate chip eyes, candy corn noses and red decorating-gel frosting mouths. Flatten scoops slightly, then top with upside-down ice cream sugar cone hats (pressing into ice cream) and pipe chocolate gel around edges to make brims of hats. Freeze at least two hours; wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until solid.

Popcorn balls

Quickly toss popped corn (6 cups) and a few chopped candy bars with a mixture of melted butter (1/2 stick), heated with miniature marshmallows (3 1/2 cups) until smooth and melted. Using hands sprayed with cooking spray, form into six balls. Place on no-stick foil; cool, then store in airtight container.

Jack-o'-Lantern fruit cups

Cut the top off an orange, scoop out the flesh and carve a pumpkin face into the skin. Also make zig-zag cuts around the top edge of the orange. Then fill the orange with assorted cutup fresh fruits as desired.

Ghost cookies

Roll out store-bought sugar cookie dough, then cut into shapes using a ghost-shaped cookie cutter. Once baked and cooled, spread with white icing; use chocolate chips for the eyes. You can also bake pumpkin shapes, frost with orange-tinted icing and make fun faces with assorted candies.

Cheese balls

Make one giant or several mini cheese balls (made by blending lots of shredded Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, finely chopped red and green peppers, and herbs and spices) in the shape of pumpkins. Design a jack-o'-lantern face with black and green olives, red and green pepper strips or other edibles. Use a green pepper piece to simulate a stem on top.

Pumpkin dessert pizza

Bake chocolate chip or other cookie dough in a 12-inch pizza pan. Cool, then frost top with orange icing and decorate with a candy face.

Halloween hot chocolate

Make mugs of hot chocolate, then stand an orange pumpkin-shaped marshmallow Peeps or a white ghost marshmallow Peeps on a stirrer in the cups for a fast, fun look.

Candy-corn colored parfait

Make instant vanilla pudding according to package directions, color orange with red and yellow food colorings and layer in a parfait or other individual glass with chocolate cookie crumbs and chocolate syrup. Top with mandarin oranges and more chocolate wafers.

- N.H.

CAPTION(S):

9 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Make this year's Halloween party a SCREAM!

Ghoulish punch

Creepy cakes

Candy tricks

(2 -- color) Above, Bone Chillin' Brew.

(3 -- color) Popcorn balls

(4 -- color) Jack-o-Lantern fruit cups and Ghost cookies

(5 -- color) Ice cream cone witches' faces and hats

(6 -- color) no caption (graveyard cake)

(7 -- color) CANDY ``EYEBALLS''

(8 -- color) MINI BLACK WIDOW CAKES

(9 -- color) GUMMY WORM CUPCAKES

Box:

TRICKS FOR TREATS (see text)