Fire Ant Anthill Cake

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Icing
1/2 cup (125 mL) chocolate cookie crumbs
Sugar-coated green sour candy strips
Red candy-coated chocolate pieces, (such as M&Ms)
Mini red candy-coated pieces, (such as M&Ms Mini)
Black Royal Icing
White candy-coated mints

Preparation:

Place rectangular cake on serving tray; spread with two-thirds of the Cocoa Icing. Place dome cake on one narrow end for anthill; cover with remaining icing.

Sprinkle cake all over with cookie crumbs to look like soil. Press green candy strips onto bottom edges of rectangular cake for grass. Cut fringe along 1 edge of equal amount of green candy strips; press onto cake so grass stands above top edge. For ants, line up 1 large and 2 mini candy-coated chocolate pieces for each ant body. With piping bag and using black icing, pipe dots between candies; pipe line of icing along top to attach. Let dry. Turn over and pipe 6 legs; let dry. Press ants all over top of cake and anthill. Arrange white candy rocks on cake.

Devilled Giant Spider Eggs

*Cracking the shells then submerging them in dye gives them the cool spiderweb pattern.
1/4 tsp black paste food coloring
12 eggs
1/4 cup finely dices celery
1/4 cup finely diced sweet gherkin pickles
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp chopped green onion (green part only)
1/4 tsp chipolte chili powder
1/4 tsp salt

IN saucepan, whisk food coloring with6 cups water. Add eggs; bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs, 1 at a time, to a paper towel. Using handle of wooden spoon, tap each egg gently in several places to crack shell without completely splitting it open. Transfer eggs to large bowl. Cover with cooking water, and refrigerate for 1 hour or until cool. Peel eggs and half lengthwise. Arrange whites o platter and transfer yolks to bowl. Add celery, pickles, mayo, onion, chili powder, and salt to yolks. Mash to combine, adding more mayo if desired. Spoon or pipe into egg whites.

Creamy Cricket Dip

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Chill: 1 hr
Serves well with plain chips, tortilla chips, and fresh veggies.

2cups frozen green peas
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried mint

In saucepan of boiling water, cook peas until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to food processor. Add cream cheese, mayo, garlic, lemon juice, slat and mint; puree until smooth. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Baked Mini Donuts

Donuts
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 milk
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp shortening, melted
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Glaze
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp HOT water

Directions
Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly spray petite donut pan with cooking oil. IN a bowl, ix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add shortening, eggs, milk and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Fill each petite donut hole 2/3 full. Bake 8 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool. Remove from pan and dip in glaze. Decorate with sprinkles, nuts, shaved chocolate or coconut. Petite donuts may also be dipped into cinnamon sugar instead of glaze. When pan has cooled, wipe clean with cloth or paper towl and repeat process with remaining dough. Makes approx. 36 petite donuts.

Baking Powder Bread

4 c flour
6 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp melted shortening
1 1/2 c milk

Mix dry ingredients together. Add shortening and some milk to batter. Slowly add remaining milk until you reach a stiff dough. Bake in greased pan for about 55 minutes at 350F.

IMPORTANT: When working with baking powder or baking soda, do not beat the batter; stir only enough to just moisten the dry ingredients. There may still be lumps remaining in the dough, but this is okay. the more you mix a quick-bread batter, the more you develop the flour's gluten, and the tougher the resulting bread.

Baking Powder Biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Use a fork to blend in the oil. Add buttermilk and stir until the dough comes together.
3. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into biscuits.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:
3 Cups flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. In separate bowl, whisk egg. Blend buttermilk with egg and add all at once to the flour mixture. Mix just until moistened. Stir in butter. Pour dough into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in bread comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Wrap in foil for several hours, or overnight for best flavor.