Happy Haunting

Witches Fingers
Use your favorite bread machine recipe for dough. Before adding the dry ingredients add 8 or so drops of green food coloring and stir. After the dough has risen once, form it into breadsticks. (we like to make ours lumpy, it looks like knuckles) Then press a sliced almond into one end. (Press it in really deep because when the bread rises it will push out some.) Brush with egg wash (1 egg and 2 tsp. water wisked together.) Bake as directed for rolls.


Baked Bones
Bones made from manicotti shells and mushrooms, blood tomato sauce, and cheese "marrow" make for this spooky and fun baked dish. Easy to put together and to make ahead of time, this is a great dinner party dish. Don't be tempted to omit the mushrooms even if you don't like them. They keep the manicotti rounded and "bony" looking.

14 manicotti shells
28 medium white mushrooms
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 eggs
2 pounds ricotta cheese
2 cups Parmesan cheese, divided
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
Salt
White pepper
3 cups favorite smooth tomato sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease individual baking dishes or a large baking dish. Cook the manicotti shells according to the package directions until al dente, but not too soft. Drain well and toss to remove most of the water. While the manicotti is cooking, clean the mushrooms well and toss with the lemon juice to prevent browning. Beat the eggs, ricotta, half the Parmesan, half the mozzarella, and the spices in a medium bowl until smooth. Pour the sauce into the prepared baking dish(es). Stuff the manicotti with the ricotta mixture using a long handled small spoon or a pastry bag and tip. The filling should be packed, but not so tightly that it cracks or breaks the shells. Add a mushroom to the end of each shell and place in the baking dish. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and sprinkle the remaining cheeses over the bones. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted. Serve hot. (The mushroom kind of fell out of the shells during baking so I recomend placing the "bones" close together so they can't fall out. I guess mushrooms shrink while baking.)

Makes 6 servings.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour