Halloween is just around the corner, which means bags of candy corn, M&M’s and Reese’s Cups will start disappearing off store shelves. But some of the best treats are those made right in your own kitchen.

Local mom Destiney Robb says she likes homemade Halloween treats because their preparation is an activity she can share with her children.

“It’s fun to involve the kids with making things,” she said. “Showing them the picture … and letting them see that they can help. I think it feels special to them when they can bring treats to their class that they’ve made at home.”

Robb has three children, Ethan, 4, Shanon, 10, and Mila, 15, and one of their favorite spooky snacks at Halloween is mummy dogs.

A Halloween take on traditional pigs in a blanket, mummy dogs are great for Halloween parties, Robb said.

“They were a big hit with the kids last year,” she said.

 

Mummy dogs

1 can of refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

10 hotdogs

Mustard

Unroll the dough and separate at the perforations, creating four rectangles.

Cut each rectangle lengthwise into about 10 pieces, and wrap the pieces around the hotdogs to look like bandages on a mummy.

Leave part of the hotdog exposed to create a face for the mummy dog.

Place the mummy dogs on a large, ungreased cookie sheet. Spray dough lightly with cooking spray.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until dough is golden brown and hotdogs are hot.

Use mustard to draw faces on your mummy dogs.

— Recipe from Pillsbury.com

 

And, of course, Halloween wouldn’t be the official candy holiday if you didn’t pile in all the best candy into one recipe.

Candy corn cookie crunch

1 pound of almond bark candy coating, brown or white chocolate

14 Oreos, broken into pieces

1.5 cups of pretzels, broken into pieces

1 cup of candy corn

1/2 cup of peanuts

1/4 cup of Reese’s pieces or chocolate M&M’s

1/2 cups of peanut M&M’s

Sprinkles

Cover a cookie sheet with waxed paper or foil and spread the pretzels, cookies, peanuts and about three-fourths of the candy corn on the sheet.

Melt the chocolate or candy coating, and drizzle it over the mixture. Before it sets, sprinkle on the remaining candy corn, M&M’s and sprinkles.

Place the tray into the refrigerator and let it set. Break into pieces to serve.

— Recipe from scrambledhenfruit.com

 

If your sweet tooth doesn’t ache for candy this Halloween, pick up some green apples, peanut butter and marshmallows, and get ready to dabble in food art.

Monster mouths

Green apples

Peanut butter

Mini marshmallows

To make monster mouths, slice the apples to make lips.

Cover the apple with peanut butter, leaving the apple skin exposed. Place marshmallows in the peanut butter of one apple slice, and place another slice covered in peanut butter on top to make a mouth.