Trick or Treat - Bug Treats for Halloween

Whether you’re staying at home, doing a drive-by haunting, or heading out to trick-or-treat this weekend, we’ve got some tasty treats to make this Halloween a success!

Brownie Spiders

Okay, for this one, you’ll need brownie mix, chocolate chips, 18 candy eyeballs, and crispy chow mein noodles (get plenty, you’ll need more later). You’ll also need a round biscuit or cookie cutter - 2-2.5 inches.

First, prepare and bake one 15.8 oz brownie mix in an 8-inch square pan, lined with parchment paper. Let it cool completely.

While the brownies are cooling, melt a ½-cup of semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave.  Set aside about a tablespoon of the melted chocolate, then pour in 2-cups of the chow mein noodles. Stir gently to make sure they’re fully covered. Then spread the coated noodles out on a wax-paper lined baking sheet and place in the freezer until they set.

Now cut out as many round segments as you can from the brownie pan – an 8-inch pan should yield 9  rounds...and some extra bits for the baker to snack on.

Use the set aside melted chocolate (reheat if necessary) and use it to attach the eye candy to each round. Use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to poke holes for the legs in the top of each round. After the noodles are set, pull them out of the freezer and place into the holes

Voilà! Nine “Brownie Spiders” to share and enjoy!

Corn Dog Centipedes and Caterpillars

This is a simple, but fun, lunchtime treat! You’ll need 9 mini corn dogs, those extra chow mein noodles or potato sticks, and some ketchup – preferably in a squeeze bottle.

The first step is to bake the mini corn dogs according to the packaging instructions. You could also substitute chicken popcorn bites or even small nuggets for the corn dogs.

While those are baking, prepare the chow mein noodles (or potato sticks). You don’t want to bake them, as that will leave you with crumbly bits instead of insect legs.

Once they are done, pull the dogs or chicken out of the oven, and carefully arrange them into one 9-segment centipede, or a few 4-5 segment caterpillars. Take the longest noodles and press them into the first segment, as antennae. Then go to the back and add the shorter noodles as legs – a pair on each segment.

If you need to wait before serving, keep these edible insects in an oven at 200-degrees. When ready to serve, use the ketchup to add two dots  to the “front” segment as eyes. And enjoy!

Spider-web Chocolate Ganache Cake

For this family-pleaser, you’ll need a box of chocolate cake mix, unsalted butter, confectioners' sugar, marshmallow crème, vanilla extract, heavy cream, a tube of store-bought vanilla icing, and the rest of those semisweet chocolate chips.

Start by buttering and flouring two 9” cake pans. Prepare & bake the cake batter according to package instructions and let it completely cool.

Frosting: While the cakes are baking, use a large bowl to combine 1/2 cup softened, salted butter, 1 cup of confectioner’s (powdered) sugar, a small jar of marshmallow crème, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, and a pinch of Kosher salt. Beat it by hand until fluffy.

After the cakes cool, place the first cake on a platter or large plate. Top with the second cake.

Ganache: In a small saucepan, heat ¾ cup heavy cream just until it bubbles. Place 1-1/2 cups of chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and pour over the heavy cream. Let stand 2 minutes, then whisk until chocolate is completely combined.

Finally, pour the ganache over cake. Frost a spiral of frosting on top of ganache and use a toothpick to draw cobwebs. This cake serves 6-10 people and is delicious!

Of course, you can count on Good News Pest Solutions if you happen to encounter real life spiders and other creepy crawlies in your home. We were safe for the whole family even before the Coronavirus shutdown. For more information, ask to speak to one of our expert technicians when you call!

Happy Halloween! Trick or Treat! and...be safe.