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Halloween: Festive Pumpkins & Striped Green Snakes

Source of Recipe

The Sugar Association


List of Ingredients

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla

---For Pumpkin Decoration---
3 oz light or Neufchatel cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
Red and yellow food coloring
Black licorice, cut into small triangles for eyes and thin long
Pieces for mouth
Green sprinkles

---For Snake Decoration---
Red baking candies or "red hots" for eyes



Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheet.

In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, oil, egg and vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture and mix well forming a stiff dough. If you want to make both cookies, divide the dough into two balls.

To make pumpkin cookies, shape a 2-inch circle and flatten. Add a stem to the top. Cover stem with green sprinkles. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and let cool. To make frosting, mix cream cheese and vanilla. Add powdered sugar and mix thoroughly until smooth. Add equal amount of yellow and red food coloring to make orange. Spread over cooled pumpkins. Make the face with licorice.

To make snakes, mix roughly 8-10 drops of green food coloring into dough. Since the coloring will not mix evenly, the dough will yield striped snakes. Roll out the dough to about 6-7 inches long and 1/4-inch wide. Shape the dough with two S curves. Put two red candies in for eyes. Bake for 8-10 minutes. These snakes will cook quickly so be careful not to over-bake. Carefully remove from baking sheet and let cool.