Recipes for a couple delicious Halloween treats

Halloween Sugar Cookies

From Central Florida judicial candidate Barbara Leach

Cookie Ingredients:

-2 sticks of butter, softened

-1 cup of sugar

-1 large egg

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-1/2 teaspoon almond extract

-15 ounces of flour

Mix butter, sugar, egg, vanilla extract and almond extract on low to medium speed until blended, about 2 minutes

Add flour and xix again on low speed. Be sure to scrape down the bowl. This dough gets thick!

I roll my dough out on a flexible, plastic cutting board covered with plastic wrap, so I don’t have to worry about the dough sticking to anything, nor do I have to use “extra flour” and worry about it getting too dry.

After I roll it out, using 1/2 inch dowels for a consistent thickness, I stick the plastic cutting board in the freezer so the dough hardens. This gives crisp lines when using the cookie cutters.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-18 minutes, depending on the cookie thickness.

Icing Ingredients:

-5 tablespoons meringue powder

-2 lbs. confectioners’ sugar

-2/3 cup of water

Mix all ingredients together at a low to medium speed for 5 minutes. Add a little water as needed to achieve proper consistency. Be careful not to overbeat.

Add gel paste at the end for desired coloring.

Pumpkin Roll

From Watermark owner/publisher Rick Claggett

Cake Ingredients:

-1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)

-3/4 cup all-purpose flour

-1/2 teaspoon baking powder

-1/2 teaspoon baking soda

-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

-1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-3 large eggs

-1 cup granulated sugar

-2/3 cup pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch shallow sheet pan. Line with parchment paper, grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together. Cool on wire rack.

Filling:

-8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

-1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

-6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.