Choco treats for Halloween

MANILA, Philippines - Hershey’s unearths enchanting recipes that will leave everyone mesmerized this Halloween. Sink your fangs on easy-to-make desserts tried and tested at Hershey’s kitchen. Get the kids to help out and share these bewitching bites to trick or treaters and the rest of the family. If they ask “what’s your secret?,” tell them it’s not witchcraft. It’s Hershey’s.

Chocolate Swirl Lollipop Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. orange extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly grated orange peel

Few drops of red and yellow food color (optional)

1 oz. Hershey’s Unsweetened Baking Chips, melted

about 24 wooden popsicle sticks

Procedure:

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until blended. Add eggs and extracts; beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add 1-1/4 cups flour, blending until smooth. Stir in remaining 1 cup flour, baking soda and salt until mixture is well blended.

Place half of batter in medium bowl; stir in orange peel. Stir in food color, if desired. Melt chocolate as directed on package; stir into remaining half of batter. Cover. Refrigerate both mixtures until firm enough to roll.

With a rolling pin or fingers (between two pieces of wax paper), roll chocolate and orange mixtures each into 10x8-inch rectangle. Remove wax paper; place orange mixture on top of chocolate. Starting on longest side, roll up the dough tightly, forming into 12-inch roll; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm.

Heat oven to 350°F. Remove plastic wrap from roll; cut into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Place on cookie sheet at least three inches apart. Insert popsicle stick into each cookie.

Bake for eight to 10 minutes or until cookie is almost set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Wrap each cookie in plastic wrap and tie with ribbon, if desired. Makes about 24 cookies.

Midnight Chocolate Cheesecake Cookie Cups

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 pc. egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsps. Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa or Hershey’s Cocoa

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

Whipped topping or sweetened whipped cream

42 Hershey’s Kisses special dark mildly sweet chocolates, unwrapped and divided

Procedure:

Heat oven to 350°F. Paper or foil line 30 small (1-3/4 inch diameter) muffin cups.

Beat butter and shortening in medium bowl until fluffy. Beat in sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Gradually blend into butter mixture. Blend well.

Drop rounded teaspoonful of dough into each prepared muffin cup. Using back of spoon, push dough up sides of muffin cup forming crater in cup. (If you are having difficulty with this step, refrigerate pans for about 10 minutes and then continue.) Prepare chocolate; evenly divide into muffin cups. (Cups will be very full.)

Bake for 15 minutes or until cheesecake is set. Cool completely in a pan on wire rack. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, top each cheesecake cup with whipped topping rosette and chocolate piece. Makes 30 dessert cups.

Chocolate filling:

Beat two packages (3 oz. ea.) softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar until well blended. Beat in 1 egg, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1/8 tsp. salt. Place 12 chocolates in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at medium (50 percent) for 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating until chocolates are melted and smooth when stirred. Cool slightly, blend into cheesecake batter.