A trifecta of treats, no tricks

Halloween is nearly upon us. Here are some fun recipes to make your week a little sweeter.

Halloween Explosion

All your favorite Halloween goodies in one chocolate bark!

What You'll Need:

12 oz. White chocolate chips or candy coating;

12 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate chips or candy coating;

Orange gel food coloring - optional;

Chocolate sandwich cookies;

Assorted chocolate candies, candy bars, candy corn, pretzels;

Candy eyeballs – made by Wilton - optional.

Here's How:

Cover a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Break cookies or candy into pieces.

Using the microwave and microwave safe bowls - melt chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring until melted and glossy. In another bowl repeat the process with the white chocolate, dividing if you want both orange and white. To color white chocolate orange, add gel coloring, found with cake decorating supplies. Don't use liquid food coloring because it has too much moisture which makes chocolate seize and get grainy.

Place dollops of each color chocolate on the parchment. With a knife, swirl in an "S" motion to marble the colors. While chocolate is still warm, press all the goodies into the chocolate. Let cool. Cut or break into pieces.

Chocolate Pretzels

Festive, easy and delicious!

What you'll need:

Pretzels

Chocolate chips or candy coating

Assorted Holiday sprinkles

Here's How:

Using the microwave and a microwave safe bowl - melt chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring until melted and glossy. Dip pretzels in chocolate and sprinkle with, well … sprinkles. Set on parchment or wax paper until set. Devour.

Cinnamon Snakes

Clever little treats; everyone will wonder how you got them to spiral.

What You'll Need:

Bamboo skewers

1 (13.8 ounce) can refrigerated pizza dough;

1/2 plus 1/4 cup Demerara sugar - divided;

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon - divided;

1’4 cup butter - melted;

1 tablespoon white or chocolate chips;

Wilton eyes and fruit leather for tongue.

Here's How:

Preheat oven to 425Â°. Spray or line a baking sheet with parchment. Roll the dough on a floured surface to Â¼ inch, roughly 18 x 11 inches. Sprinkle the dough with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and Â¼ cup demerara sugar. Using a pizza cutter cut the dough into even strips about one inch wide. I got 18 strips.

Spray skewers with non-stick spray and set aside. Take each strip, one at a time, and fold it on itself folding the cinnamon inside. Twist the dough strip tightly then roll into a snake. Remember Play-Doh?

Wrap the strips of dough around the skewers using your great artistic abilities to form the head of the snakes.

Bake on a prepared baking sheet for 10 minutes or until the snakes are golden brown. Meanwhile place remaining demerara sugar and cinnamon in a flat dish. Melt butter.

Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar, remove skewer.

Using melted chocolate as glue, press a set of sugar eyes (made by Wilton found with the cake decorating supplies) onto each little snaky. Cut fruit leather into little tongues and insert into snake's mouth using a toothpick. Serve immediately and enjoy within two days.

Frugal Festivity contributed by Patti Diamond from Divas On A Dime – Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous! www.divasonadime.com Join us on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom.