If there is one thing trick or treaters really enjoy — apart from the usual Hallowe’en treats to fill their goody bags, of course — it is something to eat. After all, working neighbourhoods and ringing doorbells for several hours is hungry work. So why not prepare a variety of ghoulish munchies for them to enjoy.

Of course, if it’s a house party you’re having, then these topical treats will certainly be popular with children and adults alike.CRUNCHY EYEBALLS<$>1 10-oz. package large marshmallows

[1/4] cup butter

6 cups crisp rice cereal

24 chocolate kisses

Red decorator icingIn a microwave-safe bowl, combine marshmallows and butter; melt at high for three minutes, stirring once during cooking time until marshmallows melt. Stir in cereal until coated, spread on buttered waxed paper. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Grease hands with butter and form mixture into 24 balls.

Press one chocolate kiss, pointed side down, into each ball. Let stand until firm. Using decorator frosting, pipe ‘pupils’ and lines for bloodshot eyes if desired, on the upturned kisses. Let stand until frosting dries. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

BLUE BRAINS6 oz. pkg. blue gelatin

16 oz. container small curd cottage cheese

1 cup blueberries

Prepare gelatin according to package directions. Chill in a glass bowl until it just begins to set. Add cottage cheese and blueberries and fold in carefully. Cover and chill for at least three more hours before serving. Kids love the ghoulish look!TARANTULA COOKIES2 cups all-purpose flour

[1/2] tsp.. baking powder

[1/2] tsp.. salt

[1/8] tsp.. baking soda

10 tbsps.. unsalted butter, softened

[1/2] cup light brown sugar

[1/4] cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp.. vanilla extract

2 tbsps.. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 8-oz. bag thin, short pretzel sticks

1 11 [1/2] oz. bag milk chocolate chips

2 tbsps.. vegetable oil

Chocolate sprinkles

Small red candies

Preheat oven to 350|0xb0|F. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla , beat until well blended. Gradually add flour mixture and cocoa powder. Beat to form a smooth dough. Roll a tablespoon-sized ball of dough, and place it on a baking sheet. Arrange eight pretzel sticks around the ball like spokes on a wheel. Push the tips of the pretzel sticks firmly into the dough ball.

Continue with the rest of the pretzels and dough. Bake until cookies start to brown around edges, about seven to ten minutes. Lift cookies from baking sheets with a spatula and place on wire cooling racks. Let cool completely. Place the racks on sheets of aluminium foil or waxed paper.

In a double boiler (or the microwave), melt chocolate chips with vegetable oil. Pour melted chocolate over each cookie. Coat with chocolate sprinkles. Press in two red candy eyes on the front of the head. Eeek!

Yield: approximately 25-30 cookies.BLACK LINGUINE WITH ORANGE AND RED PEPPERS<$>4 large garlic cloves, minced

Scant [1/4] tsp.. dried hot red pepper flakes

2 tbsps. olive oil

2 orange bell peppers, cut into thin strips

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

[3/4] cup dry white wine

[1/2] cup chicken broth or water

[1/2] lb. black linguine, fettuccine, or spaghetti (squid or cuttlefish ink pasta)

[1/3] cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Garnish: fresh flat-leafed parsley sprigs

In a 5-quart pot bring 4 quarts salted water to a boil for pasta. In a 12-inch heavy skillet cook garlic with pepper flakes in oil over moderate heat, stirring until garlic begins to turn golden. Add bell peppers with salt to taste and cook, stirring, until softened. Add wine and boil, stirring occasionally until almost all liquid is evaporated. Add broth or water and simmer, covered, until bell peppers are tender, about 5 minutes.

Pepper mixture may be made one day ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat mixture in skillet before proceeding.

In boiling water cook pasta until ‘al dente’ and drain in a colander. Add pasta to pepper mixture with parsley and toss with salt and pepper to taste over moderate heat until combined well and heated through.

Divide pasta mixture among six small plates and garnish with parsley. Serves 6 to 8 as a first course.DEVILLED EGGS 12 large eggs

[1/2] cup mayonnaise

2 tsp. brown or yellow mustard

[1/4] cup finely chopped sweet pickles

[1/4] cup finely chopped celery

Garnish: finely chopped pimiento-stuffed olives; paprika

Cover eggs with cold water in a 4- to 5-quart pot and bring to a rolling boil, partially covered with lid. Reduce heat to low and cook eggs, covered completely, 30 seconds.

Remove pot from heat and let eggs stand in hot water, covered with lid, 15 minutes. Rinse eggs under cold water 5 minutes to stop cooking.

Peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks and mash in a bowl with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, celery, salt and pepper to taste to yolks and stir with fork until combined well, then spoon or pipe into egg white halves.

Note: Devilled eggs can be assembled (but not garnished) two hours ahead and chilled, covered. Yield: 24 hors d’oeuvre servings.BLEEDING CUPCAKES1 jar natural strawberry jelly (no sugar added)

[3/4] cup mashed fresh strawberries (about [1/2] lb. whole)

2 cups unbleached flour

[3/4] cup fructose (or unbleached sugar)

2 tsp.. baking powder

[1/2] tsp.. salt

[3/4] cup natural applesauce (no sugar added)

[1/2] cup non-hydrogenated margarine

[1/2] cup milk or soy milk

Optional: [1/2] tsp.. nutmeg and 1 tsp.. cinnamon, few drops red food colouring. Wash and hull strawberries. Chop then mash them to pulp. Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in a second bowl, then combine the two using a fork until mixture is just blended. Line metal cupcake pan with papers.

If using silicone moulds omit papers and don’t grease. Fill liners [1/3] full with batter and add about 1 tbsp. strawberry jelly in centre.

Add more batter until the cupcakes are [3/4] full. Bake for 35-40 minutes until tops are getting golden and the cupcake looks solid. Let cool completely, then frost with a thin layer of jelly. Yield: 1 dozen.

Ghoulish touch: Display with sign reading: ‘Strawberry Blood Bites’, ‘Bleeding Cupcakes’, or similar.PUMPKIN CORN BREAD<$>[1/3] cup corn oil

1 cup unbleached flour

1 cup cornmeal (try blue cornmeal)

1 [1/4] tsp.. baking soda

[1/2] tsp.. salt

1 cup pumpkin puree

[1/2] cup soy buttermilk (add 2 tsp.. vinegar to [1/2] cup soy milk and let curdle)

[1/2] cup applesauce

2 tbsp.. sweetener (sugar, fructose, etc.)

Brush inside of a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the oil.

Place in the oven, then set the oven temperature to 425 F. If you don’t have a skillet, just grease a cake pan, but don’t put it in the oven. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, buttermilk, remaining oil, applesauce, and sweetener. Add dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Using potholder, remove skillet from oven, pour in batter, return to oven and bake 30 to 40 minutes, until centre is firm.PUMPKIN COOKIES1 cup unbleached sugar (or [2/3] cup fructose)

1 cup pumpkin puree

[1/2] cup non-hydrogenated shortening

2 cups unbleached flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

[1/2] tsp. nutmeg

[1/4] tsp. salt

1 tbsp. orange peel

Optional: Chocolate or carob chips, raisins

Heat oven to 375F. Combine sugar, pumpkin, and shortening. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, including optional ingredient. Drop by large tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet, and bake until light brown — about 8-10 minutes.

Using spatula, remove cookies immediately from cookie sheet and cool completely. Frost after they are fully cooled with maple frosting (see below). Yield: about 2 dozen smallish cookies. (To double recipe, use [1/2] cup non-hydrogenated shortening and [1/2] cup non-hydrogenated margarine).Maple Frosting<$>

[1/4] cup non-hydrogenated margarine

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. maple flavoured extract

1-2 tbsp. pure maple syrup (not “pancake syrup”)

Heat margarine in saucepan over medium heat until “delicate brown”. Mix in sugar and extract. Add maple syrup, slowly and little by little, until it reaches desired consistency. Frost cookies when they are completely cooled off.

GHOULISH PARTY TOUCHES<$>Hallowe’en Hands: Suspend rubber gloves inside tall containers and secure to sides with clothes pins. Fill to “wrist” with green, black, red or orange-tinted water and freeze. Flavoured powder-based drink mix can also be used. Once water is frozen, carefully cut rubber glove away.

Add to punch bowl just before serving. This can also be done with ‘jiggler jello’ by following directions on package. Fill glove as above, set as normal in refrigerator, and cut away glove very, very carefully or fingers will break off. Effect or either is striking and spooky.

Hallowe’en Creepy Cubes <$>(not for children’s drinks) Freeze little plastic spiders or creepy-crawlies when making ice cubes.