Trick or treat? We vote for treat! Enjoy the festive fun and flavors of the fall season.

Boo Scotti

These crunchy biscotti treats are great for dipping in hot cocoa or coffee.

Ingredients | Makes 3 dozen

Biscotti

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup Land O Lakes butter, softened
• 3 Land O Lakes all-natural eggs
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsps. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup salted peanuts, finely chopped

Coating / Decorations

• 1 16-oz. package vanilla candy coating (almond bark)
• Candy eyes, mini chocolate chips, decorator sugar, nonpareils, etc.

Directions | Prep time: 30 min. / Total: 3 hr. 15 min.

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Combine sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Beat, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Stir in peanuts.
2. Divide dough in half; shape each half into a 13-inch log. Place 4 inches apart onto greased cookie sheet. Flatten each log to 2-inch width. Bake 24-27 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Cool on cookie sheet 1 hour.
3. Heat oven to 325°F. Carefully place logs onto cutting surface. With serrated knife, cut logs diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange slices, cut-side down, onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 18-20 minutes, turning once, or until crisp. Remove to wire rack; cool completely.
4. Melt candy coating in heavy 2-quart saucepan over low heat. Dip half of each cookie into melted candy coating. Lightly shake off excess coating; place onto waxed paper. If candy coating gets too thick, reheat over low heat just until coating comes to desired dipping consistency, adding 1 to 2 tsp shortening, if necessary. Do not add water or any liquid to candy coating or mixture may harden.
5. Decorate immediately before coating sets. Let stand at room temperature until coating is set (at least 1 hour). Serve or store between sheets of waxed paper in loosely covered container.

Frosted Jack-O-Lanterns

Serve ice cream in these special Halloween orange jack o’ lanterns.

Ingredients | Makes: 4 servings

• 4 large oranges
• 2 to 3 cups of chocolate ice cream
• 4 green gumdrops

Directions | Prep time:  40 minutes

1. Cut off top of each orange; reserve slices. Cut around top edge of each orange and membrane, keeping shell intact. Remove orange sections (save and use for juice).
2. Cut out eyes, nose, and mouth from each orange shell, starting 1/4 inch below top cut edge. Fill each orange shell with chocolate ice cream, mounding slightly. Replace tops of oranges. Use green gumdrop for stems. Freeze until serving time (at least 2 hours).

Red Devil Snack Cakes

Not a fan of red velvet cake? This recipe uses red food coloring mixed with chocolate cake batter to achieve a devilish hue.

Ingredients | Makes 25 snack cakes

Cake

• 1 cup Land O Lakes Butter
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 Land O Lakes All-Natural Eggs
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 (1-oz.) bottle red food color

Frosting

• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup Land O Lakes Butter, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 to 5 tbsp. Land O Lakes Half & Half or Fat Free Half & Half

Decorations

• Eyes/mouth: red cinnamon candies
• Horns: black licorice twists, cut into triangles
• Mustache/eyebrows: black decorator gel
• Red decorator sugar
• Beard: black decorator sugar or chocolate sprinkles

Directions | Prep time: 60 min. / Total: 1:50

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 15x10x1-in. baking pan; set aside.
2. Combine 1 cup butter, water, and cocoa in 3-qt. saucepan. Cook over medium heat 6-7 minutes or until mixture just comes to a boil. Remove pan from heat; add flour, sugar, and salt; mix well. Add sour cream, eggs, and baking soda; beat at medium speed, scraping pan often, until well mixed. Add food coloring; continue beating until well mixed.
3. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake 19-21 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; cool completely.
4. Starting at 15-in. side, cut cake into 5 (3-in.) rows. Cut through rows diagonally to create 25 (3 1/4-inch) equilateral triangles. Discard scrapes or eat as snack.
5. Combine all frosting ingredients except half & half in bowl. Beat at medium speed, then adding enough half & half for desired spreading consistency.
6. Frost each triangle and decorate to create devil faces. Store in container with tight-fitting lid.

Recipes & photos courtesy of Land O’Lakes, Inc.