Halloween is this weekend, and we've gathered some fun finger food ideas for you.  These are easy appetizers you can make ahead of time, and they're a real hoot for kids and adults alike.  Shown here are Halloweenie Mummies, Spooky Fingers, and Poofy Pumpkin Puffs.

You can use puff pastry, which is available seasonally at Trader Joe's.  I checked and my Joe's doesn't have it in stock yet; they expect to get it in next month.  But most grocers these days carry puff pastry in the freezer case.  Or, use refrigerated crescent roll dough from any grocer.  In fact, the mummies work better with crescent roll dough than puff pastry.

You can take these ideas and modify them in endless ways.  For example,instead of using dough for the fingers, you could use string cheese and"glue" fingernails made with vegetables onto the cheese with cream cheese; no baking required.  I happened to have pumpkin-shaped cookie cutters for the pumpkin puffs, but you could use other Halloween themed shapes such as bats, ghosts, etc. and use a different filling, such as jelly or Cranberry Apple Butter.  We encourage experimentation and creativity!

Halloweenie Mummies
Adapted from Pillsbury

Hot dogs
Crescent roll dough (or puff pastry sheets)
Mustard

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut dough into 1/2 inch strips.  Wrap "bandages" around hot dog to cover entirely.  Spread open a gap near one end for the "eyes".  I cut the hot dogs in half to create mini-mummies and used 3 strips per mummy.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Cool for a few minutes then add dots of mustard for eyes.

Spooky Fingers
Adapted from Taste of Home

Crescent roll dough (or puff pastry sheets)
Almonds (whole or sliced)
Egg white

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut dough into finger-sized strips.  If using puff pastry, mush the dough a bit between your fingers to create a more realistic finger shape, else you'll end up with sharp-edged rectangles.  Use egg white to glue almonds onto the tips.
3. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.


Poofy Pumpkin Puffs
Adapted from Martha Stewart

2 puff pastry sheets
1/3 cup Pumpkin Butter
4 oz cream cheese, softened (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix pumpkin butter and cream cheese.  Set aside.
2. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes.  If making pumpkins, score ridges using a sharp knife.
3. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool.
4. Split open each pastry and spread with filling.  You can fill with plain Pumpkin Butter if desired, or any other filling.