Batty Bats Recipes

BROWNIE BATS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, letting foil hang 2 inches over sides of pan. Spray foil with cooking spray. Make brownie batter as directed on box. Spread in pan.
• Bake 26 to 28 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. Freeze in pan 30 minutes.
• Using foil to lift, remove brownies from pan. Use 1 3/4-inch round cutter to cut brownies into 24 rounds.
• Attach 1 chocolate wafer half to each side of brownie rounds to form wings. With cookie icing, attach 2 eyeballs to each brownie. Press 2 heart-shaped candy sprinkles (pointed side out) into each brownie to make fangs.

CHOCOLATE BAT BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and pale, then beat in the yolk, the vanilla and milk. Sift the flour, coffee, cocoa and salt into the bowl, then mix together to make a soft dough. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap and chill for 15 mins.
• Dust the dough all over with a little flour, then roll it between two large sheets of baking parchment, to the thickness of a £1 coin. Remove the top layer of the paper, stamp shapes with an 8cm bat (or other) cutter, and carefully lift to the lined sheets using a palette knife. Re-roll the trimmings. Cut a 1.5cm x 5mm notch at the base of each bat's body. This is about right to sit the bats on thick tumblers; if your glasses are finer-edged, make the notches thinner so that the bats stay put. Bake for 10 mins or until the biscuits feel sandy and smell rich and chocolatey. Cool on the sheets for 5 mins, then lift the cookies onto a wire rack and cool completely.
• To decorate, melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave. One biscuit at a time, brush chocolate over the bat ears and wings with a small paintbrush, then cover with chocolate sprinkles. Tap off the excess. Pipe faces and fangs onto your bats, then leave to dry. Keep in an airtight container for up to a week.

BATTY GRANOLA BITES

Steps:

• Using photo as a guide, use sharp knife to cut pretzel bat wings; set aside. Meanwhile, microwave dipping chocolate as directed on tub, stirring until melted and smooth. Line medium platter with cooking parchment paper.
• Using toothpick, dip granola bite into melted chocolate, shaking off excess and placing on parchment paper. Remove toothpick, and add bat wing to each side, pressing lightly to stick; add decorations for eyes. Repeat for remaining bats. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes or until set.

BATTY BATS

Steps:

• Tint vanilla frosting bright blue; frost cupcakes., Add gumball eyes. Using a clean scissors or small sharp knife, cut sticks of gum into eyebrow shapes. Pinch tops to curve if desired; insert above eyes., For bat wings, with a small serrated knife, cut cookies in half. Add scalloped edges if desired. Insert two cookie halves into each cupcake., Using chocolate frosting and #3 tip, pipe pupils on eyes. For fangs, cut the white part from the candy corn. (Save removed orange sections for another use.) Add two white fangs under each mouth; press down gently.

BAT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Prepare the cake mix according to package directions for cupcakes. Cool. Frost cupcakes with chocolate frosting.
• Break the cookies in half, and press two halves into the top of each cupcake for wings, stripes facing the frosting. Place a chocolate kiss in front of the cookies with the point facing forward for the body. Make two beady little eyes with the red gel icing towards the point of the kiss. Let the fun begin!

BATS AND COBWEBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water, bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in the bow tie pasta and return to a boil. Boil pasta, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain well.
• Cook and stir ground beef and onion in a large skillet until beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain fat. Stir in pasta sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.
• Stir cooked pasta and half of the mozzarella cheese into the sauce; toss to combine. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.