It’s true - the kitchen is the heart of the home. Ever notice how people always gather there? Whether baking treats, making dinner or spending time with family and friends, the kitchen is my favorite place to be. Since my day job is Senior Culinary Specialist for the NestlÈ Test Kitchens, you can bet I love to stir things up. This column lets me pass along to you some of my best recipes, tips and baking secrets.

Gather ghouls and boys for a Halloween spread of spooktacular goodies and graveyard fun:

* Make it a BOO-fet, setting the table for serve-yourself ease.

* Finger foods make it easy: deviled eggs, crackers and cheese, veggie dippers and favorite dips, Spiderweb Munch and Easy Halloween Cookie Cups.

* Blow up orange balloons, and offer felt-tip markers for guests to decorate as jack-o-lanterns.

Frighteningly good ideas for tricks, treats and eats are at your fingertips: www.VeryBestBaking.com

Spiderweb Munch

(Makes 12 servings)

 2 cups (12-ounce package) NestlÈ Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate  Morsels

1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided

1/3 cup powdered sugar

3 cups toasted rice cereal

HEAT morsels and 3/4 cup peanut butter in small, heavy-duty saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth; remove from heat.  Add sugar; stir vigorously until smooth.

 

PLACE cereal in large bowl. Add 1 cup melted chocolate mixture; stir until evenly coated.  Place on ungreased baking sheet. Using small metal spatula, shape into 10-inch circle with slightly raised 1-inch-wide border. Pour remaining chocolate mixture in center of circle; spread to border.

 

FOR SPIDERWEB:

PLACE remaining peanut butter in small, heavy-duty plastic bag. Cut tiny corner from bag; squeeze to pipe concentric circles on top of chocolate. Using wooden pick or tip of sharp knife, pull tip through peanut butter from center to border. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm. Cut into wedges.

Nutrition Information per serving: 320 calories; 170 calories from fat; 19 g total fat;    7 g saturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 150 mg sodium; 32 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 19 g sugars; 7 g protein

Easy Halloween Cookie Cups

(Makes 2 dozen cookie cups)

1 package (16.5 ounces) NestlÈ Toll House Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Dough

1 cup (6 ounces) NestlÈ Toll House Swirled Milk Chocolate & Peanut  Butter Morsels

PREHEAT oven to 350∞ F. Grease 24 mini-muffin cups.

PLACE squares of dough into prepared muffin cups; press down to make a deep well.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are set. Remove from oven to wire rack(s). While still warm, fill cookie cups with morsels. Morsels will soften and retain their shape. Cool completely.   With tip of knife, remove cookie cups from muffin pan(s).

* NOTE: 1 cup (6 ounces) of any flavor NestlÈ Toll House morsels can be substituted for the Swirled Milk Chocolate & Peanut Butter Morsels.

Nutrition Information per cookie cup: 120 calories; 50 calories from fat; 6 g total fat; 3 g saturated fat; 10 mg cholesterol; 85 mg sodium; 17 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 12 g sugars; 1 g protein