October 7: Green Toes, Ghosts, and Mummies: Oh My!

Guess what today is?

That's right, friends. It's GREEN TOE DAY.

It wouldn't be a countdown to Halloween without these dipped cookies. Seriously, in the four years I've been doing this month-long treat-fest, these are among the few items that remain in the rotation year after year. They're the most-requested item. (Which still cracks me up because they're a cookie dipped in candy melts. That's it.)

They're 3 simple ingredients-- Nutter Butter cookies, green candy melts, and a piece of candy for the toe nail. 

I'm excited because this year, in an effort to make them new and improved, I changed the toe nail. It seems like a minor change but, to me, the one thing that has been odd about these every other year is the watermelon candy I used for the nail. It looked really cool, of course, but watermelon and peanut butter? Kind of a disgusting flavor combination. (Not that any kid ever complained!) This time I wanted to try something in the chocolate family since chocolate and peanut butter? Match made in heaven! I originally thought of an M&M but when I was shopping I found that Hershey's has these chocolate drops (that are like a flatter M&M without the shell) that were the perfect shape and size and color of a monster's toenail. (How appetizing...lol!) PERFECT!

NEW & IMPROVED! Now with chocolate toenail!

I followed my same old process for making these with one minor, optional change: I added 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to the melts to help thin out the mixture a little bit. I've been finding recently that any time I use candy melts, they seem gloopier to work with. The addition of the oil helps smooth out the melted candy. I recommend adding it (you could also use Crisco). 

Again, for the step by step directions CLICK HERE.

I used 24 Nutter Butter cookies (which I do believe is one standard-sized pack), a 12 oz bag of dark green candy melts, and 24 Hershey's Milk Chocolate Drops (you'll have plenty leftover from the 8oz bag.)

 3 ingredients! (Note: You'll have enough green melt for a standard sized package of cookies. 

 If you buy the Family Size pack of cookies, you'll have about 6-8 leftover cookies when you run out of green melts)

Bonus: Since I bought the Family Size pack of Nutter Butter cookies, I ran out of green melt with 7 extra cookies. Thus--eureka!--I'm adding two new design options for those readers who aren't fans of appendages. Ghosts and mummies anyone?

For my 7 cookies, I used 5oz of white candy melts mixed with a 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil, as well as candy eyeballs and candy sprinkles.

These are the candies I used- both are Wilton brand. The round ones from Target, the small eyeballs from AC Moore

I dipped the cookies into the candy melts then right away--before the candy sets--I placed two eyeball candies in place for the eyes. For the ghosts, I also added a ball-shaped sprinkle candy for a mouth.

Dipped in the white candy melts; with eyes

Once I was all done dipping, I transferred the rest of my white melts into a baggie and snipped the tip of the baggie.

Melty goodness

Make-shift piping bag for detail work

For the mummies, I drizzled a thin stream of aforementioned melty goodness in a back and forth motion across the width of the cookie.  For the ghosts, I did a little squiggly shape at the bottom of the cookie to look like the floaty part of a sheet or whatever ghosts "wear." 

Mummies

Ghosts with mouth and squiggly dress detail

One final note: As you work, be aware that these can be a bit messy to make. Your fingers get the melt all over them because it's often necessary to smooth out a too-thick dip and/or to fill in the spot where your fingers were holding the actual cookie as you dipped it. So if you make a mess, you're doing it right!

The proof is in the messy hands!

Nut allergies or not a particular fan of peanut butter? No worries! You could try these with a Vienna Finger cookie or even Milanos (though be careful because the chocolate on the inside of the Milanos can melt when you dip it and make your dip streaky. That's right--I'm looking at you, delicious Mummy Cookies!) 

Whichever version you choose, don't skip these. There's a reason they're a Halloween staple around here: they're scary good!