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My dad is moving out of his house soon, the house that I grew up in, and it’s been bittersweet cleaning it out. It’s nice to see it as clean as it’s been in 25 years, but also, they stored a LOT of stuff from our childhood and rarely got rid of things, so it’s been a trip down memory lane. We found some old school Halloween decorations, and it just brought me back to all the old garish and fun themes from the 1990s.

Here’s some ‘vintage’ Halloween recipes from the treats I remember my mom making ‘back in the day.’

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PUMPKIN RICE KRISPIE BARS

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) salted butter, plus more for the pan

3 10-ounce bags marshmallows

18 cups crispy rice cereal

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp. yellow food coloring

1/4 tsp. red food coloring

Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Melt 1/2 stick butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 bag of marshmallows and cook, stirring, until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in 6 cups cereal until combined. Firmly press the mixture into the prepared pan and set aside.

Melt the remaining 1 stick butter in a clean pot over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 bags of marshmallows and cook, stirring, until melted. Stir in the pumpkin pie spice and food coloring until blended. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 12 cups cereal. Firmly press the orange mixture on top of the plain mixture in the pan. Let cool completely. Use the parchment overhang to lift the treats out of the pan. Cut into squares.

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CANDY CORN 

POPCORN BALLS

6 Tbsp. popcorn kernels

1/4 cup peanut oil

1/2 cup sugar

Cooking spray

1 cup candy corn

1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts

4 cups mini marshmallows (about two-thirds of a 10-ounce bag) 

4 Tbsp. salted butter

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat; add the popcorn kernels and peanut oil. When the oil starts to sizzle, sprinkle the sugar over the kernels. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and shake the pot until the popping slows down, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour the popcorn onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, separating the kernels with a spatula or spoon. Let the popcorn cool.

Coat a large bowl with cooking spray and add the popcorn, candy corn and peanuts.

Combine the marshmallows and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Pour the melted marshmallow mixture over the popcorn mixture and gently stir to coat. Coat your hands with cooking spray, then shape the popcorn into 3-inch balls. Let cool.

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SPIDER COOKIES

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

20 miniature peanut butter cups, such as Reese's Mini's

20 chocolate covered peanuts or raisins

Black or brown writing gel icing

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the peanut butter, shortening, butter, and both sugars until fluffy and combined, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and beat until well mixed.

Scoop the dough into 20 even portions (about 2 packed tablespoons each) and roll into balls. Flatten each ball slightly and arrange the cookies 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Press the center of each cookie with your thumb. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets halfway through.

As you pull the cookies out of the oven, gently place 1 miniature peanut butter cup just barely below the center of each cookie, allowing the warm cookie to melt the chocolate "body" into place. Then, very gently press 1 chocolate covered raisin or peanut "head" right above the peanut butter cup on each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cookies are cool, use the gel writing icing to draw 8 legs from the body of each spider. Allow the icing to set and enjoy!

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HALLOWEEN BROWNIES

12 oz. bittersweet chocolate bars (60%), chopped

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar 

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

6 large eggs, room temperature

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. instant espresso powder (optional)

Topping

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate bars (60%), chopped

10 fun-sized chocolate bars, cut into pieces (Snickers, Milky Way, Twix, 3 Musketeers)

1/4 cup mini M&M's

1/4 cup Reese's Pieces

1/4 cup candy corn

2 Tbsp. candy bones or eyeballs

1 Tbsp. Halloween sprinkles

For the brownies: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with parchment paper with at least 1 inch of excess paper over the sides.

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the bittersweet chocolate, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter, stirring until the chocolate is melted, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the eggs, one at a time, and mix until well combined. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour, salt, and espresso powder, if using, and gently stir until completely combined. 

Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with baking spray with flour. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes (do not overbake). Let cool completely in the pan.

For the topping: To a microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and the chocolate. Microwave at 50 percent power in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted. Pour over the brownies, smoothing with a spatula, and top with assorted candy and sprinkles. Let set, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Use parchment handles to carefully lift the brownies out of the pan before slicing.

TFD: “Here in the night, even the ordinary becomes ominous.” - Alex Warren

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