Halloween Treats: Sweet & Savory Pumpkin Recipes, Homemade Halloween Candy, Day of the Dead Events

Day of the Dead skulls. Photo: Anna Mindess

Happy Halloween! It's going to be a crazy day for black and orange, adding a fabulous Giants parade for our hometown World Series winners on top of San Francisco's favorite holiday. So, if you need some inspiration for celebrating Halloween in style, we've got lots of recipes for you. From pumpkin bread to pumpkin whoopee pies to spicy goat stew served in a pumpkin, there's something spookily delicious for everyone!

Trick or Treat: Homemade Halloween Candy
Hey, DIY-ers: Who says candy bars only come from the store? Join Stephanie Hua as she makes her own junk-free Twixt bars at home!

Twixt (Photo Credit: Chow.com)

Pumpkin Toffee Cookies
Pumpkin butter gives these cookies a rich autumn flavor, without sacrificing that satisfying cookie crunch.

Pumpkin Toffee Cookies. Photo: Stephanie Hua

Pumpkin Doughnut Holes Having a Halloween get-together? Get over your fear of frying with these easy-to-make pumpkin doughnuts, served with a pitcher of fresh-pressed apple cider.

Pumpkin Donut Holes. Photo: Stephanie Rosenbaum

Pumpkin Whoopsie Pies Trying to make crunchy pumpkin cookies, Stephanie Hua ends up with soft, cakey ones, which turn out to be just right when sandwiched with pumpkin cream cheese icing and rolled in toffee bits.

Whoopie! Photo: Stephanie Hua

Halloween Pumpkin Stew Craving something savory? How about Chupacabra Stew? Serve up this festively spooky centerpiece of goat (or lamb) stew baked in a pumpkin.

Pumpkin Photo: Stephanie Rosenbaum

Butternut Squash Soup with Gingerbread and Brown Butter An elegant starter from Stephanie Hua, inspired by Thomas Keller's Bouchon cookbook, flavored with sage and browned butter and topped with a sweet-savory gingerbread crouton.

Butternut Squash Soup with Gingerbread and Brown Butter. Photo: Stephanie Hua

Pumpkin Bread
Diane Santoro Lincoln offers an easy recipe for pumpkin quick bread, just right for breakfast on Halloween morning.

Pumpkin bread. Photo: Denise Santoro Lincoln

Jerry James Stone created a frightening yet instructive video on How To Carve A Pumpkin.

Celebrate Day of the Dead with Sugar Skulls and Pan de Muerto Here in the Bay Area, the celebration of all things spooky and skeletal doesn't end with Halloween. Anna Mindess rounds up her favorite spots for celebrating the Mexican-inspired Day of the Day (Dia de los Muertos) holiday with sugar skulls and sweet pan de muerto.

Sugar Skulls from Berkeley's Casa Latina Bakery. Photo: Anna Mindess