Freaky, scary food that'll wow your Halloween party guests

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Take your Halloween party to the next level this year with freaky foods and scary snacks.

Author Phil Potempa joined ABC7 to with his ideas on how to get creative in the kitchen.

To learn more about Phil and his upcoming cooking show, click here.

Witch's No-Lady Fingers

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup whole almonds

Green food coloring (as needed)

Red food coloring (as needed)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream together butter, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, gradually beat together this mixture while slowly adding the flour, baking powder and salt, continually beating. During the final minute, add a drop or two of green food coloring. Refrigerate dough 20 minutes. Grease baking sheets. Remove dough from refrigerator in small amounts. Working over a piece of waxed paper, roll dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie and press one almond into one end of each cookie to give the appearance of a long fingernail. Squeeze cookie to form a large, boney knuckle. Use a sharp knife to make some line cuts in the dough to create lines and wrinkles. Arrange the shaped cookies on the baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and while almonds are still hot, brush a little red food coloring on the almonds to create blood-red fingernails. Makes 40 cookies.

Spooky Green Punch

2 cups boiling water

1 (8 serving) package lime gelatin

2 cups cold orange juice

1 (1 liter) bottle seltzer, chilled

Ice cubes

1 pint (2 cups) orange sherbet, slightly softened

1 orange, thinly sliced

1 lime, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS: Stir boiling water into dry gelatin in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in juice. Cool to room temperature. Pour mixture into punch bowl just before serving. Add seltzer and ice and stir. Add scoops of sherbet and fruit slices. Makes 10 cups.

Millie's Pumpkin Bread

4 eggs

3 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon nutmeg

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups canned pumpkin (not canned pumpkin filling mix)

DIRECTIONS: Beat sugar, eggs and oil until light and fluffy; add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into 3 greased loaf bread pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Makes 3 loaves.

Easy Guacamole Dip

2 avocados

1/2 lime

1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 Roma tomato, finely diced

1 small onion, diced

DIRECTIONS: Halve avocados; remove seed and spoon contents into a large mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork to the consistency of chunky peanut butter. Add lime juice, sour cream (if desired), garlic, cilantro, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper; mix until combined. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, pressing plastic wrap down so it touches the top of the mixture and chill for 1 hour. After mixture has chilled, add diced tomato and onion. Mix gently until just combined. Makes 3 cups.