Halloween is lurking just around the corner (although one could easily get the impression it had passed, based on all the Christmas decorations that are beginning to pop up in all the stores). One of the best things about Halloween are all the Halloween parties; the perfect opportunity for even the most stuffy of adults to carve scary eyed pumpkins, hand out treats, and perhaps even put on a costume for one of the world’s most popular come as you aren’t occasions.

No matter how sophisticated, silly, or spooky the Halloween party you’re planning will be, the Halloween desserts you make can really help you put your guests in the proper trick or treating state of mind.

Whether you’re making them to serve to the Children of the Candy Corn or just a gathering of good friends, below are 17 sweet Halloween dessert recipes to help you do just that.

Enjoy!

• Red Velvet Devil Dawg Sandwich Cookies Recipe

(If you like this recipe, you’ll also enjoy our sinfully delicious recipe for Red Velvet Cake Pancakes With Brandied Cherry Butter that you can enjoy throughout the year.)

• Three Homemade Candy Recipes for Halloween: Homemade Marshmallows, Maple Cream Fudge, and Homemade Peanut Butter & S’mores Cups from The Hungry Mouse

• Pumpkin Spice and Chocolate Caramel Popcorn Recipe from Picky Palate

• Candied Ginger Pumpkin Cake Recipe from Dlyn

• Halloween Candy Bundt Cake Recipe from Baking Bites

• Candy Corn Cupcakes Recipe from Megan’s Munchies

• Caramel Apple-Caramel Corn Recipe from Culinary Concoctions

• Frida Kahlo’s Pan de Muerto Recipe (Bread of the Dead) from From Cakespy’s Serious Eat’s Column

• Halloween Special: “Severed Finger” Cheese Sticks Video Recipe from Chef John’s Food Wishes

• Halloween Spiderweb Cheesecake Recipe from Yumsugar

• Brownie Pop Eyeballs Recipe from Woman’s Day

• Nutter Butter Graveyard Brownies Recipe from Delightful Chaos

• Italian Witches Fingers Recipe (Diti Di Strega) from Las Vegas Food Adventures

• Halloween Pumpkin Mont Blanc Recipe from Almost Bourdain

• Chocolate Marshmallow-Ghost Cake and Mini Cupcakes Recipe from Martha Stewart

• 11 Fun Halloween Party Ideas from What’s Cookin’ Italian Style Cuisine

• 3 More Cool Halloween Ideas from Picky Palate

• Top 10 Favorite Halloween Cakes from Endless Simmer

This post is part of WanderFood Wednesday at Wanderlust and Lipstick, a great place to celebrate global travel and food.

Please join us tomorrow to read our newest daily food and cooking feature on HuggingtheCoast.Com: The Best Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese Recipes of 2009 (Plus 7 Mac and Cheese Recipes of Our Own).

If you liked this article on HuggingtheCoast.Com, you might also enjoy:

• 20 Fresh and Canned Pumpkin Recipe Ideas: Beyond Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Bread
• Day of the Dead Recipe Inspiration From Our Halloween Recipes Twitter Marathon
• How to Make Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie and Roast Your Own Pumpkin Seeds (Weekend Video Spotlight Recipe)
• 18 Wonderful Apple Dessert Recipe Ideas to Sweeten Your Life
• Bacon Macadamia Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

(Photo Credits: Pumpkin Closeup by Minipixel, Fairy Pumpkin House (Explored) by Tinyfroglet.)