1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon (14 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.54 cm) pieces
1/8 to 1/4 cup (30 - 60 ml) ice water
Mincemeat (I usually buy Crosse and Blackwell's brand, which they have at Safeway before the holidays).
In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds). Pour 1/8 cup (30 ml) water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not process more than 30 seconds.
Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Divide the pastry in half, flatten each half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour.
Have ready one - 24 or two - 12 mini muffin pan(s). After the dough has chilled sufficiently, take one of the disks of pastry and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the pastry dough until about 1/8 inch thick and cut into 24 rounds that are slightly bigger than the muffin tins. (To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards).) Gently place the rounds into the muffin tins. Place about a teaspoon of mincemeat into each tin and set aside while you make the pastry stars.Roll out the second disk of pastry and cut out 24 stars and gently place the stars on top of the mincemeat. If desired, brush the tops of the stars with a little egg wash (one large egg whisked together with 1 tablespoon water) and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake in a 400 degrees F (205 degree C) oven for about 10 - 15 minutes or until the pastry has lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar (icing/powdered) before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. These tarts freeze very well.
Because you can never have too much sugar!! (I have no idea why the picture is sideways!)
pumpkin 
Fudge
1 cup half and half cream
3 cups sugar
3 tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 cup pumpkin or sweet potato puree
dash salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
4 tbsp butter (use butter - much tastier than margarine)
1 tsp vanilla
Combine cream, sugar, corn syrup, pumpkin and salt in a large pan. Cook over medium heat until boiling, stirring constantly. When mixture comes to a full boil, reduce heat and simmer until mixture comes to the softball stage (235 degrees F). I find an accurate candy thermometer indispensible for this as the temperatures are really important in having htis turn out well. Remove from heat. Beat in cinnamon, allspice, butter and vanilla. Cool to 110 degrees F (leave your thermometer in the mix to monitor when the temp hits 110, then beat until thick and mixture looses its gloss. I find it easiet to use my kitchen aid mixer to beat the mixture - saves the arm for knitting and spinning! Spoon into a buttered dish. Let cool, slice; cut slices into cubes and EAT!
Because of the cream cheese in the filling, I assembled all the left-overs and wrapped them in plastic wrap so I could refrigerate them. I think they are going to be super messy, but awesome!
1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil (grease foil, if using). In a large mixing bowl beat pumpkin and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add cake mix, eggs, and milk; beat on low speed until combined, and then on medium speed for 1 minute.
2. By the heaping tablespoon, drop mounds of batter 3 inches apart on cookie sheet; keep remaining batter chilled. Bake 15 minutes or until set and lightly browned around edges. Carefully remove from parchment or foil; cool on wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, lining cooled cookie sheets each time with new parchment or foil. If desired, place cookies in a covered storage container with waxed paper between layers to prevent sticking. Store cookies at room temperature for 24 hours. Prepare Marshmallow-Spice Filling up to 2 hours before serving. Spread about 2-1/2 tablespoons filling on flat side of one cookie; top with a second cookie. Repeat. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 2 hours. Makes 15 whoopies.
Marshmallow-Spice Filling: Up to 2 hours before serving, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter and one 8-ounce package softened cream cheese until smooth. Add 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 of a 7-ounce jar marshmallow cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat until well combined.
We had a small Halloween party with Rodney's family. My mother-in-law and I put it all together. One of the desserts I made was a dirt cake with worms (I doubled it) . It was so delicious! Here's the recipe (with my changes):