Day of the Dead cookies. Photo by Sam Dean/The Roanoke Times

When I was a kid, my idea of Halloween food consisted of a bucketful of candy and whatever quick dinner my mom threw together for us to eat before we headed out on the streets for trick-or-treating.

The more Americans become obsessed with food and cooking, the more Halloween-themed recipes I see. There have always been decorated cupcakes and cookies, such as these spider cupcakes, but recently I’ve seen cute little mummified hot dogs wrapped in crescent roll strips, deviled eggs that look like little Lucifers, and a cheese ball covered in bright orange chips and decorated with a Jack-O-Lantern face.

If you love Mexican food, you can also use the holiday as an excuse to get your hot ‘n’ spicy fix. That’s because Halloween falls just before the Mexican holiday el Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. In case you missed it, I wrote an article about this holiday for Sunday’s paper, and the story included a lengthy recipe for homemade tamales. Whether you make your own authentic Mexican cuisine or get some from your favorite restaurant, there’s an idea.

Amanda Cockrell, who was featured in the Sunday story, has purchased cookie cutters, candy molds and other stuff from a website called Reign Trading. They are an especially good source for sugar skull molds.

I’m very interested to hear whether your family has any Halloween food traditions besides candy. Is there a special recipe you prepare every year for a Halloween party or for the enjoyment of your family at home?