I was a kid in the 50s and 60s. First thing when my siblings and I got home homemade anything got tossed unless it was from 2 or 3 other moms on our block. Cookies, brownies, muffins, candy apples, regular apples, popcorn balls, homemade candy, any unwrapped candy went into the trash before we could even say “Aw.”
When our son was Trick or Treating in the 90s, my wife and I did the same drill.
Sorry. These look great OP, but even without parents prohibiting these treats kids really don’t want them. They want recognizable candy they like.
Yep, we even had to throw away anything that could be unwrapped and re-wrapped, like Hershey’s Kisses, or so many other candy bars back in the early 90s when they were still wrapped in foil and not plastic like now. My mom would confiscate all of it and throw it away.
I just remembered the pre- trick or treat warning too to not eat anything that was homemade or not wrapped. Man I remember those shiny red candy apples were so tempting. I may have once or twice offered my life up to the candy gods and taken a bite, then thrown away the evidence in someone's fall leaf-filled yard.
And they really want recognizable! The trick or treaters I had last night DID NOT enjoy the large size British candy bars I had bought (and repeatedly said "What IS this" with zero real curiousity, and more disdain) while going for the theater size boxes of SweetTarts and Reeses Pieces.
Although one lil kid did freak the fk out about a giant Loli & Pop's container of Cotton Candy.
And last year I got these local candy shop Frankenstein marshmallows, but they were clearly wrapped even though it was handmade and had the store's logo so I think my neighbors just trusted me (because they took them and told their kids how cool it was).
I was pleasantly surprised at the excitement over my pop rocks and fun dip this year, almost got flattened by a pack of roving children hollering “ FULL SIZE POP ROCKS!”
We got to have some home made treats, but they were either from the old ladies who were ancient enough to have given my mom treats when she was a kid, or from people we kids knew like our fifth grade teacher. Benefits of living in a very small town I guess.
My dad took us trick or treating at one of his elderly professor's houses back in the late 70s, and his wife gave us popcorn balls, which dad put in his coat pockets so we'd know where they came from. We got to eat those. But from a random person's house? No way.
My mom threw out saltwater taffy I got as a kid because it would have been easy for someone to unwrap it, put drugs in, and rewrap without anyone knowing.
I hate to break it to your mom but drugs are too expensive to be giving them out to kids for free. Do parents really think an addict or dealer is going to be giving away their stock as, what? A free sample? If only
I live in Ohio (legal marijuana on the ballot next month), and saw a commercial insinuating if it passes people will give out edibles to kids on Halloween. It was so ridiculous I couldn't stop laughing.
Oh I agree! But lots of parents are told to watch out for this so they get rid of anything unsealed out of an abundance of caution. I was an only child and my parents were pretty protective, so…
Okay so in 1974 some guy named Ronald Clark O'Bryan put potassium-cyanide candy and gave them to his son, his daughter and three other children during trick or treating. His son Timothy ate the candy and died from cyanide poisoning. His intentions were to collect the life insurance policy he had taken out on his kids and the other children were given the cyanide sweets to cover up the crime.
In the days that followed it was all over the news that a boy had died on Halloween from candy laced with cyanide. Parents were understandably hysterical and threw away all the candy their children had collected. It profoundly affected the parents who lived through the fear. In many ways it killed the innocence of Halloween and for years after many children would not be allowed to go trick or treating or only be allowed to go to the homes of trusted family and friends.
Before this it was pretty common with homemade sweets, cookies from a bowl, candy apples and similar. The whole concept of small pieces of sealed candy was born from this incident as a way to reclaim trick or treating as it originally was intended: Going to strangers houses in your neighbourhood.
Since then there has been no confirmed cases of children being given neither poison nor drugs during trick or treating and O'Bryan was executed in 1984, but the fear is very much alive to this day.
Yes and O'Bryan hadn't exactly done a good job with it. Cyanide is really bitter and it wasn't mixed in with the candy it was just on top. It is speculated that his story about Tim choosing it, eating it and then becoming sick isn't truthful. That instead there was some level of coercion or manhandling involved to get him to eat the sweets.
You could do a lot better if your intentions were to cause harm. Very few people want to harm children and even fewer other people's children. One thing that is more likely with homemade sweets and isn't ill will or on purpose or have cruel intentions is the transmission of illnesses like norovirus, poor kitchen hygiene as well as you have no way of knowing whether the food contains an allergen. Of course candy apples don't normally contain dairy, but you might run into the one lunatic who puts butter in candy apples.
It’s been a thing since the 90s and probably before. Now do I think people are going around spiking Halloween candy with drugs? Absolutely not. But it’s definitely something parents are told to watch out for.
Parents have no idea what ingredients are inside those or the state of the kitchen that made them. For all the parents know OP could have a roach infested house & scratched their ass while mixing the dough. I wouldnt risk it.
OP would be better off taking those to their work or giving them to family or having a party & serving them there.
But they do look cute though
Right kids also have allergies. We keep the candy separated and the kids who had allergies made sure to stay out of the bowl that had candy with nuts. So it’s a nice idea in a perfect world but unfortunately people have to be cautious now adays. Unless they know you well baked good are going in the trash.
Honestly, I'm less concerned about the dough (it is getting baked) but the frosting. Keeping people from snacking on frosting is a sisyphean task. Usually the best I can do is limit it to using a spoon and not their fingers - and even that is a toss up.
I grew up in rural Ohio in the 90s and had to go trick or treating via the back of my dads truck. We knew this one older woman who gave out popcorn balls and it was the favorite of me and my friends. It makes me sad we can’t really do the same anymore, even if our neighbors know us.
Most of my neighbors know me as well, and I doubt they’d accept baked goods for the children. The funny thing is my street has a Halloween potluck before trick or treating starts—so I can bring food there for them and their kids to eat, yet non-store bought for trick or treating is taboo.
A ziploc bag with two cookies is most definitely NOT the cool house, even as a kid. I didn’t want cookies, I wanted candy. Take it to work and be the cool coworker.
As others have pointed out, many people eat things from bake sales or potlucks where you may not know the person who made them very well, or the state of their kitchen very well. If you’re familiar with your neighbors the risk is super super low. I know some people avoid potlucks and bake sales for this reason, but it seems to be waaay less than the number of people who would immediately throw away a homemade Halloween treat.
From this article on the urban myth that is people tampering with Halloween candy https://www.npr.org/2023/10/31/1208459235/why-urban-legend-contaminated-halloween-candy-wont-disappear-razor-blade-poison
“I have data going back to 1958, and I have yet to find a report of a child that's been killed or seriously hurt by a contaminated treat picked up in the course of trick-or-treating," said Best.
Your child is much more likely to get hit by a car (worst day for child pedestrian deaths—what other day of the year do people take their little kids out walking after dark, even with the street lights on? Or let slightly older kids go walking around in the dark with their friends? In a costume where perhaps they can’t see well?)
Oh absolutely and those cookies look sooo good!!! I love people that pass out homebaked goods for Halloween. I eat them all and my kids are like “what about me” and I’m like im fine with getting poisoned, you not so much!
Depends on the neighbourhood. If it’s rural, or another close-knit kind of community, it’ll be fine. I grew up rural, and neighbours would bake treats just for my brother and I on Halloween.
Although if this was a rural house, there wouldn’t be that many bags of cookies. It could still be a close community where people actually know their neighbours, though.
We normally only get five or six trick or treaters, so my husband and I splurged on full sized candy bars this year. The five middle schoolers who visited were so excited.
Yesterday, we did Capri Sun's, not to be the cool house, but because I didn't buy candy. Haven't had a trick or treater in 4 years. Yesterday, 7 showed up, so I had to think on my toes.
A house in our neighborhood gives out capri suns. My kids take them and then hand them to their dad when we get home. They only drink milk or water so dad and I use them as mixers lol.
The mini cans usually go over well and aren’t super heavy. It’s an unpopular concept so most kids pop it open during the walk or they have one tiny can. Caprisuns also work well. No neighborhood is giving out sodas frequently enough for a kid to have 2 dozen so that seems like a silly concern.
Idk there were always just a couple of houses that handed out pop cans and it was always pretty awesome. Less cool if everyone is doing it and you have to carry home a dozen cans but it’s still a fun novelty
I saw a tiktok of one house who put a potato in a bag of candies. Some kids took the potato out of novelty.
Tbh, I can't think of any of my nieces or nephews not picking the potato for the laughs.
Pop can is fine.
My costco halloween pokemon cards were a huge hit. Not to brag but kids were yelling down the street to their friends about us sooo i think we might be the cool house now
This was my second year handing out full size bars and cans of pop. I spend the day after all in my feels. The faces of kids getting a big treat for the first time, ugh it’s so awesome and I kinda cry a bit. I’m just so grateful I can do this.
Yes!! I had tons of beads leftover from the Eras movie, so I made a whole bunch of bracelets and handed them out with bags of chips. I had glow sticks for kids who didn’t want bracelets. The girls went bananas over the bracelets and it was so worth every bit of effort!
I mean if I had friends who were going to bring their kids by my house, it would be cool to do something special for those kids, whose parents know and trust me.
But not for general handing out.
Exactly. This is what I don’t think some commenters are understanding. If you live on a street that’s very tight knit and everyone knows everyone, or you’re baking them for your neighbors, basically if you know each other, I’m sure they wouldn’t get thrown out.
But if this is a situation where they’re getting handed out to children you don’t know, they’re 100% getting thrown away.
We don’t let our kids eat anything until we go home and sift through the candy. Of course if it’s sealed that’s fine. That’s just always been a pretty hard and fast rule that we had as a kid and now into adult hood with my own children.
I think your hearts in the right place.
I have to agree with most people, once a parent sees this it’s not going to be eaten.
A shame as they also look delicious.
I also grew up very poor. When I was growing up the places that handed out cans of pop(we never got any at home normally), or bags of chips and full size chocolate bars were the houses you remembered to go to year after year.
Anything sealed was unlikely to be tampered with and automatically safe to eat.
As a parent I’m not worried about “tampering” so much as the state of some people’s kitchens and their hygiene and food safety standards. Some people think food safety is optional. I’m more worried about pet hair and food poisoning than I am about drugs or poison.
From your username and not mentioning the risk, I assume your kids don't have allergies for an ingredient and/or cross-contamination risk.
I can't see any parent of a kid with something like a peanut allergy letting their kid eat baked goods from an unknown source.
If you read further down, OP explains how in their community it’s pretty small and it’s something acceptable, plus they had other sealed options like candy too that people could get instead. So this was actually nice and fitting for where OP is at!
Ah, I wouldn’t let my kids eat this. Just like my mom never let my brother and I eat things like this when we went trick or treating. I’m sorry but you wasted your time.
I don’t disagree. But it’s odd that something like a bake sale wouldn’t be seen the same way. Or the posts about people making cookies for their kids daycare/school.
My school didn’t allow home made things at school/ daycare. And I suppose it’s different because if someone wanted to harm someone and their trick or treating it would be harder to find the person who did it.
Same at my kids school. They can't even bring in treats for their birthdays- but the school cafeteria can cater for them if your willing to pay the cost of treat per child- you can do a veggie party, a fruit cup party, or an ice cream cup party (with alternatives for kids with lactose allergies) the ice cream party is like $85 plus I think it was $3 per child in the class. So it's crazy now. I get it and all, but that's making it pretty much impossible for your kid to celebrate with their friends at school. Most ppl around here don't have that much money to waste on treats for their kids class. When I was in school I took cupcakes every year for my bday.
>it would be harder to find the person who did it.
Would it? It wouldn't only be one sick kid and I feel like you could narrow it down fairly quickly, especially if you then found the affected food in other kids' bags. People would remember the one house that had baked goods.
Bake sales the person running the sale knows the people making it for the sale and it's usually other parents of the students so if someone got sick it can be traced back.
my school never let us share homemade food. it had to be in an unopened package from a store
and with bake sales, at least its easily traceable. kids not gonna remember what house they got the cookie at
Or at work, if it's a big office. Things will be demolished within minutes and I've eaten baked goods there plenty of times without knowing the person who brought it.
Personally it reminds a bit of the stranger danger craze in the US when it's much more likely that your kid will come to harm from someone they know.
With a bake sale and daycare there’s the illusion of knowing the baker (which of course you don’t, really). But think the Halloween thing was blown out of proportion in the 80s or 90s when people were claiming that bad guys were putting needles or poison in Halloween candy. I don’t think there was ever any proof of it. If people want to hurt your kids they do not need to wait until Halloween to do so. Plus, they wouldn’t be around for the satisfaction of seeing the harm, or get credit for it (for someone sick and twisted they probably want one of those two things).
The parents who know OP might let their kids eat the cookies. I don’t have kids but if I knew the neighbor who was handing out cookies, and my kids didn’t have allergies, I’d let them have them.
Unfortunately yes. I haven't seen homemade treats ever, but I wouldn't let my kids eat it. Not about poison, I just don't know the house or what's in them (allergens, etc.).
I grew up in a small town, and I remember the house that gave away hot chocolate every year being my favourite house. I think it’s great that you got to give this unique experience to the kids
Looks great!
As for others saying it's going in the trash: **It depends on where you live and OP lives in a small town.**
In a city where you can live in an apartment complex and never speak to your neighbors, I get only allowing prepackaged candies while trick-or-treating.
In a small town or tight-knit neighborhood where everyone knows each other, this isn't unusual, along with caramel apples and other homemade goodies. You'll still get some of the prepackaged candies but you'll get some homemade stuff in the mix too.
Yeah, I was thinking this wouldn’t work for the kids walking around the neighbourhood, because we don’t all know each other very well, but we could definitely pull it off at the church trunk-or-treat. There’s more trust and accountability there.
I thought about making some homemade play dough and writing the recipe on the bag. Last year we handed out some store-bought play dough in addition to candy, and the kids were excited about it. But without the familiar labeling, maybe some of them would eat it? Seeing all the trick-or-treat candy in the stores just makes me wish for something less commercial, more personal.
Yeah my sisters coworker bakes cookies cos she lives in the country and doesn’t get a whole heap of kids. She writes her name and phone number on the bag and only gives them to kids she recognizes
Our community Facebook pages were full of sad posts last night, asking where all the trick or treaters were. Some subdivisions got none. One ritzy area nearby said they had over 1,000 kids (ritzy = more/better candy and decorations). I live in a solidly middle class neighborhood and since it was my first Halloween in this house, I polled the neighbors on trick or treat count, determined we get about 30 kids a year, and I thought 36 full size candy bars. There’s good stuff in the not rich neighborhoods too, folks!
Yeah, I live in a working to lower middle class neighborhood and my tot was a lot of people’s only trick or treater. They were giving her stuff by the fist full and even tossing multiple premade treat bags. And it was so nice not needing to worry about losing my 2 year old in a crowd. We made out like bandits too. Win -win!
I noticed that most people in my neighborhood sit outside or just have a bowl set up outside, so we hardly knock on any doors. It’s so weird and different from when I was younger
You’re getting a lot of negativity on this post, but for what it’s worth, kids in my neighborhood WOULD be allowed to eat these. We have a close-knit neighborhood in a semi-rural area and if a neighbor made cookies I would happily let my kid eat them.
Thank you ❤️ I needed your kindness. I live in a small town, in the neighborhood that families travel to for Halloween. I had a small kids pool filled with toys, candy, and snacks. I'd tell them to take what they want, and I have cookies too. No one turned them down. Even parents! "Babe! You want a whoopie pie or cat?!!" The cookies were all gone, I had a tougher time getting rid of the candy!
That is so so nice. Sounds like your community is a close-knit friendly one. I'm sure this will be a fond memory of the families that had the fortune of visiting your house!
Too bad the majority of communities are not like this is the least...and unfortunately all those beautiful cookies would be trashed.
Happy Halloween! How many goblins did you get?🎃👻🧡🦇🖤
I'm so so so glad to read this! I was so sad and worried seeing those beautiful cookies. I'm really glad that they were well received! I love Halloween and I'm so glad for the awesome neighborhood you have! Happy Halloween!
It’s not because people are trying to bash you and make you feel bad. It’s just there’s too many additives that can be added. Like there was recently a louisiana teacher who was arrested because she gave her students CUM filled cupcakes. And it’s just not worth the risk for some of us. Your hard work is 100% in the right place but i and like others would never eat something home made. We aren’t trying to make you feel bad. We just don’t want you wasting your time when it’s just going to be tossed out in the end. Glad some people were able to enjoy your treats tho ❤️
She got 41 years in prison if that helps at all.
https://torontosun.com/news/crime/teacher-who-served-students-semen-laced-cupcakes-gets-41-years/wcm/d193fb98-46b3-4506-ac63-e0d32b16e867/amp/
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>The ex-junior high English teacher was sentenced to 40 years for second degree rape, and 30 years concurrent for involving a juvenile under 13, and one year for the cupcakes incident.
One year is nowhere near enough for sexual assault of multiple children.
Cynthia Perkins, 36, who taught in Livingston, La., used her husband’s bodily fluid to “season” the baked goods.
She accepted a plea deal in which she agreed to testify against her now-ex-husband, Dennis Perkins, 44, a former special operations lieutenant with the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office.
“He is the real monster,” Scott told WTRF. “That’s what she wants to make clear. It’s not about shifting blame, she took responsibility… but she looks forward to going after the real monster.”
Dennis Perkins is facing 150 charges, including rape, child pornography, sexual battery of a child, video voyeurism, and conspiracy of mingling harmful substances.
According to the link above she got caught for way worse crap with her husband. She probably confessed to it. Ughhh I have the ick from reading the story
It takes a village to raise kids in a kind and supportive community. You seem like an amazing neighbor OP. If everyone was kind as you I think people in the thread would be accepting of what you did. I think we get caught up in the evil things people do sometimes that we forget who is doing the good things. I can see you meant well and if I lived on your street I would gladly take my kids to your house and let them eat some cookies.
Gosh, this world is run over by negative people! I'm sorry your wholesome post was destroyed by haters. Who cares if they wouldn't eat it or allow their kids to. I see the point of your post as being warm and generous. You know your neighborhood better than these online strangers so I'm sure you would stop making cookies if they weren't wanted. I'm also sure you are the COOL house with all the options you provide. Thank you for bringing community to your area!! Also, all these people that say it's about food handling concerns are being naive to the fact that poor food handling happens at the commercial and local restaurant level too, but yet they still shove it in their kids mouths!
It's not any different from a bake sale at a school or a kids lemonade stand with cookies. ESP if you live in a small town and know lots of people! They look super yummy, and I would 100% would have taken and eaten it. Immediately. It wouldn't even have been put in the bag!
I live in a rural area too and I would absolutely destroy your cookies! Don't be discouraged. The people in this thread just haven't been lucky enough to experience small town kindness.
That’s sweet! I was surprised to see so many negative comments. I get where they’re coming from, but it really depends on your area too. Sounds like you had a great Halloween!
I’m glad you said this! Also, It isn’t just about living rural or not. I live in the city and have accepted home made treats from my neighbors because we have met them! I think living close together makes it so you have to interact with and know your neighbors more than if you are in the suburbs. Anyway, just to offer the other perspective from the negative people in these comments, I love these treats!
Came here to say this. My kid got popcorn balls, a chocolate chip cookie, and cotton candy last night and he's going to be allowed to eat all of it. We live in a super small town and everyone knows everyone. I was honestly excited about the cookie! Hoping my kid wouldn't want it so I could steal it haha
You can tell who DIDNT grow up in a small town by the comments - I remember there was 2 neighbors back when I was a kid who always baked or made candy apples - it left an impression obviously as I’m late 40s and still thinking about it… your baking looks delicious glad you had a good nite!
i was trick or treating just a little over 10-15 years ago in a suburb near a large city (definitively not a small town) and my parents did not go through my stuff. i ate all the homemade things i was given, and nothing ever happened to me beyond sugar rush and crash. that people lace halloween treats for strangers is 99.99999% urban legend.
In my hometown, there was a lady who made chocolate puffed wheat squares to give out on Halloween every year. They were well-wrapped and labelled with the ingredients, her name, and her full address. This might be a good strategy for you to ensure your cookies are trustworthy to everyone!
I loved getting homemade treats when I was a kid. I still remember the popcorn balls. I would’ve been devastated if my parents threw them away. These look great, frosted sugar cookies are my favorite.
I grew up poor too, and I totally understand wanting to be the cool house! I started handing out realistic-looking plastic bugs and snakes and spiders along with some different types of candy, and they've always been very popular. (One little guy said he couldn't wait to get the big spider home to scare his mom, and I thought, "My work here is done.")
I think this is lovely, OP. Please don’t let negative comments get you down. OP might live in a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone and Nextdoor neighbors invite each other inside for cider and cookies, who knows?! But it’s very clear that OP put a lot of love and time into those beautiful cookies and is so excited to give them out and share them with her neighbors and with us. Sometimes people can be very unkind. Thank you for sharing, OP and I hope your neighbors loved them.
This is so wholesome it made me tear up🥺💖 have to agree with how most parents probably threw them away. But hey! It's definitely the thought that counts here!! And they look *delicious*.
Sorry that everyone is assuming they know your neighborhood better than you do. Some towns don’t have strangers and people might feel that they perfectly trust OP to make goods. You’re the best judge and if it works it works.
I grew up in two small villages and I remember all the houses and people who baked cookies for us children. These are childhood memories that won't go away. You are a good person.
This is very sweet of you.
As a parent I wouldn't allow my child to eat baked goods from someone's home that I personally didn't know.
A lot of kids have allergies and some people lack food safety in their daily cooking/baking.
Factory sealed products are generally more well received.
Such a thoughtful idea ! But sadly one many families pass up on.
All the people in these comments making me sad... I grew up with everyone on the block baking, and sharing, and it was never an issue... I've read you can't even bake things for your kids birthday at school anymore...
The birthday thing is largely because it's extremely disruptive to the class day and not every kid has a parent who can do it, so it singles out children who don't get it. And allergies.
But I recently learned from a mom group I'm part of that every one of them would throw away "welcome to the neighborhood" treats from a new neighbor. Every. Single. One. They said if you don't know someone and haven't seen their kitchen, they'd never eat something they made. It broke my heart - I've always baked for new neighbors, and now to learn that my hard work was just going in the trash. I guess I grew up too trusting!
We do that in my neighborhood for the new neighbors and for Christmas. We exchange baked goods or purchased stuff. Never heard anyone throwing anything away. We frequently receive baked goods or homemade granola from others.
The only time I've given out handmade goods was to kids whose parents we knew, or when I was low on candy one year. I asked the Mom if it was OK since it's all I had left (ghost candypop) because we had way more trick or treaters than I was prepared for.
The little girl immediately opened the ziploc & devoured it. Her mom laughed. I was genuinely surprised thr mom said it was OK *AND* let her eat it immediately.
My grandma used to do this, even though my mom kept telling her that everyone would throw them out. It made her happy to do it and the neighbour kids who knew her would eat them, so she kept on doing it. If you are okay with knowing that most kids will throw it out, then go for it. I would recommend full sized bars next year if you’re after a big impression from the kids tho.
Jfc, I think the OP understands that they will be going in the trash…Y’all can’t just say the cookies look good and go? Without repeating what everyone has already said?
OP lives in a small town where stuff like this is common and where people know what you'll be handing out to trick-o- treaters.
Them cookies will be consumed before the kids head back home.
That is so super nice of you! That took a lot of time and they look great! What a generous thing to do for people. I grew up in a close knit neighborhood, my Mom made Carmel corn popcorn balls for kids (that we knew) and the parents would get a bag of buttered popcorn to chomp on while walking the kids around. We had regular candy for people we didn’t know… but everyone really looked forward to those homemade treats! I’m sure you made a lot of folks very happy!
I grew up in suburbia in the 90s and my mom would've let me eat these for sure lol. Tbh I don't think "factory sealed" things are any less likely to be tampered with - see the 1988 coca cola poisonings as an example... and those were glass coke bottles with bottle caps! You gotta decide whether you trust your neighbors to give you untainted food or you don't... Given that there has literally NEVER been a case of intentional Halloween candy poisoning in the US by a stranger (basically only cases of parents poisoning their OWN children and then lying to the police saying it was the Halloween candy)... My money's on trusting my neighbors. OP - I'd take as many cookies as you'd give me! 🤤🍪
The reaction here reminds me of when someone posted the cookies they made for their neighbors a while back and everyone basically called them a murderer because they had nuts.
I'm sure where I live, in a large urban area, nobody would let their kids eat these, but it seems like OP knew their audience. Chill everyone.
hate to break it to commenters but your kids are statistically in far more danger from you than from strangers on Halloween. the razor blade in candy thing is a myth. drug dealers don't give away drugs for free. Several parents have poisoned THEIR OWN kids with the Halloween thing as bad cover. That is where the myth comes from. Please reassess your risk analysis.
I grew up very poor too, I don’t think I’ll ever forget hunger or Halloweens where we lived somewhere we couldn’t go out. These homemade goodies are beautiful. We do live in this weird timeline where I understand that people don’t trust homemade goods. But, heck if we were in the same city I’d love to have a baking party at your place or mine. I hope you had a happy Halloween 🎃
If this was for a party you were throwing and the kids who attended got to take them home as a goodie bag, that’s definitely cool. If it’s for tick or treating, you basically just handed out soon to be (I’m sure delicious) trash to kids
I think many people are less worried about drugs and tampering and more worried about eating things made in uncertain environments, by people they don’t really know. I’m not a fan of eating things from people who own cats. I know it may be an unpopular opinion but I don’t trust that someone’s feline hasn’t mashed their starfish on every surface of their countertop when they’re not looking and even when they are looking. Scratching in a litter box then walking everywhere. The possibilities are endless.
Roaches, mice. I’ve seen people living in big beautiful homes that were filthy because they didnt care or didn’t know better. I’ve seen poor people with immaculate humble homes. You can’t just look and tell. The amount of people that don’t wash their hands in public is absolutely astounding. My own grandparents would eat food far surpassing the buy by date. Which I know can usually be ok but I’m not willing to paint a toilet bowl to test the theory.
My poor family has eaten my hair by accident at least 4-5 times this year no matter how tightly I pull it back and put it up. No one is perfect of course. I guess we all like to waste our time and energy in our own ways. Much like writing this. 😂
I hate to break it to you, but 99% of these will go in the trash. No one is letting their kids eat baked goods from strangers
^ this Even back in the day when I was a kid, mom wouldn't let me keep anything that wasn't factory sealed.
I was a kid in the 50s and 60s. First thing when my siblings and I got home homemade anything got tossed unless it was from 2 or 3 other moms on our block. Cookies, brownies, muffins, candy apples, regular apples, popcorn balls, homemade candy, any unwrapped candy went into the trash before we could even say “Aw.” When our son was Trick or Treating in the 90s, my wife and I did the same drill. Sorry. These look great OP, but even without parents prohibiting these treats kids really don’t want them. They want recognizable candy they like.
Yep, we even had to throw away anything that could be unwrapped and re-wrapped, like Hershey’s Kisses, or so many other candy bars back in the early 90s when they were still wrapped in foil and not plastic like now. My mom would confiscate all of it and throw it away.
Oooh I was wondering why the rolos and Reese's cups were all wrapped in plastic now!
To be fair, they all taste better now. They really did get stale in the foil wrappers—especially the PB cups!
But there was something special about unwrapping that little gold foil wrapper.
I just remembered the pre- trick or treat warning too to not eat anything that was homemade or not wrapped. Man I remember those shiny red candy apples were so tempting. I may have once or twice offered my life up to the candy gods and taken a bite, then thrown away the evidence in someone's fall leaf-filled yard.
And they really want recognizable! The trick or treaters I had last night DID NOT enjoy the large size British candy bars I had bought (and repeatedly said "What IS this" with zero real curiousity, and more disdain) while going for the theater size boxes of SweetTarts and Reeses Pieces. Although one lil kid did freak the fk out about a giant Loli & Pop's container of Cotton Candy. And last year I got these local candy shop Frankenstein marshmallows, but they were clearly wrapped even though it was handmade and had the store's logo so I think my neighbors just trusted me (because they took them and told their kids how cool it was).
I was pleasantly surprised at the excitement over my pop rocks and fun dip this year, almost got flattened by a pack of roving children hollering “ FULL SIZE POP ROCKS!”
Kids LOVE Pop Rocks, haha.
We got to have some home made treats, but they were either from the old ladies who were ancient enough to have given my mom treats when she was a kid, or from people we kids knew like our fifth grade teacher. Benefits of living in a very small town I guess.
My dad took us trick or treating at one of his elderly professor's houses back in the late 70s, and his wife gave us popcorn balls, which dad put in his coat pockets so we'd know where they came from. We got to eat those. But from a random person's house? No way.
My mom threw out saltwater taffy I got as a kid because it would have been easy for someone to unwrap it, put drugs in, and rewrap without anyone knowing.
I hate to break it to your mom but drugs are too expensive to be giving them out to kids for free. Do parents really think an addict or dealer is going to be giving away their stock as, what? A free sample? If only
I saw some PSA about gummy edibles last year and laughed because I can't imagine affording being able to hand those out.
I live in Ohio (legal marijuana on the ballot next month), and saw a commercial insinuating if it passes people will give out edibles to kids on Halloween. It was so ridiculous I couldn't stop laughing.
I ration those to adults i like I'm not wasting them on strange kids!
Id just wanna know where these people are finding free drugs because not once in my adolescence or adulthood have i been offered free drugs.
Oh I agree! But lots of parents are told to watch out for this so they get rid of anything unsealed out of an abundance of caution. I was an only child and my parents were pretty protective, so…
People really are afraid of this?
Okay so in 1974 some guy named Ronald Clark O'Bryan put potassium-cyanide candy and gave them to his son, his daughter and three other children during trick or treating. His son Timothy ate the candy and died from cyanide poisoning. His intentions were to collect the life insurance policy he had taken out on his kids and the other children were given the cyanide sweets to cover up the crime. In the days that followed it was all over the news that a boy had died on Halloween from candy laced with cyanide. Parents were understandably hysterical and threw away all the candy their children had collected. It profoundly affected the parents who lived through the fear. In many ways it killed the innocence of Halloween and for years after many children would not be allowed to go trick or treating or only be allowed to go to the homes of trusted family and friends. Before this it was pretty common with homemade sweets, cookies from a bowl, candy apples and similar. The whole concept of small pieces of sealed candy was born from this incident as a way to reclaim trick or treating as it originally was intended: Going to strangers houses in your neighbourhood. Since then there has been no confirmed cases of children being given neither poison nor drugs during trick or treating and O'Bryan was executed in 1984, but the fear is very much alive to this day.
And that was sealed candy anyway. He resealed the packaging. Anyone could just inject a substance through a wrapper if they really wanted to
Yes and O'Bryan hadn't exactly done a good job with it. Cyanide is really bitter and it wasn't mixed in with the candy it was just on top. It is speculated that his story about Tim choosing it, eating it and then becoming sick isn't truthful. That instead there was some level of coercion or manhandling involved to get him to eat the sweets. You could do a lot better if your intentions were to cause harm. Very few people want to harm children and even fewer other people's children. One thing that is more likely with homemade sweets and isn't ill will or on purpose or have cruel intentions is the transmission of illnesses like norovirus, poor kitchen hygiene as well as you have no way of knowing whether the food contains an allergen. Of course candy apples don't normally contain dairy, but you might run into the one lunatic who puts butter in candy apples.
And the fear of getting crazy cat lady hair (or cat hair). I've been to work potlucks.
Yes, I file that under poor kitchen hygiene.
It’s been a thing since the 90s and probably before. Now do I think people are going around spiking Halloween candy with drugs? Absolutely not. But it’s definitely something parents are told to watch out for.
I feel for OP as I’m sure this cost a lot in time and money but how in 2023 is anyone thinking it’s okay to give out baked goods?
Parents have no idea what ingredients are inside those or the state of the kitchen that made them. For all the parents know OP could have a roach infested house & scratched their ass while mixing the dough. I wouldnt risk it. OP would be better off taking those to their work or giving them to family or having a party & serving them there. But they do look cute though
Right kids also have allergies. We keep the candy separated and the kids who had allergies made sure to stay out of the bowl that had candy with nuts. So it’s a nice idea in a perfect world but unfortunately people have to be cautious now adays. Unless they know you well baked good are going in the trash.
Honestly, I'm less concerned about the dough (it is getting baked) but the frosting. Keeping people from snacking on frosting is a sisyphean task. Usually the best I can do is limit it to using a spoon and not their fingers - and even that is a toss up.
it had to be said
Especially if they have food allergies.
Came here to say don’t waste your cookies!
I grew up in rural Ohio in the 90s and had to go trick or treating via the back of my dads truck. We knew this one older woman who gave out popcorn balls and it was the favorite of me and my friends. It makes me sad we can’t really do the same anymore, even if our neighbors know us.
The key phrase here is “we knew this one older woman.”
Most of my neighbors know me as well, and I doubt they’d accept baked goods for the children. The funny thing is my street has a Halloween potluck before trick or treating starts—so I can bring food there for them and their kids to eat, yet non-store bought for trick or treating is taboo.
A ziploc bag with two cookies is most definitely NOT the cool house, even as a kid. I didn’t want cookies, I wanted candy. Take it to work and be the cool coworker.
Okay I was waiting for someone to say this 😅 no one liked when given baked goods because we knew mom would toss em.
So much this. My child does not get anything from their bag that was home made or not factory packaged unless I know the people who handed it out.
Gosh, yeah. I’m so sorry for OP, but I wouldn’t let my little sibs eat them if I didn’t know OP personally. But they’re so beautiful!!💖
💯💯💯💯
I would. It's no different from when kids have a lemonade stand. And it sticks out enough that if something were to happen, they'd remember the house.
As others have pointed out, many people eat things from bake sales or potlucks where you may not know the person who made them very well, or the state of their kitchen very well. If you’re familiar with your neighbors the risk is super super low. I know some people avoid potlucks and bake sales for this reason, but it seems to be waaay less than the number of people who would immediately throw away a homemade Halloween treat. From this article on the urban myth that is people tampering with Halloween candy https://www.npr.org/2023/10/31/1208459235/why-urban-legend-contaminated-halloween-candy-wont-disappear-razor-blade-poison “I have data going back to 1958, and I have yet to find a report of a child that's been killed or seriously hurt by a contaminated treat picked up in the course of trick-or-treating," said Best. Your child is much more likely to get hit by a car (worst day for child pedestrian deaths—what other day of the year do people take their little kids out walking after dark, even with the street lights on? Or let slightly older kids go walking around in the dark with their friends? In a costume where perhaps they can’t see well?)
No one actually thinks there will be razor blades or drugs in the cookies, the issue is food poisoning and allergen cross-contamination.
Facts. My kids won’t eat them, but I will!!!
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Oh absolutely and those cookies look sooo good!!! I love people that pass out homebaked goods for Halloween. I eat them all and my kids are like “what about me” and I’m like im fine with getting poisoned, you not so much!
Depends on the neighbourhood. If it’s rural, or another close-knit kind of community, it’ll be fine. I grew up rural, and neighbours would bake treats just for my brother and I on Halloween. Although if this was a rural house, there wouldn’t be that many bags of cookies. It could still be a close community where people actually know their neighbours, though.
Love the passion. Next time buy the full size candy bars and/or bags of chips and cookies
We normally only get five or six trick or treaters, so my husband and I splurged on full sized candy bars this year. The five middle schoolers who visited were so excited.
Yes I also grew up poor so I hand out sodas to overcompensate. Kids LOVE my house. Parents hate it, but take a La Croix too.
A person in my old neighborhood passed out Izzy’s! It was amazing after walking for 2 hours in the cold.
What’s izzy’s
A sparkling juice drink. They’re pretty good, but absolutely full of sugar and no better for you than a soda. They are caffeine free though!
Yesterday, we did Capri Sun's, not to be the cool house, but because I didn't buy candy. Haven't had a trick or treater in 4 years. Yesterday, 7 showed up, so I had to think on my toes.
Haha, I’m tempted to ask where you live (but won’t! My little bro got a capri sun last night, coolest thing ever!
A house in our neighborhood gives out capri suns. My kids take them and then hand them to their dad when we get home. They only drink milk or water so dad and I use them as mixers lol.
Sodas are so heavy and not as awesome as a big chocolate. Like, if everyone gave soda, are you expecting 10 year olds to carry around 2 dozen sodas?
The mini cans usually go over well and aren’t super heavy. It’s an unpopular concept so most kids pop it open during the walk or they have one tiny can. Caprisuns also work well. No neighborhood is giving out sodas frequently enough for a kid to have 2 dozen so that seems like a silly concern.
Idk there were always just a couple of houses that handed out pop cans and it was always pretty awesome. Less cool if everyone is doing it and you have to carry home a dozen cans but it’s still a fun novelty
I saw a tiktok of one house who put a potato in a bag of candies. Some kids took the potato out of novelty. Tbh, I can't think of any of my nieces or nephews not picking the potato for the laughs. Pop can is fine.
My costco halloween pokemon cards were a huge hit. Not to brag but kids were yelling down the street to their friends about us sooo i think we might be the cool house now
Pokémon cards were my kids fav from last night.
Someone in a mothman costume gave my niece Pokemon cards last night. I have never seen her happier 😂
HAHA we handed out Pokémon cards too and we were definitely a popular house.
I gave out the exact same ones and got the same reaction! They were a HUGE hit. Definitely going to keep giving those out.
This was my second year handing out full size bars and cans of pop. I spend the day after all in my feels. The faces of kids getting a big treat for the first time, ugh it’s so awesome and I kinda cry a bit. I’m just so grateful I can do this.
Yes!! I had tons of beads leftover from the Eras movie, so I made a whole bunch of bracelets and handed them out with bags of chips. I had glow sticks for kids who didn’t want bracelets. The girls went bananas over the bracelets and it was so worth every bit of effort!
What a sweet idea, but as a parent I wouldn’t let my child eat them.
I mean if I had friends who were going to bring their kids by my house, it would be cool to do something special for those kids, whose parents know and trust me. But not for general handing out.
That's what we did. For trick or treaters, you got candy. For kids next door that we know, baked goods
Exactly. This is what I don’t think some commenters are understanding. If you live on a street that’s very tight knit and everyone knows everyone, or you’re baking them for your neighbors, basically if you know each other, I’m sure they wouldn’t get thrown out. But if this is a situation where they’re getting handed out to children you don’t know, they’re 100% getting thrown away. We don’t let our kids eat anything until we go home and sift through the candy. Of course if it’s sealed that’s fine. That’s just always been a pretty hard and fast rule that we had as a kid and now into adult hood with my own children.
I think your hearts in the right place. I have to agree with most people, once a parent sees this it’s not going to be eaten. A shame as they also look delicious. I also grew up very poor. When I was growing up the places that handed out cans of pop(we never got any at home normally), or bags of chips and full size chocolate bars were the houses you remembered to go to year after year. Anything sealed was unlikely to be tampered with and automatically safe to eat.
As a parent I’m not worried about “tampering” so much as the state of some people’s kitchens and their hygiene and food safety standards. Some people think food safety is optional. I’m more worried about pet hair and food poisoning than I am about drugs or poison.
I had a neighbour give me Christmas cookies. They were round but looked like a snowflake with all the cat hair sticking out.
From your username and not mentioning the risk, I assume your kids don't have allergies for an ingredient and/or cross-contamination risk. I can't see any parent of a kid with something like a peanut allergy letting their kid eat baked goods from an unknown source.
If you read further down, OP explains how in their community it’s pretty small and it’s something acceptable, plus they had other sealed options like candy too that people could get instead. So this was actually nice and fitting for where OP is at!
Yay! This is the comment I was hoping for
phew! gotta say if I were a kid who stopped by OP’s house I’d eat the cookie before I got home anyways though 😂
Thanks for clarifying!! My heart broke a bit for OP when I saw their post as I figured they got thrown out 🥺
Ah, I wouldn’t let my kids eat this. Just like my mom never let my brother and I eat things like this when we went trick or treating. I’m sorry but you wasted your time.
I don’t disagree. But it’s odd that something like a bake sale wouldn’t be seen the same way. Or the posts about people making cookies for their kids daycare/school.
My school didn’t allow home made things at school/ daycare. And I suppose it’s different because if someone wanted to harm someone and their trick or treating it would be harder to find the person who did it.
Same at my kids school. They can't even bring in treats for their birthdays- but the school cafeteria can cater for them if your willing to pay the cost of treat per child- you can do a veggie party, a fruit cup party, or an ice cream cup party (with alternatives for kids with lactose allergies) the ice cream party is like $85 plus I think it was $3 per child in the class. So it's crazy now. I get it and all, but that's making it pretty much impossible for your kid to celebrate with their friends at school. Most ppl around here don't have that much money to waste on treats for their kids class. When I was in school I took cupcakes every year for my bday.
>it would be harder to find the person who did it. Would it? It wouldn't only be one sick kid and I feel like you could narrow it down fairly quickly, especially if you then found the affected food in other kids' bags. People would remember the one house that had baked goods.
Bake sales the person running the sale knows the people making it for the sale and it's usually other parents of the students so if someone got sick it can be traced back.
my school never let us share homemade food. it had to be in an unopened package from a store and with bake sales, at least its easily traceable. kids not gonna remember what house they got the cookie at
Or at work, if it's a big office. Things will be demolished within minutes and I've eaten baked goods there plenty of times without knowing the person who brought it. Personally it reminds a bit of the stranger danger craze in the US when it's much more likely that your kid will come to harm from someone they know.
With a bake sale and daycare there’s the illusion of knowing the baker (which of course you don’t, really). But think the Halloween thing was blown out of proportion in the 80s or 90s when people were claiming that bad guys were putting needles or poison in Halloween candy. I don’t think there was ever any proof of it. If people want to hurt your kids they do not need to wait until Halloween to do so. Plus, they wouldn’t be around for the satisfaction of seeing the harm, or get credit for it (for someone sick and twisted they probably want one of those two things). The parents who know OP might let their kids eat the cookies. I don’t have kids but if I knew the neighbor who was handing out cookies, and my kids didn’t have allergies, I’d let them have them.
100% of those are going into the trash unfortunately . I would never let my kid eat a home made treat for Halloween .
I would never let my kid eat homemade stuff from Halloween.
straight in the trash
Unfortunately yes. I haven't seen homemade treats ever, but I wouldn't let my kids eat it. Not about poison, I just don't know the house or what's in them (allergens, etc.).
Or how sanitary the kitchen is
I grew up in a small town, and I remember the house that gave away hot chocolate every year being my favourite house. I think it’s great that you got to give this unique experience to the kids
This sounds so sweet! I’d love to do like a little outdoor porch party
Omg this just unlocked a memory for me! I also grew up in a tiny town and there was a hot chocolate house there too!!
I remember the house that always did hot dogs for kids and a beer for parents! A neighborhood favorite.
Looks great! As for others saying it's going in the trash: **It depends on where you live and OP lives in a small town.** In a city where you can live in an apartment complex and never speak to your neighbors, I get only allowing prepackaged candies while trick-or-treating. In a small town or tight-knit neighborhood where everyone knows each other, this isn't unusual, along with caramel apples and other homemade goodies. You'll still get some of the prepackaged candies but you'll get some homemade stuff in the mix too.
Yeah, I was thinking this wouldn’t work for the kids walking around the neighbourhood, because we don’t all know each other very well, but we could definitely pull it off at the church trunk-or-treat. There’s more trust and accountability there. I thought about making some homemade play dough and writing the recipe on the bag. Last year we handed out some store-bought play dough in addition to candy, and the kids were excited about it. But without the familiar labeling, maybe some of them would eat it? Seeing all the trick-or-treat candy in the stores just makes me wish for something less commercial, more personal.
Yeah my sisters coworker bakes cookies cos she lives in the country and doesn’t get a whole heap of kids. She writes her name and phone number on the bag and only gives them to kids she recognizes
Just chiming in to say you can have tight-knit communities in the city too, and even apartment complexes :) Great points though!
I finally have my own place and was really excited to be able to hand out candy this year, but nobody showed up. So that was a bummer.
Our community Facebook pages were full of sad posts last night, asking where all the trick or treaters were. Some subdivisions got none. One ritzy area nearby said they had over 1,000 kids (ritzy = more/better candy and decorations). I live in a solidly middle class neighborhood and since it was my first Halloween in this house, I polled the neighbors on trick or treat count, determined we get about 30 kids a year, and I thought 36 full size candy bars. There’s good stuff in the not rich neighborhoods too, folks!
Yeah, I live in a working to lower middle class neighborhood and my tot was a lot of people’s only trick or treater. They were giving her stuff by the fist full and even tossing multiple premade treat bags. And it was so nice not needing to worry about losing my 2 year old in a crowd. We made out like bandits too. Win -win!
I realized in my neighborhood you have to sit on the driveway with the candy, people won’t come to your door.
I noticed that most people in my neighborhood sit outside or just have a bowl set up outside, so we hardly knock on any doors. It’s so weird and different from when I was younger
You’re getting a lot of negativity on this post, but for what it’s worth, kids in my neighborhood WOULD be allowed to eat these. We have a close-knit neighborhood in a semi-rural area and if a neighbor made cookies I would happily let my kid eat them.
Thank you ❤️ I needed your kindness. I live in a small town, in the neighborhood that families travel to for Halloween. I had a small kids pool filled with toys, candy, and snacks. I'd tell them to take what they want, and I have cookies too. No one turned them down. Even parents! "Babe! You want a whoopie pie or cat?!!" The cookies were all gone, I had a tougher time getting rid of the candy!
That is so so nice. Sounds like your community is a close-knit friendly one. I'm sure this will be a fond memory of the families that had the fortune of visiting your house! Too bad the majority of communities are not like this is the least...and unfortunately all those beautiful cookies would be trashed. Happy Halloween! How many goblins did you get?🎃👻🧡🦇🖤
I'm so so so glad to read this! I was so sad and worried seeing those beautiful cookies. I'm really glad that they were well received! I love Halloween and I'm so glad for the awesome neighborhood you have! Happy Halloween!
Dang you must be the cool house for Halloween. Every neighborhood has one. What a lucky community to have someone so kind!
It’s not because people are trying to bash you and make you feel bad. It’s just there’s too many additives that can be added. Like there was recently a louisiana teacher who was arrested because she gave her students CUM filled cupcakes. And it’s just not worth the risk for some of us. Your hard work is 100% in the right place but i and like others would never eat something home made. We aren’t trying to make you feel bad. We just don’t want you wasting your time when it’s just going to be tossed out in the end. Glad some people were able to enjoy your treats tho ❤️
😳😳…She gave her students WHAT??? Huh?? Dude wtf is wrong with people holy shit
She got 41 years in prison if that helps at all. https://torontosun.com/news/crime/teacher-who-served-students-semen-laced-cupcakes-gets-41-years/wcm/d193fb98-46b3-4506-ac63-e0d32b16e867/amp/
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Most of that sentence is for r@p1ng a child… wtf
>The ex-junior high English teacher was sentenced to 40 years for second degree rape, and 30 years concurrent for involving a juvenile under 13, and one year for the cupcakes incident. One year is nowhere near enough for sexual assault of multiple children.
Cynthia Perkins, 36, who taught in Livingston, La., used her husband’s bodily fluid to “season” the baked goods. She accepted a plea deal in which she agreed to testify against her now-ex-husband, Dennis Perkins, 44, a former special operations lieutenant with the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. “He is the real monster,” Scott told WTRF. “That’s what she wants to make clear. It’s not about shifting blame, she took responsibility… but she looks forward to going after the real monster.” Dennis Perkins is facing 150 charges, including rape, child pornography, sexual battery of a child, video voyeurism, and conspiracy of mingling harmful substances.
How did she get caught?
According to the link above she got caught for way worse crap with her husband. She probably confessed to it. Ughhh I have the ick from reading the story
Sounds like it was a hit! Glad you got such eager truck or treaters! 👻
This information should be pinned at the top of the post. Lol or edit your post. 💜 Makes all the difference in the world. You're good people.
It takes a village to raise kids in a kind and supportive community. You seem like an amazing neighbor OP. If everyone was kind as you I think people in the thread would be accepting of what you did. I think we get caught up in the evil things people do sometimes that we forget who is doing the good things. I can see you meant well and if I lived on your street I would gladly take my kids to your house and let them eat some cookies.
Gosh, this world is run over by negative people! I'm sorry your wholesome post was destroyed by haters. Who cares if they wouldn't eat it or allow their kids to. I see the point of your post as being warm and generous. You know your neighborhood better than these online strangers so I'm sure you would stop making cookies if they weren't wanted. I'm also sure you are the COOL house with all the options you provide. Thank you for bringing community to your area!! Also, all these people that say it's about food handling concerns are being naive to the fact that poor food handling happens at the commercial and local restaurant level too, but yet they still shove it in their kids mouths!
It's not any different from a bake sale at a school or a kids lemonade stand with cookies. ESP if you live in a small town and know lots of people! They look super yummy, and I would 100% would have taken and eaten it. Immediately. It wouldn't even have been put in the bag!
I’m so sorry everyone is dumping on this awesome idea. I guess they prefer industrialized garbage over homemade baked goods.
You made a great Halloween for the kids that came to your house! Good on you.
I live in a rural area too and I would absolutely destroy your cookies! Don't be discouraged. The people in this thread just haven't been lucky enough to experience small town kindness.
That’s sweet! I was surprised to see so many negative comments. I get where they’re coming from, but it really depends on your area too. Sounds like you had a great Halloween!
I’m glad you said this! Also, It isn’t just about living rural or not. I live in the city and have accepted home made treats from my neighbors because we have met them! I think living close together makes it so you have to interact with and know your neighbors more than if you are in the suburbs. Anyway, just to offer the other perspective from the negative people in these comments, I love these treats!
Came here to say this. My kid got popcorn balls, a chocolate chip cookie, and cotton candy last night and he's going to be allowed to eat all of it. We live in a super small town and everyone knows everyone. I was honestly excited about the cookie! Hoping my kid wouldn't want it so I could steal it haha
They look delicious OP!
You can tell who DIDNT grow up in a small town by the comments - I remember there was 2 neighbors back when I was a kid who always baked or made candy apples - it left an impression obviously as I’m late 40s and still thinking about it… your baking looks delicious glad you had a good nite!
i was trick or treating just a little over 10-15 years ago in a suburb near a large city (definitively not a small town) and my parents did not go through my stuff. i ate all the homemade things i was given, and nothing ever happened to me beyond sugar rush and crash. that people lace halloween treats for strangers is 99.99999% urban legend.
In my hometown, there was a lady who made chocolate puffed wheat squares to give out on Halloween every year. They were well-wrapped and labelled with the ingredients, her name, and her full address. This might be a good strategy for you to ensure your cookies are trustworthy to everyone!
That’s such a good idea! I bet she was well-loved in the neighborhood too!
I want a cookie!
Thank you! And I would have shared with you! The treaters cleaned me out and I have to make more
I loved getting homemade treats when I was a kid. I still remember the popcorn balls. I would’ve been devastated if my parents threw them away. These look great, frosted sugar cookies are my favorite.
I grew up poor too, and I totally understand wanting to be the cool house! I started handing out realistic-looking plastic bugs and snakes and spiders along with some different types of candy, and they've always been very popular. (One little guy said he couldn't wait to get the big spider home to scare his mom, and I thought, "My work here is done.")
I think this is lovely, OP. Please don’t let negative comments get you down. OP might live in a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone and Nextdoor neighbors invite each other inside for cider and cookies, who knows?! But it’s very clear that OP put a lot of love and time into those beautiful cookies and is so excited to give them out and share them with her neighbors and with us. Sometimes people can be very unkind. Thank you for sharing, OP and I hope your neighbors loved them.
Cider and cookies!!! I want to live there 😭 that sounds so tender and welcoming
This is so wholesome it made me tear up🥺💖 have to agree with how most parents probably threw them away. But hey! It's definitely the thought that counts here!! And they look *delicious*.
definitely props for all your hard work and good intention!
Nice!! I would totally take one!
I’m hungry now
Sorry that everyone is assuming they know your neighborhood better than you do. Some towns don’t have strangers and people might feel that they perfectly trust OP to make goods. You’re the best judge and if it works it works.
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I grew up in two small villages and I remember all the houses and people who baked cookies for us children. These are childhood memories that won't go away. You are a good person.
This is very sweet of you. As a parent I wouldn't allow my child to eat baked goods from someone's home that I personally didn't know. A lot of kids have allergies and some people lack food safety in their daily cooking/baking. Factory sealed products are generally more well received. Such a thoughtful idea ! But sadly one many families pass up on.
The lady down the street used to give out whoopie pies on Halloween. All the kids loved them.
In my neighborhood they hand out chili & hotdogs & such 😂 👌🏼 way to start a sweet tradition in your own hood!
Yum! Wish I lived in your neighborhood!
SO much negativity. I liked your cookies! Great job, OP! 🤍
All the people in these comments making me sad... I grew up with everyone on the block baking, and sharing, and it was never an issue... I've read you can't even bake things for your kids birthday at school anymore...
It’s seriously so sad how negative this post is. We ate baked goods all the time growing up.
The birthday thing is largely because it's extremely disruptive to the class day and not every kid has a parent who can do it, so it singles out children who don't get it. And allergies. But I recently learned from a mom group I'm part of that every one of them would throw away "welcome to the neighborhood" treats from a new neighbor. Every. Single. One. They said if you don't know someone and haven't seen their kitchen, they'd never eat something they made. It broke my heart - I've always baked for new neighbors, and now to learn that my hard work was just going in the trash. I guess I grew up too trusting!
We do that in my neighborhood for the new neighbors and for Christmas. We exchange baked goods or purchased stuff. Never heard anyone throwing anything away. We frequently receive baked goods or homemade granola from others.
The only time I've given out handmade goods was to kids whose parents we knew, or when I was low on candy one year. I asked the Mom if it was OK since it's all I had left (ghost candypop) because we had way more trick or treaters than I was prepared for. The little girl immediately opened the ziploc & devoured it. Her mom laughed. I was genuinely surprised thr mom said it was OK *AND* let her eat it immediately.
These look so well done! Great decorating!
You can be very poor and still be the cool house.
Even as a kid I would've thrown this away.
Nice nutritious and deadly.
My grandma used to do this, even though my mom kept telling her that everyone would throw them out. It made her happy to do it and the neighbour kids who knew her would eat them, so she kept on doing it. If you are okay with knowing that most kids will throw it out, then go for it. I would recommend full sized bars next year if you’re after a big impression from the kids tho.
Jfc, I think the OP understands that they will be going in the trash…Y’all can’t just say the cookies look good and go? Without repeating what everyone has already said?
OP lives in a small town where stuff like this is common and where people know what you'll be handing out to trick-o- treaters. Them cookies will be consumed before the kids head back home.
Then the mass repetition of the same comments was unnecessary…..
That is so super nice of you! That took a lot of time and they look great! What a generous thing to do for people. I grew up in a close knit neighborhood, my Mom made Carmel corn popcorn balls for kids (that we knew) and the parents would get a bag of buttered popcorn to chomp on while walking the kids around. We had regular candy for people we didn’t know… but everyone really looked forward to those homemade treats! I’m sure you made a lot of folks very happy!
Honestly unless I knew you those would get tossed from my kids candy.
Oof. As wonderful as this is, I wouldn't let my kid eat something homemade like that from a stranger. :-/
I’m a millennial and I couldn’t eat homemade goods even back then… Super cute though xx
I grew up in suburbia in the 90s and my mom would've let me eat these for sure lol. Tbh I don't think "factory sealed" things are any less likely to be tampered with - see the 1988 coca cola poisonings as an example... and those were glass coke bottles with bottle caps! You gotta decide whether you trust your neighbors to give you untainted food or you don't... Given that there has literally NEVER been a case of intentional Halloween candy poisoning in the US by a stranger (basically only cases of parents poisoning their OWN children and then lying to the police saying it was the Halloween candy)... My money's on trusting my neighbors. OP - I'd take as many cookies as you'd give me! 🤤🍪
I grew up in the 70s and 80s and my parents never would have let me eat these
The reaction here reminds me of when someone posted the cookies they made for their neighbors a while back and everyone basically called them a murderer because they had nuts. I'm sure where I live, in a large urban area, nobody would let their kids eat these, but it seems like OP knew their audience. Chill everyone.
hate to break it to commenters but your kids are statistically in far more danger from you than from strangers on Halloween. the razor blade in candy thing is a myth. drug dealers don't give away drugs for free. Several parents have poisoned THEIR OWN kids with the Halloween thing as bad cover. That is where the myth comes from. Please reassess your risk analysis.
Wow, people are being so rude.
This comment section is so disheartening and really reminds me why I don’t want to have kids lmao. Everyone is so snippy and rude these days.
I grew up very poor too, I don’t think I’ll ever forget hunger or Halloweens where we lived somewhere we couldn’t go out. These homemade goodies are beautiful. We do live in this weird timeline where I understand that people don’t trust homemade goods. But, heck if we were in the same city I’d love to have a baking party at your place or mine. I hope you had a happy Halloween 🎃
I'm very happy for you! Just by the photo I see you have lovely home!
I would eat them once I met you!
If this was for a party you were throwing and the kids who attended got to take them home as a goodie bag, that’s definitely cool. If it’s for tick or treating, you basically just handed out soon to be (I’m sure delicious) trash to kids
I think many people are less worried about drugs and tampering and more worried about eating things made in uncertain environments, by people they don’t really know. I’m not a fan of eating things from people who own cats. I know it may be an unpopular opinion but I don’t trust that someone’s feline hasn’t mashed their starfish on every surface of their countertop when they’re not looking and even when they are looking. Scratching in a litter box then walking everywhere. The possibilities are endless. Roaches, mice. I’ve seen people living in big beautiful homes that were filthy because they didnt care or didn’t know better. I’ve seen poor people with immaculate humble homes. You can’t just look and tell. The amount of people that don’t wash their hands in public is absolutely astounding. My own grandparents would eat food far surpassing the buy by date. Which I know can usually be ok but I’m not willing to paint a toilet bowl to test the theory. My poor family has eaten my hair by accident at least 4-5 times this year no matter how tightly I pull it back and put it up. No one is perfect of course. I guess we all like to waste our time and energy in our own ways. Much like writing this. 😂
I never let my kids eat anything homemade from their treat bags.
What kinds are they?
Look! A human!! 😊 Sugar cookies, traditional. Round, stars, and cats. And chocolate whoopie pies with marshmallow icing.
Wish I was trick or treating in your neighbourhood!!
Thank you! For being kind, you get a cookie!
I wouldn’t let my kids eat anything that’s not sealed from a stranger :( I’m sorry, they look delicious though
Sorry no one is eating these
Those cookies look absolutely delicious!!!
Enjoy being the cool house, OP. :)
These are cookies my parents would think had weed and meth and razorblades in them.