Author Peggy Cullen offers these tips for decorating Halloween sweets using commonly available candies.

1. Candy corn Arrange these in concentric circles atop a cheesecake in the same way that you'd use slices of fruit to adorn a French tart.

2. Marshmallow pumpkins Skewer one on a toothpick and spear it into the top of an iced cupcake so the toothpick sticks straight up.

3. Mini candy bars Arrange trick-or-treat-size bars in a domino pattern on top of a round or rectangular cake.