Here is a collection of Halloween recipes that I found while surfing the web. Some of these are really cool and most are very simple to make.
PLEASE NOTE: Some people
are allergic to latex. Be certain when serving recipes that have
been prepared using latex gloves that nobody eating the food has
the allergy.
Vinyl gloves are a good alternative.
PUMPKIN PATCH CAKE
------------------
Recipe from the Washington Post.
For this operation you need a traditional-shaped Bundt pan (or
two), two boxes of cake mix, enough white frosting to cover 2
cakes, orange and green food coloring, a cupcake tin, and some
extra devil's food cake crumbs or chocolate jimmies. (If you know
how much scratch cake to make to fill two Bundt pans, go
ahead and make it from scratch.) What you do is make up the two
boxes of cake mix as usual and bake them in the Bundt pan(s),
except for one lonely little cupcake baked in the cupcake tin.
Cake flavor doesn't matter, though if you use chocolate you will
be able to use the crumbs later on, as you will see.
Unmold the Bundt cakes and place them bottom-to-bottom. If you
use the original Bundt pan, the ridges on the cakes will make
the
cakes resemble a pumpkin at this point. See where I'm going with
this? :) Set the cakes on a large platter (one cake will be on
top of the other, upside-down) and frost them with the white
frosting tinted orange. There will probably be a *big* hole down
the middle of the cake. I filled that with leftover frosting and
set the green cupcake on top. The cupcake will be the pumpkin
stem. Unwrap that and put it in the hole in the cakes and frost
that with the white frosting tinted green. You can use leftover
chocolate crumbs or chocolate jimmies to sprinkle around the cake
on the platter to resemble soil. I guess you could use crushed
Famous Chocolate Wafers or even Oreo cookies to make "soil."
For
the finishing touch, carve a jack o'lantern face out of the
pumpkin cake! (NB: *Don't* put a candle inside!! :D )
NOTE: I tried the pumpkin patch cake last year and got rave
reviews! The only thing different is that I used a regular ice
cream cone for the stem of the pumpkin (covered with frosting)
and I colored cocount an orange-brown color and scattered it
around the bottom of the cake. Also, I used Halloween candy corn
and licorice to make the face. Remember that you can do the
same cake for Thanksgiving, just leave off the face!
CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN CAKE
----------------------
Roblyn Hymes -- Washington, D.C.
"This cake consists of two chocolate cakes, stacked on top
of
each other,with vanilla frosting in between. Take the remaining
vanilla frosting and dye it orange. Then spread the orange
frosting over the stacked cakes.
Afterwards, decorate the face with candy corn, etc. Then place
a
chocolate hostess twinkle, I think that's what it's called, at
the top of the pumpkin cake to resemble a stalk."
USING THE INSIDE OF THE PUMPKIN
-------------------------------
OK, we all know that carving a pumpkin is pretty basic stuff,
but
what do you do with the insides? Before flushing the seeds and
pulp down the disposal this year, read on... Make pumpkin puree!
Method #1:
Wait to carve your pumpkin until the day before Halloween. That
way you can enjoy a jack-o-lantern and use the pumpkin for
baking. It shouldn't spoil sitting out for a day. After all the
seeds are out of the pumpkin you can cook it by cutting it in
half and laying it flesh-side down on a baking sheet. Cook in
a
moderate oven (about 325 degrees) for at least an hour. Check
it
frequently. When the flesh is soft, scoop it away from the rind.
Put it in a food processor and pulse a few times to make it
smooth. You can then use it in recipes or freeze in bags for
later use. I usually put about 2 cups in a bag. When using fresh
(or frozen) pumpkin remember that it is more watery than canned
pumpkin. So cut down slightly on the liquids in most recipes."
Method #2:
"Prepare a large amount when pumpkins are plentiful and low
in
cost. Pack in frozen food containers, label and freeze -- it
will keep 1 year in perfect condition in a deep freeze and 6
months in a refrigerator freezer. When called for in a recipe,
pumpkin puree, fresh or thawed, can be replaced by an equal
amount of canned pumpkin."
"To make the puree, cut a slice off the top of a fresh pumpkin
with a good sharp knife. Remove the seeds (see the recipe for
toasting them), peel, cut meat into big pieces and soak it 2
hours in very cold water. Drain, place in a saucepan full of
boiling water and let boil covered until tender -- it can take
from 40-90 minutes, depending on the quality of the pumpkin.
Drain well, pass through a sieve to puree, then use or freeze."
PUMPKIN BREAD
-------------
Makes 2 loaves.
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. nutmeg
3 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups of fresh pumpkin --) 16 ounces if using canned pumpkin
2/3 cup water --) if pumpkin is canned
1/2 cup water --) if pumpkin is fresh or frozen
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon,
nutmeg and sugar in large mixing bowl. Add eggs, water, oil and
pumpkin. Stir until blended. Add nuts. Mix well. Pour into two
9x5" loaf pans. Bake 1 hour.
Cool slightly and take out of pans to let cool on a rack. This
tastes best if you wrap, refrigerate and wait a day to eat it.
It keeps well in the refrigerator and can be frozen.
TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS
---------------------
Even the seeds get into the act. Toast your supply in the time
of plenty, just before the frost touches the colourful autumn
leaves. They will keep for 1 year stored in the freezer or a
few
months in a cool place in sealed jars.
Remove the fibres from the seeds of a large pumpkin and place
seeds in a saucepan. Top with cold water, add 1 tsp salt, cover
and simmer 2 hours. Drain and spread on paper towelling 4-8 hours
to dry. When completely dry, place on a baking sheet, sprinkle
with a few spoonfuls of salad oil,just enough to make seeds
slightly oily when rubbed together.
Set in a 350 F oven for 20-35 minutes, or until nutty brown,
stirring a few times with a fork. When done, spread on brown
paper, salt to taste and let cool. Eat as is, immediately, or
store, and if you then want a crisper seed, warm up in a 350 F
oven for 15 minutes.
SPIDER CAKE
-----------
Once made as a tease for a woman who HATED spiders!
1 boxed cake mix
1 box green Jello, prepared, set and well-whipped
Black Frosting (recipe follows)
6 black licorice sticks
2 large green gumdrops
Take your average cake mix. Bake it up in 2 metal bowls--1
bigger than the other. One unmolded, cut the bigger one (the
"body") in half, horizontally. CAREFULLY scoop out an
adequate
cavity in each half. FILL with well-whipped set green Jello,
and
reattach the halves. Frost black, arrange on serving platter.
Use licorice stix as legs. Use 2 BIG green gumdrops and 6 little
ones as eyes. When the cake is cut into, it spurts green goop,
just like a real spider when stepped on. Why not add a red
hourglass to the back and make it toxic?
NOTE: Another good cake. I would modify this one by using two
round pans, cutting a smaller circle out of one and using it as
the head and filling the hole left over. Place the other layer
on top, and trim to shape.
BLACK CAKE FROSTING
Method #1: Add blue food coloring to chocolate frosting to get
black frosting.
Method #2: Buy black food coloring from a craft store that
carries a wide selection of Wilton Cake Decorating supplies.
COLORING SUGAR
I have never tried coloring confectioners sugar but do color
regular sugar by mixing it half and half with flavored gelatin
powder (Jello). I use this to sprinkle on the top of sugar
cookies. The color seems very pale but intensifies as the cookie
bakes. It also adds a different flavor than you would get with
sugar alone. Depending on what you plan to do with the
confectioners sugar, this might be a way to color it.
KITTY LITTER CAKE
-----------------
1 spice or german chocolate cake mix
1 white cake mix
1 package white sandwich cookies
1 large pacakge vanilla instant pudding mix
12 small tootsie rolls
1 litter box (preferably a NEW one!)
1 plastic scoop
green food coloring
Prepare cake mixes and bake according to directions (any size
pans). Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble.
Crumble white sandwich cookies in small batches in blender, they
tend to stick, so scrape often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup.
To the 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, add a few drops green food coloring
and mix using a fork or shake in a jar.
When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble into a large
bowl. Toss with half the remaining white cookie crumbs and the
chilled pudding. You probably won't need all of the pudding,
mix
with the cake and "feel" it, you don't want it soggy,
just moist;
gently combine. Put mixture into clean litter box.
Put three unwrapped Tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and
heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer
blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie rolls and
bury in mixture. Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over
top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly over the top,
this is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter.
Heat remaining Tootsie Rolls, three at a time in the microwave
until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake and sprinkle
with cookie crumbs. Place the box on a newspaper and sprinkle
a
few of the cookie crumbs around. Serve with a new pooper scooper.
"DIRT" CAKE RECIPE #1
---------------------
1 flower pot (about 8" in diameter or use 2 6" pots)
1 garden trowel (or plastic shovel)
3 large gummy (or plastic) worms
plastic flowers
1 16-oz package Oreo cookies
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 8-oz block cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 t vanilla
2 4-serving-size boxes chocolate fudge pudding, instant-type
3 cups milk
1 12-oz tub whipped topping, thawed
Crush the cookies until they resemble potting soil. Set aside.
Cream butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth and
fluffy; set aside. Combine the pudding mix and milk until well
blended, then fold in the whipped topping. Gently fold the cream
cheese and pudding mixtures together.
To put the cake together, layer flower pot with 1/3 of the cookie
crumbs followed by 1/2 the pudding mixture, 1/3 of the crumbs,
the rest of the pudding mixture and topping with the remaining
cookie crumbs. Refrigerate 10 to 12 hours. About 1/2 hour
before serving, remove from refrigerator and decorate with
flowers. Serve by digging out portions with the trowel.
Serves 10 to 12.
"DIRT" CAKE RECIPE #2
---------------------
1/2 stick margarine, softened
1 pkg. 8-oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
3-1/2 c. milk
2 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 12-oz. tub cool whip, thawed
1 20-oz. pkg. Oreo cookies, crushed
1 plastic flower pot
1 plastic flower
gummy worms
Cream margarine, sugar, cream cheese. In another bowl mix milk
and pudding. Let sit until thick. Stir in cool whip, mix with
cream cheese mixture. Make sure pot holes are plugged. Put 1/3
of cookie crumbs in bottom of pot. Add 1/2 of cream cheese
mixture. Repeat cookie crumbs and cream cheese mixture.
Add extra crumbs on top (to look like dirt). Refrigerate over
night. Add flowers and worms on top, use trowel to serve.
"DIRT" CAKE RECIPE #3
---------------------
Dirt Cake would be great by itself, but someone on the net came
up with a nifty variation. Unfortunately I don't know who, but
I
wish I had kept the attribution on this one, cause it's a neat
idea. What you do is take your basic dirt cake recipe and modify
it in this way: Take another latex glove, fill it up with mashed
potatoes and anchor it at the bottom of your flower
pot. Fill the dirt cake around it up until just the finger tips
are sticking out of the dirt. If you like, you can plunge a
knife in the "hand" and add fake blood. I don't know
if this one
was ever made, so try at your own risk.
"SAND" CAKE
-----------
1 3-qt plastic sand bucket and shovels (or 3 1-qt sand buckets)
1/2 cup butter (one stick)
2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
12 ounces frozen whipped topping
3 1/2 cups milk
2 3/4-ounce packages of instant vanilla pudding
1 20-ounce package vanilla wafers, crushed
Beach Bears, Gummy Worms, and/or Gummy Sharks for garnish
Using soapy water, wash sand buckets and shovels, rinse them and
dry them, then set them aside. On a microwave safe dish, place
butter. Place in microwave on defrost (or 30% power) for 1
minute. Put butter in large mixing bowl. Repeat softening
process with cream cheese and add to mixing bowl. (Note: you
can
also place butter, cream cheese, and whipped topping on the
counter for 1 hour to soften them.) Mix butter and cream cheese
together. Uncover frozen whipped topping and place in microwave
on defrost (or 30% power) for 1 to 2 minutes. In a medium-size
bowl, add milk. Sprinkle pudding over milk and whip or beat
until thickened, about 1 minute. Add pudding and whipped topping
to the cream cheese mixture and mix until smooth using a wooden
spoon or electric mixer. In a food processor, process vanilla
wafers until they form a fine even crumb. Or place wafers in
a
plastic bag and roll them, using a rolling pin, until you have
completely broken them up.
In the buckets, place a layer of crushed vanilla wafers, then
a
layer of the cream cheese-pudding mixture. Keep layer until full
and end with a layer of crushed wafers. Cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate several hours. Before serving, decorate with Beach
Bears, Gummy Worms, or Sharks if desired. Use shovel to serve.
Serves 8-10 people.
FLAMING GHOST CAKE
------------------
This recipe is more of a procedure than a recipe and of course
I
didn't save the post or remember who wrote it. Anyway, first
make a 9"x13" cake. When cool, cut the 2 upper corners
of the
cake, not straight, but sort of rounded. The curvature adds to
the shape of the ghost's head and the corner pieces become the
ghost's arms. I know, the diagram is really bad as ascii art
goes, but hopefully you get my meaning (the original poster had
a
"much" better diagram). You can also "carve"
the body so it has
a more ghost-like shape
(bell-shaped?).
------------------
| / \ |
| / \ | (-- cut pieces are arms
|/ O O \| (-- eyes
| |
| () | (-- mouth
| |
| |
| |
|___________|
Place the arms on the body so it looks like the ghost is raising
its arms, then frost. Traditionalists will want to use white
frosting. Use thin licorice to form a mouth, and as you
mentioned, use 2 clean egg shell halves for the eyes.
The next part about the flaming eyes gave me some trouble. You're
supposed to place a sugar cube in each shell, add alcohol and
ignite. I used half a teaspoon sugar (didn't have cubes) and
then tried vodka, wine, sherry, amaretto, and kahlua. In each
case the match fizzled and died. Bummer. My ghost ended up with
piped frosting eyes instead of flaming ones. Belatedly I
found out warmed brandy is a good source of fuel.
"LITTERBOX" COOKIES
-------------------
There are two flavor cookies: chocolate and gingerbread. The
cookies are dense and not very sweet, this is necesssary so that
they will keep their shape during baking. If you use white flour
or sugar they may be tastier but they won't look like "shit".
Chocolate ingredients:
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup (1 and 1/3 stick) butter or margarine
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla or peppermint extract
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
Grape-Nuts cereal
Gingerbread ingredients:
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
2/3 cup(1 and 1/3 stick) butter or margerine
1 egg
2 and 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
spices--ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to taste (1/2 tsp each)
Grape-Nuts cereal
Mix-ins:
coconut
chocolate chips
butterscotch chips
peanut butter chips
Microwave the honey till it bubbles (about 1 minute). Add the
butter, and the molasses, if any. Add the egg, mix well, then
mix in all the other stuff. Add mix-ins of your choice to some
or
all of the batter.
Chill 1 hour in the freezer or several hours in the fridge. Roll
dough logs of random length and the diameter of cat poops. Roll
logs in grape-nuts and bake at 350 degrees till done (10 to 15
minutes).
Serve in a disposable cat litter box on a bed of grapenuts, with
a cat litter scoop. I hear you get lovely effects by decorating
the box and scoop with melted chocolate or pudding.
NOTE: This recipe worked especially well at my Halloween party
where the table was already decorated with plastic flies.
SKELETON BONE COOKIES
---------------------
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspon baking powder
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups salted almonds
With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites and sugar
with orange peel and baking powder until blended. Gradually add
nuts and flour, beating until mixture is thoroughly mixed. Cover
and chill until firm enough to handle, at least 1 hour or up to
1
day.
Lightly flour your hands and pinch off a 3 tb size piece of
dough. On a lightly floured board, use the palms of both hands
to evenly roll an 8 inch long rope. Cut rope in half; roll each
half out again to 8 inches. Fold 1 inch of each end back onto
rope; pinch ends to make bone-end shapes. Repeat to shape all
the
dough. Place bones 1 inch apart on buttered and flour-dusted
12
x 15 inch baking sheets. Bake in a 325F oven until cookies are
lightly browned on bottoms, about 20 minutes.
COOL WHIP GRAVEYARD TREAT
-------------------------
From a Cool Whip advertisement - October 1994.
Makes 15-18 single servings.
Dessert:
2-1/4 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs, divided
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 12-oz tub Cool Whip topping, thawed
2 cups boiling water
2 4-serving pkgs orange Jello
1/2 cup cold water
ice cubes
Decorations:
12-14 rectangular or oval-shaped sandwich cookies
decorator icing -- brown, green, orange, white
candy corn candy pumpkins (mellowcream pumpkins)
Mix together 2 cups of the cookie crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and
margarine in a 13x9x2" pan. Press firmly into the bottom
of the
pan to create a crust. Refrigerate.
Beat cream cheese and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl until
smooth. Stir in 1/2 of the Cool Whip. Spread over crust.
Stir boiling water into Jello in bowl for 2 minutes or until
completely dissolved. Mix cold water and ice cubes together to
make 1-1/2 cups. Stir ice water into Jello until thickened.
Remove any remaining ice. Spoon Jello over cream cheese layer.
Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.
Spread remaining Cool Whip over Jello layer. Sprinkle with
remaining cookie crumbs. Decorate as a "graveyard"
by poking
sandwich cookies on end into the dessert. Decorate the cookies
as tombstones with the decorator icing. Scatter candy corn and
pumpkins around on the surface.
RADIOACTIVE PUNCH
-----------------
Easiest is to mix something yellow with something blue. Orange
juice and Mountain Dew are good for the yellow, Great Bluedini
kool-aid is good for the blue. You'll end up with a radioactive
shade of green. If you're using a punch bowl, try this: Get some
of those latex gloves, fill them with water or juice tinted with
food colouring, freeze. Unmold carefully and float the
disembodied hands in the punch bowl. Dry ice and back lighting
are good for effect too.
NUCLEAR WASTE PUNCH
-------------------
1 measure blue curacao
1 measure Bailey's Irish Cream
top up with one pint cider (or lager if you prefer)
The end result is a sort of greenish-brown liquid with scummy
bits floating in it and a THICK layer of scum on top. Tastes
wonderful, especially if you dunk chocolate bars in. (These are
referred to as Control Rods, and the bar of
preference is a Toffee Crisp, if only because the crisped rice
pieces start floating around in the drink and making it look even
nastier)
NOTE: The nuclear wastes I've seen mix blue curacao and orange
juice (and vodka). Turns everything a very nice shade of
fluorescent green.
GLYCOL PUNCH
------------
Glycol Punch has two primary ingredients: Diet Mountain Dew,
which has an decidedly evil odd yellow glow to it. Diet is
necessary so that you don't over sugar people. (Alternately,
use
regular Mountain Dew and mix Kool-Aid with less sugar than
usual). BTW, we also tried other sodas, including Squirt, 7-
up and Sprite, but none had that evil yellowness.
A flourescent blue liquid. I know for a fact that the raspberry
"little hugs" drinks for kids are the perfect color.
There is a
Kool-Aid blue flavor that I'm sure would work well, too. For the
"little hugs" the ratio is about 4-5 barrels to 1 2-liter
bottle
of soda. Adjust as you think best. I'd start by pouring out
the
soda and adding the blue. You know you've got it right when
you get the sickly yellow-green of many Glycol-based Antifreezes.
Plus, when you drink, it fizzes!
EERIE WITCH'S BREW
------------------
4 cups cranberry juice
1 cup chopped candied ginger
3 oranges
12 ounce can frozen apple juice concentrate
6 ounce can frozen limeade concentrate
2 cups grapes
2 32-ounce bottles ginger ale
4 cups water
1 to 2 pounds dry ice
A SERIOUS CAUTION: Never touch dry ice; use tongs to handle. In
a
1 to 2 quart pan, bring 1 cup of cranberry juice and candied
ginger to a boil over high heat. Boil, uncovered, about 2
minutes, set aside. With a vegetable peeler, peel zest from
oranges; cut peel into thin 2 inch long worms. Add orange peel
to cranberry mixture. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or as
long as overnight.
Juice oranges; put juice in a 6 to 8 quart pan or heavy bowl.
Stir in cranberry-ginger mixture, the 3 cups cranberry juice,
apple concentrate, limeade, grapes and water. If made ahead,
cover and chill up to 2 hours. Add ginger ale and about a 1 pound
piece of dry ice (DO NOT put small pieces in punch or cups); ice
should smolder at least 30 minutes. Ladle into cups. Add
any remaining ice when bubbling ceases.
"AQUARIUM" JELLO
----------------
Great idea for a simple dessert at kid's parties!
goldfish bowl, nice and clean
red hots or Jelly Belly gravel beans
blue Jello
ice cubes
cold water
purple endive
parsley sprigs
gummy fish
Use a new or well cleaned goldfish bowl. In the bottom, the
original recipe called for red-hots as the 'gravel', but I plan
to use the Jelly Belly beans that look like rocks. Mix up as
much blue Jello as your bowl will hold. Mix using ice cubes and
cold water instead of the cold water called for on the box. Pour
this into the bowl over a knife blade or something to keep from
disturbing the gravel. If you want it to have 'seaweed', poke
a
couple of pieces of purple endive or something similar down into
the gravel. When the whole thing starts to jell, use a wooden
skewer to push gummy fish into different parts of the bowl. If
you're going to be able to supervise the serving, you could even
add a plastic diver man, etc.
TOXIC AQUARIUM JELLO
--------------------
Well, what we'd do for a Halloween party would be to make a Toxic
Aquarium. Mix orange and blue jello to get a putrid shade of
green. Lifesavers make old tires and you can toss in other junky
things for trash on the bottom of the sea. Something barrel-
shaped for that illegally dumped toxic waste. Float your fish
upside-down on top, and add a plastic skeleton or two. Haven't
figured out a good way to put something on the bottom to
represent the sand.
POTTY JELLO
-----------
Purchase the plastic bowl that fits in a child's potty training
chair (they sell them at places like KMart). Wash the bowl and
prepare lemon jello per package directions. Float miniature O-
Henry bars in it, refrigerate, and serve.
DAIQUIRI JELL-O
---------------
Large Box (or two smalls) Lime Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
1+1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup Triple Sec
1/4 cup Dark Rum
1/4 cup Light Rum
Mix the usual way.
STRAWBERRY-BANANA DAIQUIRI JELL-O
---------------------------------
Large box of Strawberry-Banana Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup Triple Sec
1/2 cup Rum
Mix the usual way.
NOTES: These are tasty. The 3/4 cup of liquor gives it a little
more kick. Good and tasty. I've been making them in 2-oz.
plastic "salsa cups" (those little wide shallow ones
you get
condiments in) and a batch makes about 19 of them.
SHIRLEY TEMPLE JELL-O
---------------------
Use Cherry Jell-O; use boiling and cold 7-up or other lemon-lime
soda instead
of water.
SPIKED JELLO
------------
1 8-serving box of Berry Blue Jello
4 packets Knox unflavored gelatin
5 cups boiling water
2 cups vodka
From: Sky Scorcher (kll@lns598.lns.cornell.edu)
Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes
Swamp Water Punch
-----------------
orange juice
optional: ginger ale, alcohol of some kind
blue food coloring
optional: floating arm-of-death (recipe follows)
Put some blue food coloring into the
orange juice punch until it
turns a disgusting swamp-green color. The color is gross and
the
orange juice pulp floating around really adds to the effect.
People will realize that the punch tastes good, but it will take
them awhile to figure out it is orange juice.
(Floating Arm-of-Death)
---------------------
Water or orange juice
optional: gummy worms
Freeze the water (and gummy worms if desired) in a clean rubber
glove.Peel off the rubber glove and float the arm in the punch.
OTHER HALLOWEEN FOOD IDEAS
--------------------------
Find the book "Creepy Cuisine" by Lucy Monroe.
You can take some ordinary foods and
relabel as them something
creative:
1. Ribs with lots of barbeque sauce.
2. Baked potatoes with chili ladled over for shrunken
heads with brain sauce.
3. Spaghetti for your basic guts. A twist on this would
be to put brussel sprouts in the sauce instead of
meatballs. People won't be able to tell the difference
until they bite into them.
4. Fill your candy dishes with Black Jellybeans,
Mellowcream pumpkins and candy corn.
More cookie ideas:
1. Bake brown sugar cookies in pumpkin-shaped stoneware
cookie molds (Brown Bag Cookie Molds).
2. Make sugar cookie cut-outs with pumpkin-shaped cookie
cutters.
CHEESECLOTH GHOSTS
------------------
What you need for those are a mess of cheesecloth, fabric
stiffener or white glue, googly eyes (available in craft stores),
balloons, drinking glasses, and nylon thread or fishing line
(optional). First, blow up the balloons and set them in the
drinking glasses; this will provide a form for you to mold the
ghosts around. Cut squares about 12-14" of double layers
of
cheesecloth.
Dilute the fabric stiffener or white glue 1:1 with water, dip
the
cheesecloth squares in the glue mixture and wring out the excess.
Drape the cheesecloth on the balloon in a ghostly shape. You can
have the ghost's hemline trail the table for a standup ghost,
or
you can have a sheer drop for a flying ghost.Let dry overnight.
When dry, remove the balloons, glue
on the googly eyes and
attach nylon thread to the beads of any ghosts you want to fly
through the air. Hang the flying ghosts wherever appropriate!
The
standup ghosts can stand on a table.
KIDS' PARTY IDEAS
-----------------
Ghost Suckers:
Take a round-headed lollipop. Lay
the head in the center
of a white handkerchief (disposable tissue or cloth depending
on
how classy/expensive you want). Fold and gather the handkerchief
down around the stick and tie just below the head with a
thread/ribbon/rubber band. Add 2 black dots for eyes. Voila -
a
ghost. These make good party favors.
Eyeballs:
----------
Make Rice Krispie Treats and form the treats into balls, about
1
or 2 inches across. Add a pastel MandM or other small round
candy for the iris and dot the candy with frosting or gel for
the
pupil.
Ghost Hand Punch:
-----------------
Ahead of time, buy some new latex gloves. Wash one out
and fill with water. Fasten the arm closed and freeze it. Float
it in the punch before serving.
Green Slime:
------------
Serve lime jello out of a bowl. Don't cut it nicely - slop it
out.
Gnarled Witches Fingers
------------------------
1 T veg oil
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1 c bread crumbs
Pitted black olives, halved lengthwise
Shredded lettuce
Grease cookie sheet with oil, set
aside.
Carefully cut chicken breasts partway to create five fingers (the
uncut part will be the palm of the hand). Slice them a little
crooked for effect. Dust in flour, dip in egg, coat in bread
crumbs, broil 5 minutes each side til golden and cooked through.
Trim the tips with the olive fingernails and serve on lettuce.
Truth be known, I'm going to try shake'n'bake this year to ease
my meal prep time on this busy, busy day of the year.
Worms au Gratin
------------------
Worms: 6-7 oz egg noodles, cooked with
8 oz spaghetti, broken into short pieces
Toss with
2 T butter or marg
1 1/2 cups grated process cheese (though the kids prefer
regular cheddar)
Place in greased casserole dish.
Dirt: 2 slices whole wheat bread,
toasted, crumbled into tiny
crumbs.
1 T butter or marg, melted
1/4 tsp salt
Mix dirt ingredients together, sprinkle over worms.
Place under broiler for 5 minutes.
Strained Eyeballs
----------------
6 eggs, hardcooked, cooled, and peeled
6 oz whipped cream cheese
12 green olives stuffed with pimientos
red food coloring or ketchup
Half eggs widthwise. Remove yolks
and fill the hole with cream
cheese, smoothing surface as much as possible. Press an olive
into each cream cheese eyeball, pimiento up, for an eerie green
iris and red pupil. Dip a toothpick into ketchup and draw broken
blood vessels in the cream cheese.
CHEESE EYEBALLS
--------------
2 cups grated Cheddar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup flour
6 ounce bottle pimento-stuffed green olives
Combine cheese and butter. Add salt, paprika, and flour and mix
well. Measure approximately one ts of this mixture and form an
"eyeball" around an olive. Turn the olive in the "eyeball"
so
that it is "staring" outward. Line up the eyeballs on
an
ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in 400F oven for 15 minutes.
"Graveyard" Cake.
-----------------
you make a sheet cake and frost with chocolate frosting.
Then you cover it with crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, so
it
looks like dirt.
To make headstones use a flat vanilla cookie
(rectangle shaped) and decorated with icing, use
gravestone motifs like: RIP, skulls, etc.
Put the headstones on the cake, standing up to looke like
headstones. Add some small Halloween decorations, like ghosts,
witches, black cats.
THE BLACK CAT CAKE
------------------------------------
You take two round cake layers. One you leave whole, the
other is cut so there is three pieces; one bow shaped (middle)
and two kinds of long ovid shaped ones (either end), I can't
figure out how to draw a picture of it.
Anyway you take the bow shaped piece and put it on the
bottom of the cake, like a bow tie.
Take one of the ovid shaped pieces and cut in half the
short way, so you have two triangle shaped pieces. Put on top
of
the round layer, like ears.
(Eat the third piece.)
Frost the whole thing with dark chocolate frosting. Pipe
on eyes with green frosting, and nose and lips with red; use
licorice shoe laces for wiskers.
Witch's Brew
------------
How about orange punch (Koolade) and scoops of lime sherbert on
top, put in a big banged up pot or caludron; it looks like
witch's brew.
Handy Punch or Snacks
-------------------
Fill up a rubber glove with water and freeze it. When frozen,
remove the glove from the ice and use it in your punch. Drop red
food coloring on it for blood. Makes a really nice bloody hand!
You can also use clear plastic gloves,
fill with popcorn, add a
candycorn for fingernails and drape in that unsuspecting
place...its a fun thing!
Potty Jello
--------------
Purchase the plastic bowl that fits in a child's potty training
chair (they sell them at places like KMart). Wash the bowl and
prepare lemon jello per package directions. Float miniature O-
Henry bars in it, refrigerate, and serve. Get the picture?
Wormy Grab Bag
--------------
Cook up several packages of regular spaghetti, and when
cooked,place in a small (clean) kitchen trash can or diaper pail.
Fill itat least half full - which may require lots of spaghetti
(it'scheap). Don't rinse the spaghetti - you want it slimy.
Add
enoughwater so the spaghetti stays wet! If you really want to
shake 'em up, put some grapes in with the slimey spaghetti--tell
'em they're eyeballs. (evil grin) Wrap your "prizes"
in plastic
wrap or bags, and sink them to the bottom of the can/pail. The
mixture should be at room temp. by party-time. Cover the top
with black cloth (felt is good) and put a slit in it.
Have an ominous-looking character
(gate-keeper) directing
guests into a darkened room/closet (its best if you make the
"prize" a requirement for admission) - and direct them
to find a
"toll" so they can pass.Once they have their arm halfway
into the
"worms", have another(hidden) person jump out (or, if
you're
worried about heart attacks,just rustle around a bit). Very
effective for setting the mood!
Creature Eggs
-----------
Yield: 6 servings
6 Or 12 canned peach halves
- AND -
1/3 c Syrup
- OR -
For small creature eggs, use
- apricot halves instead and
- double up)
1/2 c Orange-flavored liqueur,
- such as Cointreau, opt.
1 c Whipping cream
2 ts Powdered sugar
1/2 ts Vanilla
Put peaches/apricots, cut side
down, and syrup in an 8 inch
square pan. Add liqueur; cover and chill 6 hours or up to
overnight.
With an electric mixer, whip cream,
sugar and vanilla until
cream holds soft peaks. Spoon 1/6 of the cream onto each of 6
salad plates and spread out to form a disk about 4 inches across
for 'egg whites'.
With slotted spoon, lift peaches/apricots from syrup and
arrange 1 peach or 2 apricots ('double yolks'), round side up,
in
the center of cream on each plate to make 'yolks'. Pour syrup
into a small pitcher and offer to pour onto individual portions.
notes: this is 'especially' effective
if black plates are used.
They reallY look like sunny-side up eggs! And the Cointreau
adds a delightful taste sensation.
Chocolate Spiders and Webs
-------------------------
Yield: 2 doz spiders
1 sm Pk (6 oz or 1 c) semisweet
- chocolate chips
Spider web pattern (follows)
In the top of a double boiler
over barely simmering water,
stir the chocolate until melted; remove from heat. Let stand
over water until chocolate is cool but still fluid, about 10
minutes. Or melt chocolate in microwave. Lay pattern on a 12 x
l5
inch baking sheet and cover with waxed paper.
Put chocolate into a pastry bag
fitted with 1/4 inch diameter
tip or a paper cone; fold top edge down to seal.
Squeeze chocolate out of pastry
bag onto waxed paper, tracing
spider or web designs that show through from the pattern
underneath.
If chocolate is too runny to hold lines, let cool a little
more. As pan is filled, transfer pattern to another 12 x l5
inch, cover with waxed paper and continue.
Chill spiders or webs on pan until
firm, about 10 minutes.
Gently peel paper away from chocolate. Spiders and webs are
delicate and melt fast, so handle gently and quickly. If made
ahead, arrange in single layers, separated by waxed paper; store
airtight in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Serve as candy or
to
top desserts.
Makes about 2 dozen spiders or 1 dozen webs.
Spider
and Web Pattern.
On a 12 x l5 inch sheet of light-colored paper, boldly draw
at least 1 pattern for spider and web. You can either
repeat the pattern as you pipe the chocolate onto the waxed
paper, or you can draw a pattern that includes designs for
multiple items.
Start with spider legs: draw a
half circle that is 1 1/2
inches across. Inside and about 1/4 inch parallel to it, draw
another half circle. Back to back to the big half circle, repeat
the 2 curved lines; you now have 8 legs. Where the lines curve
together, draw a small circle to intersect all 4 lines to make
the body. Draw a small circle for the head on top the first
circle.
For the web, draw a 4 inch long
cross. Draw diagonal lines
to bisect the quadrants. Connect these spokes with concentric
loops.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ideas compiled from
various Internet sources by:
Vicki Schlining -- love2bake@aol.com
vreading@ssa.ssw.dhhs.gov
Stephanie da Silva -- arielle@bonkers.taronga.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Halloween: Scary "Goulade"
1 pk Blue jelly powder [170g]
8 c Lemonaide
Lemonaide or "Goulade" really
packs a punch when you float a
frightening ,ghostly blue hand in your serving bowl. For an even
scarier effect, use red jelly powder to make a blood-red hand
and
tint the lemonade green. If you want, just let the gelatin set
in
a flat container, then cube it and serve with lemonade in dishes.
Dissolve powder in 1-1/2 cups boiling water; let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, thoroughly wash and dry
inside and outside of new,
medium-size stretch latex (medical) glove. Spray outside with
baking spray; turn inside out. With 6-inch or longer skewer,
puncture glove just below 1 side of opening; push skewer through
to pierce opposite side, leaving wide opening. Suspend in tall
pitcher.
Carefully pour gelatin mixture into
hanging glove. Close top with
twist tie between gelatin mixture and skewer. Refrigerate for
at
least 2 hours or until firmly set. [Glove can be refrigerated
for
up to 48 hours.]
Place glove flat in 12-cup punch bowl.
Using scissors and bring
careful not to puncture gelatin, cut glove open along palm and
each finger; gently turn over and remove glove. Pour lemonade
over gelatin hand.
Makes 8 cups or 12 servings.
Source: Canadian Living
magazine, Nov 95 Presented in article
"Kids and Fun: Happy Halloween" Recipe by Canadian Living
Test
Kitchen
Halloween: Crispy Marshmallow Ghosts
---------------------------------
Yield: 14 ghosts
1/3 c Butter
6 c Miniature marshmallows
1 ts Vanilla
8 c Crispy rice cereal
2 oz Semisweet chocolate, chopped
Ghosts:
In Saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; stir in
marshmallows until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Scrape into large
bowl; stir in cereal until coated.
Set bowl over saucepan of boiling
water. Using rubber gloves,
shape cereal mixture into 4-inch long ghost shapes. Let stand
for
about 30 minutes or until firm. Spread with Pallor Icing; let
stand for about 30 minutes or until set.
In top of double boiler over bot (not
boiling) water, melt
chocolate; pipe onto ghosts to make faces.
[Ghosts can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 3
days.]
Decorate by drawing faces with chocolate,
or use candies and
licorice strings.
Variation: Jack-O-Lanterns: Add orange
food colouring with
vanilla; shape into 1-1/2 inch balls. Create face with currants,
red fruit leather, and licorice shoestrings and twists.
Source: Canadian Living magazine, Nov 95 Presented in article
"Kids and Fun:
Happy Halloween" Recipe by Canadian Living Test Kitchen
Halloween: Goblin Balls
-----------------------------
Yield: 24 balls
8 c Popped corn
1 c Granulated sugar
1/2 c Corn syrup
1/3 c Water
1 tb Butter
1/2 ts Salt
1 ts Vanilla
1 c Orange and black gumdrops
-or jujubes, chopped
Currants and diced apricots can replace the candy.
Place popped corn in bowl; set aside.
In small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring sugar, corn syrup,
water, butter and salt to boil; cook, stirring, until sugar
dissolves. Cook, without stirring, for 10 minutes or until at
hard-ball stage of 254F 123C on candy thermometer, or until 1/2
ts syrup dropped into cold water forms rigid but still slightly
pliable ball. Remove from heat. Wearing oven mitts to shield
against splatters, carefully stir in vanilla.
Pour over popped corn; using greased
spoon, toss until coated.
Stir in candy. Wearing rubber gloves, form into 2-inch balls;
let
cool on baking sheet.
Source: Canadian Living
magazine, Nov 95 Presented in article "Kids and Fun:
Happy Halloween" Recipe by Canadian Living Test Kitchen
Halloween: Green Slime
-------------------
Yield: 2 cups
10 oz Frozen spinach, thawed
4 oz Cream cheese
1/2 c Sour cream
1/3 c Mild salsa
2 Green onions, chopped
1 Garlic clove, minced
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 ts Pepper
Drain spinach; squeeze dry. In food
processor, pure spinach,
cheese, sour cream, salsa, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover
and refrigerate for 2 hours or until thickened slightly. Let
stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Serve with "Halloween: Skeleton
Bread"
Source: Canadian Living
magazine, Nov 95 Presented in article "Kids and Fun:
Happy Halloween" Recipe by Canadian Living Test Kitchen
Halloween: Skeleton Bread
-------------------------
Yield: 1 small loaf
1/2 pk Frozen bread dough
-[1/2 of 1 lb pkg][8 oz]
1 Egg, beaten
1 tb Water
1 tb Poppy seeds
Thaw and let bread rise according
to manufacturer's instructions.
Punch down dough; divide in half. Set 1 half aside.
Cut remaining half into thirds. With
1 of the thirds, form head
shaped like a light bulb. With scissors, cut eyes, nose and
mouth. Place heat at end of greased 17x11-inch rimmed baking
sheet. Shape second third into 3-inch long triangle; place, point
down, below heat to form body. Divide remaining third of dough
into 7 pieces; roll into sausages. Arrange 3 on each side of
upper body for ribs. Use remaining piece for neck.
Halve reserved dough. With 1 half,
make 4 logs for upper and
lower legs; attach to body. With two-thirds of the remaining
dough, make 4 logs for upper and lower arms; attach at shoulders.
With remaining dough, make 2 small
and 2 large triangles for
hands and feet. With scissors, make 4 cuts at broad ends of
triangles for fingers and toes; attach to arms and legs. Cover
and let rise for 30 minutes.
Whisk egg with water; brush some over
joints, pressing to seal.
Brush entire skeleton with remaining egg wash; sprinkle with
poppy seeds. Bake in 375F 190C oven for about 15 minutes or until
golden.
Source: Canadian Living
magazine, Nov 95 Presented in article "Kids and Fun:
Happy Halloween" Recipe by Judy Schultz of "The Edmonton
Journal"
Halloween: Ghostly Cupcakes
------------------------------
Yield: 6 ghosts
1 c Cake-and-pastry flour, sift
2/3 c Granulated sugar
1 1/4 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Salt
1/3 c Butter, softened
1/3 c Milk
1 Egg
1 ts Vanilla
-------------------------------PALLOR
ICING---------------------
1 c Granulated sugar
3 tb Water
1 Egg white
pn Cream of tartar
pn Salt
1/2 ts Vanilla
Bake as ghost shapes or as cupcakes,
then cover in a ghostly
white shroud of icing.
Pallor Icing: In top of double boiler
over boiling water, combine
sugar, water, egg white, cream of tartar and salt. With electric
mixer, beat at high speed for 7 minutes or until still glossy
peaks form. fold in vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour
or
until thickened. [Icing can be stored for up to 3 days.][Makes
2
cups.] In bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and
salt. Using electric mixer on low speed, mix in butter, milk,
egg
and vanilla until combined. Beat on high for 2 minutes. Spoon
into 6 well greased 5-inch long ghost-shape pans or 12 small
paper-lined muffin cups; bake in 350F 180C oven for 20 minutes
for ghosts, 17 minutes for cupcakes, or until tester comes
out clean. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes; remove from
pan and let cool completely on rack. Spread with Pallor icing.
Makes 6 ghosts or 12 small cupcakes.