Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I try to exhibit some self-control, but by October 1, I am ready to “spook” up my yard. Halloween kicks off the Fall season. After Halloween, a few family birthdays, and Thanksgiving, the next thing you know it is Christmas and New Year. There is basically no time to stop and think -- just celebrate and change out decorations in our yard.
By Halloween, the weather in Mississippi has normally broken and it is cooler outside. I can remember my kids running around the neighborhood getting candy from any stranger willing to stop and listen. Some of our costumes would be for winter and some of them would be summer. Our old neighborhood hosts a big Halloween carnival and blocks off the streets. The whole evening would be filled with fun for the kids. Nothing too scary, but just lots of candy, carnival games, and smiles.
My kids were all about the candy. They would insist that we get to the carnival early. They would do a few of the games and then head straight out for the candy. That night they would have to dump out their bags of candy and trade and pick out their favorites. Somehow, I was always able to convince them that they did not like the little tiny Butterfingers. It is just something about that little “one-bite” Butterfinger. I can, and have, eaten thousands of the small treats but I cannot remember the last time I bought a whole Butterfinger and ate it. It just does not taste the same.
The children would trade and laugh late into the night and I would always pack several pieces of Halloween candy in their lunchboxes over the next couple of days. I have a photo frame that I have always put a photo of my kids in their Halloween costumes. Recently, we looked through it and laughed at all the silly costumes. We had Harry Potter, Star Wars, Richie Rich, Elvis, Velma and Fred from Scooby Doo, skeletons, even a ball park hotdog vendor.
We had various types of animals, athletes, friendly witches, and ghosts. I always made a deal with my kids that I would give them $25 cash that they could keep and make up a costume from items around the house, or they could take $25 and go buy a costume. They always kept the money and went with the creative option. It made me happy, and very rarely did we have a store-bought costume. They would dig out things from our costume trunk and just put something together.
We also always enjoyed decorating our yard. It was definitely not what most would consider “tasteful fall” but it certainly was fun and never scary. I LOVE those fake cobwebs and continue to use an abundance in my yard. We put up various pumpkins and spiders, orange and purple lights. One time I tried to stuff a scarecrow and put a giant pumpkin head on it in an attempt to scare my neighbor’s daughter. Obviously, it was not very scary because Anna named the scarecrow, “Mr. Pumpkin Man,” and insisted that her mom drop by every day to wave and see him.
This Halloween, try making some silly ghoulish treats for your family. All of these are pretty easy to make and are really just about the presentation.
Skeleton or Mummy Gingerbread Men
I love to make gingerbread around Christmas, but I have never really thought about making it any other time of the year. We love them, so any excuse to eat gingerbread cookies in October is good for me.
We used a very basic royal icing but feel free to substitute any type of icing you prefer.
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
4 tsps grated orange peel, optional
2 tbls dark corn syrup
3 cups flour
2 tsps baking soda
2 tsps cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger powder
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Cream butter then mix in sugar and egg. Mix well and add other ingredients until dough is formed. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into desired gingerbread man shapes. Brush off any flour from the cookies as even a trace can spoil the look.
Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 375° for eight to 10 minutes. Allow to cool and then decorate with icing.
Quick Royal Icing
1 egg white
1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar
Vanilla extract (this will make your icing slight off white so omit if you would like)
Beat egg white in the stand mixer using a whisk attachment, slowly add in powdered sugar until you get a thick consistency. Stir in vanilla if using and then spoon icing into a pastry bag. Pipe on skeleton shapes or mummy strips. Add eyes or other decorations as you like. Allow icing to harden and store cookies in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
Spider Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Feel free to use your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe for this and save out a few chocolate pieces for decorating at the end.
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs or 1 extra large egg
1 - 12-ounce package Chocolate chunk morsels of your choice, reserving about 25 for decorations at the end
Preheat oven to 375°. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Combine butter and sugars and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer and beat until creamy. Beat in egg. Gradually add flour, blending well.
Pause in chocolate chunk morsels, and then drop by rounded tsp onto several cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake about eight to 10 minutes until cookies are lightly browned. Remove from oven and immediately press a couple of the reserve chocolate chunks into the top allowing about 2/3 to stick out of the cookie.
Once cookies, have completely cooled, decorate with black icing to look like spiders, piping four legs on either side of the exposed chocolate morsels.
Pumpkin Deviled Eggs
No pumpkin flavor in these eggs, but I think these pumpkin deviled eggs are precious. They are also an easy addition to any Halloween themed party platter. Please feel free to utilize your favorite deviled egg recipe. Make sure and add one drop of red food coloring and possibly two or three drops of yellow food coloring to the egg yolk mixture. Garnish with a small sprig of parsley or basil for the stem.
1 dozen hard boiled eggs*
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
1/2 tsp prepared horseradish
1/2 tsp. season salt
Dash of sugar
1 tsp. dill pickle relish
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 - 1 cup mayonnaise
1 drop red food coloring and 2-3 drops yellow food coloring
24 small sprigs of parsley, basil, or chive
Peel and cut the eggs in half. Remove yolks and put in a bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork or pastry blender until completely free of lumps. Mix in all ingredients except mayonnaise. Begin adding in mayo 1/4 cup at a time until you get a spreadable consistency. Add in food coloring until you get the bright orange color that you want. Put yolk mixture in piping bag and pipe onto egg halves. Top with parsley, basil or chive that will serve at the pumpkin top.
*For hard boiled eggs it is best to use the oldest “sell by” date you can find. Fresh eggs are more difficult to peel. Put the eggs in a large saucepan. Cover the eggs with cold water and bring to a boil. Allow to gently boil for about five minutes. Cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit for 10 minutes and then rinse in very cold water.
Ghostly Chicken Pot Pie
I love a homemade chicken pot pie and there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of unless you do not like mushroom or peas. Seriously, just leave out the vegetables you dislike and substitute others. Not even the kids are scared of this hearty dinner.
4-6 boneless chicken breasts
2 stalks celery
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 large onion, quartered
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour 6 cups stock reserved from boiling the chicken)
Salt and ground pepper
2 tbls butter
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 package, frozen tiny green peas, thawed and drained, optional but good
(Feel free to add or substitute any other blanched vegetables of your choice, such as broccoli or cauliflower, squash, red or green bell peppers, corn, any vegetable, or vegetable mix of your choice)
1 package of refrigerator piecrusts (You will need both piecrusts.)
To boil chicken: partially cover chicken breasts with cold water, add celery, parsley, onion, bay leaf and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook on very low for about 15 minutes. Allow the chicken to cool in the water and remove chicken and vegetables, but keep the stock.
Separate meat from the bone and shred into large pieces. Set aside.
In a separate pan over medium heat, Cook the butter and the flour to make a light roux, or about five minutes. Gradually add 6 cups of chicken stock. Whisk to create a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper or seasoning salt and remove from the heat.
Sauté mushrooms, carrots, garlic, and celery in butter. Set aside until ready to assemble the pie.
When ready to assemble, preheat oven to 400°. Carefully unroll the piecrust and lay one in the bottom of a deep-dish pie crust. Bake in preheated oven for about five minutes. Remove and layer the chicken pieces in first and then spoon gravy and vegetable mixture over the top.
On the lightly floured board, carefully roll out remaining piecrust and cut out a few Halloween shapes with Halloween cookie cutters. (I chose ghosts) Layer shapes on top of the pie and brush with egg wash. Bake until brown or about 20 minutes.
Allow to cool for just a few minutes before serving.
Mummy Hotdogs
There is not really much of a recipe for this, but wrap hotdogs, as you would to create a decorative mummy.
1 package of hotdogs, bratwurst, or even small breakfast sausages. They all work.
1 package, puff pastry, piecrust, or container of refrigerator crescent rolls, opened and separated.
Black olives, or green olives for eyes
When ready to prepare your mummies, open packages of your choice of hotdog or sausage, and dry on paper towels.
On a lightly floured board, unroll thawed pastry or open you can of crescent rolls and cut into thin strips. Wrap each hotdog or sausage in pastry strips, allowing gaps and securing the end. Add eyes and place wrapped hotdogs on a parchment lined baking sheet seam side down.
Bake in a preheated 375° oven until sausages are cooked through and pastry is browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to rest and serve with your condiments of choice.
Bloody Salsa with Bat Chips
The salsa recipe came from Suzi Foote and is my “go-to” fresh-style homemade salsa, however, to make it “extra red” for Halloween, I drain the tomatoes and substitute the liquid for a can of red enchilada sauce. I love the flavor and the blood-red color.
1 – 26 oz. can peeled tomatoes, drained (I used fire roasted)
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 tsp salt
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
5 pickled jalapeno peppers, or 1 t. chopped chipotle chili peppers in adobo
1 can green chilies
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
In a food processor, pulse onions and garlic, then add all remaining ingredients except cilantro. Pulse four to five times. Do not over process. Add cilantro and pulse two to three more times. Store in refrigerator for up to a week.
Homemade Bat Tortilla Chips
1 package white or yellow corn tortillas
1 quart peanut or other vegetable oil
Salt
Halloween cookie cutters
Using a Halloween cookie cutters, cut desired shapes from tortillas.
In a large pot or deep fryer, heat oil to 350 degrees and fry tortillas until crisp, or about three minutes, carefully turning every few minutes. Remove chips from oil once they are golden brown and crisp. Sprinkle immediately with salt, and allow to drain on paper towels. Serve with salsa.
Pumpkin Cheese Ball
Kay Whittington brought this adorable appetizer to a cocktail hour at my house, and it was perfect for a quick fall appetizer.
5 ounces of bacon bits or 5 strips of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/4 cup chopped pecans, optional
2 - 8-ounce blocks cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 - 1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, set aside to cover the outside
1 tsp paprika, optional, but adds an extra bit of orange color
Crackers, celery, red bell pepper, cucumbers, to serve
Combine soften cream cheese, onion powder, garlic, bacon, pecans, 1 cup, shredded cheddar cheese, soy sauce, in a mixing bowl and beat until fully combined.
Form into a ball and wrap tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Remove and unwrap ball. Roll in the reserved cheddar cheese and paprika. Be sure to cover the complete ball with cheddar cheese. Adding more as necessary. Wrap in an additional piece of plastic wrap being sure all sides are completely covered and chill again for about 30 minutes.
To shape the ball into a pumpkin: Using twine or other string (wide dental floss will even work.) Place thread underneath a cheese ball and create a double loop around, making sure to tighten it before double knotting it. Repeat this process until you have about eight equally spaced sections, and the ball begins to look like a pumpkin. Place the ball in the refrigerator and allow two firm for a minimum of three hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, carefully cut the string and unwrap. Top with a stem of a bell pepper, and serve with vegetables or crackers.
Witch or Wizard Hat Crescent Rolls
Now this is what I call easy. These can add a bit of fun to a regular dinner around Halloween. Simply form the dough from a can of crescent rolls into a shape of a witch or wizard hat. Turn the long end of the dough up to form a brim. Bake according to package directions. You can decorate the hats to make them sweet or savory by using various herbs or icing to decorate.
Bourbon Apple Punch in a Pumpkin Keg
This cocktail recipe came from the first cocktail contest in our neighborhood. A group of neighbors found a contraption and were able to serve this drink out of a pumpkin. The drink is delicious but even better served this way. See the photo because it really was the cutest and most clever idea. The tap is called “Magic Party Tool” and can be found at online retailers. It allows you to tap just about anything.
1 large pumpkin
2 red apples
2 tbls whole cloves
12 cups apple cider (they used honey crisp apple cider)
3 cups bourbon
About 1/2 tsp bitters
About ¾ cup fresh lemon juice, or juice for 4-5 lemons
For the pumpkin:
Cut the top off and scoop out all the seeds and pulp. Insert tap according to package instruction. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
For the punch: Slice apples into think rounds and place on a parchment lined backing sheet. Stud each with about 5-6 cloves and freeze until solid.
In a separate container, stir together cider, bourbon, bitters, and lemon juice. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, pour in cocktail and add apples. Seve with additional apple and cloves on the side.
Pumpkin Spiced Latte
People look forward to the arrival of Pumpkin Spiced Lattes almost as much as they look forward to fall itself. Adjust measurements to make a large batch of the pumpkin mixture and store in the refrigerator. Add coffee when desired.
2 Tbls pumpkin puree
1 – 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tbl sugar
1- 2 cups milk, warm
1/2 cup strong coffee
Whipped cream for serving
Add all ingredients except coffee and whipped cream to a blender and process until pureed and frothy. Add hot coffee and carefully blend until well mixed. Pour into cup and top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.
