Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

image from pinkcakebox.com

Brew it Up

The perfect Halloween-y Drink

Witch's Brew

1 (6-ounce) package lime gelatin 

2 cups boiling water 

3 cups chilled pineapple juice 

1 (2 liter) bottle chilled lemon-lime soft drink or ginger ale 

2 cups chilled vodka, optional

Special equipment: 

1 large black plastic cauldron (available at party or craft stores) 

1 punch bowl that fits inside the cauldron 

1 plastic hand (available at party supply stores), sterilized in hot water 

1 block dry ice (available at supermarkets, ice cream shops or ice companies)

Pour the gelatin mix into a large bowl. Slowly stir in the boiling water. Stir at least 2 minutes, until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in the pineapple juice. Let cool to room temperature.

Wearing heavy duty gloves or using tongs, place the block of dry ice in the bottom of the cauldron. (Dry ice will burn skin, so handle it with gloves and tongs and keep it away from kids and pets!) 

Use an ice pick to break the block into smaller chunks, if necessary.

Fill the cauldron with just enough water to cover the dry ice. It will begin to "steam." 

Place the punch bowl inside the cauldron, on top of the dry ice. The cauldron will appear to be magically smoking.

Entrap the sterilized rubber hand between the cauldron and the punch bowl, squeezing it tight so the hand appears to be reaching out of the mist for help. Hot-glue the hand to the cauldron, if necessary, to hold it in place.

Carefully pour the drink mixture into the punch bowl. Slowly add the chilled vodka and lemon-lime soda or ginger ale. Stir gently to mix. 

Thank You Food Network

Sweet Creepy Treat

Perfect sweet snack.  Perfect for Halloween or any of the holiday or celebration.

Maple Cinnamon Spider Web Fritters

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon fine salt

3/4 cup milk

1 large egg

1 tablespoon maple syrup, plus 1/4 cup for brushing

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Jelly spiders, orange or black nonpareils, for garnish, optional

Directions

Pour enough oil in a large skillet so it's about 1 inch deep. Heat oil over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers between 280 to 300 degree F.

Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center; add the milk, egg, and 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Whisk the dry and wet ingredients together until smooth.

Transfer batter into a large size pastry bag with a # 3 or 4 open tip. Carefully squeeze batter in a circular pattern and then back and forth into the oil, to make a free form spider web-like design, about 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Cook until bottoms are golden, about 2 minutes. Using tongs or slotted spoon, turn fritters over and cook until golden on other side, about 1 minute more. Transfer the fritters to paper towels to drain briefly. Brush lightly with maple syrup and dust with confectioners' sugar. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm or at room temperature alone or with the garnishes.

image and recipe from Food Network

Screaming Spice Cookies

These spice cookies from the Food Network look screaming good.

Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour, plus additional for rolling out dough

1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Icing

Hard candies, try yellow, red, and black (Jolly Ranchers preferred)

1/4 cup water

3 tablespoons egg white powder

3/4 teaspoon orange extract

1 1/2 to 2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 empty metal tuna fish can, (about 6 ounces) for cutting cookies (See Cooks Note)

Lollipop sticks, available in craft or bakers' supply stores

Directions

For the cookies: Whisk the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Beat the butter in a large bowl with a handheld mixer until fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the sugars, and continue beating until light, about 3 minutes.  Add egg and vanilla extract, beating until smooth.  Gradually add the dry ingredients while mixing slowly to make a smooth dough.  Divide dough in half and press each half into a disk.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

Transfer 1 disk of dough to a floured work surface and roll about 1/4-inch thick.  Cut into cookies with a pinched tuna can (see below).  Transfer cookies with an offset spatula to a nonstick or silicon lined baking sheet.

Cut out eyes and a mouth with a pastry tip, fat straw, or a knife.  Press the lollipop sticks into the narrow end of each cookie, if using.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Press excess dough together, roll and cut into cookies.  Refrigerate cookies for at least 30 minutes.

Evenly space the racks in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Put the candies in a small plastic bag and hit with a rolling pin to break into little pieces.

Bake the cookies just until they are set, about 20 minutes.  Remove baking sheets from the oven and carefully sprinkle the broken candies into the eyes and mouth of the cookies.  Continue the cook until the candy liquefies, about 3 minutes more.  Cool cookies on pan for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.  Cool cookies on a rack.

For the icing:  Whisk the water, egg white powder and orange extract in a medium bowl until foamy but smooth.  Gradually whisk in the confectioners' sugar to make a smooth icing.  Spread a layer of icing over the entire surface of the cookies with the back of a teaspoon.  Let rest until the icing sets, about 30 minutes.  Serve or store in a covered container for up to 3 days.

Cook's Note:  Remove the top and bottom of the tuna can and discard.  Wash and dry well.  Pinch the sides of the can together to make a skull-like shape.

Halloween Party Tips

The folks at the Food Network shared these great tips for a great Halloween Party.

1. Keep it devilishly simple

Make the celebration short — the same length you would for a birthday party (about an hour and a half for tots under 6, about two hours for those between 7 and 12). This allows enough time for a costume parade, a few activities and some nibbles. Holiday-themed invitations, silly decorations and easy party games are the key to memorable and fun festivities.

2. Send out invitations at least two weeks in advance of the party

Your local party store or invitation web sites offer Halloween invites, or, better yet, you can make easy cards at home. Those handy with scissors can trace and cut out a spider or web (think of the fold-and-cut process used for paper snowflakes) — or a simple witch hat or pumpkin "carved" from construction paper.

3. Don't make it too scary

While it's great fun to transform your home or other location into a haunted house to set the mood, keep in mind the age of the littlest party guests. While black lights and eerie music can be amusing for elementary-age kids, it can frighten impressionable preschoolers. And you'll be sure to hear from parents whose children wake them in the middle of the night with nightmares.

4. Have fun with decorations

There are fabulous party decorations available that work with all ages — from creepy cobwebs and smiling bats to carved jack-o-lanterns, broomsticks, and friendly skeletons — that can be purchased from local party stores or five-and-dimes. You can also set your kids to work by taping butcher paper to the walls and letting them decorate their own haunted houses or graveyard scenes, complete with flying ghosts, red devils and witches.

5. Transform your kitchen into a laboratory 

Rubber fingers swimming in tomato sauce, crumbled chocolate cake topped with gummy worms or eyeball deviled eggs are a few ways to create a spooky setting. Rubber bugs, pieces of fur or other objects with a distinctive feel work well in shoeboxes or drawers. Instruct guests to speculate the ghoulish item inside and award prizes for guesses that are right on the money.

6. Keep everyone busy

Have handy crafts and games for younger guests, and try filling a vat with fruit and let older kids bob for apples. Purchase little pumpkins at the local farm, pass out magic markers and have a face-drawing contest. Play a game of Halloween character charades or pin the tail on the devil. Try to "catch" white skeleton heads — white balloons with faces drawn on in magic marker — with nets. Divide the kids into teams and enjoy a "mummy wrap" contest. Put plastic spider rings around the house for a great take-home favor.

7. Prepare a selection of spooky treats

Don't let all the little werewolves go home hungry. Please their picky palates with a Halloween-themed meal instead! From Pumpkin Ravioli to Polenta Fingers and 'Blood Red' Tomato Sauce.  To make the day extra fun for your kids, have them help you whip everything up.

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