Time for a Bite Back to Blog
Update: The winner is…Jillian! Congrats, Jillian!
One of the fun things about Halloween (to me, anyway!) is the spooky food. During the rest of the year, folks strive to make food pretty. Not so with Halloween. At Halloween, it’s the yuckier (and scarier), the better.
A few of my favorites?
1. Mummy dogs–this one is so easy. It’s like a big version of pigs-in-a-blanket. You wrap hot dogs (franks) in crescent rolls (this is my method, but others have different tips). Wrap the rolls around the dogs as if you were wrapping up a mummy. Put the wrapped treats in the oven and bake as per the directions on the roll package. Then, bam–your own mummy dogs.
2. Dirt cake is another favorite at my house. Get a great chocolate cake mix. Bake. When it’s all done, use a thick, chocolate icing and cover that baby with gummy worms. Your result? Super tasty dirt cake.
3. Rebecca Zanetti told me about these very interesting brain cupcakes. They’re so cute–I’d almost hate to eat them. (Hmmm…maybe cute isn’t the right word!)
4. Want to make some yummy, edible eyeballs? Check out this video to see all the fun details. Cause you know you want to go and munch on some eyeballs today.
5. And, of course, what Halloween celebration would be complete without some punch? I like to pour kool-aid inside a clear, plastic glove and then let that glove freeze overnight. The next morning, I cut away the glove, and I have the perfect shape of a bloody hand (or, as I like to think of it, a flesh-free hand). I put that hand right in the middle of my punch, and the hand slowly melts during the party. Awesome.
Have I mentioned how much I love Halloween? 🙂 If you’ve got a favorite recipe, please share! I’ll pick one random commenter to win a Cynthia Eden book of her/his choice!
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I don’t have a recipe, but those brain cupcakes are really cool.
LOL, I thought so, too, Marlene!
I have seen the mummy hotdogs on the Pilsbury recipe site. Must try that. While I don’t have a favorite recipe, that brain cupcake is outrageous. It just needs a grayish food coloring for the brain frosting.
Wait, you have this post filed under romance. Dirt, worms, brains…zombie love cannot be denied.
I don’t have a recipe to share but wanted to tell you to head over to World Market- they have some cool stuff you can bake with the kiddo. AND they have candy blood – in its own little IV bag. You’ll love it. Check it out.
I love Halloween and have great fun in the kitchen. One time I served black pasta (thanx to squid ink) with blood red sauce, another time I made Monster Meatballs. I made the meatballs and baked them, then when cool enough to handle inserted carrot matchsticks for hair, sliced olives stuffed with bits of mozzarella for eyes and radish fangs. The kids loved them! The grownups decided I was uber weird ;P
I make witch cupcakes for my kids. I make cupcakes, usually chocolate, frost them green. Use black string licorice for hair, mini brown chocolate m&ms for eyes, candy corn for the noses and chocolate sugar cones for hats.
I don’t have a Halloween recipe but I LOVE eating Halloween treats. Does that count? 😀
I don’t have any recipes but my kids are getting to the age where they want to do stuff like this. Our only problem is time. I can’t wait for trick or treating.
One year when my 2 youngest boys were 13 and 10 I did the entire dinner Halloween style. They loved it but the next year they had both “out grown” the food :(. I didn’t understand. I love mummy dogs and bloody fingers. So now I only make one thing as a side just for me.
I’ve mentioned my daughter-in-law to you before – today she and my oldest are at Cedar Point’s Halloween Spooktacular. It’s raining so I can’t imagine there will be any rides going but I’m sure Cassie will love it anyway.
Great stuff, I think I’ll use some of those this year.
I sometimes make fingers….homemade cheese fingers, then cut carrots to look like nails and push them in at the end…looks really good.
Valerie
in Germany
I used to buy the worms in dirt cupcakes from the local supermarket, but maybe I’ll make them this year (but the brain ones look easier to decorate).
Don’t have any favorite recipes, but liked the look of the brain cupcakes.
My cousin likes to make the pretzel fingers and got this recipe from Martha Stewart’s site.
Pretzel dough is shaped into gnarled fingers and adorned with ladylike red almonds. For a twist, serve Man Toes, a stubbier version that uses plain almonds for toenails. Sprinkle digits with dried rosemary, for delectable knuckle hair.
LADIES’ FINGERS RECIPE
Makes 48 pretzels
24 blanched almonds, halved lengthwise
Red food coloring, optional
1 tablespoon sugar
1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast (one 1/4-ounce package)
5 1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 large egg
Sea salt
Dried rosemary (optional)
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1. Place a small amount of food coloring in a shallow bowl, and, using a paintbrush, color the rounded side of each split almond; set aside to dry.
2. Pour 2 cups warm water (110 degrees) into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment. Add sugar; stir to dissolve. Sprinkle with yeast, and let stand until yeast begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.
3. Beat 1 cup flour into yeast on low speed until combined. Beat in salt; add 3 1/2 cups flour until combined. Beat until dough pulls away from bowl, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low; add 1/2 cup flour. Knead 1 minute more. If dough is sticky, add up to 1 cup more flour. Transfer to a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth, 1 minute.
4. Coat a large bowl with cooking spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap; let rest in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
5. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat 3 quarts water to boil in a 6-quart straightsided saucepan over high heat; reduce to a simmer. Add baking soda. Lightly coat two baking sheets with cooking spray. Divide dough into quarters. Work with one quarter at a time, and cover remaining dough with plastic wrap. Divide the first quarter into twelve pieces. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece back and forth with your palm into a long finger shape, about 3 to 4 inches. Pinch dough in two places to form knuckles. When all twelve fingers are formed, transfer to simmering water. Poach for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fingers to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, blanching each set of 12 fingers before making more.
6. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush pretzel fingers with egg wash. Using a sharp knife, lightly score each knuckle about three times. Sprinkle with salt and rosemary, if using. Position almond nails; push into dough to attach. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack. Fingers are best eaten the same day; or store, covered, up to 2 days at room temperature.
Hmm I don’t have any favorite Halloween recipes – but there’s one cocktail or shot that comes to mind- where it looks like there are brains in it – liqour and cream of some sort… curdling… yeah. Mmmm 😛 Well I guess fitting for Halloween and horror…
Butterbeer re: Harry Potter is good too 🙂 It makes me think Halloween
I love dirt in a cup… chocolate pudding, crushed cookie crumbs & gummy worms!
Love those recipes… that is a lot of fun! Thanks for sharing! 😀
I make ghost cupcakes for the kids to bring to school on Halloween. They are just chocolate cupcakes that you stick a round lollipop/sucker like a tootsie pop in, and then cover with a small sheet of white candy fondant to look like a bedsheet. Use a dab of black cake decorating gel for eyeholes and they look just like ghosts-very cute!
No recipe, but oh, my gosh! Those brain cupcakes! I don’t think I could eat them! And not because I thought they were cute….;-)
I have no recipe too, sorry, but we don’t celebrate Halloween a lot…
Ugh – ok so I couldn’t find the cocktail recipe I was talking about- but here’s a fun list for adults…
http://cocktails.about.com/od/cocktailrecipes/tp/halloween_cktl.htm
Here’s a savory/entree Halloween dish…
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Black-and-Orange-Halloween-Pasta-356169
Or meatloaf
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Yummy-Mummy-Meatloaf-355709
and a side dish
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Skeletal-Fingers-355729
And these “funny bones” are a cute and super easy thing to do:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Funny-Bones-355110
Or eyeball cupcakes to go along with your brain ones 😉
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Eyeball-Cupcakes-232942
And these are… actually the freakiest, I think :X
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Finger-Cookies-232939
I’ve never made it, but somewhere I had a blue brain recipe. I think it had cottage cheese, whipping cream and blue jello. I remember the picture looked nice and icky.
Wow. These all look great. My kids are grown, but we are having a Halloween party.. some of these would be perfect. I love Halloween! You can make delish stuff…and make then look disgusting! LOL
ok, your making me think hard. HMMMM, things I’ve done in the past. When I worked in child care we did the dirt cups instead of cake and every year we carved a pumpkin and baked the seeds. I have three young kids and I do have a halloween cookbook, but am so busy sometimes I seldom take it out to use it. I did one thing out of the book last year, we maked mummy hot dogs. Took the hot dogs and wrapped them in a cresent roll and left room at the top for the face. Baked them and dotted Katsup on for eyes. The kids thought it was funny
My favorite is dirt…Layer of crushed up oreos, layer of chocolate pudding and whipped cream mixed together, then some gummy worms, then another layer of oreos and a layer of mix of pudding/whip cream and some more gummy worms…then final layer or oreos with those candy pumpkins on top or the candy tombstones…yummyy!!
I love cooking, but I don’t have the skills to make anything Halloween-ish. (Apple pies just aren’t scary xD)
Definitely try that one, Elaine–it’s too easy!
Thank you for the tip, Jillian! I will add that to my visit list!
Rashda, those monster meatballs sound awesome!
Okay, Michele, I am so going to try your recipe!
That can definitely count, Stephanie!
Desiree, I am counting down the days! I love trick or treating. And I love *helping* my son eat his treats.
Viki, you have just inspired me. I will try to have one “Halloween” dinner a wekk until the big day.
Hey, Valerie! Your fingers sound fantastic! And healthy!
cories, I am really wanting to try those brain ones, too. They look like so much fun.
LOL, glad you liked the brains, Jean!
Thank you so much for sharing that recipe, Jane! I will try it out this week.
Seems fitting to me, Limecello!
Thank you, Colleen! Dirt in a cup sounds like my kind of treat!
That sounds so cool, Cheryl!
A little too realistic, huh, Chelsea? 🙂
No worries, Melanie! Should you feel the urge to celebrate this year, I’m sure all the commenters and I could set you up with some recipes! We’re a sharing sort!
Oh, Edie, if you find that blue brain recipe, please let me know!
Lynn, I think that’s part of the fun–I love it when the yummy stuff looks disgusting.
Jolene, I will have to try your katsup-for-eyes trick! That will perk up my mummies!
See, Taylor, that is my kind of recipe! Love it!
But they are tasty, Casey!
Thanks so much for all the comments!!!
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 13-oz. package lemon-lime Kool-Aid
1 cup sugar
8 cups water
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate
4 cups ginger ale
Worm cubes (ice cubes with gummy worms frozen inside)
3 scoops orange sherbert
this is an excellent punch looks kind of like that gren/yellow stuff when your really sick at your stomach I know yuckky but then you have the worms in the ice cubes and it tastes fantastic. very tasty.
I found the recipe! I was afraid I’d thrown it out.
Blue Brains
Make one 6-oz package Berry Blue Jell-O (or two 3-oz boxes) as directed.
Chill until it begins to set.
Fold in one 16-oz container small-curd cottage cheese and 3/4 cup frozen, thawed blueberries.
Chill 3 hours
According to the recipe I cut out many years ago, it really looks horrible.
My sisters makes all the treats for kids at Halloween. One easy one, she dips pretzel sticks into melted white chocolate and sticks in some round black candy to look like ghosts.
Great Halloween recipes and I will definitely try out the brain cupcakes!
I was going to share, but my choice was a variation of Colleen’s dirt in a cup. the difference.. I put the concoction in a pie pan to create a mud pie.
Everybody has some great recipes. Ewww edible eyeballs and brain cupcakes! LOL. At my work for Hlloween we would just change the name of regular food like spagetti & meatballs would be dirtballs & worms or red jello~bloody jello. LOL.
Our house was always known for big parties and food was a part of that: mummy dogs, green puke dip, bloody fingers, ghoulish cake in the shape of a pumpkin (made in a bowl, jello brains, bloody punch, etc.
Do not think I have ever attended a Halloween party but these treats are fun. Thanks for all the suggestions.