Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Halloween Treats



When throwing a Halloween party be sure have lots of Halloween themed treats. There shouldn't be any tricks to the treats aside from taking the time to make them. With patience and a little creativity, you should end up with a plethora of treats.

Below are some of the recipes I have found on a search that have caught my eye and may catch the eyes of your party goers as well.

Chocolate Mice
Photo by: cocococo






Ingredients

4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

1/3 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
24 silver dragees decorating candy
1/4 cup sliced almonds
12 (2 inch) pieces long red vine licorice



Directions

Melt the chocolate, and combine with sour cream. Stir in 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
Roll by level tablespoonfuls into balls. Mold to a slight point at one end (the nose).
Roll dough in confectioners sugar (for white mice), and in chocolate cookie crumbs (for dark mice). On each mouse, place dragees in appropriate spot for eyes, almond slices for ears, and a licorice string for the tail.
Refrigerate for at least two hours, until firm.

Chocolate Cut-out Cookies





Photo by Eden



Ingredients


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 egg



Directions

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients to form a soft dough. Divide dough into 2 pieces, flatten and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Dough is sticky so be sure to add more flour to the rolling surface as needed. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Rocky Road Caramel Apples


Allrecipes




Caramel apples are taken down a rocky road by rolling in marshmallows and pecans. A dark chocolate drizzle finishes them off.


Ingredients

6 Granny Smith apples
6 wooden sticks
1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Directions

Insert wooden sticks 3/4 of the way into the stem end of each apple. Place apples on a cookie sheet covered with lightly greased aluminum foil.

Combine caramels and water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring often, until caramel melts and is smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Dip each apple into the caramel and gently run apples around insides of saucepan to scrape off some of the caramel. Scrape excess caramel from the apple bottoms using the side of the saucepan.

Combine the miniature marshmallows and pecans on a dinner plate. Roll the apples in the mixture to coat. Place on the aluminum foil and chill.

Put the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Drizzle over the apples and return them to the refrigerator until ready to serve.

* You can find all these great recipes and more Halloween themed treats at: 














Halloween Party Drinks





So you're planning on throwing a Halloween party and want to add a little extra flair that your guess will remember for months on after. Why not do it with some Halloween themed drinks. The drinks you serve should have great spooky names, a ghoulish look and a super scary punch!  Of course with adult drinks you must always play safe and have designated drivers.


Below I have listed a few drinks that I thought would be pretty cool at my next Halloween party.


For the Grown-ups:


Vampires Kiss


Ingredients:




Mixing instructions:

Shake with ice. Strain over ice in an old fashined glass.


Green Goblin Cocktail -  vodka, peach schnapps, DeKuyper® Sour Apple Pucker schnapps, coconut rum and sweet and sour mix.




What We Need:
1 oz vodka
1 oz peach schnapps
1 oz DeKuyper® Sour Apple Pucker schnapps
1 oz coconut rum
1 oz sweet and sour mix
How to prepare:Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well and pour over ice cubes in an old-fashioned glass. Serve with a lime wedge.
Best served in Old-Fashioned Glass



For the Kids:




Eerie Witch's Brew

Ingredients:

Mixing instructions:

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, pare peel (colored part only) from oranges: cut peel into thin 2 in long worms: or use an Oriental shredder to make long shreds. 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.




Word of Caution: Never touch dry ice with your bare hands. Wear protective gloves and use tongs.