**Dracula's Punch**
The ice bats can be made up to 2 weeks ahead. Remove from molds and freeze in a ziptop bag.
1 cup purple grape juice
6 cups cran-strawberry juice, chilled
6 cups raspberry gingerale, chilled
1 tub sherbet
Have ready 2 sheets of candy bat molds. Secure bat molds on a baking sheet with foil to keep them from tipping. Carefully pour grape juice into molds; freeze.
To serve: Pour cran-strawberry juice and ginger ale into punch bowl. Spoon sherbet into bowl; stir to mix. Place frozen bats on top.
**All Hallow's Eve Party Mix**
Can be prepared a few days ahead and stored in airtight containers.
8 cups freshly popped popcorn
3 cups crispy corn snacks (such as General Mills Bugles)
3 cups small fun-shaped pretzels
1 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts
Syrup
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup M & M's
Heat oven to 350F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet and 2 large sheets of foil with nonstick spray.
Put popcorn, bugles and peanuts in a large pot; toss to combine.
Syrup: Put ingredients in a medium bowl, whisk until blended. Pour over popcorn mixture; stir gently until well coated. Spread evenly on prepared baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes or until lightly toasted. Turn out onto prepared foil, separate clumps with a fork and let cool.
Add M & M's to party mix and toss to distribute.
*Eye of Newt Salad**
2 cans (15-1/2 oz each) black-eyed peas, rinsed
1 cup frozen or canned kernel corn
1 cup diced celery
1/2 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Red Delicious apple, cut in 8 wedges, then in bite-size pieces
1 can (11-oz( mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup bottled red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing
2 tsp freshly grated lemon peel
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 cup parsley leaves, chopped
Put all the ingredients excep the parsley into large bowl and toss to mix and coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
To serve: Add parsley; toss to mix.
**Black Cat Wraps**
1/4 cup each light mayonnaise and bottled barbeque sauce
4 (10-inch) red pepper flour tortillas
4 cups loosely packed spinach leaves
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
6 strips bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup chopped scallions
Mix mayonnaise and barbeque sauce in a small bowl.
For each wrap: Place 1 tortilla on work surface. Spread with 2 T mayonnaise mixture. Top with 1 cup spinach, in an even layer 1 1-inch from edge. Cover about 2/3 the tortilla with 1/4 the tomato slices, leaving 1/3 the tortilla furthest from you uncovered. Top tomatoes with 1/4 the chicken, bacon and scallions.
Starting at edge nearest you, roll tortilla up tightly. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 3 hours.
To serve; Unwrap and slice each wrap diagonally in half.
**Spider Cupcakes**
12 unfrosted cupcakes (bake according to cake mix directions)
1 can vanilla frosting
Tiny purple sprinkles
Black licorice laces, cut into 2-inch pieces
12 chocolate-covered doughnut holes
Tube brown frosting
24 green mini M & M's
Frost top of cupcake with vanilla frosting. Roll edges in sprinkles, then scatter some on top.
For each cupcake: Starting in middle, place 4 pieces licorice lace legs on each side. Place a doughnut hole in centre to create the spider. Pipe 2 dots of brown icing on top; prees on green M & M's for eyes. Pipe on brown dots for pupils.
**Frankenpizza**
4 sandwich-size english muffins, split and toasted
1 cup bottled or canned tomatoe or pizza sauce
16 individually wrapped cheese squares (8 mozzarella and 8 Cheddar)
Face & hair: Assorted vegetables, zucchini or cucumber, olives, red peppers, sprng onion tops
Heat oven to 400F. Have ready a rimmed or flat baking sheet .
Spread each muffin half with sauce. Place on baking sheet; top with a square of mozzarella cheese. Place the second Cheddar slice on top of the other slice but at a diagonal.
Faces: Cut vegetables into shapes for features and hair to make your pizza look like Frankenstein, using your imagination. I would use juliennned zucchini strips for spiky hair, black olive slices for eyes, red pepper pieces for a zig zag mouth and pieces of green onion for eyebrows, nose and a scar that looks like stitches. I get the kids to decorate their own.
Bake 5 - 10 minutes until cheese melts and pizzas are hot.
**Fruit Kabobs with Spiderweb Dip**
1 whole pineapple
1/2 cantaloupe, seeded
1/2 honeydew melon, seeded
red or green seedless grapes
1 basket strawberries, rinsed, hulled and halved if large
2 cups vanilla or lemon yogurt
1 tube black decorating gel
16 long wooden skewers
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap.
Cut leaves off of pineapple. Cut pineapple in half lengthwise. Wrap half and refrigerate. peel and cut out eyes from remaining half, then cut pineapple in 1-inch chunks.
Using a melon baller, scoop balls out of both the cantaloupe and honeydew melon.
Alternating fruits, thread pineapple, melons, grapes and strawberries on wooden skewers; place on lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Up to 1 hour before serving make the dip: Stir yogurt until smooth, then pour into bowl. Using black decorating gel, pipe a spiderweb on top. Cover bowl and refrigerate.
To serve: Use reserved pineapple half. Place cut side down on platter. Insert skewers with fruit into the pineapple. Serve with dip.
The ice bats can be made up to 2 weeks ahead. Remove from molds and freeze in a ziptop bag.
1 cup purple grape juice
6 cups cran-strawberry juice, chilled
6 cups raspberry gingerale, chilled
1 tub sherbet
Have ready 2 sheets of candy bat molds. Secure bat molds on a baking sheet with foil to keep them from tipping. Carefully pour grape juice into molds; freeze.
To serve: Pour cran-strawberry juice and ginger ale into punch bowl. Spoon sherbet into bowl; stir to mix. Place frozen bats on top.
**All Hallow's Eve Party Mix**
Can be prepared a few days ahead and stored in airtight containers.
8 cups freshly popped popcorn
3 cups crispy corn snacks (such as General Mills Bugles)
3 cups small fun-shaped pretzels
1 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts
Syrup
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup M & M's
Heat oven to 350F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet and 2 large sheets of foil with nonstick spray.
Put popcorn, bugles and peanuts in a large pot; toss to combine.
Syrup: Put ingredients in a medium bowl, whisk until blended. Pour over popcorn mixture; stir gently until well coated. Spread evenly on prepared baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes or until lightly toasted. Turn out onto prepared foil, separate clumps with a fork and let cool.
Add M & M's to party mix and toss to distribute.
*Eye of Newt Salad**
2 cans (15-1/2 oz each) black-eyed peas, rinsed
1 cup frozen or canned kernel corn
1 cup diced celery
1/2 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Red Delicious apple, cut in 8 wedges, then in bite-size pieces
1 can (11-oz( mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup bottled red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing
2 tsp freshly grated lemon peel
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 cup parsley leaves, chopped
Put all the ingredients excep the parsley into large bowl and toss to mix and coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
To serve: Add parsley; toss to mix.
**Black Cat Wraps**
1/4 cup each light mayonnaise and bottled barbeque sauce
4 (10-inch) red pepper flour tortillas
4 cups loosely packed spinach leaves
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
6 strips bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup chopped scallions
Mix mayonnaise and barbeque sauce in a small bowl.
For each wrap: Place 1 tortilla on work surface. Spread with 2 T mayonnaise mixture. Top with 1 cup spinach, in an even layer 1 1-inch from edge. Cover about 2/3 the tortilla with 1/4 the tomato slices, leaving 1/3 the tortilla furthest from you uncovered. Top tomatoes with 1/4 the chicken, bacon and scallions.
Starting at edge nearest you, roll tortilla up tightly. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 3 hours.
To serve; Unwrap and slice each wrap diagonally in half.
**Spider Cupcakes**
12 unfrosted cupcakes (bake according to cake mix directions)
1 can vanilla frosting
Tiny purple sprinkles
Black licorice laces, cut into 2-inch pieces
12 chocolate-covered doughnut holes
Tube brown frosting
24 green mini M & M's
Frost top of cupcake with vanilla frosting. Roll edges in sprinkles, then scatter some on top.
For each cupcake: Starting in middle, place 4 pieces licorice lace legs on each side. Place a doughnut hole in centre to create the spider. Pipe 2 dots of brown icing on top; prees on green M & M's for eyes. Pipe on brown dots for pupils.
**Frankenpizza**
4 sandwich-size english muffins, split and toasted
1 cup bottled or canned tomatoe or pizza sauce
16 individually wrapped cheese squares (8 mozzarella and 8 Cheddar)
Face & hair: Assorted vegetables, zucchini or cucumber, olives, red peppers, sprng onion tops
Heat oven to 400F. Have ready a rimmed or flat baking sheet .
Spread each muffin half with sauce. Place on baking sheet; top with a square of mozzarella cheese. Place the second Cheddar slice on top of the other slice but at a diagonal.
Faces: Cut vegetables into shapes for features and hair to make your pizza look like Frankenstein, using your imagination. I would use juliennned zucchini strips for spiky hair, black olive slices for eyes, red pepper pieces for a zig zag mouth and pieces of green onion for eyebrows, nose and a scar that looks like stitches. I get the kids to decorate their own.
Bake 5 - 10 minutes until cheese melts and pizzas are hot.
**Fruit Kabobs with Spiderweb Dip**
1 whole pineapple
1/2 cantaloupe, seeded
1/2 honeydew melon, seeded
red or green seedless grapes
1 basket strawberries, rinsed, hulled and halved if large
2 cups vanilla or lemon yogurt
1 tube black decorating gel
16 long wooden skewers
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap.
Cut leaves off of pineapple. Cut pineapple in half lengthwise. Wrap half and refrigerate. peel and cut out eyes from remaining half, then cut pineapple in 1-inch chunks.
Using a melon baller, scoop balls out of both the cantaloupe and honeydew melon.
Alternating fruits, thread pineapple, melons, grapes and strawberries on wooden skewers; place on lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Up to 1 hour before serving make the dip: Stir yogurt until smooth, then pour into bowl. Using black decorating gel, pipe a spiderweb on top. Cover bowl and refrigerate.
To serve: Use reserved pineapple half. Place cut side down on platter. Insert skewers with fruit into the pineapple. Serve with dip.
