Spooky Halloween Recipes

Halloween is just around the corner. Can you believe it? It’s one of my favorite times of year! I wanted to start this season off early to give you all enough time to prepare your homes and your menus. If you missed yesterday’s Halloween decorating post, it’s worth checking out! And in good company with these spooky Halloween recipes, curated by my bella Tori of Fraiche Nutrition. With only 2 weeks to go … here are some ideas for your Halloween hosting!!

Parmesan Snake Breadsticks

Ingredients:
1/2 recipe of Granny’s Buns OR 1 package store-bought bread dough
10 wooden chopsticks
3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
20 whole black peppercorns

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Divide the bread dough into 1/4 cup portions (doesn’t have to be precise).
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a long round snake-like shape using your fingers on the surface. Keep one end slightly larger, and taper the other end to a thinner point (the large end will be the head, the tapered end will be the tail).
4. Wind each ‘snake’ around an individual chopstick and place on the baking sheet so that the head is on the topside of the stick when placed on the sheet. Repeat with all snakes.
5. Place 2 peppercorns on the head of each snake to make the eyes, and sprinkle the parmesan cheese on the snakes evenly (and generously).
6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Swampy Bones

Ingredients:
1/2 recipe Granny’s Buns or 1 package store-bought bread dough
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 block light or regular cream cheese
1/2 cup greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup light or regular mayonnaise
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Swamp Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. In a small saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat: add onion and garlic and cook just until transparent, about 3 minutes (do not brown the garlic). Remove from heat and cool slightly.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the onion/garlic mixture, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Using an electric mixer, blend until smooth. Stir in the spinach, artichoke hearts, cheese and salt and pepper until combined.
4. Place the mixture in an oven-proof casserole dish and bake, uncovered, until it is hot and bubbles around the sides, about 20-30 minutes. Serve warm as a dip with the bones (can also serve with tortilla chips).

Bones Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Divide the dough into small 2″ balls (approximately a golf ball size).
3. Using your hands on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a log approximately the thickness of a finger and about 4″ long.
4. Tie a knot around each end of the dough to form the end of the bone.  Use your index finger as a ‘post’ to wrap the dough around, then tuck the end of the dough through the hole created when you pull your finger out.
5. Place on baking sheet and let the ‘bones’  sit to proof (slightly rise) for 15 minutes.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Mini Mummy Apple Pies

Ingredients:
Pie Crust 2 large pies (You can use store bought, or if you are feeling ambitious I swear by the Joy of Cooking Pie Crust)
5-6 apples, cored, peeled and cut into small pieces (approximately 1/4″ x 1″)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
>pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup. diced chilled butter
Plastic or candy eyes

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Combine the apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, lemon juice, salt and flour in a medium bowl: stir until the apples are coated.  Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the apples to soften.
3. Divide the apple mixture evenly among miniature pie dishes of your choice.  The number of dishes will depend on their size, but you should get around 6-8 small pies out of the recipe depending on your dish size.
4. Distribute the diced butter evenly among the pies.
5. Roll out the pie crust on a floured surface to 1/4″ thickness. Using a sharp knife, cut the crust into strips (you may cut some of them in half as well depending on the size). In a random pattern, lay the strips of dough across each other to form a ‘mummy pattern’ over the apples, leaving room for the eyes. If you are using candy eyes, you can place the eyes on at this point and overlap the dough so it appears that the eyes are partially covered.
6. Trim the crust that is hanging over the edges, place on a cookie sheet, and bake the pies until the inside is bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Once cooled, if you are using the plastic eyes, place where you would like to see the eyes, inserting slightly in or under the crust to give the impression that they are partially covered.

What is on your Halloween menu this year?!

xo
Jily