We aren’t giving Halloween enough love in the food department. For Thanksgiving, bake a giant turkey and about twenty casseroles, and for Christmas, bake a ham and about one hundred desserts. If you don’t, it’s like sacrilege. Halloween kicks off the entire holiday season so it’s a little more awesome than we give it credit for! So forget the cutesy Pinterest replica cupcakes, and make a dish that actually scares someone! Wouldn’t that be so much more fun?!? Anyone can make the marshmallow ghosts, and everyone will think they are great, but they are kind of forgettable.
Use the following recipes and flavor combinations as a guide to surprisingly delicious or just downright weird dishes for your Halloween table. If you are having everyone over at your apartment, you can even make all the foods surround the same theme, for example, post apocalypse survival dinner or a witch’s feast. You could even be a mad scientist who had a “lab accident”! (I’m laughing at how excited I am about this one.) Use plating and punny names to your advantage! If you are going over to someone else’s house, your dish is doing to get the most attention, and everyone will be excited to try it, and if not, say “Come on, it is Halloween!” (Peer pressure at its finest.) Don’t worry too much though; the recipes were tested on a scientific basis, using the chemical properties of the foods to make good flavor matches.
The Grumpy Pumpkin
I just wouldn’t tell anyone I added chili peppers to this cheesecake, and see the look on their faces when they try it… At first you taste the creamy pumpkin, the maple syrup, and then just as you’re swallowing the bite, the pepper gives you a little kick. Don’t be overwhelmed by the number of ingredients in this recipe, it is just lots of spices.
Serves 16
FOR THE CRUST:
1 1/2 cups finely ground gingersnap cookies
3/4 cup hazelnuts
3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper *cayenne will be slightly hotter
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
FOR THE FILLING:
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese (three 8-ounce packages)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
4 large eggs
FOR THE PRALINES:
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons red chili powder
1 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix the gingersnaps, nuts, brown sugar and chili powder in a bowl. Add the butter and stir until well combined. Press the crumb mixture onto the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of a 9-inch spring form pan with 2 3/4 -inch sides. Bake for 8 minutes, and then set aside to cool.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Beat in pumpkin. Add the whipping cream, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice and ginger and mix until very smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined.
Pour batter into the prepared crust and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, until the cheesecake is puffed and the center is set (cheesecake will rise slightly above sides of pan). Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 30 minutes. Run a small, sharp knife around the edge of cheesecake to loosen. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
To make the pralines, line a baking sheet with foil. Butter the foil. Combine the sugar and the water in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil without stirring, until syrup turns a deep golden brown.
Brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water and occasionally swirl the syrup. When syrup is ready, stir in the red chili powder and the nuts. Immediately pour the praline mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading with the back of a spoon to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Cool completely. Break the praline into jagged 2-inch pieces.
Spiked Squash
Adding lime to butternut squash is like mashing together the tangy bright flavors of summer with the warm comfort foods of fall. Both are amazing alone, so why not together? Try this recipe from Bon Appetite.
Mr. Hyde
Since it is Halloween, how about we trade in the salted caramel stuff for some black pepper and chocolate? The perfect twist for a scary evening! This is actually one of my favorite recent discoveries. At work, we have used pepper in plenty of our desserts and I fall in love with it every time. Pepper is added to so many main dishes, but dessert sometimes needs a little help too!
Click here for black pepper and chocolate truffles.
Extra Moldy Cheese
Just kidding, but that is kind of what chocolate and Parmesan cheese look like together. Apparently, parmesan and chocolate grilled cheese sandwiches are the thing now. If you are serving this at a party, use a crock pot to keep them warm. Place the sandwiches in a single layer, using aluminum foil to separate each layer, and keep the crock pot on its lowest setting.
All you need per sandwich:
Two slices country bread, aka fancy white bread
Two ounces (64% dark) chocolate, coarsely chopped
Six thinly shaved slices Parmesan cheese
Oil for pan
Directions:
Layer one slice of bread with the chocolate and then with Parmesan cheese and top with second slice of bread. Microwave for 30 seconds.
Heat a panini press, grill pan or skillet. Spray the surface and the outside of the bread with cooking oil spray. Grill until bread is golden brown and chocolate and cheese are oozing. Serve immediately.
The Mike Wazowski
Parsley and bananas look like a tiny gross monster, but it surprises you with an explosion of flavor. Plus, look how pretty it’s plated. This recipe has few ingredients but it takes a little time to dry out the parsley, so do that a day in advance.
Do any of these recipes make you wanna run in the direction? Let us know which one you would try in the comments section below!
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