My original idea for this article was to show you how COVID-19 isn’t going to stop me from getting into the spooky spirit – that there are so many fun little recipes on Pinterest to indulge in from home this season. Sure this idea is cute in theory, but it’s physically impossible for me to use a stove and create something edible. I was a huge Food Network fan when I was younger. I would constantly be taking notes and trying out new things – I loved baking shows the best. But as I’ve gotten older, the magic has kinda died, and I’ve come to realize that my skill level is maxed out at a sunny side up egg. So I decided to pick four of the easiest recipes I could find to show you just how simple and fun it is to get into the Halloween spirit but also to prove to myself that I can actually do this.
Disclaimer: This was hard.
- Bat Oreos
-
- Mummy Rice Krispie Treats
-
For this recipe, I needed white chocolate and Rice Krispie Squares (the recipe suggested to use the premade ones!). I went to Bulk Barn to buy candy eyes, and I wanted to buy white molding chocolate but they only had them for sale in bulk, and I saw too many noses sticking out of masks to feel comfortable with that. So I ended up dipping and making mummy strips with melted milk chocolate chips. I couldn’t find white chocolate chips anywhere, so I missed out on the classic white mummy look. But it was still cute and fun and definitely tasted the best out of everything I made. Who wouldn’t like a milk chocolate Rice Krispie Square? Stress Level: 2/10 (I was feeling very confident!)
- Mummy Dogs
-
This was hands down the least favourite thing I made. I had to cut arms and legs into the hotdogs and then wrap strips of croissant rolls around the limbs and body to look like mummy gauze. Hotdog juice got everywhere, ew, and I got so tired of spending five minutes on one hotdog that I gave up halfway through on giving them arms and legs. When I pulled them out of the oven, the bottoms were borderline burnt but the dough around the mummy limbs were raw. My dad ate two out of moral support but they were not consumable. Stress Level: 8/10
- Jack O’ Lantern Pumpkin Hand Pies
-
My final recipe was these jack-o’-lantern pumpkin hand pies. Okay yes, they’re a little advanced for my skill level, but I was feeling ambitious when I picked it out and I wanted to end with a bang. My first mistake was buying pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree. My second mistake was not thawing out the puff pastry dough enough – it barely rolled out without crumbling everywhere, and when it did thaw, it was impossible to work with. This one was also inedible, but I’m sure I did something (or multiple things) wrong. Stress Level: 10/10
Overall, I still support this idea – it’s a great way to get into the Halloween spirit. If you enjoy baking or even just have a higher patience level than I do, this is a very cute idea – don’t let my incapabilities discourage you. However, you need to prepare and have some sense of time management. I also learned that putting candy eyes on anything is an automatic win – they look so cute and everyone will think you’re a chef.