By Mikayla Silcox
Elm Staff Writer
While candy is the food most commonly associated with Halloween, an underrated aspect of the season are spooky, fall-themed recipes present at parties. A Twix bar is a decent reward for a hard night’s trick-or-treating, but homemade baked goods set the scene for a haunted Halloween night.
There are some classic recipes that no Halloween season would be complete without, so here is a compilation of treats that will leave the taste of the season lingering in your mouth until Thanksgiving.
Candied Apples
Classic and simple but not without the potential for elaboration, candied apples are the perfect seasonal treat.
According to Just to Taste, to make candied apples, add two cups of sugar, one and a half cups of water, red food coloring, and one cup of corn syrup in a saucepan until it reaches 300 degrees, and dip in your apples to cool.
The sweet, fruity treat can be displayed in a Snow White-style exhibition by placing the treats around a cauldron — an easy Halloween party decoration and snack.
Additionally, candied apples are great party entertainment. Leave a display out for guests to decorate, providing chocolate and nuts for additional sweetness, or googly eyes, mummy wraps, and Frankenstein faces to make the treat spooky.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
What’s better than another activity rewarded by a sweet snack?
Roasted pumpkin seeds are the perfect treat to recover from the long struggle of pumpkin carving.
According to Allrecipes, the first easy step is to soak your seeds and rinse them until the pumpkin residue and skin of the seeds are gone. Dry them thoroughly and coat them in melted butter and salt. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and put the seeds on a baking tray for 45 minutes.
After that, you have a snack that can last you all month; if not, you are only one more pumpkin carving night away from additional Halloween treats.
Spooky Witches Fingers
A more advanced spooky treat are Witches Fingers cookies. These snacks are both sweet and eerie, making them the perfect bite to curb any Halloween cravings.
According to Texanerin, to make witches fingers, combine one cup butter, one cup sugar, one egg, one teaspoon almond extract, and one teaspoon vanilla extract into a bowl. In a separate bowl, add two and two-thirds cups flour, one teaspoon baking powder, and one teaspoon salt. Slowly mix the two together and then refrigerate the mixture for 20 minutes, while preheating your oven to 325 degrees.
When the dough is cold and workable, form it into skinny, ‘witches’ fingers. Add almonds to the tips to act as pointy nails, then put them on a tray in the oven for 20 minutes.
Mummy Hot Dogs
Mummy hot dogs are a simple way to transform a normal meal into a Halloween-themed dinner.
According to Home Made Interest, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and roll store-bought crescent dough around a hot dog to replicate mummy wraps, crisscrossing the thin strands of dough. Be sure to leave some hot dog exposed, then cook on a sheet for 15 minutes.
Put some ketchup on small shreds of cheese for mummy eyes, and then use a dab of mustard to give your mummy a pupil.
This recipe may not taste like fall, but it can add some spooky fun to your everyday eating.
Overall, Halloween recipes are an easy way to get into the spooky season with minimal scares and delicious, fun eats.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo caption: Found at fall festivals and Halloween parties alike, candied apples are just one of the many seasonal treats enjoyed around Halloween. To add a bit of spice to a normal candy apple, try coating it in chocolate or caramel.