Spooky, fun, and actually quite tasty, these frightening fingers are always a hit. If you are looking for a creative activity with the young “Frankenchef’s” in your house, these delicious digits are a good way to let your kids really get their fingers in the project.  I hope you have a “scream” making this cookies with your kids. Happy Halloween!

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Spooky Halloween Finger Cookies

Delicious short bread cookies that are spooky fun to eat.

Course Cookies

Cuisine American, Holiday

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 3 dozen

Author Christoph

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 ¾ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• red decorating gel
• sliced almonds

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and extracts.
• In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour to the creamed mixture in thirds, mixing into a soft dough.
• Divide the dough into four balls, cover and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.
• While dough is chilling, heat oven to 325° F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Working with one piece of dough at a time (It is important to keep the remaining dough chilled until you are ready to form the fingers), roll into 1″ balls (I use a melon baller).
• Shape the balls into 3″ by 1/2″ fingers between the palms of your hands (don’t worry if they are not perfect, it adds to the effect). Using the flat tip of a table knife, make an indentation for each fingernail. Make three slashes in the middle to create a knuckle.
• Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until slightly golden (the ends of the fingers can tend to burn a little, again, don’t be concerned, it adds to the overall look). Transfer to wire racks to completely cook before decorating.
• While the cookies are cooling, sort out some unbroken almond slices to use as finger nails. I dump the almonds into the center of a plate and then place the ones I intend to use around the edge (makes them easy to grab).
• Arrange the cooled cookies up along the edge of your wire rack finger nail out. Place a good-sized drop of red gel in the middle of the nail bed area, and top with an almond slice. Gently press the almond slice into the gel (a chopstick can prove handy to help position the almond). Allow the gel to dry for an hour or so before moving them.
• I hope you have a “scream” making these cookies with your kids. Happy Halloween!

Without fail each year that I have carved a Jack-O-Lantern, I have been asked by someone if I roasted the seeds. Now I must tell you that countless times I have attempted to make this snack that everyone seems to be so crazy about, however I confess that I could count on one hand the number of times that this supposedly amazing treat was worth a good darn, and that in fact, they did not end up in the trash. I have always felt that these roasted seeds were just OK, I mean if I were stranded on a desert island I would probably eventually eat them.

The other day as I was preparing a Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin, just as I was about to throw the seeds away, a little voice told me to hold on to them, and give roasting another try. I mean there must be something to this treat that people ask about with crazed looks, right? Maybe it was the way I was trying to prepare them? So I went through the painful process of separating the seeds from the other gunk, washed them, and spread them out to dry overnight.

At some point during my slumber, I must have been visited by the Great Pumpkin himself, or had a vision of other sorts, because when I awoke, I had a clear idea of  what to do with the seeds. Why not prepare them in the same manner that I use to make my Chex mix? I figured the worst that could happen was they would go out in the rubbish like the countless seeds before.

Well I am pleased to share with you that it was a victory, a breakthrough of sorts (for me anyway). The pumpkin seeds are really quite tasty, in fact rather enjoyable, and I am already conjuring up plans for the next round.

I hope you enjoy your seeds should you choose to try this method. I like them spicy and would add a bit more pepper next time, and now I am sure there will be a next time.

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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

A delicious snack made from toasting pumpkin seeds with butter and spice.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups pumpkin seeds washed and dried
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon season salt
• ¼ cayenne pepper

Instructions

• Heat oven to 200° F.
• Place butter in a small roasting pan or metal cake pan on top of the stove over medium low heat to melt.
• Add Worcestershire sauce and spices. Mix well.
• Turn off heat and add pumpkin seeds, tossing well to coat.
• Place in oven for 30 minutes, remove and stir well halfway through cooking time.
• Remove from the oven, stir well, and return again for another 15 minutes. Adjust time for the quantity of seeds you are roasting stirring every 15 minutes. You are looking for a nice even toasted color. No burning.
• Place seeds on paper towels to cool and drain any excess butter.

Notes

This recipe will describe the method I used to roast the seeds from my pumpkin, and the approximate amount of ingredients. Since every pumpkin is a different size and contains varying amounts of seeds, you will need to adjust accordingly.

I started with about 2 cups of cleaned and dried seeds.

The post Roasted Pumpkin Seeds first appeared on James & Everett.]]> https://jamesandeverett.com/2012/10/27/roasted-pumpkin-seeds/feed/ 1 1456 https://jamesandeverett.com/2012/10/26/halloween-cocktails-trail-of-blood/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=halloween-cocktails-trail-of-blood https://jamesandeverett.com/2012/10/26/halloween-cocktails-trail-of-blood/#respond Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:30:06 +0000 https://jamesandeverett.com/?p=1452 There is nothing perhaps as terrifying as blood. There are many people who pass out at the sight of just a few drops of the red nectar. We have all been taught from childhood, that blood equals a bad thing, something is wrong if there …

There is nothing perhaps as terrifying as blood. There are many people who pass out at the sight of just a few drops of the red nectar. We have all been taught from childhood, that blood equals a bad thing, something is wrong if there is blood involved.

However the horror film industry loves blood, in fact through the years it has spent millions and millions of dollars to create films using it as the catalyst to arouse our fear. Directors like John Carpenter and Wes Craven have made names for themselves as kings of slasher movies, delivering box office hit after hit, that the masses have raced to see. Television networks endlessly re-run films banking on the fact that viewers will tune in to be terrified. Seems as though we really do love the thrill of being scared senseless……………..from the safety of a lazy-boy.

Halloween seems to bring out the best of the worst in all of us. A blood curdling scream becomes music to our ears. Knives, axes, and chain saws all become evil tools of death. The idea of bats, vampires, and werewolves gets our hearts pounding. The idea that there was blood everywhere is suddenly true magic!

 

 

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Trail of Blood

This is probably one of the easiest drinks you will ever make. But by now if you are hosting a party you have your hands full with plenty of other things so this festive shot is a welcome treat.

Course Cocktails

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• vodka
• red food coloring
• tall shot glasses

Instructions

• Place a bottle of vodka in your freezer for at least 12 hours before serving. (don’t worry it won’t freeze and break)
• Tall shot glasses are best for the effect (you can also find racks of plastic test tubes at many Halloween party stores).
• Pour 1½ ounces of the chilled vodka into the glass.
• Add 1 to 2 drops of red food coloring to each glass and serve immediately.

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed the Halloween drink series as much as I did.

Remember life is short, so take some time to enjoy.

The post Halloween Cocktails: Trail of Blood first appeared on James & Everett.]]>

One of the meals I particularly look forward to making this time of year is my roasted stuffed pumpkin. There is no other season when the variety of pumpkins is so abundant. The piles of orange globes are in every market, which makes it easy to find the perfect size to fill with the savory, sweet, and spicy mixture that makes this harvest dish so wonderful.

I have observed that there is a very competitive nature to the pumpkin choosing. People pay close attention to the pumpkins that the others around them are considering. There is a concern that they may have somehow overlooked the perfect choice, and someone else may already have it in their possession. The shoppers seem to evaluate the specimens in the competitions carts, hoping and waiting for someone to return one to the pile, that in some way appears to be more perfect than the one they are holding. I get a kick out of the confused looks I receive as I pull a small pumpkin out of the mountain of potentially huge Jack-O-Lanterns. They simply have no idea of my intent, of that I am quite sure.

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Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin

Sweet and savory flavors mingle to create this unique fall feast.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 1 pumpkin about 7″ – 8″ inches in diameter bigger is not better for this
• 1/2 pound hot Italian sausage
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice I use a mixture of long and short grained rice
• 1 medium onion diced
• 4 - 5 cloves of garlic diced
• 1 rib of celery diced
• 1/2 red pepper diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper finely diced (optional)
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3 tablespoons dried apricot diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup of cheese small cubes (I use a mix of cheddar and mozzarella)
• 3 tablespoon toasted walnuts chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350° F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
• Cook rice and place in a large mixing bowl.
• Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat. Crumble and place in the bowl with the rice.
• Sautée onion, garlic, celery, and peppers until tender in the remaining grease from the sausage and add to the rice mixture.
• Add raisins, apricot, herbs, cheese, and nuts. mix well.
• Cut an opening in the top of the pumpkin, and hollow out in the same manner you would use to carve a Jack-O-Lantern. Clean and reserve the seeds to make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds if desired.
• Spoon the rice mixture into the pumpkin, pressing it in firmly using the back of the spoon. (It is important to fill the pumpkin completely and pack the mixture in tightly in order to be able to slice wedges from the pumpkin)
• Place the top back on the pumpkin and stand on prepared baking sheet. Evenly coat the exterior with olive oil.
• Place in the oven for about 1½ hours, about 20 minutes per pound. Pumpkin is done when the exterior takes on a burnt orange color.
• Allow the pumpkin to rest for 8 to 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.
• I like to serve this over a bed of My Favorite Fall Salad for a perfect complement of flavors.

Notes

I love the balance of sweet, savory, and heat, however feel free to add or delete any ingredient to your liking.

This is also very easy to make as a vegetarian dish, by adding blanched broccoli, carrots or other vegetables instead of sausage.

Resist the temptation to use a larger pumpkin. This in one of those recipes that seems to “grow” as you make it. This size will easily yields 6 – 8 servings, with left-over rice mixture as well.

For many people, there is nothing more terrifying than a spider. These freakishly sinister miniature monsters possess the ability to create audible screams of horror and make skin crawl. Arachnophobia is not all that hard to imagine. There seems to be something evil about a creature with eight legs and webs that can turn dreams into hellish nightmares. Perhaps it is the haunting melody of the childhood song about the Itsy Bitsy Spider that delivers these fears, because as you recall in the end…………… the spider always returns.

So string up some webs, dim the lights, and serve some Tarantulas at your Halloween party. I guarantee your guests will have a “scream” of a good time!

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Tarantula Cocktail

The perfect martini to serve at your Halloween party. Refreshing yet frightening.

Course Cocktails

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 1 ounce Cream de Cassis
• 1 ½ ounces Vodka
• 1 ounce triple sec
• 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1 ounce Pomegranate juice
• licorice strings for garnish legs

Instructions

• Place all ingredient (except legs) in a shaker filled with ice and shake.
• Strain into a martini glass and decorate with licorice legs.

BOOOOOO!

There is perhaps nothing more terrifying than the thought of a Zombie. They are among us. The living dead, unstoppable in their pursuit, roaming the streets day and night, looking for a brain to feast on (reminds me of the current election campaigns).

Luckily for us however, the Zombie is also a delicious and powerful beverage. Created in the late 1930’s by the founding father of the Tiki Bar Donn Beach, the Zombie cocktail gained its real fame at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. This amazing drink is preferably enjoyed for occasions such as Day of the Dead and Halloween.  Caution: The Zombie is among one of the strongest drinks, and has been responsible for turning more than a few into mindless wandering souls looking for something to eat.

So have fun serving this drink at your Halloween party, just make sure you call a cab for your guests when they are ready to leave. And perhaps you will have a little fun letting friends know that their ride is on the way! “They’re coming to get you Barbara”.

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Zombie Cocktail

Delicious fruit punch cocktail. A few of these are guaranteed to turn you into a zombie

Course Cocktails

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• ½ oz white rum
• 1 ½ oz golden rum
• 1 oz dark rum
• ½ oz 151-proof rum
• 1 oz lime juice
• splash pineapple juice
• splash papaya juice
• pinch of superfine sugar
• Ice
• Mint leaves or fruit wedge for garnish

Instructions

• Place all ingredients in a shaker with no ice.
• Shake well to mix.
• Pour into a glass filled with ice.
• Garnish with mint or fruit.

For me, October begins the countdown to one of my favorite holidays. The time of year when the nights are filled with ghosts, ghouls, and vampires. Witches and warlocks come out of hiding, bats fill the air, and zombies wander the streets in search of a brain to snack on. What could be better than this?

I know you think there must be something wrong with my head, and perhaps there is. Maybe I have had one to many of these shots, or perhaps my brain is just Abby Normal.

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Brain Hemorrhage

A perfect Halloween drink with a spooky look. This shot is actually quite delicious, having the flavor of Peaches-n-Cream.

Course Cocktails

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz peach schnapps
• ½ oz Baileys Irish cream
• 2-3 drops grenadine

Instructions

• Fill a shot glass two-thirds full of peach schnapps.
• Gently pour a layer of Baileys on top of the schnapps almost filling the glass.
• Add a few drops of grenadine until you get the effect you desire.

Alien Brain Hemorrhage

• Fill a shot glass half full of peach schnapps.
• Gently pour a layer of Baileys on top of the schnapps fill the glass to about 3/4 full.
• Pour a layer of blue curacao over the Baileys to fill the glass almost to the top.
• Add a few drops of grenadine to complete the effect.

Happy Friday to everyone.

I hope you all have a great weekend.

And remember, Life is short, take some time to relax and enjoy!