It’s the spookiest time of the year, and you know what that means — jack-o’-lanterns, candy and scary-good food for Halloween parties! But how can your festive fare and decor stand out? Here are some tips to show off your Halloween spirit.
Petrifying pumpkins
When carving your jack-o’-lantern, it’s fun to make your creation distinct. These do’s and don’ts will help you construct the best — and safest — design on the block.
- Where to carve the lid — The bottom is the best place to start cutting the pumpkin open. Cutting there will keep the sides from caving in later.
- Scooping the pumpkin — Use a special “claw” spoon or an ice cream scoop to help you get all the pulp out, making it easier to carve your creepy designs.
- Prepping your design — Draw out what you want to carve on paper before digging in. Once you have your design, tape the paper to the pumpkin and poke holes along the lines you want to cut.
- Carving your jack-o’-lantern — Make simple rough cuts around your design to make carving easier. You can go back and clean up the edges and finer details later.
- Lighting up your porch — Create a spooky appearance for your Halloween creation by using Christmas lights or battery-operated candles instead of a fire-burning candle. Try lights that blink for an extra eerie effect!
Devilishly delectable
No party is complete without “finger” foods, so liven up your Halloween get-together with our Publix Aprons recipe for Witch Fingers. These sinister snacks are sure to win over your ghouls and goblins!
Active time: 30 minutes. Total time: about 2 hours (makes 8 servings).
Ingredients
- 1 pound Publix Bakery pizza dough
- Parchment paper
- 10 drops green food coloring
- Clean paintbrush
- 1/2 cup whole (or sliced) almonds
- 1/4 cup egg substitute (or 1 large egg)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 8 drops red food coloring
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Tomato-basil pasta sauce (optional for serving)
Steps
- Remove dough from refrigerator and let stand 1 hour (do not remove from bag until stand time is complete).
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Beat egg.
- Divide dough in half. Knead 1/2 dough until smooth and elastic (about 1 minute). Roll the dough into a 12-inch rope; then cut into 12 (1-inch) pieces. Roll and stretch dough pieces into 4-inch finger shapes, arrange on baking sheet and cover loosely; let stand 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining 1/2 dough.
- Place green food coloring in a small bowl; use clean paintbrush to paint 1 side of almonds, then rinse brush thoroughly.
- Pinch center of each finger; use a sharp knife to make small cuts for knuckles. Brush fingers with egg, then press almonds into 1 end for fingernails. Combine water and red food coloring; use paintbrush to paint around almonds for bloody cuticles.
- Sprinkle fingers with salt. Bake 12 – 15 minutes until golden. Serve fingers with warmed pasta sauce for dipping.
