spooky and savory halloween small bites
spooky and savory halloween small bites 28 October 2011
Halloween brings back memories of pillowcases stuffed to the brim with pounds of candy. While I love chocolate as much as the next girl, I crave savory foods -- or at least enough savory food to balance out the impending sugar high. With the spooky holiday just around the corner, I wanted to share some of my spooky and savory Halloween small bites and snack ideas that will add some thrill to your next Halloween party.
My scary Halloween spread is composed of classic appetizers and hor d'oeuvres that are dressed up or made with a twist to add a creepy element for a night of Halloween fun. They are whimsical, fun and (some are) vegetarian friendly:
spider deviled eggs
mini mummy dogs
spinach and artichoke stuffed witch's brooms
one-bite caprese eyeballs
dried date cockroaches
cranberry cider
Most of these snacks are made with help from the store (aka pre-made doughs) to ensure you have enough time to finish putting together Halloween costumes or buy last minute candy to give out to the decked out children who will come knocking at your door. They are all fairly simple to make and will deliver in spookiness and flavor. (Don't forget to add a name tag to each dish -- it pulls together each appetizer idea and will make them even more believable!)
A creamy deviled egg hits the spot every time. They are an old party staple that frequents almost any and every holiday. This version is filled with a classic mixture that is spiced with paprika and cayenne pepper, however the playfulness lies in the salty olive that sits on top.
Spiders are one of my biggest fears in life (and by big I mean monumental), so I figured they'd be the perfect element to add some thrill to a Halloween table. The olive in this party snack is cut to look like a spider. They may scare some people off, but that means more for me.
Mummy dogs are this season's pigs in a blanket. I started with pre-made pastry dough that I cut into strips and slathered with caramelized onion jam. Then, I used these pastry strips to wrap mini smoked sausages (or mini hot dogs) to form mini mummies. After removing them from the oven, I dotted each one with mustard eyes and in no time I had the perfect little mummy that kids will love as much as you and I will.
One of my favorite all-time appetizers is spinach and artichoke dip. In this hor d'oeuvres version, I created flaky and buttery filo purses stuffed with creamy, homemade spinach and artichoke dip. Once baked to a golden brown, they resemble the bottom of the a broom. Just stick in a crispy piece of bacon in the top and I had a salty, cheesy and crispy party snack disguised as a witch's broom.
Who doesn't like a simple caprese salad? The creaminess of mozzarella paired with fresh basil and the acidic, but sweet tomatoes is a classic Italian combination. In my one-bite version, they are dressed up to look like eyeballs and add a fresh element to my party spread.
Last but not least are the dried date cockroaches. Stuffed with salty bacon, melted parmesan and toasted pecans, these bites have the perfect balance of sweet, salty, creamy and crunchy. While they look spooky from afar with two green onion antennae, once you have a bite of one of these, you will be eating them by the handfuls.
Halloween isn't complete without apple cider. To add a delicious twist to this fall favorite, I added a bit of cranberry, a zing of orange and some cinnamon and allspice to mix things up. Serve it warm or cold as the perfect accompaniment to these Halloween treats.
I hope you found some ideas to make your holiday party menu more whimsically spooky. It's all about creativity, fun and of course food. Have a fabulous (and safe) Halloween!
{spooky and savory halloween small bites}
Here is a savory spread that will add some thrill and top off the spooky and creepy levels of your Halloween menu. The variety of flavors will get your taste buds going and fill you up with the perfect fuel for a fun-filled night of trick-or-treating or any Halloween festivities.
Spider Deviled Eggs:
{yield: 24 eggs}
12 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons pickled relish
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoon sour cream
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup dill, chopped
salt and pepper
24 (about 1/2 lb) black olives
Place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring eggs to a boil, cover with a lid and turn off heat. Let them sit for 18 minutes.
After 18 minutes, uncover and remove from water. Place in a cold water bath to stop cooking. Peel the eggs once cooled.
Cut the peeled, hard-boiled eggs in half. Remove cooked yolks and place them in a bowl and mash them with a fork.
Add the mayonnaise, pickled relish, dijon mustard, sour cream, paprika, cayenne pepper and dill to the egg yolks. Mix to combine and season with salt and pepper. Spoon (or use a ziploc back with the corner cut off to pipe) the mixture back into empty egg halves and lightly dust with paprika.
Cut olives in half. Set half of the halved olives aside and with remaining, cut each halved olive into 8 slivers (these will be the spider legs).
Place an olive half on each of the deviled eggs, cut side down (this will be the spider body). Use the slivers and place 8 of them around each olive half to form spider legs.
Mini Mummy Dogs:
{yield: 24 mini mummy dogs}
1 tube of pre-made pastry dough
pre-made caramelized onion spread
salt and pepper
24 mini smoked sausages (or mini hot dogs)
dijon mustard
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Unroll the pre-made pastry dough into a flat layer.
Spread a thin layer of caramelized onion spread on top and season with salt and pepper. Then cut the dough into 24 strips, each about 1/2-inch wide x 4-inch long.
Wrap each strip around one of the mini smoked sausages to look like a mummy (it will be a little bit sticky).
Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and bake for 10-12 minutes until pastry is golden.
Remove from oven and, using a toothpick, add dijon mustard for the eyes.
Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Witch's Brooms:
{yield: 24 witch's brooms}
4 slices thick-cut bacon
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and throughly drained (1 cup after its been drained)
1 1/2 cup frozen artichokes, thawed
1/3 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
pre-made filo dough
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat oven to 375°F.
While oven is preheating, cut each bacon slice into 6 pieces so you end up with six 1/2-inch wide by 4-inch long strips per bacon slice (this will be for the 'broom handles'); to do this, cut each slice in half across and then in thirds length-wise.
Place bacon slices about 1-inch apart on a foil covered sheet pan and bake in oven until crispy, about 12-15 minutes.
When bacon comes out of the oven, move the pieces to a paper towel to soak up extra grease. Take one teaspoon of the remaining bacon grease and put it in a saute pan.
Add the diced onion to saute pan and cook over medium heat until translucent or just starting to brown.
Then add the garlic, drained spinach, drained artichokes and red pepper flakes. Continue to saute for about 2 minutes more.
Stir in cream cheese, sour cream and parmesan cheese until melted and heated through.
Season will salt and pepper and then set aside to cool.
While filling is cooling, unroll frozen filo dough and cut into 3-inch squares.
Place one filo square on your working station and brush it with the melted butter. Place a second filo square on top, slightly off center, and brush it with butter. Place a third filo square on top and brush it with butter.
Place one tablespoon of cooled spinach and artichoke mixture in the center of the filo squares.
Pull the edges of the filo square up around the spinach and artichoke mixture, making a purse shape. Make sure to leave a small opening in the top (about the diameter of a straw) so you can stick in a piece of bacon for the broom handle.
Continue until you have used all of the filling.
Place the filo purses on a parchment lined baking sheet pan and brush each purse with melted butter.
Bake at 375°F for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and dough is flaky.
Cool slightly before placing a bacon stick in each of the purses.
One-Bite Caprese Eyeballs:
{yield: 24 eyeball bites}
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 lb bocconcini (or mini mozzarella balls), drained
fresh basil
1/4 lb black olives, pitted and thinly sliced into rounds
salt and pepper
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and remove seeds. Season inside of each tomato half with salt and pepper.
Cut the bocconcini in half and place one half, round side up, in each tomato half.
Take a half leave of basil and curl it up to fit inside the inner circle of the sliced olive.
Top each eyeball with the basil and olive so it resembles an eye.
Dried Date Cockroaches:
{yield: 24 date cockroaches}
4 slices of bacon
1/2 lb cheese, cut into 24 pieces (parmesan, blue, manchego or cream cheese)
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
24 dried, pitted dates
scallions, sliced into thin, 1-inch long strips
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Place bacon slices, in one layer, on a foil covered sheet pan and bake in oven until crispy, about 12-15 minutes.
When bacon comes out of the oven, move the pieces to a paper towel to soak up extra grease. Chop crispy bacon into small pieces.
Meanwhile, toast pecan pieces in a pan over medium heat (or in the oven) until fragrant and lightly brown. Toss with bacon pieces.
Place one piece of cheese and as much of the bacon and cheese filling as you can fit in each date; pack it tight. Continue until all 24 dates are stuffed.
Bake dates at 375°F for 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Stick 2 thin slices of scallions into one end of the date to look like antennae.
Cranberry Cider:
1 gallon apple cider
1 quart cranberry juice
4 peels of orange rind
1 teaspoon whole allspice
cinnamon sticks
Combine cider, cranberry juice, orange rind, cloves and 2 cinnamon sticks in a large pot. Heat until just simmering and let steep for 20 minutes.
Serve warm in mugs or chilled in glasses with extra cinnamon sticks as stirrers.