If you plan to forgo the trick-or-treating this year to host a Halloween party these next recipes will add a burst of color to your buffet table.
The first recipe for Graveyard Brownies is a great way to get the kids involved in the party prep. Baking the brownies is extremely straightforward; it’s the assembly that requires creativity (that’s where your children’s help will come in handy). Your sugary cemetery will have your guests talking long after the party ends.
The second recipe for Rainbow Popcorn is a bit more involved. It’s basically, sugar-coated popcorn, tinted orange and green for Halloween, but it does require working with hot sugar syrup so I wouldn’t involve kids in this project. You need to be very vigilant when making this recipe. If you undercook the syrup it won’t do the job and if you overcook it, it will become too hard to work with.
Another tip: Keep the popcorn warm in the oven while the syrup is cooking. Doing so will make the popcorn easier to coat and keeps it from turning into balls.
GRAVEYARD BROWNIES
Ingredients:
1 package brownie mix
1 cup chocolate frosting
2 chocolate candy bars
White icing
3/4 cup flaked coconut, tinted green with food coloring
12 marshmallow pumpkin candies (they are like marshmallow Peeps, but in the shape of pumpkins)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 13-by-9-inch pan with foil extending beyond edges of pan; grease foil.
Prepare brownie mix according to package instructions.
Bake 30-35 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
Use foil to remove the brownies from pan; peel off foil. Frost and cut brownies into 4-by-2-inch bars.
Break up candy bar into small pieces and use icing to write “R.I.P.” or draw other creepy messages. Let stand until set.
Press one chocolate piece into the end of each brownie for the tombstone. Sprinkle tinted coconut on each brownie for grass and place one pumpkin candy on the coconut.
RAINBOW POPCORN
Ingredients:
5 to 6 cups freshly popped popcorn
1 tablespoon butter (not margarine)
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Green and Orange food coloring
Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Place popcorn in a shallow pan and place in oven to keep warm.
In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter and add sugar, water and salt; stir until sugar is dissolved. Boil about 20 minutes, until syrup just begins to color (about 275 degrees on a candy thermometer). Syrup should form a firm ball when dropped into cold water.
Add vanilla and food coloring. Stir well. Pour in a stream over warm popcorn and quickly stir to coat each kernel. Pour popcorn onto a sheet of baking parchment paper and separate each kernel. Be careful; syrup will be hot. Coating will harden as popcorn cools.
Transfer to a festive bowl and serve.
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