This was a nice finish to the buffet and the kids were very impressed by it and were very reluctant to eat it at first.

Ingredients

1 package of pineapple dessert gelatin
1 envelope clear powdered gelatin
1 plastic spider
8 jelly eyeball candies

Preparation

1. Mix the pineapple gelatin as directed on the package and add the envelope of clear gelatin.
2. In a jelly mold place a thin layer of the prepared mix in the bottom and float the spider on it.
3. Refrigerate until set.
4. Place the candy eyeballs at the periphery of the mold and pour enough of the mix to cover them a bit more than halfway.
5. Refrigerate until set.
6. Pour the rest of the mix filling the mold.
7. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
8. Unmold prior to serving and present on a platter.

Lucito

This recipe was the quickest one to prepare and used some of the leftover hard boiled yolks of the eggs used for the Vampire’s Eyes.

Ingredients

8 ounce tube of pork liver paté
2 hard boiled egg yolks
Drops of red, yellow, green, and blue food coloring

Preparation

1. Mix all the ingredients together.

This was one of the fun recipes to prepare. It was relaxing to form them and paint the veins on the eyeballs.

Ingredients

6 hard boiled eggs
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
12 stuffed olives
Red food coloring

Preparation

1. Shell the hard boiled eggs.
2. Cut in half and remove the yolks.
3. Fill the hole left by the yolk with the softened cream cheese.
4. Stick an olive in the cream cheese and smooth the cheese around it.
5. Using a tooth pick dipped in red food coloring draw veins in the cream cheese

Lucito

The easiest of the recipes of the evening and one that had the most success, as they disappeared entirely in only a few minutes.

Ingredients

1 small package of cream cheese at room temperature
1 container of oven-baked potato sticks (straight pretzels can also be used)
2 tbs chopped salted peanuts
8 drops green food coloring
4 drops yellow food coloring
4 drops red food coloring

Preparation

1. Mix the softened cream cheese, the peanuts, and the green food coloring.
2. Add the yellow and red food coloring and mix leaving streaks.
3. Form into small balls and stick a potato stick in them.
4. Place on a wax paper sheet on a plate and refrigerate to firm up.

Lucito

Here is another simple recipe for Halloween. A simple baked sandwich decorated like a huge caterpillar. It is essentially a short baguette cut almost through in slices with some cheese and cold cuts stuck in it with a mayonnaise sauce. They are extremely tasty and look kind of great on the platter.

Dressing

Ingredients

3 tbs mayonnaise
1 tbs ketchup
1/2 tsp dried mustard
1/2 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
4 drops blue food coloring

Preparation

1. Mix all the ingredients together.

Caterpillar

Ingredients

1 short baguette
6 slices yellow American cheese
6 slices cold cuts
2 thin celery sticks
2 olives
3 thin baby carrots

Preparation

1. Make 12 cuts in the bread almost all the way through.
2. In each alternate cuts place a tsp of the dressing and a slice of cold cut in a folded slice of cheese.
3. Wrap the baguette in aluminum foil and heat in a 375F oven for 10 minutes until the cheese melts and the bread is nice and crisp.
4. Unwrap the baguette and spread the remaining dressing on top of the baguette.
5. Punch 2 holes in the front and insert the celery sticks to act as antennas.
6. Place the two olives on toothpicks and place in front of the antennas.
7. Make 3 small holes in the back and place the small carrots in them.
8. Serve by cutting the bread in the slices where there is not stuffing.

Lucito

One of the Witches’ Hands well cooked.

The Padrino wrote to me tonight that I should put the recipes for the silly Halloween food I prepared for the party last Saturday, as there was still time to do so before Halloween. So here it goes. The first recipe is simply made with some flattened chicken breast cut in the shapes of hands with a pair of scissors, then breaded and deep fried. They are simple to make and looks very realistic. The pus sauce is simply some mayonnaise mixed with ketchup and a few drops of yellow food coloring. If you mix it unevenly leaving some streaks of red and yellow the effect is pretty realistic

A flattened ‘bistec’ of chicken breast. Each breast half yields 2 ‘bistecs’

The ‘bistec’ cut into a hand shape.

Dredging the chicken in flour.

Ready to do the breading.

Cooking one of the hands.

Witches’ Hands

Ingredients

4 ‘bistecs’ of chicken breast
4 heaping tbs flour
1 heaping tsp onion powder
1 heaping tsp dried herbes de Provence, finely ground
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 eggs
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs heavy cream
1 1/2 cups finely crushed Corn Flakes cereal
Enough vegetable oil to pan fry the ‘bistecs’

Preparation

1. Prepare 3 bowls wide enough to be able to dip the ‘bistecs’ in them.
2. In the first bowl place flour, onion powder, herbes de Provence, garlic powder, salt and peppers, and mix with spoon until well combined.
3. In the second bowl break the 2 eggs, the tbs of olive oil, and the tbs of heavy cream.
4. With a fork whisk the eggs gently until you have a smooth homogeneous mixture.
5. In the third bowl place the crushed Corn Flakes.
6. Take the ‘bistecs’ and cut them with a pair of scissors to look like hands.
7. Take a ‘bistec’ and place in the flour bowl until well coated on both sides.
8. Pass the ‘bistec’ through the egg mixture until well coated on both sides, then let drip the excess.
9. Place the egg-coated ‘bistec’ in the crushed Corn Flakes until both sides are coated well.
10. Place on a wire rack to dry.
11. Rinse your fingers and repeat with the other ‘bistecs’.
12. Place the wire rack in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes for the breading to dry.
13. In a large frying pan, place about 1/4" of extra virgin olive oil and heat up on a medium fire.
14. Place the breaded ‘bistecs’ in the oil and cook about 3-4 minutes per side, until well browned.
15. Put on a plate lined with paper towels to drain, and then keep warm in a low oven until all the ‘bistecs’ are cooked.

Pus Sauce

Ingredients

3 tbs mayonnaise
2 tbs ketchup
3 drops yellow food coloring

Preparation

1. Mix ingredient together unevenly leaving red and yellow streaks in the mayonnaise.
2. Use as a dipping sauce for the hands…

Lucito