Halloween Themed Appetizers  To Terrorize Your Guests

It is officially that time of year.

Many families love Christmas the most, and they put maximum effort into Christmas foods, decorations, films, music and traditions. We're not saying we dislike Christmas, or even that we don't put in that kind of effort, but... It's too early for that. Ignore the department stores.

In this house, Christmas is very closely rivaled by Halloween. We plan Halloween costumes several months in advance. We have Halloween traditions that we trot out every year, and specific decorations that have to make an appearance somewhere around the house, and movies we just have to see. And yes, we do have favorite Halloween recipes. We'd like to share some with you.

This post will only have appetizers. We'll be back again next weekend with some real food that comes with a Halloween twist. The point is, the recipes will be there for you when you'll need them - right about the time the kids are so obsessed with candy that the idea of meat or vegetables hasn't occurred to them for the last 48 hours.

These recipes are pretty simple. Feel free to get the kids involved! Extra hands can make this a lot easier.

Appetizers:

Mummy Fingers and Spider Guac

Ingredients:

1 bag pretzel rods

1 can pizza or crescent dough

1 container chunky avocado or 3 whole ripe avocados

1 small tub sour cream

1 jar salsa (purchased or homemade)

1 packet guacamole seasoning (or make your own)

Tools:

Baking sheet(s), cutting board, sharp knife, shallow dish (preferably a round one; pie dishes work great), sandwich bag, toothpick(s)

Step One:

Have a little helper break your pretzel rods down to finger size (halves or thirds work well). Remember - this is an exercise where imperfect is perfect, so don't worry about them being even.

Step Two:

Unroll your dough onto a cutting board while the oven preheats according to package directions. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into long, thin strips.

Step Three:

Wrap the dough around the pretzel rods as "mummy bandages" and bake according to package directions. (Brush with melted butter if you want some extra flavor, although we felt it didn't need it with the salty pretzels.)

Step Four:

While your "Mummy Fingers" are in the oven, mash your avocados (or just open up your purchased container of avocado) and mix in your seasoning.

Step Five:

Pour your salsa out into a shallow round dish, and spoon your guacamole over top of it. Make sure to put a thick, even layer of guacamole and smooth it out - it will be your blank canvas soon.

Step Six:

Drop a few spoonfuls of sour cream into a sandwich bag and seal it up. Poke a hole through a bottom corner with a toothpick. Test the width of your line on a paper towel if you're not sure about it - but start small. You can always widen it later, but if you start with too wide a line, you'll need a new sandwich bag.

Step Seven:

Use the sour cream to draw your web! Squeeze a circle of sour cream out on top of your guacamole just inside the rim of the dish. Draw a slightly smaller circle inside that one. Repeat the circles, smaller and smaller but not touching, until you reach the center of the dish. Use a toothpick to draw straight lines from the center to the outside of the guacamole, which will stretch and distort your sour cream circles into a web. We like to start with four lines and then split the distance between them to make eight even divisions. If you're so inclined, you could even toss some food coloring in with the leftover sour cream in the bag and draw a sour cream spider in a contrasting color.

Step Eight:

Remove your mummy fingers from the oven and enjoy with your spider guacamole!

Pumpkin Guts Dip

Disclaimer: No pumpkins were harmed in the making of this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 brick cream cheese

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar (preferably orange)

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1/3 cup Buffalo sauce (or more if you'd like)

3-5 Tablespoons heavy cream or ranch dressing

1/3 cup garbanzo beans, pureed

1 carrot, finely shredded

1 can chunk chicken breast, drained (optional)

Celery sticks ("pumpkin stems") for dipping

Tools: Fine grater, sauce pan, serving dish, platter

Step One:

Toss all of your cheeses into a shallow sauce pan and turn the heat on low. Cover with a lid and allow the cream cheese to melt, stirring every few minutes.

Step Two:

As your cheeses melt, pour in your Buffalo sauce and cream or dressing. Stir well to incorporate.

Step Three:

Add your pureed beans and stir. Grate your carrot directly into your sauce pan, stirring occasionally to prevent mounds of carrot lumping up in the middle of the pan. If you're also using chicken, now is the time to add it. After stirring everything well, cover the pan and increase the heat to medium-low.

Step Four:

Cook over medium-low heat until bubbly. While it's cooking, wash and chop your celery and arrange it on a platter.

Step Five:

Have your little helpers, if present, taste test. Add more cream or dressing or cheese if it's too spicy or too thick, and add more Buffalo sauce or a dash of Tabasco if it's too mild.

Step Six:

Pour into a serving dish, add it to your platter of "stems" and dig in!

What did you think? Are you as eager to get into the kitchen as we were? We hope you’ll let us know over on our Facebook page, we’d love to hear your thoughts on Halloween traditions and food. In the event that one of your appliances has given up the ghost, or is just being ghoulish, you can always call or visit our website to make an appointment.