Monday, October 29, 2007
Halloween Ideas
| By Lynn Forgy I have found some of the cutest ideas online for Halloween. Martha Stewart has some awesome ideas! Below are a couple of my favorites with their original links below. They're not really "FRUGAL", but very SPOOKY stuff!!!! MONSTER EYES:  Ingredients: - Mini square pretzels, sometimes called Snaps - Hershey's Kisses - Orange Color M&M's Preparation: Preheat over to 250 degrees. Place as many pretzels as desired on a baking sheet. Top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey Kiss. Bake in oven for approximately three minutes, until kiss begins to soften. Carefully remove baking sheet from oven, and immediately press an M&M on top of each kiss. Allow to cool. From: About.com HEAD-WAITER  Sometimes you need more than a hand serving guests...you need a head. Create a helping head to entertain your captive dining companions. Preparation: 1. Two days before your party, crumple 10 paper towels and several swaths of gauze (enough to cover the display surface). Dip each in brewed coffee, and set to dry, in their crumpled state, where they won't be disturbed. This will give the towels and gauze a wrinkled, veiny appearance. 2. Then prepare the head: Mix a solution of 2 tablespoons flour, 1 tablespoon corn syrup (or use Mod Podge glue), and 1 tablespoon coffee. Stir with a craft stick, then use it to apply a thin layer to one section of a Styrofoam head. Uncrumple paper towels, and spread over that section; repeat until surface is covered. Place the gauze on a tray and the head waiter in the center, or display him on a sideboard or buffet. From: Martha Stewart LADIES' FINGERS  If Halloween night were to find you in a misty graveyard, suddenly feeling the touch of ghoulish fingers on the back of your neck, those fingers would probably bear a strong resemblance to our Cookie of the Week. And with red-stained blanched almonds standing in for fingernails, these creepy confections will beckon to you from beyond the grave, summoning you right over to their serving plate. Ingredients: Makes 30 - 2 tablespoons red food coloring - 30 blanched almonds - 2 large eggs - 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract - 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature - 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar - 5 tablespoons granulated sugar - Pinch of salt - 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour Directions: 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats) or parchment paper, and set aside. 2. Place food coloring in a shallow bowl. Using a small paintbrush, color one rounded half of each almond. Set aside to dry. 3. Separate 1 egg. Set aside the white. In a small bowl, whisk together yolk, remaining egg, and vanilla. Set aside. 4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Add egg mixture, and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic, and chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes. 5. Divide the dough in half. Work with one piece at a time, keeping remaining dough covered with plastic wrap and chilled. Divide the first half into fifteen pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece back and forth with palms into finger shapes, 3 to 4 inches long. Pinch dough in two places to form knuckles. Score each knuckle lightly with the back of a small knife. Transfer fingers to prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. 6. When all fingers are formed, brush lightly with egg white. Position almond nails; push into dough to attach. 7. Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Cool completely. From: Martha Stewart |
posted by Krista at 9:50 AM
