I love Halloween. I can still smell the vinyl costumes we used to get from the store when I was young. I always loved this one holiday where it’s okay to dress as crazy as you want, and even if you dress up on the wrong day, no one cares because at this time of year, anything goes. My most favorite Halloween memory is of dressing up as Lisa Simpson, to my friend Matt’s Bart. We happened to be invited to a Halloween party at an old mansion and I dare say there was something definitely creepy about this place. The party itself wasn’t very memorable, but the days leading up to it were – planning out my costume and spending the hours beforehand perfecting the look and getting my hair spiky just like the character.
I just happened to be browsing my TiVo selections and found an episode of Martha Stewart’s where a guest, Allison DiNatale, showed Martha how to make this cider punch which looked really cool and reminded me of the party at this old eerie mansion. It’s really very easy to do and adds a new level of creepiness to any halloween party or little gathering. It can be prepared regular or spiked, making it a very attractive dish to make for any fete. All you need are some classic glossy black pillow box favors with your favorite candy or treat inside and a festive favor label to complete the look. Your guests will love it!
Creepy halloween cider recipe
Shrunken Heads in Cider
From: Martha Stewart Show
Ingredients
Serves about 30
- 2 cups lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 8 large Granny Smith apples
- 32 whole cloves
- 2 gallons apple cider
- 2 (12-ounce) cans frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
- 2 cups spiced rum (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together lemon juice and salt; set aside.
- Peel apples and cut each in half through the stem; remove seeds and core. Using a sharp paring knife, carve a face, as desired, on the rounded side of each apple half. Place apples in lemon mixture for one minute; transfer to paper towels to drain.
- Place apples, face-side up on prepared baking sheet and transfer to oven. Let bake until apples are dry and begin to brown around the edges, about 90 minutes. Remove apples from baking sheets and press cloves into the “eye” sockets.
- Combine cider, lemonade, and rum (if using) in a large punchbowl; float shrunken heads on top.
