Halloween Fun!
Here are a few ways to make Halloween a scream for both children and adults with ways to decorate your home, carve your pumpkins and have a few creepy cocktails for the blood-thirsty people later on in the evening!
There are many ways to carve your pumpkins. Although the tradition is to carve a scary face into a pumpkin and leave it by your front door, I always like to be a little different. And as I like the creative side I thought of trying something new. These oumkkins are all beautifully carved and decorated and much more original.
Sweetie necklaces
You just need to get a few sweeties that you can push a squewer through to make a hole. Then push some thread or ribbon though, tie a knot after each one and tie up the ends to make a necklace! Then you can hang these or hide these around the house for everyone to find. Or keep them by the door to hand out to trick or treaters! You can find some brilliant ghoul and goblin sweets here, or just use normal pick n’ mix sweets. I like to put them in black and white stripy paper bags as well. These are easy to create as well, simply by buying a pack of small paper bags - if they’re plain bags, you can decorating them yourself with felt tips, pencil crayons, sparkles and much more!
Ingredients
3 packages unflavoured gelatin
1 cup ice cold water, divided
12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Nonstick spray and food different colourings
Directions
- Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.
- In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.
- Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture.
- Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows. (Heres my halloween idea - put different food colours in and gently fold the misture so there a marbled effect in the marshmallow mix. Put as much or as little as you like!)
- Combine the confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.
- When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
- Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners’ sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Creepy Cocktails
Bleeding Heart Martini
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dry vermouth
- 8 ounces premium gin
- Ice cubes
- 4 Pickled Baby Beets, each placed on a cocktail skewer
- Chill 4 martini glasses in the freezer or fill with ice water and let sit until frosty, about 5 minutes (pour out water). Add the vermouth, dividing evenly; swirl to coat the glasses, then pour out. Add gin to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until chilled; divide among chilled glasses. Garnish each with a skewered pickled baby beet, and serve immediately.

