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Happy Halloween! We've Got Great Ideas for Your Halloween Party!

by on ‎10-15-2012 05:20 PM

Hello, foodies…

 

Happy Halloween! Yes, I know…I'm a little early. But, you can't prep for the big day on Halloween. Holidays take planning! Plus, all those Halloween parties are right around the corner and we've got some great ideas for you.

 

Who better to help us celebrate than my dear friend Jane Treacy…a mom and true Halloween aficionado. Jane will be your host for In the Kitchen with David–PM Edition this Wednesday night at 7pm ET so I asked her to share some of her creative Halloween party ideas right here in my blog. You'll find her ideas right below Wednesday's recipe…Ghost Shortbread Cookies!

 

Ghost Shortbread Cookies

 

Ghost Shortbread Cookies

 

This recipe is prepared with the Lock & Lock 4-Piece Flip Top Storage Bin Set (K33000).

 

Go to David's Recipe Item Page for the full list of items that David has used in his recipes.

 

Ingredients:

 

Cookies:

3 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

1/4 tsp salt

1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

 

Icing:

12 oz white chocolate, chopped

Store-bought black icing, black licorice, or black jelly beans (for decoration)

 

Directions:

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line one (or more) baking sheets with parchment paper.

 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, lemon zest, salt, and vanilla on medium speed. Reduce the speed to low,  add the flour, and mix on low speed until a dough forms.

 

Place the dough on a surface dusted with flour and form it into a flat disk. Wrap it in plastic and chill for 25 minutes.

 

Return the dough to the lightly floured surface and roll it to a 1/3" thickness. Cut with a ghost-shaped cookie cutter. Place the cookies on the baking sheet(s) and bake 18–23 minutes, until the edges are light brown. Set the cookies aside to cool completely.

 

While the cookies are cooling, make the icing. Melt 10 oz of the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over warm water. Stir constantly until completely melted. Add the other 2 oz of white chocolate and stir until melted.

 

Use a spatula to spread the chocolate on top of each cookie and place the cookies on a parchment paper-lined surface (even a cookie sheet). While the chocolate is still warm, decorate the cookies, as desired, with the black candy.

 

Here's Jane! Show her some love, foodies. And, check out her blog on QVC.com!

David

 

 

I love Halloween!



I remember the first party I ever hosted. It was sixth grade and I decided to have a Halloween party after trick-or-treating. My mom and I planned it for weeks. I recall making ice cream pumpkins from a Wilton mold that took so long to do! We had a witch cake and lots of games, and ever since then, Halloween is my favorite time to entertain.


Now, every year I have a party. And, of course it has to have a theme. So, I thought I'd share some of my favorite party themes and how QVC helps me to get the party started!

Legend of Sleepy Hollow Party: This was so much fun! We read highlights from the story, and showed the classic Disney DVD version. The party at Katrina Van Tassel’s home influenced the food. I had Kansas City ham, roast chicken, and classic fall vegetable sides, just like they would've served in a Manor home in the times of Ichabod Crane. We asked every guest to bring a carved pumpkin, since the Headless Horseman has a thing for them, and everyone went home with a prize for their pumpkin. Plus, we put all the pumpkins together in the side yard and it was fun to walk around and see all the pumpkins. (We used flameless candles for safety!)

Western Ghost Town Party: One of my favorite themes! It was easy to find decorations…we went to the birthday section of the party store and bought cowboy wall hangings and more. I even put white makeup and blackened eyes on the happy cowboys to make them look scary! Of course, bandanas were used for napkins, and the food was inspired by a western campout. We had Corky’s ribs, roasted potatoes, mac and cheese (St Clair’s), and, of course, baked beans. We did a treasure hunt for chocolate gold coins, since we wrote a story about the ghost of the Prospector who haunts the house still searching for his gold...

Western Ghost Town Party

Salem Party: One of my favorite Halloween movies is Hocus Pocus, so that inspired another fun night when we all dressed like witches and had a ball! For an activity, we had a “spell book” that led the kids on a treasure hunt around the house. We named all the dishes after the characters in the movie (like Bink’s Black Cat cupcakes). I find the best cupcake recipes from the DC Cupcake girls. In fact, we're already planning to make some for a New Orleans voodoo party this year. More to come…

Salem Party

 

As David always says…keep it flavorful!

Jane