Credit: Robert Scarpinito / Copy Chief
Halloween is on the horizon, and to match the theme, this weekend’s recipes are intended to add to the spooky ambience that makes Halloween fun.
The first recipe is for a sickly green concotion, known as “puke punch,” which can work well in a cauldron as a centerpiece for a table full of food. A delicious punch requires a little more work than simply buying drinks for a party, but the result is worth the effort.
Punches come in many varieties, and they’re each made in different ways — some requiring some overnight soaking, others needing little to no preparation. Puke punch requires some boiling of the ingredients particularly to activate the Jell-O, but it also helps to better blend the ingredients because of the heat
And of course, the best thing about punch is the ability to customize each recipe. Nothing is stopping you from adding or removing ingredients from each recipe if you feel the need to. For example, you can adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe to your liking or maybe add some vodka if everyone is 21 years or older.
Aside from puke punch, I’ve also thrown in a simple recipe for finger food that’s based on pigs in a blanket: mummies in wrappings. It doesn’t take long to make, and the recipe only has two ingredients. It’s easy to make, but it’s enough to vaguely fit and match the Halloween theme.
PUKE PUNCH
Prep time: 30 minutes + 4 hours inactive
Servings: 15 at least
3 cups water
1/2 cup white sugar
1 3-ounce package of lime-flavored Jell-O mix
23 fluid ounces pineapple juice
1 quart orange juice (high pulp for extra chunkiness)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 liters lemon-lime soda (chilled)
In a large pot, bring the water, sugar and Jell-O mix to a boil on high heat.
Once it starts boiling, bring the pot to a medium heat, and stir in the pineapple, orange and lemon juices. Occasionally stir it for the next 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, take the pot off the heat and let it cool down. Scoop the mixture into multiple resealable plastic bags, but don’t fill the plastic bags to the brim. Place the plastic bags in the freezer for about four hours.
After four hours have passed, pour out the liquid into a serving pot. Stir in the lemon-lime soda and serve.
MUMMIES IN WRAPPINGS
Credit: Robert Scarpinito / Copy Chief
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
1 package of Pillsbury crescents
1 package of 8 hot dogs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a baking tray and coat the top with nonstick spray.
On a counter, separate the eight sections of the dough along the dividing lines. Roll out each one individually using a rolling pin. Wrap each hot dog in the dough, leaving space for the “eyes” on the hot dog.
Using a toothpick, create two eyes on each hot dog.
Bake it in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until the bread browns.
