Chocolates and Crockpots: A Spooktacular Event

Hey Y'All and Happy Wednesday to ya! Did you end up getting any cute kiddos in costume Friday night? Or was it snowing outside like it was here in Indiana!? I could not believe it when I looked outside and saw huge snow flurries falling. The holidays are upon us people!

This past Saturday we held our Annual Spooktacular Event and it was a blast! I think this was our fourth time hosting one...maybe third. We've lived here for four years, but I can't remember if we did one the year we got married or not. There weren't as many in attendance this year as there normally are, but we still had a great time!

My little sister was awesome and came over early to help me decorate and finish up cooking everything. She and her boyfriend were the cutest couple dressed up as old people. They had the cane, the glasses, the white hair, whole nine yards. My sister even wore a fat suit underneath. They looked great! And I don't know what I would've done without her help! Thanks little sister!

I want to share 9 delicious Halloween party treats I made this year with you all. I'm apologizing ahead of time for the nighttime pictures, but as I've said before, I cook in real time. I was able to make some things ahead of time, but most of the things I did didn't need to be made until closer to when everyone was arriving and I wasn't going to make everything twice with all the cleaning and cooking that was going on. So again, sorry they're nighttime, but the recipes are still wonderful.

Some of these treats are so simple it's silly! This first one only requires two ingredients and no baking, but they're one of my favorite things at the party! My Witches Brooms!

Just unwrap a bunch of mini Reese cups, turn em upside down, and poke in a pretzel stick. Done. If some of them break, oh well! They're still delicious! I had my little sister make these right before everyone came.

Next is my Mummy Heads! The credit here goes to one of my favorite recipes from Sally's Baking Addiction. I love these Death By Chocolate Cupcakes! This year I added long strips of Cream Cheese Frosting for the mummy part, and matching M and Ms for eyes. Here you can see step by step decorating. Not exactly an art :)

I made the cupcakes the night before and frosted them the next day an hour before the party. Follow the link for the cupcakes and here's the frosting recipe:
2 (8oz) Bricks cream cheese, softened
1 Stick butter, softened
2 Cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

In your mixer combine the cream cheese and butter on high using a whisk for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. Turn the speed down to low and add in the powdered sugar.

Once it's all in, turn up the speed until fully mixed and smooth again. Stir in the vanilla and scoop into a pipe bag fitted with a flat tip. Add long strips to the top of the cupcakes to make it look like a mummy. Done!

Next we have my favorite party drink...Blood! Well that's what I call it, but this yummy drink is far from tasting like anything gross. Since I'm preggo I didn't get to enjoy any of it, but made it for my guests anyway. I know, I'm awesome :)

1 part (2 Cups) Strawberry Vodka
2 parts (4 Cups) Cherry 7up
3 parts (6 Cups) Cranberry Juice
1 big pour of grenadine

Pour everything in your favorite serving bowl. Done! Caution: It's addicting!

Two other treats I had were my Eyeballs and Nutty Ghosts. These are something I make the day before so that the chocolate has plenty of time to set.

For the eyeballs:
1 package oreos, crushed into crumbs
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
16 oz white chocolate, melted
Black decorating icing, chocolate chips, colored decorating gel

In your mixer combine the oreos and cream cheese until smooth. Use a cookie dough scoop and spoon out the mix, rolling it in your hands to make a round shape and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Stick a toothpick into each ball and freeze for 30 minutes.

While in the freezer, melt the chocolate in a small sauce pan on low heat.

Remove the balls from the freezer and dip each ball into the melted white chocolate. Return them to the freezer until hardened.

Remove from the freezer at least an hour before ready to serve. Once they've thawed a little the toothpicks will slide right out. Add on top a chocolate chip with the black icing and decorate the sides with colored gel to look like eyeball veins. Gross!

For Ghosts:
Nutter Butters
16oz white chocolate

Melt the white chocolate in a small sauce pan on low heat. Toss in a cookie and cover with chocolate. Scoop out with a fork allowing the excess to drip off and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze until ready to serve. Add two black eyes with decorating icing before serving to make them look like ghosts. Easy Peasy.

Next up are my super yummy Cadaver Brains! Sounds nasty, but tastes amazing! You'll love how easy these are!

3 Tbsp butter
1 (10.5oz) package mini marshmallows
7 Cups popped popcorn, lightly salted
2 drops red food coloring
Red food gel

In a large sauce pan melt together the butter and marshmallows on low heat. Once melted remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and red food coloring, then the popcorn until well coated. Butter your hands (yes I mean it) and scoop out balls of popcorn. Form them into a brain shape and add red "veins" using decorative food gel. Told you they were easy.

Next up isn't really a recipe, but a decoration you can eat. My Pumpkin Guts! I seriously love this and I don't know why. Makes me laugh so much!

1 small pumpkin
1 jar of your favorite salsa
1 bag of your favorite chips

Gut the pumpkin and allow a few hours for it to dry. When ready, place the pumpkin at the back of your serving bowl and add the salsa to the serving dish. Pour just a small amount of salsa into the pumpkin and tilt it forward until some spills out into the salsa bowl. Set it back down and add in your chips. Done!

This next recipe is always everybody's favorite! I don't know why I haven't learned yet I need to make way more of these than I usually do. These are always gone instantly and people are always asking for more. My adorable little hot dog Mummies!

Again, forgive me for the terrible pictures. I don't make these until right before people are to arrive so the sun was long gone at this point.

1 package (8) hot dogs
1 package crescent roll sheets (found next to crescent rolls)
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
Yellow Mustard

Slice each hot dogs in half length wise, then cut each slice in half. So you should have 32 equals size pieces of hot dog. Unroll the crescent sheets onto a large cutting board.

Fold each cheese slice in half, then fold each half into four equal strips. You should have 32 pieces in the end. Place the cheese onto the flat part of the hot dog.

Using a pizza cuter, cut thin strips of dough and wrap them around the hot dog and cheese piece. Wrap a small piece of dough around the top and leave a gap where the hot dog is showing through.

Once they're all wrapped, bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes. The cheese will probably go everywhere, but that makes them that much better. Remove and let cool slightly. Add two dots of mustard where the hot dog is showing and serve. Trust me, they'll go fast!

My final treat was another one I could do the day before. I just grabbed a bunch of my favorite candies/snacks and threw it all in there. Boom. Tree Bark!

1 (12oz) package Wilton's melting chocolate
M and Ms
Broken Oreos
Mini pretzels
Candy Corn

Line a small baking dish with aluminum foil. Melt the chocolate in a small sauce pan over low heat. Pour chocolate onto the baking sheet, using a spatula to smooth it out and make it an even thickness throughout. Sprinkle on various candies, cookies and snacks while lightly pressing into the chocolate. Allow to set in the freezer. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Remove foil from the baking sheet and break the chocolate into various sizes using your hands. Ta Da! "Tree Bark!"

I also had brains (meatballs) in a crock pot for guests, but I figured those weren't worth a picture since I didn't really do anything to make those. But those are always a big crowd favorite as well.

So that's it! That's what all goes into creating my Spooktacular Event! Did you have a Halloween party too? What was your favorite treat you served this year?

Do you need a mixer to help with your next holiday event? Here's the one I use!