Bat Bake

 

Ghouled Evening and Happy Halloween!!!

Got any easy one for you because I know you'll be busy fending off mini monsters and fairy princesses with gobs of goodies this evening.  Halloween-inspired nachos, what could be better?!?  The test name for this recipe was Count Nacholar, but Bat Bake had better alliteration.

Bat Bake

Black bean salsa moosh
Blue corn tortilla chips
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Black olive slices

black bean salsa moosh

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup hot salsa
1/8 cup fresh lime juice
2 tsp minced garlic

Mix moosh according to directions (see link).  Set aside.

Fill the bottom of a baking dish or pan with foil and cover with a layer of tortilla chips.  Sprinkle some shredded cheddar over them, then add another layer of chips on top.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and clinging to chips.

Transer to a plate, and dollop with sour cream, and cover dollops with a spoonful of moosh.

Insert two chip "wings", add olive "eyes", and you are ready to dig into some crunchy, tasty home baked-bat!  It's bat-astic!

Creature from the Black Bean Soup

I was going to save this for Halloween, but figured in case anyone wanted to make it for that special day, I would give you the recipe now.  Plus, I was really craving black bean soup...which is kind of crazy cuz I don't think I've ever had black bean soup before.  Gotta say, I love it when my experiments comes together.  Two words for you, monstrously delicious!

Creature from the Black Bean Soup

1 (10 oz) can tomato soup
2 (15 oz) cans black beans
3/4 cup veggie stock
1-1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
sour cream and green olives, to make eye garnish

Puree one can of black beans and mix in a pot with the tomato soup.  Whisk together and cook over medium-high heat.

Drain, but don't rinse, the second can of black beans.  In a skillet, over medium heat, cook beans with garlic, chili powder and cumin until the liquid from the beans is cooked out.  Add beans to soup pot.

Simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

NOTES

Depending on how thick you want your soup to be, you can reserve the bean juice from the drained can and use it to thin out the soup.

If you want it a little kickier, add up to another 1/2 tsp each of the spices.

Serve up in a bowl, put dollops of sour cream next to each other and use the olives to make eyes.

I ate mine with some shredded cheddar and some blue corn chips on the side.  Happy happy belly. 

Halloween Brews

With Halloween party season coming up, I whipped up a couple of fun new brews to try.   

Blackbeard's Treasure

1-1/2 oz Creme de Cassis
1 oz spiced rum (like Sailor Jerry or Captain Morgan)
gold sugar

Dip the rim of your glass in a tidge of water and upsidedown it in some gold sugar.

In a shaker with ice, blend together Creme de Cassis and rum.  Pour into your shiny glass and yarrrrrr ready to enjoy.

You can buy gold sugar anywhere they sell Wilton baking/cake decorating products.

My Lady's Spectre

1 oz orange vodka
1/2 oz black raspberry liqueur (like Chambord)
12 oz Fresca

Pre-chill the orange vodka and Fresca before mixing.  Blend and serve in a tall glass.  It will send a shiver down your timbers it's so boo-tastic.

Pumpkin Flurf

What?!?!  More pumpkin?  Of course, because you can never have enough pumpkin.  Here's a quick-n-easy party dip you can make.  It goes great with gingersnaps, fresh apples, Pepperidge Farm gingermen, or just glopped on your finger. I think it would make a nice topping for some molassessy gingerbread too!

Pumpkin Flurf

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened to room temp
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp allspice

Blend all together in a  mixing bowl.  Note, the cream cheese doesn't complete blend in, if there are small "lumps" that's okay.

Chill for 2 hours before serving.

Candy Corned Cupcakes

 

Okay so this is one of my assemblage recipes.  Basically meaning I didn't make it from scratch but rather assembled some "ready-made" things to create a tasty piece of Halloween art.

My original intent in devising this plan was to layer the cake batter -- orange on bottom, yellow butter on top -- and top with white icing so that when you bit into it, it looked like a candy corn candy.  Cool, right?

But the batter?  Not so obliging with that whole layering thing, so when it baked up the orange crept up the sides and cooked around the yellow butter batter. While the end result was not what I envisioned, it actually turned out pretty well.  Decided to add a layer of candy corn "crumble" on my icing and voila -- Candy Corned Cupcakes!  Every bit as good as the almost-real thing.

Candy Corned Cupcakes

1 box orange cake mix, prepared according to box directions
Add 2 drops yellow food coloring + 3 drops red food coloring (to deepen color)

1 box yellow butter cake mix, prepared according to box directions
Add 3 drops yellow food coloring (to brighten batter)

2 cans cream cheese icing
2 cups candy corns, rough chopped

Fill a cupcake tin with your favorite festive Halloween baking cups.

Fill the bottom half with orange cake batter.  Then fill the rest with yellow butter cake batter.

Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Once the cupcakes are done (tops spring back to the touch), remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature.

Generously slather with cream cheese icing, then sprinkle candy corn crumble on top.  Makes 2-1/2 dozen (or so).  Fun for the whole Halloween family!

Zombits Ice Cream Sunday

Sorry about the less than ideal post pics, still working on getting a new camera.

In honor of the season premiere of The Walking Dead and this lovely Halloween season, I whipped up a deliciously gruesome treat.  Hope you (can try to) enjoy!

Zombits Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk, well chilled
3/4 cup sugar

In a medium bowl, mix together milk and sugar until sugar is dissolved.

2 cups heavy cream or half-n-half, well chilled
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 tsp vanilla
3-4 drops green food coloring

Add cream and extracts to the mix and blend well.

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker for 20-25 minutes until soft serve consistency.

12 maraschino cherries, rough cut
1/4 pecans, fine chopped
2 tbsp caramel sauce
6-7 half-teaspoons for fudge sauce

Remove ice cream from ice cream maker and put in a freezer safe container.  Gently fold in the cherries, pecan pieces, caramel sauce and fudge sauce so that the sauces ribbon through, not blend in.

Set in freezer for 2-3 hours or overnight.

Dish up with some strawberry sauce, some eye candies or little bone sprinkles (both of which can be found at Michael's, AC Moore, or any place with Halloween baking goodies).

Serve with a zombie finger or two.

The No-Post Post

Howdy all!  Just a little heads up I will not being presenting a regular recipe or FYI post this evening.  I know, boooo (and not in a ghosty way).

But I have a great excuse.  Had a little B&E issue at home last night (and I'm not talking Bacon & Eggs).  On the bright side, none of my kitchen stuff was touched.  On the not so bright side, my trusty camera was one of the crime casualties.
 
So since I am tied up today trying to make things once again copacetic in the world of K2, I hope you will give me a pass and in return I make promises of good fun Halloween-related stuff to come.

Be good, be safe and I will post at you again this weekend!