happy halloween

swamp drink ~ non alcoholic

• 1/2 cup small tapioca pearls (found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores)
• Food coloring
• 4 tablespoons sugar

• 8 gummy fish
• Seltzer water
• Lemonade
• 8 gummy worms

 

1. MAKE THE EGGS: Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add the tapioca pearls. Reduce the heat slightly and boil the pearls, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes.
   
   
2. COLOR THE EGGS: Divide the pearls, with the remaining water, between two bowls. Add 4 drops of food coloring (3 drops of yellow and 1 drop of green in one bowl, and 4 drops of blue in the other..or colors of your choice) and 2 tablespoons of sugar to each bowl. Stir the mixtures, then allow them to sit uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and rinse the pearls with cold water.
   
3. Spoon 2 tablespoons of pearls into each glass and drop in a gummy fish. Fill the glasses with seltzer water, then add a splash of lemonade. Place a gummy worm around a spoon.
   

white cranberry vodka

5 ounces white cranberry juice
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces ginger ale or seltzer
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Lemon twist, garnish

1. Combine all ingredients except garnish in a tall glass with ice. Garnish with lemon twist.

hot cranberry ~ non alcoholic

2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1 can unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup red currant jelly
1/4 cup ground allspice

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring often, until jelly melts and mixture is thoroughly heated. Serve hot.

havest moon

2 oz Tequila 1 oz Triple Sec 3 oz Orange Juice 3 oz Pineapple Juice 2 tsp Grenadine
Directions Pour first 4 ingredients over ice into a glass, slowly adding grenadine as you stir.

Pear Pumpkin Strudel

2 cups peeled, cored and diced pears, (about 2 small)
1 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
2 sheets frozen puff pastry (from 17.25-ounce package), thawed per pkg directions - divided use
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

1. preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)
2. Combine pears, pumpkin, sugar, nuts, cinnamon, cloves and ginger in medium bowl. Spoon one half of filling in center third of one pastry sheet.
3. Make downward slanting strips in outer sections of pastry (3/4-inch apart) starting about 1-inch away from top of pastry and side of filling, cutting to outside edges. Starting at top, alternately fold left and right side pastry strips over filling forming a braid. Seal at top and bottom of strudel. Place on ungreased rimmed baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining filling and pastry sheet. Brush strudel with egg; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Serve warm.

Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake Squares

crust:

3 1/2 oz graham crackers, crumbled (1cup)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted


filling:
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup whole milk
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk caramel (12 1/2 oz) Instructions: Pour 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk into top of double-boiler pan; cover. Place over boiling water. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 50 minutes, or until thick and light caramel-colored.  Remove from heat. Whisk until smooth.


glaze:
3 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), coarsely chopped
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons light corn syrup


Make crust: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with 2 sheets of foil (crisscrossed), leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.


Finely grind crackers with sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor. With motor running, add butter, blending until combined. Press mixture evenly onto bottom of baking pan. Bake 10 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes.


Make filling: Sprinkle gelatin over milk in a small bowl and let stand 2 minutes to soften. Beat together cream cheese, eggs, salt, and gelatin mixture in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes, then stir in milk caramel gently but thoroughly. Pour filling over crust, smoothing top, then bake in a hot water bath (will fit in a 9×13-inch baking pan) in oven until center is just set, about 45 minutes. Cool cheesecake completely in pan on rack, about 2 hours. Chill, covered, at least 6 hours.


Glaze cake within 2 hours of serving: Heat all glaze ingredients in a double boiler or a small metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, then pour over cheesecake, tilting baking pan to coat top evenly. Chill, uncovered, 30 minutes.


Lift cheesecake from pan using foil overhang and cut into 1-inch squares with a thin knife, wiping off knife after each cut.

vanilla mocha caffe cooler ~ non alcoholic

  1 oz. espresso, room temperature
1 tsp. simple syrup
A few drops of vanilla extract
1 1/2 oz. chocolate syrup
ice
Garnish: lemon or orange twist - optional


Fill a shaker halfway with  ice. Pour espresso, simple syrup and vanilla over ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds and strain into a chilled glass that has been lined with a spiral of chocolate syrup. Garnish.

carmel apple up

1 oz. Apple Pucker
1 oz. Butterscotch Schnapps
8 oz. lemon/lime soda

1. Pour Apple Pucker and Butterscotch Schnapps in a tall glass half filled with ice.
2. Top off with lemon/lime soda

chocolate berry tart

Crust:
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup finely ground pecans

Filling:
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 cup (6 ounces)  white chocolate chips
3/4 cup (6 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar - divided
1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries, thawed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups medium strawberries, cut in half lengthwise

1. For Crust: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
2. Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips and butter in a saucepan over lowest possible heat. When morsels begin to melt, remove from heat; stir. Return to heat for a few seconds at a time, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in graham cracker crumbs and pecans. Press onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Freeze for 5 minutes.
3. 
   Bake for 8 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
4. For Filling: Heat cream in small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Turn off heat. Add white chocolate chips; whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. Reserve 2 tablespoons mixture in small resealable plastic bag.
5. Beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar in large mixer bowl for 2 minutes. Stir in remaining white morsel mixture from saucepan. Pour into crust. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Place raspberries and their juice in blender container or food processor. Cover; blend or process until crushed. Strain through a strainer into a small saucepan. Discard seeds. Add remaining sugar. Combine lemon juice and cornstarch and add to raspberry mixture. Over medium heat cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until thickened; do not boil. Cool to room temperature.
7. Place strawberries in raspberry mixture to coat. Remove with slotted spoon; arrange over top of tart. Spoon raspberry mixture over tart. Reheat reserved white chocolate chip mixture in microwave to melt. Cut small hole in corner of bag; drizzle over tart. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Remove side of tart pan and place on serving platter before serving.

vampire kiss

1 part Coconut Vodka
1 part pineapple juice

Shake Vodka and pineapple juice with ice; strain into martini glass. Garnish with red currants (or other red fruit).

lavender lemonade ~ non alcoholic

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• handful of fresh lavender blooms (or 3 tablespoons of dried lavender)
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• sparkling water

1. Make a simple syrup (1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, bring sugar and water to a boil)
2. Add a handful of lavender blooms to the simple syrup. (Or, 3 tablespoons of dried lavender.)
3. Bring sugar, water, and lavender to a boil, then let it sit and cool down.
4. Fill a pitcher with ice cubes. Add 1/2 cup lemon juice to 1/2 cup lavender syrup to pitcher. Fill the rest of the pitcher with sparkling water.
5. Before serving, stir lavender, lemon juice, and sparkling water.

pumpkin cookies

2 cups butter
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups sugar
2 cups fresh (or canned) pumpkin
4 cups flour (sifted)
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Blend all ingredients thoroughly
Drop one inch dough balls onto greased cookie sheet.
Baking time 15 minutes 

tropical coconut

1 1/2 oz Coconut Rum
1 oz Creme de Bananas
1 oz White Rum
4 oz Pineapple Juice
1 tsp Lemon Juice
 

Shake and strain into an ice-filled glass. Garnish with a slices of pineapple.
 

simple margarita

3/4 part high quality silver tequila
3/4 part Cointreau
1/2 part fresh lime juice

Salt rim of glass.  Fill with ice.  Add all ingredients.  Stir

hot creamy chai tea ~ non alcoholic

2 cups water
2 individual tea bags
1 cinnamon stick
6 cardamom seeds, crushed
1 whole clove
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2-1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
Sweetened whipped cream, ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks, optional


1. In a small saucepan, combine the first six ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Stir in milk. Return to a boil; boil for 1 minute, then strain. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Top with whipped cream and garnish with ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick if desired.