Does the thought of planning a Halloween party on Halloween scares you silly? Sandra Lee is here to show you it can be done — and it can be fun! Get started by whipping up these easy recipes for spooky snacks and cocktails.
Dracula's bat wings
Makes 8 servings
- Cooking spray
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 16 whole chicken wings (about 3 pounds)
- Garlic bulbs, for garnish
- All-purpose rub (see instructions below)
All-purpose rub: Mix together 2 (1.25 ounce) packets chili seasoning, 3 tablespoons garlic granules, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon salt-fee all-purpose seasoning. Store in a cool, dry place. Makes 1/2 cup.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line bottom of a broiler pan with foil. Coat broiler rack with cooking spray and place in broiler pan. Put seasoning mix, oil, and hot sauce in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken wings to bag and seal, turning to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes. Remove wings from marinade (discard marinade). Arrange wings, skin side down, on broiler rack and bake for 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425°F. Turn wings and bake for 25 to 30 minutes longer, or until cooked through. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with garlic, if desired.
Spooky stuffed bites
Makes 4 dozen appetizer servings
- 24 frozen Cheddar, bacon, and jalapeno-stuffed potato skins
- 24 frozen Cheddar and bacon-stuffed jalapenos
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1 cup sliced black or pimiento-stuffed olives
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place potato skins and jalapenos on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Bake for 14 minutes, or until thoroughly heated, rotating pans once. Place potato skins and jalapenos on serving platters. Let cool slightly. Place sour cream in a large zip-top plastic bag. (Do not seal.) Snip one corner of bag to make a small hole. Drizzle sour cream in a crisscross pattern over potatoes and jalapenos.
Crazy kebabs
To craft these cuties, coat long skewers with baking spray and press the through soft candies and marshmallows; tie licorice twists and laces to decorate. Make faces using jellybeans, sprinkles, and slices of gumdrops (adhere them with frosting). Stand kebabs up in jellybeans and serve right away.
Blood-Orange Martinis
Make 8-10 servings
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 cups blood orange juice
2 cups orange flavored vodka
In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water and melt over low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved to create a simple syrup. In a large pitcher, combine orange juice, vodka and simple syrup. Chill until ready to serve. Serve cold in a martini glass when guests arrive.
Jaw dropping drinks
Make a martini macabre by rimming the glass with red cake-decorating gel. Let it drip into the drink and down the outsides of the glass. Garnish with set of plastic vampire fangs for good measure.
Lychee eyeball
Create a sinister spread of cocktails. For a grisly garnish, push the point of a chocolate chip into the natural indentation of a lychee nut so it resembles an eyeball. Then plop it in a drink.