We will start with the first item on the menu. Flesh Wrapped Frankenstein Fingers. I hope that it sounds creepy. But what was it? Jalapeno poppers. Texas style. Every person who lives in Texas serves Jalapeno poppers at pretty much every party they have. And everyone seems to have their own take on them. I have combined a few recipes from others that I liked. I wash, de-seed, and cut all the jalapenos in half length wise. I make a mixture of cream cheese (I always use the 1/3 less fat stuff, I don't even notice a difference anymore), shredded cheddar, garlic, cumin, and ground pepper. I fill up each jalapeno half with the cream cheese mixture. Then I wrap each jalapeno with either a slice or half a slice of bacon. Some people like using the thinnest, cheapest bacon and using a whole slice, I find if you get thicker or center cut bacon (it's lower fat) and then cut the slices i half long ways they work better. I always put foil down on my cookie sheet before I bake them, they drip with grease from the bacon, and spray with non-stick spray. I don't put in any toothpicks or anything, the bacon will stick to the cream cheese and when you put it down on the cookie sheet it will keep the ends down. I bake them usually at 400 degrees for 20 minutes to half an hour. You can use a lower temperature in the oven but they need to cook longer. They are really done whenever the bacon is cooked to your desire. They are on the silver platter in about the middle of the picture below.
Next, Dried Bat Wings with Witch's Brew. I actually went crazy to find a cauldron just to serve my Witch's Brew in. The Dried Bat Wings were blue corn tortilla chips. Well that was my plan. But then I found out that they actually made Halloween tortilla chips and I had to buy them. Actually I wasn't a huge fan of them in the end. They were very salty. But I had to buy them...four bags of them...we ate one. I gave away 2 and brought the 4th to hot sauce day at work. The Witch's Brew was green. It was guacamole. I make my own from scratch. It's avocados, tomatoes, jalapenos, green onions, garlic, cilantro and lime juice. I make it from scratch and always use all fresh ingredients and all in my little baby food processor. There isn't really a ratio...it's to taste, but I like more tomatoes than most people. There's a picture towards the bottom. The witch's brew is in the cauldron and you can see the black and orange tortillas in the big black bowl.
Then we have mini mummies with pureed puss. That is mini hot dogs wrapped in refrigerator tube breadsticks baked in the oven. Usually pigs in a blanket are made with the crescent rolls, but to make them more mummy like I used the breadsticks. I just baked them according to the package. The pureed puss? An assortment of mustards. Ken's Lite Honey Mustard, dijon mustard, and special jalapeno honey mustard from Durham's in Comanche, Texas. They are mostly known for their pecans, but their jalapeno honey mustard was a hit as well. The mustards are in the orange and black condiment dishes and the mummies were on the witch hat, but I don't believe they made the photos.
Stuffed Rib Bones with Type O Neg. The Stuffed Rib Bones were homemade stromboli. I got the french bread type of refrigerated rolls and rolled it out flat, by hand, nothing fancy and then layered pepperoni, provolone, and mozzarella cheese and folded it in thirds. I baked it in the oven according to the directions on the package tube. It was pretty easy to make, but the bread tastes so much better homemade. The Type O Neg was just jarred pasta sauce. I'm not even sure what kind I used. It was just store bought. In the photo below, the rib bones didn't make it out of the oven in time for the photo, but the type o neg was served in the skull.
Last on the list, Severed Vertebrae served with Brain Matter. Now the Brain Matter is a very special recipe that came to us from a co-op from Missouri. He will always be remembered for it, well not as brain matter, but for his Chicken Artichoke Dip. It's chicken, artichokes, Parmesan cheese, Swiss cheese, mayo, sour cream, hot sauce, and pepper. We have altered the recipe to try to make it a little lighter, like fat free mayo and sour cream. The severed vertebrae were crostinis. Just some French break sliced thin and toasted with olive oil. I didn't actually make this dish, it was brought to the party, but it was discussed before the party started, so it fit in with the theme. The brain matter is on the top shelf of the serving rack. It's a baked dip, so it was in a Pyrex dish. The crostini are in front of the two tier rack.
I hope this gave you some ideas for your Halloween menu. And I know I'm seriously craving some flesh wrapped Frankenstein fingers right now. I may just have to go shopping for jalapenos tomorrow.
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