Halloween eats: devilish drinks, boo! brews, eyes

A night of rampant tricking and treating calls for boo!-inspired brews to wash down all that sugary booty.

If there's a chill in the air, why not warm ghouls and guests alike with a haunting hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and marshmallow ghosts rising from the steam?

This recipe works equally well with white and milk chocolate. If you're serving a crowd, consider making batches of both for a nice visual effect. And if you're pressed for time, instant hot chocolate is fine (though isn't nearly as devilishly decadent).

This hot chocolate looks best in clear mugs. Or channel your inner witch and purchase inexpensive crystal ball-shaped clear glass candle holders (many craft stores sell mug-sized versions). Be sure anything you use is food safe.

For an adult treat, consider spiking this drink with Irish cream or chocolate liqueur.

If it's ick-factor you're after, try a batch of orange ooze, a thick and chilly concoction of orange soda, orange juice and vanilla yogurt. It looks like neon and drinks like a melted Creamsicle.

Shop science and craft supply stores for beakers, test tubes and other unusual glass containers to serve up this experiment gone bad. And for adult tastes, mix in a bit of orange or vanilla liqueur just before serving.

But for maximum gross-out appeal, go with black Halloween punch, a dark and fruity blend of cola, ginger ale and juice drinks. Dismembered floating hands add a real chill to this drink - literally.

This punch is kept cool with ice "hands" made by filling rubber gloves with water, then freezing them overnight. Float one hand in the black brew and hook the other over the side of the bowl. Food coloring also can be added to the water in the hands.

And for grown-ups, a bit of vodka mixes well with these severed appendages.

Orange Ooze

6-ounce container vanilla yogurt

1 cup orange juice

3 cups orange soda, divided

Whipped cream, optional

In a blender, combine the yogurt, orange juice and 1 cup of orange soda. Puree until creamy. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays (it should take about three) and freeze, at least two hours.

Once the mixture has frozen, place the cubes in the blender. Add remaining orange soda and puree to frappe consistency. If desired, serve topped with whipped cream.

Makes 6 servings.

(Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.)

Haunting Hot Chocolate

21Ú2 cups whole milk, divided

2 cups milk or white chocolate chips (about 1 bag)

1 teaspoon almond extract

Whipped cream

6 purchased marshmallow ghosts

In a medium saucepan, heat 1Ú2 cup of milk over a medium heat. Add the chocolate chips and cook until completely melted, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes.

Add remaining milk and almond extract and cook, stirring frequently, until very hot, but not boiling. Ladle into individual mugs, then top each with whipped cream and a marshmallow ghost.

Makes 6 servings.

(Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.)

Black Halloween Punch

(Start to finish 10 minutes, plus overnight to freeze ice hands)

2 rubber gloves

One .16-ounce envelope unsweetened grape drink mix (such as Kool-Aid)

One .16-ounce envelope unsweetened orange drink mix (such as Kool-Aid)

2 cups white sugar

3 quarts cold water

1 liter ginger ale

1 liter cola

Fill the gloves 3Ú4 full with cold water. Tie the open end in a knot, as you would a balloon. Lay one flat in a small baking pan. Arrange the other palm down on a freeze-safe jar, allowing the fingers to hang down the side. Freeze both overnight.

Once the hands have frozen, combine the drink mixes, sugar and water in a large punch bowl. Stir until the mixes are completely dissolved. Stir in the ginger ale and cola.

Briefly run the ice hands under cool water then cut away the glove. Add the hands to the punch and serve immediately (the fingers melt quickly).

Makes about 20 servings.

Marzipan Eyes

Equipment:

1 thick magic marker

Toothpicks

4 thin bristle paint brushes

Mini cupcake liners, optional

Ingredients:

7-ounce package cake decorating marzipan (which differs from baking marzipan)

Powdered sugar

2 ounces good quality white chocolate, divided

Blue, green and red food coloring

12 chocolate chips

3 T. light corn syrup

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Set aside.

Divide the marzipan into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. If the marzipan is too sticky to work, dust the counter and your hands with powdered sugar. Place the balls on the baking sheet.

Gently press the bottom of the magic marker into the top of each ball to emboss a circle. Leave the balls uncovered for 24 hours, during which time the marzipan will dry slightly.

After 24 hours, break the chocolate into small pieces and divide evenly between two small glass bowls. Microwave the chocolate in 10-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted.

Use a toothpick to add blue food coloring, a drop at a time, to one of the bowls of chocolate. Stir between each addition until you achieve the desired color. Repeat the process to color the second bowl of chocolate green.

Use the brushes to paint the embossed circle (the iris of the "eye") of each ball either blue or green. Carefully press a chocolate chip, point-side down, into the center of each iris to form a pupil. Allow the chocolate to dry several minutes.

Mix several drops of red food coloring with 1 to 2 drops of water. Use a brush to paint "veins" along the whites of the eyes. Be generous to give the eyes a bloodshot look. Allow the veins to dry several minutes.

Once dry, use another brush to paint the eyes with corn syrup to give them a glassy, shiny look. Once dry, use a spatula to transfer the eyes to a tray or small cupcake liners. Cover and store at room temperature for up to a week. Makes 12 eyes.

For a step-by-step photo slide show of these directions, go to: http://www.odense.com/recipes/orr.cfm?recipeid=91

(Recipe provided by Andre Prost Inc.)

Floating Eyeballs

Equipment:

Melon baller

10 small serving bowls (clear is best)

Ingredients:

Two 3-ounce boxes of red Jell-O

1 pint vanilla ice cream

20 chocolate chips or candy coated chocolate chips

20 gummy worms

Make the Jell-O according to package directions in a large measuring cup with a pouring spout. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, use the melon baller to scoop two balls of ice cream. Arrange the balls next to one another in the center of one serving bowl. Gently press one chocolate chip into the center top of each ball. Place the bowl in the freezer and repeat process with remaining bowls.

Once the Jell-O has cooled (but not set), remove one bowl from the freezer. Pour just enough Jell-O in the bowl to come halfway up the ice cream "eyes."

Place the bowl in the refrigerator and repeat the process with remaining bowls.

To serve, garnish each bowl with gummy worms.

Makes 10 servings.