Spirited Recipes for Halloween

There is no written rule that states adults can’t knock on strangers’ doors and ask for sweet treats — but it’s 100 per cent frowned upon, even on October 31. So what is a voting-age person to do?

If you’re aiming to win Halloween with show-stopping treats that take hours to make, absolutely do that — and seriously think about inviting us over. If you’d rather keep things simple, delicious and less stressful, these options might be more your style.

Chocolate Mousse and Bailey’s Pie Recipe

Crust Ingredients

• 2 cups of graham wafers
• 7 tablespoons salted butter, softened

Filling Ingredients

• ⅓ cup whipping cream
• 8 oz (225 g) semisweet baker’s chocolate
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp vanilla
• Pinch flakey sea salt
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 cups of whipping cream, to whip and fold in later
• 3 Tbsp (50 ml) Bailey’s Irish Cream

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine graham crumbs and softened butter well.
2. Press the crumb mixture firmly into a 9.5-inch pie plate, covering the bottom and up the sides evenly.
3. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes
4. Set crust aside to cool.
5. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and ⅓ cup whipping cream together over medium-low heat.
6. Add maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and salt.
7. Lower the heat and stir with a fork until melted and completely incorporated.
8. Whisk your egg yolks until pale yellow and creamy looking.
9. Temper the eggs by whisking 2-3 Tbsp of the melted chocolate into them.
10. Working quickly, whisk the tempered eggs into the rest of the chocolate mixture, making sure the mixture is smooth and lump-free. Make sure it doesn’t boil.
11. Cook the mixture for about 6 minutes over medium-low heat, whisking often, until it thickens slightly.
12. Remove choclate mixture from the heat and let it cool completely.
13. In a mixing bowl, add the remaining 2 cups of whipping cream and the Bailey’s Irish Cream into a medium-sized bowl, and beat into soft peaks.
14. With a spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate filling carefully until mostly incorporated.
15. Turn out the filling gently into the prepared pie crust, and smooth out.
16. Cool the pie in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours, until it’s fully set. Slice and serve.

Wicked White-Chocolate Popcorn Recipe

Ingredients

• 10 cups popcorn
• 3 Tbsp melted butter
• salt (to taste)
• 4 cups melted white chocolate or candy melts
• 1½ cups candy confetti or sprinkles (orange, black, purple and green)
• 1 cup candy eyeballs
• 3 cups M&M’s milk chocolate
• 1 cup Halloween candy of your choice

Instructions

1. Put the popcorn in a large bowl. Pour 1 Tbsp of melted butter over popcorn and stir. Repeat until all butter is used.
2. Spread the popcorn onto 2 or 3 parchment-lined baking sheets.
3. Salt popcorn to preferred taste.
4. Melt the white chocolate (or candy melts), allow to cool for 5 minutes, then evenly drizzle over the popcorn.
5. Before the chocolate hardens on the popcorn, sprinkle it with the candy confetti and candy eyeballs. You want the candy to stick to the chocolate as it hardens.
6. Once the chocolate has hardened, transfer the popcorn to a large serving bowl.
7. Add the M&Ms (or substitute another candy) to the bowl and gently stir, just until the M&Ms are blended into the popcorn.