Does the excitement of trick-or-treating get kids too antsy for a sit-down dinner? Scary hand-held snacks are the answer!
Hand-held Halloween snacks are the answer to feeding the kids before an evening of spooky fun — plus, they’re easy to eat while pulling on costumes! Invite a gang over and serve for a bloodcurdling bite, or serve the goodies for a tasty Halloween post-mortem!
Ridgeback Critter Rolls
Hatch frozen Pull Apart Garlic Parmesan Rolls from our Bakery Dept. into a batch of cheesy creatures! Thaw rolls (9 per pan) overnight in the fridge, then place them about 5 in. (12 cm) apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Let rise at room temperature for 30 min. For eyes, pierce dough with tip of paring knife; press in raisins until almost hidden. Deeply press in 6 pretzel sticks for legs, almost to the other side of the roll. Don’t worry about squishing the dough. Let rise for another 30 min. Gently re-press raisins and pretzels into the dough. Bake in preheated 180°C (350°F) oven for 6 min. Remove from oven; using kitchen scissors, cut 4 deep, slanted V’s along the top of each roll. Return to oven; bake until golden, 10 to 12 min.. (The V’s rise into spiky spines!) Serve warm alongside deli meats, if desired. Cute or creepy? You be the judge!
Swamp Dip
A delicious way to work veggies into the Halloween festivities! Halve 2 zucchinis (each 7 in./18 cm) lengthwise; cut each half into thirds. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil. Place cut side up on foil-lined sheet. Broil until lightly browned on top and soft enough to pierce with fork, 5 to 6 min. Let cool; place in food processor with 1 peel, pitted avocado, 125 g cream cheese (cubed), ½ cup (125 mL) shredded mozzarella, ¼ cup (60 mL) each grated Parmesan and sour cream, 1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice and 1 tsp (5 mL) each garlic salt and onion powder. Pulse until coarse paste. Make a day ahead and store in fridge in container with waxed paper or foil pressed onto surface to prevent browning. Serve with crackers, veggie sticks, and One-Eyed Carrot Squid!
One-Eyed Carrot Squid
A squad of squid invades the veggie platter! Halve baby carrots lengthwise diagonally to create “spear” shapes. For “irises,” press and twist the end of a sturdy straw into flattened pieces of black olives (use blunt end of skewer to push out of straw). Cut a small X in each mini bocconcini press in “iris” with skewer. Cut a slit in side of bocconcini and insert carrot spear. Make these the same day as serving; cover and store in fridge. Great on their own or for diving into dips!
Pumpkin Cheese Patch
Bread and cheese with a hint o’ Halloween! Thinly slice a baguette. Use a paring knife to make a slit in each crust; twist and press in parsley stems. Lightly top with slices of spiced or regular cheddar.
Witch Hat Cakes
Enchant the kids with cake hidden in witch hats! Wrap bottom halves of Compliments Sugar Cones (12 per pk) in crumpled foil; stand them upright in loaf pans. Make Compliments Red Velvet Cake Mix batter according to package directions. Fill cones halfway (cake mix fills up to 18 cones; use any leftover batter for cupcakes). Bake in preheated 180°C (350°F) oven until a skewer comes out clean, about 15 min. Let cool in pan. To make “hat buckles,” slice cube caramels into thirds with square-hole centres. Press onto cone rims. Eyeball an imaginary line going from the top of the buckle around the cone. Spread any whipped chocolate frosting above that line to the tip of the cone. While frosting is soft, hold cone sideways over a bowl to scatter on chocolate sprinkles. Next, frost large round cookies, like digestives. Press cones onto cookies. Add chocolate sprinkles to the cookie brim. Make these on the day of serving for a cauldron of fun!
