This Halloween, gather around the cauldron for some “double, double, ‘boil and bubble’” with this creative menu of family-friendly treats that is equal parts spooky and sweet. From munching on a hotdog mummy with bandages of dough, to serving up spine-tingling spaghetti and “eyeballs,” or wrapping up the evening with spider sandwich cookies, Halloween is the one night of the year when the macabre is met with delight. In the years ahead, it won’t be the silly costumes or the amount of candy collected that you’ll reflect upon, but instead the time spent together in the kitchen and immersed in musical activities as a family.
We suggest starting the morning with a trio of Trick-or-Treat pancakes. This simple breakfast is as easy as preparing a stack of regular buttermilk pancakes. But before pouring the batter onto the griddle, simply divide it between three bowls and add a few drops of purple, green, and orange food coloring. As an added bonus, have your little ones help stir to the musical styles of legato (smooth and connected) and staccato (light and detached) to connect this colorful trio of flapjacks to music.
Later, spin a sticky web during lunch with this bread bowl shaped to resemble a giant spider. Simply mold the dough into the spider’s shape and bake, hollow out the abdomen, fill with a dip of your choice, and serve with freshly cut vegetables. This dish pairs nicely with yummy mummy hot dogs for a haunted Halloween lunch.
Of course, no Halloween is complete without a sugary confection to end the night. We found a whole list of themed cupcake ideas, decorated as adorable ghosts, bats, squishy jellied brains, and more. With this extensive list of fun flavors and designs, there’s sure to be something that’s perfect for the whole family. As a final touch, wash down your cupcakes with a warm mug of lime green “Monster Hot Chocolate.”
We hope these recipes will help you create spooky memories with your loved ones. We wish you all a very safe and happy Halloween from the Houston Symphony!
—Mark Bailes
Blog originally written in October 2020.
