DANIELLE AT HOME

Halloween

Black Widow Cocktail with Spun Sugar Webs

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With just a little over a week until Halloween it’s time to share a spooky cocktail! This one is inspired by spiders! It may look spooky but it tastes delicious and is perfect for any Halloween party your having this weekend!

Black Widow Cocktail - Halloween
Black Widow Cocktail - Halloween
Black Widow Cocktail - Halloween

This cocktail is super simple, it’s just blackberry pomegranate juice muddled with blackberries, a squeeze of lime and some tequila. Super delicious, sweet and refreshing. The natural deep purple colour is great but if you want to make it extra dark and spooky add a drop or two of black food colouring!

The impressive part of this cocktail is the spun sugar spider webs. Now of course this is totally optional but its fun and no where near as hard as it seems. Basically you melt the sugar in water until just slightly golden. Allow the sugar to cool for a few seconds. Grease a small bowl or cup and flick strands of sugar over the bowl using a fork. Let cool for 5 seconds before removing from the bowl. Then you’ll have a spun sugar spider web! These can be made a few days in advance and stored in an air tight container.

Black Widow Cocktail - Halloween

I hope you’re intrigued to give this cocktail a try for Halloween! It’s delicious and impressive!

Black Widow Cocktail with Spun Sugar Webs

Berry and tequila based cocktail garnished with spun sugar spider webs.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 4 cocktails

Ingredients
  

Cocktail

  • 4 cups pomegranate juice blend
  • 1/2 cup blackberries
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 6 ounces tequila

Spun Sugar Spider Webs

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup white sugar

Instructions
 

Spun Sugar Spider Webs

  • Add water and sugar to a pot. Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves and turns slightly amber, about 15 minutes. Set aside for 5 seconds to cool slightly. Using a fork, flick the sugar in different directions over your greased mold (I used a small jam jar, but a bowl or cup would work). Allow to cool for 5-10 seconds to avoid burning your hands. Gently lift sugar from the mold and set aside. Repeat.

Drink

  • In a pitcher add berries, lime juice and tequila. Using a muddling tool or the back of a wooden spoon muddle the berries. Add juice and stir. Pour drinks over a glass filled with ice, garnish with spun sugar webs and serve.

Notes

Spun sugar recipe adapted from Sunset.
Keyword Cocktail, Drinks, Halloween

Queso Dip

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Want to really kick your next Mexican feast up a notch? Make homemade queso. It’s actually really easy!

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Ok guys today I am sharing what might be the best recipe I’ve ever shared! Seriously this queso dip is bomb! And it’s insanely easy to make for any party or even for Cinco De Mayo! Which check your calendars is coming up on Sunday!

I love queso whether its from the best tex-mex restaurant or out of a jar from the grocery store I will eat it. I do prefer to eat real food though, not necessarily health food but really food with ingredients I actually recognize. Most commercially prepared queso has processed cheese, some how it’s gross and delicious at the same time. I won’t judge you for having either opinion! Also please note although I will eat processed queso from a jar I won’t eat Cheese Wiz or Velveeta… go figure!

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This queso recipe has jalapeños, onions, cumin, cream cheese, chipotle, jack cheese and sharp cheddar! Defiantly the kind of ingredients I want in my queso. This recipe has just enough spice to warm your mouth but isn’t over the top. Personally I like my salsa hot, my queso medium and my guacamole mild. Anyone else?

Essentially you cook the jalapeños and onions together then add the rest of the ingredients and heat together slowly. Seriously simple. Serve it warm with lots of chips! Or pour it over chips and your favourite nacho fixings for the ultimate and most delicious nachos you’ve ever tasted.

Ok guys this recipe is a must make for Cinco De Mayo!

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Queso Dip

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • 1/4 cup Onion, diced
  • 1 Jalapeños, chopped with seeds and ribs removed (keep the seeds if you like it spicy)
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 2 ounces Cream Cheese
  • 1 1/4 cup Whole Milk
  • 8 ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
  • 8 ounces Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
  • 1 tbsp All Purpose Flour
  • 1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo, finely minced
  • Salt to taste

Directions:

In a fry pan over medium low heat sauté onions, garlic and jalapeños until loft and onions are translucent. Season with cumin and continue to cook for another minute or two. Add cream cheese to the pan. Melt and combine with vegetables. Add milk to the pan and warm through.

Combine shredded cheese with flour. Add cheese and flour to the pan. Heat and stir until the cheese fully melts. Stir chopped chipotle peppers to the mixture. Taste and adjust salt and seasonings accordingly.

Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Adapted from Half Baked Harvest.

 

 

 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage

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Every year I make butternut squash soup and every year I’m underwhelmed. It never turns out very flavourful. Over the past year I’ve been cooking with all kinds of squashes a lot more then I used to. We love eating acorn, butternut and delicata squash. I’ve been roasting, mashing, topping salads and making sauces out of squash constantly. So when I made soup this year I was ready to get it right. And I did just that! This recipe is rich is flavour, easy to make and great for work day lunches.

In this recipe I roast butternut squash, onions and garlic in the oven until caramelized and browning. I also add fresh sage and delicious brown butter which takes the soup to the next level!

I like serving this soup with so super fast homemade croutons or to make it a really filling me some cooked apple sausage. Both are great options.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 Medium Butternut Squash, peeled and chopped
  • 1 Medium Onion, chopped
  • 2 Cloves of Garlic
  • 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
  • 1/4 Teaspoon of Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 2 Tablespoons of Butter
  • 2 Teaspoons Fresh Sage, chopped
  • 6 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
  • Optional: Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 °F. Spread out chopped butternut squash, onions and whole garlic cloves on a large baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes until soft and squash begins to caramelize.

In a large soup pot melt the butter on medium heat. Continue to cook the butter in medium heat until it becomes golden and brown buts form on the bottom of the pot (3-5 mins). Reduce heat to low and add chopped sage. Sauté sage until fragrant and starting to crisp, about a minute. 

Add onions, butternut squash and garlic to the pot. Stir mixture to combine. Add the vegetable stock. Bring soup to a simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Using an immersion blender blend soup until completely smooth (If using a traditional blender allow soup to cool before blending). Return soup to pot. Taste the soup, add salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Serve with your favourite soup toppings and sides.

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Chicken Noodle Soup

Homemade Caramel Corn

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BOO! I have one more Halloween post before the big day tomorrow! I hope you all enjoy the fun and spooky day, and if you have kids I hope they have the best time trick or treating! Like I said in this post, I wish I could go! Anyway I hope you are all doing something festive (I love festive!).

Today I thought I’d share one of my favourite fall recipes that I think is the perfect treat for Halloween night! I think this is a great recipe if you’re staying in watching a scary movie, or if you’re having people over for a Halloween party. I know I get sick of these mini chocolate bar and prefer to have festive fall treats at Halloween parties.

Tomorrow we will be snacking on Caramel Corn, drinking a beer and watching a scary movie. Oh and by scary movie I mean Hocus Pocus….it’s the scariest movie I can handle (Pathetic I know!).

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I always found caramel intimidating, so I never tried making my own caramel corn until recently. Once I did I felt really silly for waiting so long since it is incredibly easy! It’s perfect for halloween or really and day ending in Y! We’re addicted! So please give this a try it’s really easy and really delicious!

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Homemade Caramel Corn

Yields: 12 Cups

Ingredients:

  •  12 Cups Popped Popcorn (1 cup kernels, approx.)
  •  1 Cup Unsalted Butter
  •  1 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
  •  1/3 Cup Light Corn Syrup
  •  1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  •  1 Teaspoon Salt
  •  1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet (you may need two) with parchment paper. Spread popcorn evenly on baking sheet, and set aside.

 

In a medium saucepan on medium heat add butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Whisk together until butter has melted and ingredient combine into a smooth sauce. This will take 3-5 minutes. Add vanilla, salt and baking soda to the sauce. Whisk constantly. Sauce will lighten in colour and increase in volume. Continue to cook for 2-4 minutes to thicken, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat.

Pour sauce over the trays of popcorn. Use a spatula (silicone is best) to toss popcorn and coat. This does not need to be perfect.

Bake popcorn for 30 minutes. Check on the popcorn every 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and toss the popcorn again to continue coating and breaking up chunks. Repeat this process 2-3 times over the 30 minute baking time.

Remove baking sheet from the oven set aside and allow to cool for at least an hour. Check on your popcorn after 30 minutes to break up any large clumps that are forming. Once fully cool serve immediately or store in an airtight contained for up to 5 days.

 

Adapted from Homemade Hooplah, Homemade Caramel Popcorn.

Poisoned Apple Cocktail

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I feel like people either love or hate Halloween. My husband, Calvin falls into the later camp. Always has and always will (even as a kid!). There are some aspects of the holiday he does enjoy… carving pumpkins, watching scary movies and of course the candy.

I grew up loving Halloween. I loved dressing up and trick or treating with my friends. As an adult I am not as big of a fan. Maybe because I’m not into crazy parties? I am more into pumpkins, candy and corn mazes. Also is 25 too old to go trick or treating? Asking for a friend.

One thing we both love regardless of the holiday is a festive cocktail!

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So today I’m sharing the perfect cocktail for your Halloween celebrations. This cocktail is right up my ally because it sweet, but not too sweet and has a nice warming spice for fall. It is also a deep red colour which looks spooky for Halloween. If you really want to up the spook factor add a drop or two of black food colouring to really deepen the colour of your drink!

This recipe is really simple, but I like it because it’s not fussy like some cocktails. You can make a big pitcher in advance of your guests arrival. As always I have the measurements for one drink and a full pitcher listed below.

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Poison Apple Cocktail

Yields: 1 Serving or Pitcher

Ingredients:

Single Serving:

  • 2 Ounces Spiced Apple Cider
  • 1 Ounce Pomegranate Juice
  • 2 Ounces Vodka or Apple Vodka

Pitcher (12 Servings):

  • 3 Cups Spiced Apple Cider
  • 1 1/2 Cups Pomegranate Juice
  • 3 Cups Vodka or Apple Vodka

Directions:

For a single serving fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour apple cider, pomegranate juice and vodka into shaker. Shake cocktail until cold. Pour into stemware of choice.

For pitcher add apple cider, pomegranate juice and vodka into a large pitcher. Chill in your fridge until ready to serve. Pour into stemware of your choice.

Adapted from Julep.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Happy Belated Canadian Thanksgiving! I spent the whole weekend spending quality time with family, enjoying delicious food and drinks. It was great to disconnect from my phone and just hangout all weekend. Now that I’m back home it’s back into the kitchen, and today I am sharing a recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.

These cookies are so easy and get gobbled up (Thanksgiving Joke!) so fast! And they are the perfect way to use up any left over canned pumpkin from making pumpkin pies and breads.

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These cookies are soft and chewy, slightly spiced, deliciously sweet and chocolatey (is that a word?). I was very sceptical for the pumpkin chocolate combo and resisted it for quite awhile, but now that I know what I’ve been missing I’ll be making these every fall.

These cookies are actually eggless which is great for feeding a crowd since so many people have allergies. You could also sub non dairy butter and dairy free chocolate chips to make these cookies vegan. I love the versatility.

Have I convinced you to add these to your fall baking list yet?

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields: 18 Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, partially melted
  • 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
  • 1/2 Cup White Sugar
  • 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 6 Tbsp Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 and 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 Tsp Salt
  • 1/4 Tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/4 Tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Microwave the butter for 30-60 seconds until butter is half melted. In a medium bowl, whisk the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon or spatula. Fold in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll the dough into balls, place them on a baking sheet and slightly flatten. The cookies will only spread minimally. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Press more chocolate chips onto the tops, if desired. Allow the cookies to cool for at least 5 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to a cooling rack.

Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.