Best Hosts Of Ghosts Recipes

EASY GHOST COOKIES

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Combine the white chocolate chips and coconut oil in a double boiler or heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Once the chips begin to melt, stir occasionally until completely smooth. Remove from the heat but keep over the double boiler or saucepan to keep the white chocolate warm.
• Working with 1 cookie at a time, dip into the warm white chocolate until almost completely coated. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the chocolate evenly over the cookie and lay on the prepared baking sheets. Once all of the cookies are dipped, refrigerate until the white chocolate is set, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the semisweet chocolate chips in a small heatproof bowl over the double boiler. Stir until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe 2 oval eyes and a slightly larger oval mouth on each ghost cookie. Return to the refrigerator until set, about 10 minutes.

HOST OF GHOSTS

Steps:

• 1. Place the cake on the cake plate. Reserve 1 cup of frosting to make additional ghost figures. Using an offset spatula, fill the hole in the center of the cake with frosting and then spread frosting over the top and sides in a wavy pattern.
• 2. Add the reserved frosting to the decorating bag; snip off the tip of the bag to create a 1/8- to 1/4-inch opening.
• 3. Referring to the photo, pipe as many ghosts as you like onto and around the cake and into the eggcups. For each, apply pressure to squeeze out some frosting for a base, then lift the bag slowly, decreasing the pressure until the ghost is the desired size; stop the pressure and lift off the bag. Add 2 candy eyes to each ghost.

GHOST COCKTAILS

Steps:

• Microwave the candy melts in a small microwave-safe bowl at 50-percent power in 10 second increments, stirring in between, until melted, 40 to 60 seconds. Stir until smooth.
• Lay a stemless wine glass on its side. Use a small spoon to paint 2 large ghost eyes and 1 large mouth with the candy melt inside the glass. Repeat with the remaining glass(es). Chill the glasses, painted-sides down, in the freezer until the candy melts harden and the glasses begin to frost, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk 1 cup of the cream in a large bowl, either by hand or with a handheld mixer, until foamy. Whisk, gradually adding the sugar, until soft peaks form. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large plain tip.
• Combine the ice, vodka, hot chocolate mix and remaining 1 cup cream in a blender and blend on high speed until very smooth and thick. Pour into the prepared glasses. Pipe the whipped cream on top of each drink, swirling to make a peak at the top of the ghost's head. Serve immediately.

NUTTY PHYLLO GHOSTS

Steps:

• Scrunch up pieces of aluminum foil to make twelve 1/2-inch by about 1-inch cone-like molds for forming the ghosts. Set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix the apple, nuts, 1/3 cup of the chocolate chips, and caramels together in a bowl.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove phyllo from the package, unroll, and cover with a damp towel. (Take care to keep the phyllo covered while you form the ghosts.)
• Lay 1 sheet of phyllo on a clean work surface, brush lightly with the butter. Fold the sheet in half, brush the surface again with butter. Fold phyllo 1 more time to make a square. Place a heaping tablespoon of the apple filling in the center of the square. Gather the corners of the phyllo up around the filling, then pinch the dough around the filling. (It should look like a Halloween sheet ghost, with a small head and a drape of phyllo.) Place the foil cones inside the open part of the phyllo. Lay the ghost flat on the prepared pan, reshaping the phyllo if needed. Repeat with the remaining filling and phyllo.
• Bake until the phyllo is light brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Cool.
• When ready to serve, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave. Generously sift confectioners' sugar over the ghosts. To make the ghost eyes, lightly touch 2 spots on the head of each ghost with a moist finger to remove some of the sugar. Then dab or pipe the melted chocolate in the 2 spots to make eyes. Cool, remove the foil molds and serve standing on a platter.
• Copyright 2005 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.

MERINGUE GHOSTS AND PUMPKINS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
• Whip the egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until very foamy and almost forming soft peaks. Add the cream of tartar and salt and increase the mixer speed to medium high. Gradually add the sugar while mixing, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form, about 6 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract.
• Remove 1/4 cup of the meringue to a small bowl and stir in 2 drops of green gel food coloring until fully incorporated. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
• Transfer half of the remaining meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Set aside.
• Add 4 drops of orange gel food coloring to the meringue still in the mixer bowl and mix until incorporated. Dip a toothpick or skewer into the bottle of orange gel food coloring and drag 3 or 4 lines of food coloring lengthwise along the inside of a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip, spacing the lines apart evenly. Transfer the orange meringue to this piping bag.
• Pipe a dot of meringue in each corner of a baking sheet and press a sheet of parchment paper on top, using the dots to keep it in place. Make ghosts by piping the white meringue into small mounds on the parchment, alternating pressure on the piping bag to create two or three stacked mounds for each ghost. Carefully press two mini chocolate chips, flat-side out, to make eyes for each ghost. Press another mini chocolate chip, pointy-tip up, in each of a few ghosts to make a mouth.
• Make pumpkins by piping the striped orange meringue into small mounds, making sure to hold the piping tip far enough above the baking sheet so that they have some height. Pipe leaves and stems with the green meringue on top of each pumpkin. Carefully press mini chocolate chips, pointy-tip up, into some of the pumpkins to make the eyes and a nose. Line up 4 or 5 chips the same way to make a mouth for each jack-o'-lantern.
• Bake the meringues for 1 hour, then turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside with the door closed for 2 hours 30 minutes more to fully dry out.

MARSHMALLOW GHOSTS

Steps:

• In a microwave, melt candy coating; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Stir in marshmallows until coated. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper; smooth and flatten into ghost shapes. , Decorate with gel or candies for eyes. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

GHOSTS IN THE GRAVEYARD CAKE

Steps:

• Line a 13x9-in. baking pan and an 8-in. square baking dish with foil, and grease the foil. Prepare brownie batter and bake according to package directions, using prepared pans. Cool on wire racks., Break pretzel rods into various sizes; dip into melted chocolate. Arrange into a tree shape on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet., Place melted white candy coating in a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; cut a small hole in a corner of bag. Outline three small ghosts on waxed paper. Fill in ghost outlines, adding a lollipop stick to each for support. Place unmelted chocolate chips on ghosts for eyes. Let dry completely., Using foil, lift brownies out of pans. Discard foil; place 8-in. square brownie on a large serving plate for graveyard. Spread chocolate frosting over top and sides., Cut remaining brownie into 3-in.x1-1/2-in. tombstone shapes. Combine confectioners' sugar and cocoa; sprinkle over tombstones. With black food coloring, tint vanilla frosting gray; decorate tombstones., Using toothpicks, insert three tombstones into graveyard. Insert tree into graveyard (support as needed with brownie scraps). Insert ghosts into graveyard; sprinkle with wafer crumbs for dirt and coconut for grass. Place remaining tombstones on a serving platter.

GHOSTS TO GO

Steps:

• Prepare mousse mix according to package directions; divide into three portions. Tint one portion blue, one green and one purple. , Transfer each to a pastry or plastic bag; cut a hole in one corner of each bag. Pipe ghost shapes into 5-oz. plastic cups. Decorate just before serving.

"BOO" BERRY GHOSTS

Steps:

• Line two ungreased 18x13-in. baking pans with parchment paper. Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Sift confectioners' sugar and flour together three times; set aside., Preheat oven to 350°. Add cream of tartar, vanilla and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold in flour mixture, about 1/4 cup at a time., Gently spoon into prepared pans. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake 25-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cool completely, about 1 hour., Cut with a 4-in. ghost-shaped cookie cutter. Spread half of the cakes with preserves; top with remaining cakes. Place on wire racks over waxed paper., Transfer frosting to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 20-30 seconds or until melted; stir until smooth. Spoon over cakes. Add chocolate chips for eyes and M&M's for mouths. Let stand until set.