Ghoulishly great entertaining; Halloween party boards

MILWAUKEE - It's all in the details! Chef Alisa Malavenda shows us the perfect boards for your Halloween party. 

CHAR "BOO" TERIE 

Elevate your charcuterie board with Halloween details:

• Moon Drop grapes
• Prosciutto Witch Fingers
• String Cheese Broom Stick
• Baby Bell Monsters
• Orange Pumpkins
• Dried fruits and Berries (especially black berries and Figs)

Have fun with a cheese, candy and cocktail pairing:

• Reese’s -Colby or Gouda- Espresso Martini
• Snickers-Sharp Cheddar- Brown Ale or Stout
• Heath -Spanish Cheeses -Manchego– Bourbon Cocktail
• Butterfinger –Sharp Cheddar-Cabernet
• Milk Duds – Blue or Goat- Port
• Skittles- Boursin or Mascarpone -Empress Gin and Tonic
• Kit Kat- Monterey Jack, Fontina or Havarti – ChardonnayTwix- Port Salut -Champagne or Merlot
• Gummies –Triple Cream Cheese like St Andre- Brie -Prosecco

"NIGHT OF THE LIVING BREAD"

Using silicone molds like skeleton heads, pumpkins, ghosts or bats 

Make as many flavored butters as you want – some sweet and some savory.

I like to use slate or wood and 3 different breads or crackers

For each flavor start with a stick of unsalted (you get to control the amount of salt ) at room temperature and mix in your ingredients until smooth and blended

Some ideas for butters: 

• Pumpkin Pie – add pumpkin puree, pumpkin spices and salt
• Cinnamon Sugar – cinnamon, brown sugar and a pinch of salt
• Black Garlic Butter – use black garlic puree and black salt
• Roasted Garlic and Smoked Paprika- roasted garlic and smoked paprika
• Scallion or Chive Butter -add chopped scallions or chives, garlic powder and salt
• Mustard Butter- dry mustard, coarse mustard ( if you want it more yellow you can add a little turmeric
• Aromatic Salt and Herb Butter- make an aromatic herb salt with fresh garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, fresh rosemary and sage

Fill cavities of the molds with a spreader or butter knife, make sure you scrap of the excess off top of the mold so it pops out clean. Freeze molds. Unmold the butters with gloved hands and line up on the board in different patterns.

CARAMEL APPLE DIPPING BOARD 

Mini crab apples whole or red and green apple slices on skewers

Soft caramels like Werther’s or Brach’s

Use a mini crock pot to keep the sauce warm and dipping consistency

You can also melt some chocolate 

Caramel sauce

 2 packages of caramels, unwrapped

½ C heavy cream 

4 T unsalted butter 

2 t vanilla extract 

Put all the ingredients in a saucepan on low heat until melted or put ingredients in a crock pot on low and slowly melt to keep it warm. It will take about an hour.

While waiting, add bowls of fun things to dip your slices:

Chopped nuts- peanuts, pecans, pistachios 

Mini M&M’s or other chocolate 

Halloween sprinkles

Crushed Cookies 

Chocolate sauce 

Flaked salt

HALLOWEEN S’MORES BOARD

Some ideas include:

Marshmallows (make mummies)

Halloween Peeps

Hersey’s and other Chocolates

Rice Krispy treats (make monster treats)

Oreos and other Cookies 

Brownies

Nutella 
 

SIGNATURE COCKTAIL

Make it fun and serve it in festive glassware with Halloween garnishes.

Ghost In the Graveyard martini

2 oz black vodka

2 oz Kahlua

2 oz chilled espresso

Peep ghost slightly toasted or a scoop of vanilla ice cream

In a shaker full of ice add the vodka, Kahlua and espresso shake well

Pour into a martini glass and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a toasted ghost peep 

Dust with a pinch of cinnamon