A Hamburger Today

Serious Entertaining: A Halloween Cocktail Party

Tomorrow is Halloween and if you're anything like me, skeletons are dangling, cobwebs are up, the walls are appropriately blood-splattered, and your pumpkins (which you've definitely submitted to our pumpkin carving contest) are merrily casting their eerie, cackling shadows of doom.

But...what's on the menu? I mean, hey, no pressure, it's only the holiday with the most potential of all time. I'm genuinely sorry to say that we don't have the keys to the BraveTart haunted castle mansion or these yogurt-inflected illustrations. But for those of you hosting a crowd in the coming days, we've got some appropriate campy finger food projects to get you through your Halloween festivities in style.

CAUTION! Bad puns and over-enthused Halloween "humor" lies ahead!

Savory Snacks

Pumpkin Cheddar Cheese Crackers

Don't let the name mislead you—there's nothing "pumpkin" about these flaky, cheddar-packed crackers aside from their appearance. A thematic cookie cutter comes in handy, but you don't actually need anything more than a pairing knife (and some patience) to get the job done. The dough holds its shape, so you can get as intricately creepy as the-bloody-cavity-where-your-heart-once-was desires.

Pumpkin Seeds

Setting up to carve an awesomely elaborate photograph onto your pumpkin? Be sure to reserve those seeds for a quick and easy roast in the oven. Lemongrass, chili, and toasted coconut; ginger and sage; garlic and Parmesan—the limitless seasoning possibilities will follow you to the grave (and beyond!). Experiment with your own or give one of our combos a shot.

Sweets

Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes

Whipping up a batch of these cakes is an easy, straightforward job. Baked in a standard muffin tin, with a crust of vanilla wafer crumbs and butter, the creamy cheesecake filling gets a rich dose of melted bittersweet chocolate. Finishing them off just requires some piping dexterity with the icing—if spiderwebs seem too complicated, give these skulls a go.