Yield: 30 servings
Ingredients:
For the Heads (Optional)
2 cups lemon juice
2 tablespoons coarse salt
8 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cut in half from pole to pole, and core removed
For the Cider
32 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
2 gallons apple cider
2 (12-ounce) cans frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 cups spiced rum (optional)
Preparation::
Preheat the oven to 250ºF.
In a large bowl, stir together the lemon juice and salt until the salt is mostly dissolved. Place the apples, cut side down, onto a clean work surface. Using a small, sharp knife, carve faces out of the apples then transfer to the lemon mixture and stir to coat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the apples from the lemon juice and gently pat to remove the excess lemon juice then place, cut side down, onto a baking sheet. Bake in the oven until the apples begin to dry and brown, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the cloves, cinnamon sticks, cider, and lemonade in a large stock pot and place over high heat. Bring the cider to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce to low heat. Simmer the punch for 20 minutes.
When the apples are finished baking, press cloves into the eye sockets of the apples. Stir in the rum and place the heads in the cider. The cider can also be chilled first (without the rum or apple heads) then served with the rum and apple heads.
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Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 (46-fluid ounce) bottle tomato-vegetable juice cocktail
1 ½ lemons, juiced
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon steak sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon hot sauce
½ teaspoon celery salt
8 skewers
8 slices salami
16 pimento-stuffed green olives
16 gherkin pickles
32 cloves
hot sauce for garnish
1 cup vodka
8 celery stalks
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Preparation::
In a large pitcher, stir together the tomato juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, hot sauce, celery salt, and vodka. Place in the refrigerator overnight to marinate.
To make the bats, cut the salami pieces in half and then cut segments out of the rounded edge of the salami to create wings. Place 2 eyes, using the cloves, on the end of each gherkin. Thread an olive onto each skewer followed by a piece of salami through the middle, and finally pierce the gherkin, eye side up, through the middle. Squirt hot sauce around the toothpick to create a bloody effect.
Stir the vodka into the bloody mary mix then pour into 8 individual glasses. Place a bat skewer and celery stick into each glass and serve.
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Yield: 32 servings
Ingredients:
1 disposable plastic glove, the inside thoroughly washed
½ cup gummy worms
1 (.13-ounce) pack unsweetened grape drink mix
1 (.13-ounce) pack unsweetened orange drink mix
1 ½ cups sugar
3 quarts cold water
1 liter ginger ale, chilled
1 cup vodka (optional)
1 (3-inch x 3-inch) piece of dry ice, carefully wrapped in cheese cloth
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Preparation::
The night before, place the gummy worms inside the glove and fill with water, leaving the top 2 inches unfilled. Tie the end close and place the glove on a baking sheet. Massage the glove so that the worms distribute evenly. Place in the freezer overnight to harden.
The next day, stir together the grape drink mix, orange drink mix, sugar, and water until the sugar dissolves. Place in a punch bowl and stir in the ginger ale and vodka if desired, leaving the top 3 inches of the punch bowl unfilled. Place the punch bowl in a cauldron for an added effect. Remove the frozen hand from the freezer and place under warm running water. Cut the glove away from the ice hand and place in the punch. Right before serving, carefully place the dry ice into the punch using metal tongs.
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Yield: 20 servings
Ingredients:
2 quarts cranberry juice
3 freshly squeezed cups orange juice or reconstituted frozen orange juice
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pinch salt
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
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Preparation::
Stir together all of the ingredients in a slow cooker set on high until the sugar dissolves. When the punch becomes hot, about 10 minutes, reduce the setting to low and allow to marinate for 5 hours before serving.