Time to conjure up ghoulish treats

(Ghoulish drinks can liven up your Halloween party/Keith Ferris, Culinary Institute of America)

I know Halloween is more than a month away, but I am in Scary Stories mode here (the Poughkeepsie Journal's annual Halloween writing contest for kids), so I have ghoulish thoughts circling my brain. Believe me, after reading hundreds of these scary entries from kids, I'm ready for one of these drinks!

Today's Busy Cook in the Poughkeepsie Journal features the following drink recipes for adults and kids, along with a very cool candy recipe called Knackerli, from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, where the talented chefs there are always conjuring up creative fare.

It's never too early to start planning ahead for a Halloween party, and these recipes are likely to inspire a spine-tingling good time.

And if you want a taste of last year's Scary Stories contest and winners, click here, but only if you dare!

Ghoulish Gummy Punch

Yield: 1/2 gallon

1. 2 cups pineapple juice
2. 2 cups pomegranate juice
3. 2 cups apple cider
4. 2 cups sparkling cider
5. 1 cup of your favorite gummy candies
6. Ice or dry ice as needed
7. 16 Fizzies candies (optional)

• Combine pineapple juice, pomegranate juice, apple cider, sparkling cider, and gummy candies in a punch bowl.
• Add ice or dry ice to cool.
• Be sure to include some gummy candy in each glass served.
• If using Fizzies candies, place one candy in the bottom of the glass and add punch.

Tea Punch

Yield: 1/2 gallon

1. 1 cup dark rum
2. 1 cup white rum
3. Juice from 2 lemons
4. 5 cups green tea (or your favorite tea)
5. 1/2 cup simple syrup (recipe below)
6. Ice or dry ice as needed

• Combine the rums, lemon juice, green tea, and simple syrup in a punch bowl.
• Adjust sweetness to taste by adding more simple syrup.
• Add ice or dry ice to cool.
  

Simple syrup: Combine 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat and cool to room temperature.

(Decorate Knackerli with dried fruits and nuts/Ben Fink, Culinary Institute of America)

Knackerli

Makes 24 Knackerli

1. 1 cup dark, milk, or white chocolate morsels
2. 24 pistachios, peeled
3. 24 dried cherries or cranberries
4. 6 dried apricots, quartered
5. 24 slivered almonds, toasted
   

• Melt the chocolate over a double boiler.
• Spoon the chocolate or fill a parchment cone with the chocolate and pipe 1-in disks (1 teaspoon per disk) onto a parchment-lined sheet pan.
• Arrange 1 pistachio, 1 dried cherry or cranberry, 1 piece of dried apricot, and 1 piece of slivered almond onto each disk of chocolate.
• Let the chocolate fully set before removing the disks from the parchment paper.

Notes: The chocolate can be piped in larger or smaller disks, if desired. Any type of nuts or dried fruit can be substituted for the pistachios, dried cranberries, and apricots.

When making Knackerli, it is important to remember the size of the nuts and dried fruits corresponds to the size of the chocolate disk, and the colors and flavors complement each other.

Chef's note: When preparing Knackerli, work in small batches so the chocolate disks don't set before you've had a chance to garnish them. For Halloween, you can add candy corn kernels or make ghosts using white chocolate and dark chocolate chips.