Dessert, Candy Worms and Chaos: Making Graveyard Pudding with My Grandsons. Plus a FREE Halloween story for everyone! by Ang Pompano

ANG POMPANO: I don’t know about where you live, but here in Connecticut, Halloween has become a major holiday. Some folks go all out, decorating almost as much as they do for Christmas but with orange and purple lights and those nine-foot-tall skeletons towering over the lawn!

Ironically, traditional trick-or-treating has mostly given way to parties. But that’s fine by me. It just gives my grandsons and me an excuse to get into a little culinary mischief making party treats. In that spirit, today’s “recipe” is really more of a fun spooky project: the classic Graveyard Pudding. The boys helped me whip up a batch, and I have to admit, it was equal parts dessert and chaos—but that was all part of the fun!

So here’s how we built our Graveyard Pudding Cups, complete with tombstones, candy worms, and crumbling “dirt,” using nothing more than some pudding, some cookies, and a bit of Halloween candy.

And as a special Halloween treat, everyone who visits the blog today can download a free copy of my kid-friendly spooky story, “Liver Man.”

Ingredients

1 package Oreo cookies
1 pack of chocolate pudding (instant or regular)
Milano cookies or any cookie shaped like a tombstone
Black icing writer
Candy pumpkins
Gummy worms
Marshmallows (for creepy peepers)
Four 9 oz. clear cups

Instructions

Make the tombstones: 

Use the black icing writer to write “RIP” on each cookie.

Create the creepy eyes: 

Dot “eyeballs” on the marshmallows with the icing writer.

Prepare the pudding: 

Make one pack of pudding according to the package directions. (We used regular pudding since the boys don’t eat artificial sweeteners. I chose instant so they could do every step themselves—no mixer or stove needed!)

Make the dirt: 

Crush the Oreos into fine crumbs. Sure, you could use a food processor. But where’s the fun in that? I gave the boys rolling pins and eight cookies each in a plastic bag and said, “Crush ’em!” They had a grand time.

Assemble the cups and decorate:

Sprinkle a layer of cookie crumbs into the bottom of each clear cup.

Add a few gummy worms along the sides so they’re visible.

Spoon in a layer of pudding.

Repeat the layers, ending with a generous topping of cookie “dirt.”

Press in your tombstone cookie, a candy pumpkin, a few gummy worms, and the creepy marshmallow eyes. and you’re done—spooky, sweet, and ready to serve!

Our finished Graveyard Pudding Cups—proof that a little chocolate “dirt” goes a long way toward Halloween fun!

Whether you’re hosting a Halloween party, hanging out with the family, or sneaking a few extra gummy worms when no one’s looking, I hope these Graveyard Pudding Cups bring as many laughs to your kitchen as they did to ours.

Have a spooky, fun, and safe Halloween—and don’t forget to grab your free copy of “Liver Man” before you head out!—Ang

To download your free copy of my kid-friendly Halloween Story "Liver Man" click HERE.

Ang Pompano is a mystery author, editor, publisher and blogger. He writes the Blue Palmetto Detective Agency, and the Reluctant Food Columnist series, both published by Level Best Books. In addition to his writing, Ang is a co-founder of Crime Spell Books and serves as co-editor of the Best New England Crime Stories anthology. He blogs about food on Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Annette, an artist, and their two rescue dogs.

When It’s Time for Leaving by Ang Pompano

Buy Link

Al DeLucia walked away from the police—and his past. But when his long-lost father leaves him a detective agency in Savannah, Al finds himself trapped between family secrets and a murder on the agency’s dock. Partnered with Maxine Brophy, a fierce detective who doesn’t trust him, Al is pulled into a deadly search through Savannah and the Okefenokee Swamp—where the truth about the case, and his father, may cost him everything.

Blood Ties and Deadly Lies by Ang Pompano

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Al DeLucia returns to Sachem Creek expecting a kayak race and a chance to confront his childhood bully, Abe Cromwell. Instead, he finds a dead lawyer, a web of deceit, and Abe claiming they’re brothers by DNA. Reluctantly joined by Maxine Brophy, his formidable partner and girlfriend, Al dives into a murder investigation that exposes land swindles, hidden maps, and buried family secrets. In a town where the past won’t stay buried, Al must face truths that could upend everything.

Snakeberry: Best New England Crime Stories 2025

Edited by Susan Oleksiw, Christine Bagley, Ang Pompano, and Leslie Wheeler.

Buy Link

 Every year the Best New England Crime Stories anthology brings welcome surprises and satisfactions from the best mystery authors in New England, and this year is no different. Snakeberry—Welcome to crime in 2025.

Cheese Ball Dressed as a Pumpkin! by Lucy Burdette #Halloween

 

LUCY BURDETTE: For some reason, my Facebook feed seems to be full of videos of people making food. Actually, I know the reason—I can’t stop watching them and the more I watch, the more they send me. This pumpkin look-alike cheese ball was one of them, and I determined that I must recreate it for you. I made it for some friends and was so tickled when the wife thought it was a real mini-pumpkin:). This is my Halloween recipe, but it would work for thanksgiving too! It’s all in the presentation…

Ingredients

One package Boursin cheese, flavor of your choice

Sharp orange cheese—the more orange the better 

One stem from a bell pepper

Shape the Boursin into a ball. Grate the orange cheese finely. Roll the ball into the grated cheese so the entire surface is covered. You may have to tap the cheese into place with your fingers. 

Cover the ball of cheese with plastic wrap. Tie four pieces of string around it to make 8 indentations so it resembles the sections of a pumpkin. Refrigerate. Remove the cheese from the plastic wrap, and add the pepper stem on top. 

Make sure to take the cheese ball out of the fridge an hour or more ahead of party time, so it isn’t too crumbly to cut and serve.

Serve with crackers and vegetable slices (such as the pepper you sacrificed for the pumpkin!) Happy Halloween!

Lucy circa 1982

Lucy Burdette writes the Key West food critic mystery series including USA Today bestselling A POISONOUS PALATE and A CLUE IN THE CRUMBS. 

You can order that wherever books are sold. If you’re all caught up, try Lucy’s first women’s fiction title, THE INGREDIENTS OF HAPPINESS.

Also follow Lucy on Facebook, and sign up for her mailing list right here.  

SPOOKY Carrot Eyes for #Halloween #recipe @LucyBurdette

LUCY BURDETTE: Supposing you're having a Halloween party, or maybe even better you're going to one, but you're supposed to bring something spooky. And maybe it's not supposed to be a sweet. 
Then this recipe is for you. In fact, it's so easy that you may say Lucy, that's what you call a recipe?? But let me tell you, my taste testers thought it was both adorable and delicious.
 
Ingredients for spooky carrot eyes


Carrots
Whipped cream cheese
Sliced black olives
Onion powder to taste
White pepper to taste


The amounts of the above will depend on how many of these you are making. To serve three people before lunch, I used one carrot, one large tablespoon of cream cheese, and a dash of the onion powder and white pepper. If you're making a bigger plate of "eyes", simply double or triple the amounts.
 

Wash and scrape the carrots and cut them into rounds, probably about half inch thickness will work best. Mix the cream cheese with the seasonings (and feel free to substitute other favorites if you prefer.)
 


 
Top each carrot round with a dollop of the cream cheese mixture and place a black olive "eye" on top. That's it! Refrigerate until serving.

And if the carrots don't float your boat, how about pumpkins stuffed with cornbread, leeks, and bacon?

Or Cornmeal Pumpkin Pound Cake?

 Lucy writes the Key West food critic mysteries--her Key West Halloween book is called KILLER TAKEOUT.  Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!

Boo Boo Brownies!

by Peg Cochran

Welcome to Halloween Week!

We have some treats in store for you so stay tuned!  Every day we will feature another Halloween themed recipe for you to enjoy.

These "Boo Boo Brownies" were super fun to make, and a wonderful project to do with children.  I wanted to enlist my four-year-old granddaughter to help, but she's come down with the sniffles unfortunately.  













You can go all domestic goddess and make your own brownies for these, but I cheated and used a mix (and a store brand one at that.) 

I plan to get all this temptation out of the house by bringing these to work and the people there will eat three-day-old doughnuts and leftover pizza that has to be pried out of the box so I don't think they'll notice the difference.


Ingredients:
1 box brownie mix (plus whatever your mix calls for)
1 container of rich and creamy vanilla frosting
1 bag marshmallows
1 tube of black decorating gel

Make brownies according to package directions and let cool thoroughly.  Cut brownies into desired squares.

Heat frosting in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds, stirring after every ten seconds until thin enough to drizzle.

Top each brownie with a marshmallow.  Drizzle with approximately one tablespoon of frosting--enough to "glue" marshmallow to brownie and nearly cover marshmallow.  Let frosting set approximately half an hour.

Create eyes, nose and mouth with black decorating gel.  Boo!

Enjoy!

 I don't have a Halloween themed book but I do have a Valentine's Day one:

Available at B&N and Amazon









And a wedding themed one:

Available at B&N and Amazon






Stop by my website or Facebook page! @pegcochran

Goblin Bites

Halloween used to be my favorite holiday . . . with Easter a close second.  As you might guess, my level of enthusiasm for a holiday was in direct proportion to the amount of chocolate involved.  I eagerly awaited Halloween night, crafting a clever costume, mapping out my strategy to collect the most candy in the least amount of time.




Once I hit my 30s, I found that people were less likely to give me candy when I knocked on their doors.  In addition, my metabolism slowed to the point that 4000 calories worth of candy was no longer a good idea.  Basically, the joy of trick-or-treating was gone.  Now, for me, the best part of Halloween is the glut of horror movies on TV during the month of October.

Halloween night itself is a waiting game:  me, in the living room, staring down a huge bowl of candy, waiting for the doorbell to ring.

My only salvation--what stands between me and a two pound bag of mini-Snickers--is having some enticing grown-up nibbles around.  They may not be healthy, per se, but they're better than a major chocolate binge.

Some of my favorite seasonal tidbits:  maple and ancho chili glazed pecans, sliced crisp apples drizzled with honey, spinach dip spiked with crunchy water chestnuts, and these little treats I have dubbed "goblin bites."  They offer a wonderful balance of spicy and sweet, crispy and creamy, all in one perfect mouthful.

(Don't be alarmed the idea of jalepeno jelly.  Just look for a "mild" variety.  The number one ingredient is apple juice . . . there's plenty of sweet to cut the heat.)

Goblin Bites

15 mini filo shells (in your grocery's freezer case)
1/4 pound of brie, rind removed
jar of mild jalepeno jelly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.

Cut the brie into 15 pieces.  Lay the filo cups out on the baking sheet.  Fill each with a piece of brie and 1/2 a tsp. of the jalepeno jelly.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Allow to cool a minute or two before serving.

(Note that this recipe can be doubled, tripled, quadrupled . . . it makes a great part of a holiday spread.)

Brains!

 Happy Halloween!

As much as I love costumes, trick-or-treating, jack-o-lanterns, and the like, my favorite part of Halloween is ... scary movies!  Cable networks have been running marathons of horror and suspense movies, and I'm in heaven.

As far as I'm concerned, there's no better way to celebrate the holiday than by hosting your very own spookfest.  It doesn't have to be fancy: pick out a few good flicks, pop some corn, and snuggle in with a blanket (so you can hide your eyes if things get a little too, uh, tense).

But if you want to add some fun touches, the zombie food (popcorn coated in cinnamon candy) is a ghoulishly addictive treat.  You can also make blood-bath sodas (buy rubber fingers, eyeballs, or sharks, fill with 1 1/2 oz. of red flavored syrup--raspberry, cherry, pomegranate, etc.--and serve along with a tall glass of club soda ... letting your guests pour their own "blood" into the glass).  Or turn a simple bowl of punch into a devilish delight by making a floating hand:  fill a latex or vinyl glove (not coated with powder!!) with green, red, or orange juice, tie a knot at the wrist, freeze solid, and then cut the glove off your zombie hand.  Float it gently in the bowl of punch, and watch your guests shiver with delicious dread.

What to watch?

You could do a 70s-era classic scarefest with The Exorcist, The Shining, The Omen, Rosemary's Baby, and Carrie.

Or go for more modern thrills with The Descent, Insidious, Orphan, 28 Days Later, and Splice.

How about foreign frights?  Let the Right One In (Sweden), The Ring (Japan), and Tale of Two Sisters (Korea).

Like your scary with a side of laughs?  Shaun of the Dead, Slither, and Drag Me to Hell are all worth a watch

What would you recommend?  Offer up your favorite scary movie in the comments section, and you're entered to win today's prize!

Boo!


Zombie Food
(Cinnamon Candy Popcorn)

1 9-oz bag cinnamon candies
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1 c. butter (two sticks), cut in cubes
8 quarts popped popcorn


Make sure you pull all the old maids from the popcorn, as they will break your teeth.  Preheat oven to 250.  Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a saucepan, combine the candy, corn syrup, and butter.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Pour candy syrup over popcorn and toss to coat.

Spread the candy-coated popcorn on cookie sheets.  Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and dump popcorn onto clean parchment or wax paper.  Allow the corn to cool, break apart, and serve (in a monster head, if at all possible).

~~~~~

Contest Time!


Leave a comment with your favorite scary movie, and you're entered to win this Thanksgiving hostess gift:  two autumnal dishtowels; a festive falling leaves apron; a candle scented with orange, clove, and cinnamon; a leaf plate; a maple leaf cookie cutter; and a lovely chocolate fabric box.  Just add a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine, and you are set to go!

~~~~~~

Wendy (aka Annie Knox) is the author of the Mysteries a la Mode. Visit her on the web or on Facebook.

Easy Halloween Snacks for Kids

Remember to leave a comment today to enter to win a cool Halloween wreath! The contest ends tonight at midnight with the winner announced here at Mystery Lovers' Kitchen!

Happy Halloween! Hope everybody has a bootiful one. :) I thought I’d give y’all a couple of ideas for some really quick treats for any kind of a Halloween get-together or dessert. This is the time of year where we all get in a time-crunch, after all!

I found this recipe from Martha Stewart. And I do like Martha, even though she gives me an inferiority complex most of the time. I thought her alien cupcake looked pretty cool, but she lost me at the meringue buttercream ingredient. Actually, she lost me at the making the cupcakes part. I’m just down to the wire and looking for shortcuts!

So I used some chewy cookies from my grocery store’s bakery, some frosting, marshmallows, I didn’t have any cool green icing like Martha did, so I used some black, Halloween icing I found at the store. This was going to be very simple, so I let my daughter help me out. :) We made a couple of different types.

For the black alien cookie, we used:
Chewy chocolate chip cookie for the base
Black icing (from the Halloween section of the grocery store)
Mini marshmallows for the weird teeth
Large marshmallow cut in half
A peanut M&M stuck on the marshmallow with icing.

For the white skull cookie, we used:
Chewy chocolate chip cookie for the base
Black icing…kind of oozy stuff
Mini Marshmallows.

Then we did a scary white cookie (my daughter assured me it wasn’t really scary) with all the above, but a raspberry stuck on the black eye icing and then different colored peanut M&Ms (stuck on with more black icing) in the center of the raspberry.

I also wanted to do a non-sweet treat that was still Halloweeny. The folks at Betty Crocker had just what I was looking for. Mummies! And it’s so easy. You just take:

Part of a stalk of celery
Line it with vegetable-flavored cream cheese (softened enough to spread)
Wrap it with narrow strips of thinly cut ham to look like bandages
Use dried cranberry bits to use for eyes.

Happy Halloween! And just a quick note—the third book in the Memphis Barbeque series releases November 1! Hope you’ll pick up a copy if you enjoy mysteries. :)

Riley/Elizabeth
Finger Lickin’ Dead (Riley Adams)
Hickory Smoked Homicide (preorder book 3!)
Progressive Dinner Deadly