A Halloween Party - Page 3
© Dar Cheek
1/4 cup apple cider
Cut the top of the pumpkin off and set aside. Remove insides of pumpkin. If you can, scoop out the flesh of the pumpkin, chop and set aside, but if it is too hard, it will cook as the pumpkin roasts. In large bowl, combine, pumpkin (if you scraped it out), and all the other ingredients. Spoon stuffing into pumpkin, sprinkle with the apple cider and put the top back on. Place on baking sheet and bake til pumpkin is tender, about 2 hrs.
Of course no adult party would be complete with an adult drink or two. The clove julep is pretty stout stuff, but the guys love it! My favorite in a cool October night is a hot buttered rum.
Clove Julep
5 fresh mint sprigs
3 tsp fine sugar
3 ounces clove-infused vodka (see below)
Ice
Crush mint sprigs with sugar in the bottom of an 8 ounce glass. Add ice and vodka, stir, and serve.
(To infuse vodka, simply drop 1 tsp of whole cloves into your bottle and allow to set for 1 week, shaking gently several times a day.)
Hot Buttered Rum
8 cups apple cider
2 tbsp brown sugar
4" stick cinnamon
1 tsp whole allspice
1 tsp whole cloves
Peel from 1 lemon, cut into strips
2 tablespoons butter
Cinnamon sticks
Spiced rum
Combine cider and brown sugar in a large saucepan. Make a spice bag - tie cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and lemon peel in a 6-inch square of cheesecloth. Add spice bag to cider mixture. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove and discard spice bag. Top each serving with 1/2 teaspoon butter, and a splash of spiced rum. Serve with a cinnamon stick stirrer.
Somewhere in between all this, I plan to have a small fire burning outdoors with logs set around for everyone to get cozy on. Be sure to have blankets handy, too. There just isn't anything nicer than sitting around the fire on a crisp night, playing guitar and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows.
I'm sure the new stables next door will be having their first annual hayrides. Maybe we can all hitch a ride if I give my neighbor a plate of goodies?
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