These Printable Recipe Cards for Halloween are a perfectly ghoulish way to jot down your favorite tricks and treats for All Hallow’s Eve.
These first few weeks of fall have flown by. I just realized Halloween is almost here, and I’ve yet to share my latest printable recipe cards! Well, I quickly photographed them, and I’m gifting them to you in this post.
It has been my pleasure to share free printable recipe cards with IBC readers for the past three years. This is the thirteen design I’ve created for these recipe card collections.
You can find previous recipe cards below. All of them are available as a free download. You are welcome to print any or all of them.
I’m not sure why, but the two Halloween recipe cards I’ve shared are among my favorites. And although I realize you don’t truly NEED recipe cards for Halloween, they sure are fun to have on hand.
Halloween Printable Recipe Cards:
I also think they could make a super cute favor for a Halloween party. Don’t you agree?
I hope you enjoy using them as much as I enjoy creating them for you. Happy Halloween!
These Printable Recipe Cards for Halloween are a perfectly ghoulish way to jot down your favorite tricks and treats for All Hallow’s Eve. These first few weeks of fall have flown by. I just realized Halloween is almost here, and I’ve yet to share my latest printable recipe cards! Well, I quickly photographed them, and […]
Delicious and flavorful, this apple-shaped Cheddar Bacon Cheeseball recipe is the perfect fall appetizer recipe guaranteed to get a wow-worthy response.
Today’s recipe is this adorable and delicious Cheddar Bacon Cheeseball. I’m getting excited just writing that name!
What makes this Cheddar Bacon Cheeseball extra special (beyond the fact that it’s a ball of cheese) is that it’s designed to resemble an apple. This fabulously simple idea will take your entertaining to the next level, and it’s sure to impress your guests.
You might remember this idea as I originally shared it back in 2015. At the time I put two cheeseball recipes in one post, so I’m sharing again just to split up the two recipes. You can find the original post here.
How day you make an easy cheeseball?
In making this, I strongly recommend using freshly shredded cheese. As much as I love the convenience of the packaged variety, you can’t beat the flavor and texture of cheese you grate in your own kitchen.
This Cheddar Bacon Cheeseball recipe is simple, elegant, and delicious. How can you go wrong with a ball of cheese?
For this cheeseball recipe, I rolled the final ball of cheese into paprika and crushed pistachio for two unique colors and textures.
Serve it with crackers, toasted bread, or veggies plus your favorite wine. You’re ready for a party.
If you liked this cheeseball recipe, you’ll love these too:
Delicious and flavorful, this apple-shaped Cheddar Bacon Cheeseball recipe is the perfect fall appetizer recipe guaranteed to get a wow-worthy response.
Ingredients
16ouncesextra sharp cheddar cheeseshredded
2packages(8 ounces each) cream cheesesoftened
1/4cupkalamata olivesor pimiento-stuffed, drained and chopped
1/4cupapricot preserves
2tablespoonswhole milk
1teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
1/4teaspoonhot sauce
8slicesbaconcooked until crispy and then crumbled
1/3cupwalnutsfinely chopped
1/2cuppistachio nuts*finely chopped*
1tablespoonpaprika*
Instructions
Using a hand mixer, combine the cheddar cheese, cream cheese, kalamata olives (or pimientos), apricot preserves, milk, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and about 1/2 of the bacon in a large bowl until smooth.
Then shape the cheese mixture into 2 balls. Again, there is no need to be perfect here since apples aren't uniformly shaped. Make an indentation in the top of each with your thumb so the balls resemble apples. Chill them for 30 minutes.
Remove from the refrigerator and coat the cheese balls in the remaining chopped bacon and walnuts. (If preferred, the balls could instead be covered in pistachio nuts mixed with paprika.)
Cover and chill for at least two hours before serving. Insert a branch with leaves to resemble an apple stem.
Recipe Notes
*Optional, depending on preferred coating.
*Originally published on September 15, 2015. Updated to create a post for each cheeseball base recipe. Original / additional cheeseball recipe can be found here.
Delicious and flavorful, this apple-shaped Cheddar Bacon Cheeseball recipe is the perfect fall appetizer recipe guaranteed to get a wow-worthy response. Today’s recipe is this adorable and delicious Cheddar Bacon Cheeseball. I’m getting excited just writing that name! What makes this Cheddar Bacon Cheeseball extra special (beyond the fact that it’s a ball of cheese) […]
Simple, creative, and spooky Halloween mantel decor ideas to add a haunt to your home. That what’s in store for you today!
With Halloween a mere two weeks away, I’m making every effort to share additional tricks for celebrating All Hallow’s Eve in style. (You can find more of my Halloween ideas here.) This past week, I decided to focus on Halloween mantel decor and dress up my fireplace. I’m so excited to share that with you today.
Halloween Mantel Decor Ideas:
This is the first time I’ve decorated one of the mantels in my Pittsburgh house with such intention, and I think it turned out pretty cute …. er, creepy!
The direction for this Halloween mantel decor was inspired by skeletons, skulls, and bones. In fact, the skeleton hands that I got from Grandin Road were the main inspiration for the entire look.
From there, I used lots of things I already had on hand. (If you saw my Spooky Chic Halloween Table, a few of the accessories might look familiar.)
I think the skeleton hands stole the show, however. Created to look like a peace sign, thumbs up, and a hand heart, they actually make skeletons look cool and cute.
I also love this thick rope corded cage light I found at HomeGoods. The light is functional so I often turn it on at night. However, I opted to keep it off during the photo session to keep the glow from being a distraction.
Some books bring in height and a few of my Plush Pumpkins gave a pop of color and a fall feel.
Spider Web Halloween Mantel Decor Ideas:
To finish off the mantel, I covered everything with inexpensive faux spider webs. This is an easy and cost-effective way to make something feel old and eerie.
With a few of the skull candles lit, the effect is truly sinister.
I also decided to decorate the bar cart, which I had recently added to this space. (This is the bar cart I purchased.) Since this is the room where people tend to gather, I thought it was the perfect place to serve drinks.
Simple, creative, and spooky Halloween mantel decor ideas to add a haunt to your home. That what’s in store for you today! With Halloween a mere two weeks away, I’m making every effort to share additional tricks for celebrating All Hallow’s Eve in style. (You can find more of my Halloween ideas here.) This past […]
Hot Apple Cider (also known as Mulled Apple Cider) is a delicious beverage to serve during the fall. Often made with fragrant and flavorful seasonal spices, it’s sure to warm you up from the inside out.
‘Tis the season for Hot Apple Cider! One of the yummy tastes and aromas of autumn is a batch of Mulled Apple Cider warming in a slow cooker or saucepan.
To follow up yesterday’s post on putting together your own mulling spices, today I’m going to give you the rundown on making Mulled Apple Cider. It’s easier than you think, and the result is a warm cup of the flavors of fall!
Let’s get to it!
How do you warm up apple cider?
I recommend using a heavy saucepan on the stove or a slow cooker.
If you’re looking to make plain hot apple cider, just pour the apple cider in the vessel you’ve chosen. If you’d like, you can toss in sliced apples to dress it up.
Also, when you’re serving your hot apple cider, be certain your mug is designed to hold hot beverages. A coffee mug or glass tea mug works well.
How do you make Mulled Apple Cider?
When it comes to hot apple cider, many people like to add spices for seasonal flavor and flair. That’s where mulling spices come in handy. I wrote all about mulling spices here and shared my recipe so you can make them at home.
They are a blend of seasonal spices, such as cinnamon, clove, allspice, and orange zest, which are used to add flavor to things like apple cider, mulled wine, and seasonal baked dishes.
To make Mulled Apple Cider, you place these mulling spices in the cider while it is warming up. This will give the cider a wonderful depth of flavor.
Mulling spices are simple to pull together or you can pick up packets of them at the store. If you don’t have mulling spices, you can still make your hot apple cider a bit more special by just adding apple and orange slices, plus a few cinnamon sticks.
I promise those simple additions will amp up the flavor.
Is Hot Apple Cider Alcoholic?
Yes and no. You can serve hot apple cider with or without alcohol. I recommend warming your fresh apple cider without adding any alcohol to it. (Warming hard cider or cider mixed with alcohol is likely to burn off the alcohol, which sort of defeats the purpose of it.)
When it comes time to serve the Mulled Cider, have bottles of a few complementary alcohols nearby. Then you or your guests can add whatever you’d like to turn that Hot Apple Cider into a cocktail.
What kind of alcohol goes in hot apple cider?
You can use whatever liquor you prefer. However, the most common ones for hot apple cider seem to be bourbon, brandy, spiced rum, and tequila. Personally, I like bourbon. Four Roses has become my go-to recently.
If none of those strike your fancy, I think a caramel vodka would be delightful, too!
Hot Apple Cider (also known as Mulled Apple Cider) is a delicious beverage to serve during the fall. Often made with fragrant and flavorful seasonal spices, it's sure to warm you up from the inside out.
Ingredients
1/2gallonfresh apple cider
2tablespoonsmulling spices
apple slices, orange slices, and cinnamon sticks for garnish
Instructions
Pour fresh apple cider in a heavy-bottom saucepan (or slow cooker) and set on medium-high heat.
Place your mulling spices in a fabric bag and toss it into your pot. Stir occasionally, squeezing the bag of spices with a spoon like you would a tea bag.
Heat the cider until it is hot and flavorful; then set the temperature on warm.
Optional: Garnish the pot with apple and orange slices. Serve in a mug, garnished with a cinnamon stick.
Hot Apple Cider (also known as Mulled Apple Cider) is a delicious beverage to serve during the fall. Often made with fragrant and flavorful seasonal spices, it’s sure to warm you up from the inside out. ‘Tis the season for Hot Apple Cider! One of the yummy tastes and aromas of autumn is a batch […]
Made with a blend of fragrant spices, including cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and orange zest, mulling spices are an easy way to add seasonal flavor to apple cider, mulled wine, and more!
Yes, my friends, today I’m teaching you how to make homemade mulling spices.
I’m a tad embarrassed to admit that until a few months ago it had never occurred to me I could make my own mulling spices. For some reason, I just assumed you had to buy them as a mix from the store.
This post contains affiliate links.
That is not the case, of course, and I’m excited to show you how easy it is to blend your own. I’m especially giddy because now is an opportune time to make mulling spices.
As the temperatures decrease this fall and the holiday season starts, you’ll find so many uses for them.
What are mulling spices used for?
Mulling spices have a variety of uses. They are probably best known as a seasonal flavor addition for hot apple cider. They can also be used to make mulled wine. (You can find my Mulled Apple Cider recipe here and Mulled Wine recipe here.)
Mulling spices can likewise be ground (or pulverized in a coffee grinder) and used in place of spices in baking. They would make a lovely substitute for pumpkin pie or apple pie spice. You could even add the ground spice mix to your pancake or waffle batter for Thanksgiving or Christmas breakfast!
Besides those uses, you can put them in your tea or coffee for an extra flavor kick. Some folks like to add them to the brine for turkey and chicken.
Mulling spices also make an excellent gift. – Who knew there were so many ways to use them?
What are the ingredients in mulling spices?
After doing a lot of research, I learned that the ingredients can vary quite a bit. However, every recipe I found included the following:
For my recipe, which you will find below, I went with the traditional ingredients plus cardamom pods and peppercorns.
I purchased all of my supplies (including the jars) on Amazon. Everything is linked in the ingredient list above. You can find the jars here and here.
Homemade Mulling Spices
Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients, just place them in a bowl and mix well.
A couple things to note:
1) To break up the cinnamon sticks, place them in a large zipper-top plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin or heavy skillet.
2) The dried orange zest will tend to settle at the bottom of the bowl. As you portion out the mulling spices into containers, keep mixing the ingredients.
If there is any orange zest leftover in the bowl, divide it evenly among the jars.
I decided to put the mulling spices I made into small jars so I can share them with friends and use them as holiday gifts.
If you’re just making the spices for yourself, you can scale back the recipe to suit your needs.
You can find all the details on how I make my Mulled Apple Cider here, but generally speaking, you’ll want to add about 2 tablespoons of mulling spices per 1/2 gallon of apple cider. Adjust the amount to suit your taste.
I recommend picking up some of these bags to hold the mulling spices when you add them to cider or wine.
This will eliminate the need to later strain out the cloves, bits of cinnamon, and other ingredients. (It’s almost like having a mulling spice tea bag!)
Made with a blend of fragrant spices, including cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and orange zest, mulling spices are an easy way to add seasonal flavor to apple cider and mulled wine.
Ingredients
2cupscinnamon stickscrushed
2cupswhole cloves
2cupsallspice berries
1 1/2cupsdried orange zest
1cupcardamom pods
1/2cuppeppercorns
Instructions
Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine.
Divide evenly into sealable jars. Store sealed up to one year.
Recipe Notes
I divided my mulling spices into smaller jars so I can gift them to others. If you're just making the spices for yourself, you can cut back the amounts to suit your needs.
For serving: 2 tablespoons of mulling spice per 1/2 gallon of apple cider or wine
Made with a blend of fragrant spices, including cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and orange zest, mulling spices are an easy way to add seasonal flavor to apple cider, mulled wine, and more! Yes, my friends, today I’m teaching you how to make homemade mulling spices. I’m a tad embarrassed to admit that until a few months […]
Are you wanting to make a spooky chic Halloween flower arrangement? This post is filled with ideas and tips for doing just that.
Last week I was excited to show you my spooky chic tablescape. That post was super long, so I couldn’t give you many details about the Halloween floral arrangement in the center of the table. That’s why I’m back today to break it down for you.
In case you missed that post, here’s what the full centerpiece looked like:
Lovely, but a little creepy, right? That was the goal!
DIY Halloween Flower Arrangement:
The inspiration for the arrangement came from this test tube vase I picked up at HomeGoods. I found it outside the Halloween section, but it works great for this application.
When I went shopping for flowers, I stopped at two places: Whole Foods and Michaels Craft Store.
Other than the farmers market, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are my go-to places for inexpensive flowers. For this arrangement, I wanted flowers that had deep colors, an odd shape, or a creepy look.
I ended up with almost-black calla lilies, some burgundy flowers (I don’t know their name.), and seeded eucalyptus.
To add a bit more spook to the centerpiece, I also picked up feathers and a set of skeleton hands at Michaels.
Now let’s get to flower arranging!
How to Create a Halloween Flower Arrangement:
When I’m doing arrangements, I usually like to start with the greens. After filling the tubes with water, I tucked in some of the seeded eucalyptus followed by the calla lilies.
From there, I put in feathers for height and texture and then arranged the burgundy flowers. The final touch was the skeleton hands. They are on wire picks so it was easy to insert them in the vase. (Of course, you could also easily attach a wire pick to any skeleton hand or bone.)
And with that, my arrangement was complete.
I think the centerpiece works well with the tablescape and adds just the right amount of color. To tie it in with the rest of the dining room, I decided to display an orchid on the sideboard.
Orchids are another fabulous option for a Halloween flower arrangement if you’re not comfortable arranging fresh flowers.
Want more Halloween tricks and treats? These are some of my favorites:
I hope you enjoyed this closer look at how my Halloween flower arrangement came together. What other tips do you have for creating a creepy centerpiece?
Happy Haunting!
Are you wanting to make a spooky chic Halloween flower arrangement? This post is filled with ideas and tips for doing just that. Last week I was excited to show you my spooky chic tablescape. That post was super long, so I couldn’t give you many details about the Halloween floral arrangement in the center […]
This Pasta Salad with Roasted Mushrooms is an easy and delicious recipe that makes the perfect side dish any time of year.
You know how much I love a pasta salad recipe! In the past, I’ve posted several here on IBC. Since I’ve covered the classics, I’m now branching out to new varieties.
This Pasta Salad with Roasted Mushrooms is an example of my experimentation with new flavors and ingredients!
Pasta Salad with Roasted Mushrooms
A couple weeks ago, I found some colorful pasta at HomeGoods. It reminded me of the Fall Harvest Pasta Salad I made a few years ago.
Inspired by the color, I thought another autumnal pasta salad was in order. However, after putting this salad together, I realized it could be served and enjoyed during any season.
How to Make Pasta Salad with Roasted Mushrooms:
To prepare this recipe, first roast the mushrooms and tomatoes. You can use any mushrooms you’d like. I went with a mix of mini portobello, white, and crimini. Warning: Roasting the mushrooms and tomatoes will make your kitchen smell heavenly.
While everything is roasting, cook the pasta and prepare the rest of the ingredients. You can use whatever pasta you like best.
When your pasta and roast mushrooms are cool, everything gets quickly tossed together in a bowl with a simple dressing of olive oil, white wine vinegar, and sugar for a touch of sweetness.
The dressing may not sound like much, but with all the flavors happening here, it’s the perfect complement. Also add salt and pepper to taste.
This Pasta Salad with Roasted Mushrooms is an easy and delicious recipe that makes the perfect side dish any time of year.
Ingredients
3packages(8 ounces each) sliced mushrooms
10ouncescherry or grapes tomatoeshalved
4clovesgarlicsliced
2teaspoonsdried oregano
1-2tablespoonsolive oil
1poundpasta
1can(15 ounces)cannellini beansrinsed and drained
1/2cupfresh basilroughly chopped
3ouncesParmesan cheeseshaved
1/4cupolive oil
1/4cupwhite wine vinegar
2tablespoonssugar(optional)
1teaspoonsalt
1/2teaspoonpepper
Instructions
Begin by preheating an oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Place the mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, and oregano on the prepared pan. Drizzle with olive oil and mix to coat. Roast for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and cool.
Add the pasta and roasted items to a large bowl. Top with cannellini beans, basil, and cheese.
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add the dressing to the pasta and toss to combine.
This Pasta Salad with Roasted Mushrooms is an easy and delicious recipe that makes the perfect side dish any time of year. You know how much I love a pasta salad recipe! In the past, I’ve posted several here on IBC. Since I’ve covered the classics, I’m now branching out to new varieties. This Pasta […]
Cheers to fall with this Apple Cider Sidecar! Made with crisp apple cider and smooth cognac, this is the perfect cocktail recipe for this time of year as days get shorter and evenings get cooler.
It’s Friday, which can only mean one thing: the weekend is here, and it’s time for a cocktail. Today, I’m shaking up an Apple Cider Sidecar. A seasonal take on the classic, this is a cocktail I’m sure you’re going to love.
Apple Cider Sidecar:
It wasn’t until the past couple of years that I developed a taste for bourbon and cognac. As a matter of fact, I started to appreciate bourbon after I created this Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail (which, along with this Cranberry Old Fashioned, is now my go-to drink during the holiday season.)
I have learned that bourbon and cognac are totally different things. Bourbon is a whiskey made from distilled grains, while cognac is a specific type of brandy made from distilled grapes. In the past, I often incorrectly clumped them in the same category. Maybe my confusion was due to their colors or the fact that they are aged in barrels. Who knows.
All of that is sort of irrelevant, other than as a reminder to myself that it’s good to try new things. Something that I disliked since forever is now in my like column!
I made these Apple Cider Sidecars a few weeks ago when I set my fall tablescape. I promised to share the recipe so I’m happy to finally be posting it.
How to Make an Apple Cider Sidecar:
This cocktail comes together so easily. Fresh apple cider, bourbon (I used Hennessy.), Cointreau, and a splash of lemon juice get added to a cocktail shaker with ice.
After a vigorous shaking, the cocktail is strained into a coupe glass and garnished with a lemon peel and cherry.
To make my garnish, I used a peeler to get a nice-size lemon peel. I also used Luxardo Orginal Maraschino Cherries. I highly recommend these (though they are a tad more expensive) or a brandied cherry rather than the more common bright red maraschino cherries. I think this cocktail deserves something luxe and special.
Talk about the perfect Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving cocktail, right?
I’m confident you’ll find that this Apple Cider Sidecar is a cocktail to savor. The recipe is below. Give it a try this fall and let me know what you think.
Made with crisp apple cider and smooth cognac, this is the perfect cocktail recipe for this time of year as days get shorter and evenings get cooler.
Ingredients
2ouncesapple cider
2ouncescognac
1ounceCointreau
Splash fresh lemon juice
Lemon peel and Luxardo cherry(or brandied cherry)
Instructions
Add all of the ingredients (except for the garnish) to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake vigorously.
Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon peel and a cherry.
Cheers to fall with this Apple Cider Sidecar! Made with crisp apple cider and smooth cognac, this is the perfect cocktail recipe for this time of year as days get shorter and evenings get cooler. It’s Friday, which can only mean one thing: the weekend is here, and it’s time for a cocktail. Today, I’m […]
Last week I shared my porch decorated for fall. As promised, today I’m back to show you how it looks at night, plus I wanted to give you a peek at my Outdoor Halloween Decorations. I didn’t go crazy, but a few small touches gave my home some Halloween Spirit.
Whenever you move into a new place, part of the fun is figuring out what works best in that space You want things to look good, but they also have to function well. As the fall and winter holidays approach, I’ve been thinking about Christmas tree placement, outdoor lighting, and most recently, my outdoor Halloween decorations.
I’m giving myself a little latitude with everything I do at Bayberry House. I realize that my first go at things may not be “correct,” but it’s still so much fun to experiment with new materials and combinations and placement of items. With that being said, I’m super happy with the way the decor is coming along. My fall porch is beautiful, and my outdoor Halloween decorations are bewitching.
This post contains affiliated links.
Let me show you what I created outside for Halloween, and then I’ll give you a peek at my porch.
Outdoor Halloween Decorations:
For a couple of years, I’ve been in love with this witch silhouette from Grandin Road. Now that I finally have a large enough yard, I had to bring her home.
I set her up, along with a matching cat, in the front yard and then surrounded her with pumpkins. I used some real pumpkins but also incorporated a few of these lighted flame pumpkins. During the day, you’d assume they were just real pumpkins, but at night they light up and glow with a flickering flame.
They are the greatest! They even have a timer so they turn themselves on and off.
I also went wild with pumpkins and gourds and scattered a few around the front of the house. While it’s not overkill, I think it helps to bring everything together. I included a few of the flame lighted pumpkins near the house to tie in my witch area in the yard.
At night, I use a few of these solar-powered spotlights to light everything up. I was impressed by how well they work – no cords required. And even though they are LED, they give off a warmer light, which I prefer to the blueish tint of many LEDs.
Now, let’s take a look at my side porch!
My Fall Side Porch at Night
When I photographed this space last week, I was excited to be able to shoot some pictures at night as well.
Typically, I like to photograph things during the day when I have lots of filtered sunlight. I think natural ligh makes for the best photographs. But as you can imagine, there isn’t a lot of filtered natural sunlight when the sun goes down.
Even without sunlight, the string lights and glow from candles can create a magical space and photograph. What do you think?
I kept costs down by picking up glass votives and candles from HomeGoods plus these inexpensive string lights from Amazon. It’s a quick and easy way to make a space feel special and welcoming.
All-in-all I think my outdoor Halloween decorations and glowing side porch are looking pretty festive for my first year at Bayberry House.
I hope you enjoyed this look at my space and picked up a few ideas for the exterior of your home. Happy Haunting!
Last week I shared my porch decorated for fall. As promised, today I’m back to show you how it looks at night, plus I wanted to give you a peek at my Outdoor Halloween Decorations. I didn’t go crazy, but a few small touches gave my home some Halloween Spirit. Whenever you move into a […]
Welcome to the first week of October, the time to add a little haunt to your home! That’s why today I’m posting my spooky chic Halloween table decorations.
Today I’m excited to be teaming up with my fellow ghouls and goblins of the Seasons of Home series to share my 2018 Halloween Tablescape. Each of us is showing a space in our home that we’ve decorated for All Hallows’ Eve. So if you’re looking for Halloween decorations for other places in your home, be sure to visit all the links at the end of this post.
Right now let me show you what I concocted in my dining room.
Ideas for Halloween Table Decorations:
Using things I had on hand plus some new goodies, I outfitted my table in a skeleton theme.
First off, I covered the middle of the table with a runner made from the inexpensive black cheesecloth you can often find it at many big box and party stores.
The tattered texture adds movement and makes an interesting base for Halloween table decorations.
In the center of the table, I made a flower arrangement with this collection of test tubes. This was another HomeGoods find. I chose strange and quirky-looking flowers for the arrangement and stuck in a pair of skeleton hands for added creepiness!
Quick tip: When shopping for Halloween décor, look outside the Halloween section. Items do not need to be specifically designed for Halloween to create the look you’re after.
Next, to spook up the table, I brought in more elements to suit my theme. These gold skeleton keys decorated each place setting. Being gold, they add a bit more chic to my table.
Since candles are must at a holiday dinner, my Halloween table is graced by these skull-shaped ones.
I even found skeleton-shaped taper candles, which I used over on my buffet. They are in the big silver candelabra I got on clearance at HomeGoods. Speaking of my buffet, I dressed that up for Halloween, too!
This skeleton drawing from Michael’s adds a charming fear factor to the buffet. And a big silver bowl held up by a claw ghoulishly offers snacks.
I also tied in that deep maroon/purple from the table centerpiece with a coordinating orchid. While beautiful, I think the orchid blooms also have an other-worldly feel, making them great for Halloween table decorations.
To finish things off, I added white ceramic pumpkins, a jar with gum “eyeballs,” and more skeleton keys.
Once everything was in place, I couldn’t resist serving a few Halloween treats. You might have already seen it on the blog, but the first thing I whipped up was this Cranberry, Bacon, and Walnut Cheeseball.
I inserted this mini cleaver in the top of the cheeseball. Not only does it give an eerie effect, but it doubles as a cheese knife. You can find that cheeseball recipe here.
I also created a collection of mini spider cheeseballs to crawl across the table. The spider cheeseballs were inspired by the iron spider I bought at HomeGoods.
With a black sesame seed coating and pretzel stick legs, they are both creepy and delicious. You can see how I made those here.
And with that, my dining room is ready for the holiday! What do you think of my spooky chic Halloween table decorations?
I hope these ideas inspire you to create some Halloween decorations of your own!
Want more Halloween tricks and treats? These are some of my favorites:
Welcome to the first week of October, the time to add a little haunt to your home! That’s why today I’m posting my spooky chic Halloween table decorations. Over the past several years, it’s become a tradition of sorts for me to share my Halloween table decorations. You may remember that back in my St. […]
With fall in the air and football season well underway, it’s the perfect time for this Beer Cheese Dip with Bacon. Made in a slow cooker, this dip is rich with flavor and likely to become your new favorite appetizer recipe.
It’s been a hot minute since I created an appetizer recipe, so I’m busting out this Beer Cheese Dip to celebrate the season. In fact, if you’re looking for delicious and beautifully presented fall appetizer recipes, you’ve come to the right place.
My Taste of the Seasons blogger friends and I are back with another collection of recipes. I’ve linked all of them up at the end of this post. From dips to breads to cheeses, there’s something for everyone. So if you are in need of an autumn-inspired snack, this is the post for you.
Beer Cheese Dip with Bacon:
If you’ve never tasted a beer cheese dip, I heartily recommend trying it. When I was growing up, my mom made one with Old English cheese that she served with cubed bread. Our family loved it.
This recipe reminds me a lot of that dip, but the deliciousness has been taken to a new level with thick-cut bacon, freshly grated cheddar cheese, and several other savory ingredients.
Served warm, this dip is great for the cool weather that comes with fall. It’s one of those dishes that will warm you from the inside out. And, as I mentioned above, it tastes so-o-o good! When I made this, the weather was so perfectly fall so I set this dip up on my little side porch to take my photo. If you missed it, you can see how I decked out my porch for the fall here.
How to Make Beer Cheese Dip:
In addition to its fantastic flavor, this recipe is also easy to make because it all comes together in a slow cooker.
Just toss the main ingredients into a greased slow cooker, set it on low, and let it do its thing for a couple hours. As the cheese starts to melt, give it a stir every so often. After a few hours, all the cheese will be melted, and you will have a smooth, creamy, and flavor-packed dip.
What beer is best for beer cheese dip:
For the beer, I recommend using an amber or a lager. I used Yuengling since I had some on hand following my dad’s visit. I would avoid anything that has an added flavor to it like pumpkin, citrus, etc.
I should also mention, you could also use a non-alcoholic beer if needed or desired.
A bit before serving, stir in the cream.
When you’re ready to serve, top the cheesy goodness with more bacon and chopped green onions. Perfection! You can leave your Beer Cheese Dip in the slow cooker, but I chose to serve mine in a fancy bowl.
If you liked this Beer Cheese Dip, check out these recipes:
With fall in the air and football season well underway, it's the perfect time for this Beer Cheese Dip with Bacon. Made in a slow cooker, this dip is rich with flavor and likely to become your new favorite appetizer recipe.
Ingredients
20ouncescream cheese
1/4cupsour cream
2tablespoonsdijon mustard
1teaspoongarlic powder
1cupbeeramber or lager
3cupsshredded cheddar cheese
1poundbaconcooked and chopped
1/4cupheavy whipping cream
2green onionschopped
Soft pretzel bites or cubed challah bread
Instructions
To a greased 3-qt slow cooker, add the cream cheese, sour cream, dijon, garlic powder, beer, cheese, and about 1/4 cup of the bacon.
Stirring occasionally, cook covered on slow, for 3-4 hours or until the mixture is smooth and heated through.
About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the heavy cream.
When ready to serve, top with the onion and remaining bacon. Serve with pretzel bites or cubed bread.
With fall in the air and football season well underway, it’s the perfect time for this Beer Cheese Dip with Bacon. Made in a slow cooker, this dip is rich with flavor and likely to become your new favorite appetizer recipe. It’s been a hot minute since I created an appetizer recipe, so I’m busting […]
Thank you to GAF for kindly sponsoring this post. All opinions are honest & completely my own.
You know you’re an adult when you get crazy excited about a roof replacement. Today I’m sharing all the details about my new GAF roof from start to finish.
When I purchased my new home earlier this year, getting a new roof was high on my priority list. According to the previous homeowner, the roof was over 25 years old. While I might have been able to get another year or two more out of it, it was definitely showing its age. Several areas of the roof were growing a “little moss garden,” and I was told that one corner of the roof leaked from this past winter when snow built up. Obviously, these are things you do not want in a roof.
GAF Roofing:
To complete this rather large project, I partnered with GAF and Lowe’s Home Improvement. Like me, you might not know much about roofing. After some research, I discovered that GAF is the leading roofing manufacturer in North America. I was also pleased to learn that they have products designed to help with my roof’s problem areas.
I was excited to work with Lowes again. As you may know, I have worked with them on craft projects. I also collaborated with them on the decoration of the living room of one of my readers, so I knew my roof would be in good hands.
To get the process started, a Lowe’s Professional Service Exterior (PSE) associate came by for an in-home consultation. If you’re looking for a new roof, you can visit or call your local Lowe’s Home Improvement Store to set-up an in-home consultation, or schedule an appointment right on their website. The Lowes PSE person walked me through the process, from ordering to installation and educated me on the quality, durability, styles, and colors of GAF products.
When I was a teenager, I helped my dad install two roofs. Although I was mostly on clean-up duty, I saw the installation process from start to finish and learned how much time it takes and all the details that go into a good roofing job. Needless to say, I was happy to have someone else take on the replacement of my roof.
GAF Timberline Ultra HD® Shingles:
During the in-home consultation, I decided that the GAF Timberline Ultra HD® shingles in charcoal would be the best option for my roof.
I knew that I wanted a black or charcoal color. I thought it would work well with my home’s white exterior. I also really like the ultra-dimensional wood-shake look these shingles provide.
As my PSE explained, this particular shingle would also be a good choice to help with the moss and algae issue I had with my existing roof since they have StainGuard Plus™ Time-Release Technology. This technology uses specially engineered capsules to release copper over time for long-lasting, algae-fighting power. In other words, no more moss on my roof!
One of my other concerns was that there was an electric ventilation fan in my attic. This fan kicked on anytime it got too hot in the space. I loved that it kept the attic cooler, but it was rather noisy, so I was hoping to find a solution for it.
The PSE suggested that I use the Cobra® Snow Country Advanced™ ridge vent. By installing this on the peak (or ridge) of the roof, I would be able to completely eliminate the electric exhaust fan and my attic would be properly ventilated and stay cooler. No more noisy attic fan.
To help with my leak issue from the snow, it was also recommended that I use GAF WeatherWatch®. This is the first protective layer that goes down over the plywood. WeatherWatch® is designed to keep water and ice out of vulnerable areas of the roof.
Once all of these decisions were made, all the products for my new roof were ordered, and the installation date was scheduled.
The installation went wonderfully. In fact, the local construction company that did the work had 95% of the project completed in one day. They worked from dawn to dusk. I was very impressed.
The old shingles came off first. I believe there was just one area of the roof that needed the plywood replaced before they could get started laying down the new roofing system.
Before the new Timberline Ultra HD® shingles went on, they also added a layer of FeltBuster® to the roof. This is a polypropylene roofing underlayment that helps to prevent rain from infiltrating under the roof’s shingles (especially when it’s very windy). As you can see in the photo, the FeltBuster® was added on top the Weather Watch®.
After that, a layer of starter shingles was installed and then the roof was ready for shingles!
After careful planning and lots of hard work by the construction crew, my new roof is complete!
Here’s a look at the before …
and the after!
I always love seeing a house get a new roof. Since I went with a similar color, the change isn’t overly dramatic. However, it certainly freshened up the look of my home. I also love the look of the Timberline Ultra HD® architectural shingles compared with traditional three-tab shingle. The former adds a lot of interest and texture.
Moreover, thanks to GAF, I am hugely excited about the fact that I no longer need to worry about my roof for many years. I’m now protected from leaks, moss, and algae, and my attic is well ventilated without the sound of a noisy fan.
Also, because I selected GAF shingles and GAF accessories. I was eligible for the GAF Lifetime ltd. warranty. Since a new roof can be such a big investment, this was something that was extremely important to me.
I also have to mention how great it was to work with Lowe’s Home Improvement on this project. I’m big on communication, and they kept me updated every step of the way. There were zero surprises. I also felt the cost was appropriate and reasonable.
Whether you are in the market for a new roof now or in the coming years, I highly recommend taking a look at GAF and reaching out to Lowe’s Home Improvement to set up an in-home consultation to see which GAF products are best for you and your home.
And thanks for joining me on my roofing adventure!
Thank you to GAF for kindly sponsoring this post. All opinions are honest & completely my own. You know you’re an adult when you get crazy excited about a roof replacement. Today I’m sharing all the details about my new GAF roof from start to finish. When I purchased my new home earlier this year, […]
These free fall-inspired printable recipes cards are the perfect way to capture your favorite recipes this time of year.
Yes, my friends. I’m sharing another free printable recipe card with you. Inspired by the sights and tastes of the season, this recipe card celebrates the conclusion of another Fall Cookie Week.
I’ve been hosting an annual Fall Cookie Week (FCW) here on Inspired by Charm since 2012. I just closed out this year’s FCW with these Pumpkin Spice Cream Horns. Counting that recipe, I’ve posted a total of 47 fall cookie recipes here on the blog. That’s a lot of cookies, right?
In addition to cookies, I’ve been sharing printable recipe cards for the last three years. (If you missed the past two years’ series, you can find the 2016 Collection here and the 2017 Collection here.)
Printable Recipe Card for Fall:
For these new recipe cards, I took inspiration from many of the things I love about autumn: pumpkins, fall foliage, campfires, pie, and warm beverages.
With these cards, there’s plenty of room to write down your ingredients with space on the back for those longer recipes and notes to self.
To print the recipe cards, I recommend using a heavier paper such as card stock. The free download includes both sides of the card. Print Page 1 first; then send the paper back through the printer to print Page 2. This will create two double-sided recipe cards.
So cute, right?
Printable Recipe Card Download:
You can access the free downloadable printable HERE.
I hope you like this festive fall design as much as I do!
If you like these fall recipe cards, you’ll love these too:
Over the years it’s been fun to see how you use these cards. If you do use them and feel inclined to share on Instagram, please continue to tag your posts @inspiredbycharm.
Once again, thank you for joining me for Fall Cookie Week 2018. Enjoy using these fall printable recipe cards!
These free fall-inspired printable recipes cards are the perfect way to capture your favorite recipes this time of year. Yes, my friends. I’m sharing another free printable recipe card with you. Inspired by the sights and tastes of the season, this recipe card celebrates the conclusion of another Fall Cookie Week. I’ve been hosting an […]
Made on clothespins, these Pumpkin Spice Cream Horns (Lady Locks) are a flaky sweet treat filled with a pumpkin spice cream that tastes just like pumpkin pie. This recipe makes the perfect fall dessert!
Yes, you guessed it, one of my favorite recipes (and yours too!) on Inspired by Charm got a seasonal makeover for fall. I took my classic cream horns recipe and turned them into these delicious Pumpkin Spice Cream Horns. (Or as some would call them Pumpkin Spice Lady Locks.)
Even though Fall Cookie Week (FCW) officially ended yesterday, I just couldn’t resist giving you all one more delicious recipe (and a special surprise – see below). And in case you missed anything from FCW, I’ve linked up everything below.
My blogger buddy Julie Blanner joined me for this series, so there are 11 recipes in total. You can scroll to the bottom of each of my recipes to find a link to Julie’s cookie-of-the-day or you can click here to see all of her cookie recipes.
Pumpkin Spice Cream Horns:
Last year for the holidays I made one of my family’s favorite cookie recipes – Cream Horns – and shared them here on the blog. They continue to be one of the most popular posts on IBC. I decided to make them for FCW, but with a special filling for fall. So that’s exactly what I did.
And boy, am I pleased with how they turned out. They taste exactly as I expected, and dare I say it, I like them better than the originals.
It took me three attempts to nail the filling for these. The first time I made them, the frosting became a curdled mess. I found out that my cream cheese frosting didn’t mix well with the pumpkin.
For my second try, I made a Pumpkin Buttercream. It tasted delicious, but it was just too rich for the delicate horns.
Finally, I went back to the original filling recipe and tweaked it a bit by adding pumpkin puree and all the spices required to bring that flavor alive. This was it! I had a winner. To me, filling tastes just like pumpkin pie, but it is light enough so it doesn’t overpower the cookie horn. Yum!
How Do you Make Pumpkin Spice Cream Horns:
If you’d like a more detailed look at how to make Cream Horns (Lady Locks), check out this post here.
In sum, the pastry dough gets mixed, rolled out, and cut into strips. Each strip is then wrapped around a clothespin that’s covered in foil.
Once baked, you have beautiful cone shapes that are ready to be filled.
In this recipe, I filled the horns with my delicious pumpkin spice filling to create an amazing fall cookie recipe!
Now, with all of our cookies made and another Fall Cookie Week on the books, I thought I’d wrap up the series with a gift for each of you: A NEW fall-inspired recipe card printable!
As some of you may know, I’ve been sharing free printable recipe cards here on IBC for the past few years. This new card is the latest in my current collection.
I created a separate post to share the new fall recipe cards with you. So, if you’d like to download and print these adorable recipes cards, just click here. I hope you enjoy them and use them to create or share some fall cookie recipes of your own.
Thanks again for joining me for another tasty Fall Cookie Week. I hope these Pumpkin Spice Cream Horns (and my fall recipe cards) have created a perfect ending to this fun week!
Happy fall baking!
Pumpkin Spice Cream Horns (Lady Locks)
| Prep Time: 30mins| Cook Time: 15mins| Total Time: 45mins
Made on clothespins, these Pumpkin Spice Cream Horns (Lady Locks) are a flaky sweet treat filled with a pumpkin spice cream that tastes just like pumpkin pie. This recipe makes the perfect fall dessert!
Ingredients
2cups(4 sticks) unsalted buttersoftened
2tablespoonsvegetable shortening(Crisco)
1tablespoonsugar
2egg yolks
1cupcold water
4 1/2cupsflour
Clothespins wrapped in foil or lady lock molds
Filling:
2cupsmilk
1/3cupflour
2/3cuppumpkin puree
2teaspoonsground cinnamon
1/2teaspoonnutmeg
1/2teaspoonground ginger
1/4teaspoonground cloves
1cup(2 sticks) unsalted buttersoftened
1cupvegetable shortening(Crisco)
1teaspoonvanilla
1teaspoonkosher salt
4cupsconfectioners' sugar
Additional 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon for garnish
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the butter, vegetable shortening, and sugar for about 4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Then mix in the egg yolks. Finally, mix in the flour and water until combined. Chill dough for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.
Sprinkle your work surface with flour. Roll out 1/4 of the dough at a time until it's about 1/8-inch thick. Cut into strips that are 1/2-inch wide and 10 inches long. Then wind the strips around the foil-wrapped clothespins (or lady lock molds.) Bake on a cookie sheet for about 15 minutes or until the horns are just barely starting to brown.
Remove the horns from the oven. Allow them to cool for about 2 minutes; then carefully remove them from the clothespins. (Don't let the horns cool completely on the molds or the horns will crumble easily. The horns will also crack more if they are overbaked.) Let the horns finish cooling.
In the meantime, prepare the filling. Start by heating the milk, flour, and pumpkin puree in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook 8-10 minutes until thick, constantly whisking so the mixture doesn't burn. Transfer it to a bowl and whisk in the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Allow to cool.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, vegetable shortening, and salt 5-6 minutes or until fluffy. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Then add the pumpkin mixture and vanilla. Beat until combined and fluffy.
Put the filling in a piping bag, and then fill each horn. Before serving/storing the cookies, sprinkle them with the confectioners' sugar/cinnamon mixture.
To store: Refrigerate in an airtight container.
Made on clothespins, these Pumpkin Spice Cream Horns (Lady Locks) are a flaky sweet treat filled with a pumpkin spice cream that tastes just like pumpkin pie. This recipe makes the perfect fall dessert! Yes, you guessed it, one of my favorite recipes (and yours too!) on Inspired by Charm got a seasonal makeover for […]
If you enjoy the bold taste of espresso paired with the seasonal flavor of real pumpkin spice, then you’re going to love these Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies.
Welcome to Day Five of Fall Cookie Week! The fun and flavor continue today with these Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies!
In case you’re new here or don’t know what Fall Cookie Week (FCW) is, no worries. To catch up, start here. If you like this recipe and want more fall cookie inspiration, click here for all 46 of my fall cookie recipes!
I’ve linked up all 6 recipes from this year below.
Can I admit something to you? I actually don’t like Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. *gasp* Every year I try one, and every year I’m disappointed. It just doesn’t taste like pumpkin to me. In fact, I’m not a fan of most “pumpkin-flavored” things.
I I do like Starbucks, and my go-to order at Starbucks is a grande non-fat white chocolate mocha with no whip.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies:
I do love baked goods made with real pumpkin and the perfect blend of fall spices. Among my personal favorites are pumpkin pie, pumpkin donut muffins, and of course, pumpkin cookies.
Thinking about all of these pumpkin goodies inspired me to create my own Pumpkin Spice Latte but in cookie form. – A sweet treat that has great pumpkin flavor with the zing of espresso.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies:
These cookies are actually simple to make.
Once the dough is mixed up, placed scoops of it on a baking sheet and popped it the cookies in the oven.
While the cookies were baking, whip up the espresso frosting. For a bold coffee flavor, add a packet of instant coffee. (I used the Starbucks Pike Place blend.)
When the cookies have cooled, spread them with frosting. To finish them off, sprinkle on ground cinnamon. For a finer cinnamon sprinkle, I recommend spooning the cinnamon in a small fine-mesh sieve and then gently dusting each cookie.
Voila. The result is a soft, almost cake-like cookie with great pumpkin flavor topped with a delicious coffee frosting.
Now, if Starbucks would just create a latte to taste like these cookies, I’d be as excited as everyone else for its annual fall return to the menu.
If you like these pumpkin cookies, you’re going to love these:
For more fall cookie recipes, be sure to visit my FCW friend Julie Blanner.
Today she’s whipped up these amazing Monster Mash Cookie. Don’t they look yummy? I love their Halloween flair! I wouldn’t wait until dessert to enjoy these. I’d enjoy a few with my morning coffee. How about you? You can find all of Julie’s cookie recipes here.
If you enjoy the bold taste of espresso paired with the seasonal flavor of real pumpkin spice, then you’re going to love these Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, and nutmeg. Beat until combined.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Then, add the pumpkin. Beat in as much of the flour as you can using the mixer. Stir in remaining flour with a spatula.
Drop dough by heaping teaspoons 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are set. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.
For frosting: In a small saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar, and instant coffee until melted and smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in milk and vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar until smooth.
Spread frosting on the cooled cookies. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon, if desired.
If you enjoy the bold taste of espresso paired with the seasonal flavor of real pumpkin spice, then you’re going to love these Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies. Welcome to Day Five of Fall Cookie Week! The fun and flavor continue today with these Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies! In case you’re new here or don’t know […]
Shaped like squirrels and acorns, these Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Cookies are a fun and delicious way to celebrate fall.
Of the 40+ cookie recipes I’ve baked for Fall Cookie Week over the years, I’ve never done a fun cookie cutter shape. That all changes today with these Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Cookies.
Welcome back to Fall Cookie Week 2018! If you’re new here, Fall Cookie Week (established in 2012 and affectionately known as FCW) is a week-long series celebrating the flavors of fall in cookie form. My blogging and real-life friend, Julie Blanner and I are sharing a new recipe every day this week. You can find all of my recipes here and all of Julie’s recipes here.
Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Cookies:
I’m super excited about today’s cookie because it’s both cute and delicious. Even though gingerbread is usually associated with the winter holidays, I decided it would make an interesting addition to my FCW lineup.
This post contains affliate links.
This particular dough is great because it rolls out nicely and holds its shape well when baking. This is critical when using detailed cookie cutters such as this squirrel and acorn. This is the set of cookie cutters I purchased to make these cookies.
Thanks to brown sugar, molasses, and ginger, this dough also has amazing fall flavor.
How to Make Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Cookies:
You’ll want to prepare this dough a day ahead and let it chill in the refrigerator overnight. Cold dough is essential for rolling out these properly.
Also, this dough can be a little sticky, so make sure to flour your countertop or work surface before rolling out the dough.
After cutting the shapes, bake them until they just start to brown. This will ensure the cookies are soft.
Once cooled the cookies get a strategic coat of chocolate and are then decorated with sprinkles and nuts. I used white and milk chocolate, but you can use whatever you like best. Instead of dipping the cookie directly into the chocolate, I used a spatula to apply the chocolate to the places on the cookie where I wanted it.
You can then use chopped walnuts and sprinkles to decorate the chocolate. You can also skip this step if you prefer.
Once the chocolate sets, your Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Cookies are ready. Trust me, your family and friends will go nuts (pun intended) for these fabulous fall cookies.
If you liked these gingerbread cookies, you’ll also enjoy:
Now, before you scurry away, be sure to check out Julie Blanner’s cookie of the day: Brown Butter Oatmeal Coconut Cookies. Don’t they sound magical? In my book, anything with brown butter is scrumptious.
Also, while you’re on Julie’s blog, take some time to poke around. She is incredibly talented and her site is loaded with fabulous recipes and down-to-earth decorating tips and ideas. She even has a course on calligraphy!
I certainly hope this year’s Fall Cookie Week is inspiring you. Please join me back here tomorrow for another recipe!
Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Cookies
| Prep Time: 15mins| Cook Time: 12mins| Total Time: 27mins
Shaped like squirrels and acorns, these Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Cookies are a fun and delicious way to celebrate fall.
Ingredients
1cupvegetable shortening(Crisco)
1cupbrown sugarpacked
3/4cupmolasses
3/4cupbuttermilk
2eggs
4 1/2cupsall-purpose flour
1tablespoonground ginger
2teaspoonsbaking soda
1teaspoonsalt
2cupsmelted chocolate white chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate
Sprinkles and chopped nuts to garnishoptional
Instructions
Begin by adding the vegetable shortening and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat together for 3-4 minutes until smooth.
Add the molasses, buttermilk, and eggs. Beat again for 3-4 minutes until blended. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, and salt. Then, mix this into the shortening mixture. Mix until just incorporated. Refrigerate for 6-8 hours or overnight.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough so that it's 1/4-inch thick. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter. (I used a squirrel and an acorn.) Arrange the cookies on a non-greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges barely start to brown. Let cool.
Use a spoon or spatula to drizzle chocolate on a portion of the cookie. (I did the tail of the squirrel and the nut or top of the acorn.) Before the chocolate hardens, garnish it with sprinkles or chopped nuts. Place the cookies on wax paper and allow the chocolate to set.
Pack and seal the cookies in an airtight container.
Shaped like squirrels and acorns, these Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Cookies are a fun and delicious way to celebrate fall. Of the 40+ cookie recipes I’ve baked for Fall Cookie Week over the years, I’ve never done a fun cookie cutter shape. That all changes today with these Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Cookies. Welcome back to Fall […]
These Maple Glazed Cinnamon Chip Bars are an easy-to-make fall treat that’s packed with flavor thanks to cinnamon baking chips and a sweet maple glaze.
Thank you so much for joining me and Julie Blanner back here for Day 3 of Fall Cookie Week (FCW). Today we’re baking Maple Glazed Cinnamon Chip Bars!
In case you’re new to this year’s cookie week, you can catch up here. If you’d like all 40+ fall-inspired cookie recipes from past FCWs, click here.
Maple Glazed Cinnamon Chip Bars
Every once and a while, I like to include a non-traditional cookie in Fall Cookie Week. I especially like to make bar cookies because they are easy and fast to put together. All you need is one pan. There’s no shaping, rolling, or cutting. Just bake and cut!
How to Make Maple Glazed Cinnamon Chip Bars:
Some of the great flavor in these bars comes from cinnamon chips. Cinnamon chips are a relatively new product. Similar to chocolate chips, they can be melted, mixed into baked goods, melted, or sprinkled on top of them.
These chips get folded into the cookie dough that is then spread into a pan. Once the baked dough comes out of the oven and has a chance to cool, it is drizzled with a sweet maple glaze. I strongly recommend using pure maple syrup in the glaze. My favorite is Finding Home Farms.
Once the glaze sets up, slice the baked dough into bars. Your easy and flavorful fall treat is now ready to be enjoyed.
These Maple Glazed Cinnamon Chip Bars are an easy-to-make fall treat that's packed with flavor thanks to cinnamon baking chips and a sweet maple glaze.
Ingredients
1cupbuttersoftened
2cupsbrown sugarpacked
2teaspoonsvanilla
2eggs
2 1/2cupsall-purpose flour
2teaspoonsbaking powder
1/2teaspooncinnamon
1teaspoonkosher salt
1cupcinnamon baking chipsdivided
Glaze:
1/2cupconfectioners' sugar
3-4tablespoonsmaple syrup
1/2teaspoonvanilla
Pinchof kosher salt
Instructions
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and brown until well blended. Then, beat in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Stir in the cinnamon chips, reserving a few for the top. Lightly spread the dough into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle the top evenly with the reserved cinnamon chips.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
In a small bowl, create the glaze by whisking together the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and kosher salt. Add enough maple syrup to create a drizzling consistency. Drizzle on top of the pan of baked cookie dough.
After the glaze is set, cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.
These Maple Glazed Cinnamon Chip Bars are an easy-to-make fall treat that’s packed with flavor thanks to cinnamon baking chips and a sweet maple glaze. Thank you so much for joining me and Julie Blanner back here for Day 3 of Fall Cookie Week (FCW). Today we’re baking Maple Glazed Cinnamon Chip Bars! In case […]
Decked out for fall, my side porch is arrayed with mums, pumpkins, and plaid. Today I’m sharing some Fall Porch Decorating ideas and showing you around my space.
Yes, my friends, we’re taking a brief intermission from Fall Cookie Week (FCW) to focus on fall decorating. I hope you don’t mind. If you’re following along with FCW, today’s recipe can be found here. If you have no idea what FCW is, then start right here.
Cookies aside for a moment, this post is all about fall porch decorating.
Fall Porch Decorating Ideas:
In fact, I’m back with my friends from the Seasons of Home blogger series. So once you’ve checked out my porch, you can get more fall decorating ideas from the other bloggers participating in the series. You’ll find links to their sites at the end of this post. I hope you enjoy visiting everyone’s beautiful fall spaces!
This post contains affiliate links.
You might remember that a couple months ago, I furnished the side porch of my new home. It’s a wonderful place to relax, work, and entertain. I enjoyed it so much during the summer.
With fall upon us, I decided to make a few decorative changes to it to welcome the new season.
My first step was to switch up the textiles. My navy and blue pillows went into storage, and I pulled out these orange plaid and striped pillows I picked up at HomeGoods.
These pillows are not designed to be used outdoors, so I store them in an interior closet when I’m not hanging out on the porch or hosting guests out there.
I’ve always been amazed at how changing throw pillows and blankets can alter the look of a space. My preference to switch things up seasonally is one of the reasons I chose this neutral furniture. It’s an excellent base for adding whatever colors fit the season or current decorating trends.
With new textiles in place, I also shifted the furniture. I’ve been really pleased with this outdoor furniture collection. It’s very cozy and the white outdoor material cleans up nicely. You may have noticed that my outdoor sofa is a bit longer. That’s because I added another section.
I found this adorable little bench at a local antique shop. Isn’t the detail fantastic? It’s the perfect size for a coffee table, so I placed it in the center and moved the wood drum tables to each side of the sofa.
A lot of my summer plants are still doing well, so I didn’t need to replace them. Instead, I added a few mums and ornamental cabbages in various colors.
Rather than planting these in pots, I tucked them in decorative containers. I found these metal pails and vintage buckets at HomeGoods.
Here’s a quick tip for you that I shared on my Instagram Stories. These galvanized pails have colorful words and patterns printed on them that didn’t suit my overall look. Using 100% pure acetone applied with a paper towel, I was quickly able to remove the design, leaving the fronts clean. (You can find the Instagram story in the highlights section on my page if you want to see the removal in action.)
With all of that in place, I decided to tuck pumpkins all around. It is fall after all!
Every year I tell myself, “Don’t go crazy with pumpkins, Michael.” Then 10 minutes later I have a trunk full. How does this always happen? Tell me I’m not the only one who does this.
Because I love all pumpkins, I opted not to stick with a specific variety or color. I simply selected the ones I liked. I love that there are so many varieties and colors of pumpkins and gourds to choose from.
I was also inspired to style my bar cart. These “Forever Fall” mugs from Lily & Val served as my inspiration. (I believe they are currently sold out, but you should definitely check out their shop for other goodies. And I love these speckled vases I found in Target’s fall Threshold collection. They are the perfect blend of vintage and modern.
Since the sun sets earlier and earlier each day, I decided to add a little glow to the space by stringing inexpensive outdoor lights around the entire porch. Everything is better with string lights, right?
I also placed a few votive candles around and put pillar candles in these chic black lanterns.
I’m really digging this space in the evenings. In fact, I took some photos of the space at night. I’ll be sharing those in a separate post sometime soon. You’re going to love it!
And with that, I’d say my porch is ready for fall. Overall, I am so pleased with how it came together, and I will definitely be spending as much time out there as possible.
I had a side porch at my St. Marys house (You can see how I styled that for fall here.), but I have found that this one is even more fun to decorate.
I hope you enjoyed seeing my “fallified” porch and picked up a few ideas for decorating your own outdoor spaces for autumn.
If you’re looking for a few more ideas or just like perusing pretty spaces, be sure to visit all of the Seasons of Home bloggers below.
Decked out for fall, my side porch is arrayed with mums, pumpkins, and plaid. Today I’m sharing some Fall Porch Decorating ideas and showing you around my space. Yes, my friends, we’re taking a brief intermission from Fall Cookie Week (FCW) to focus on fall decorating. I hope you don’t mind. If you’re following along […]
A brownie baked inside a peanut butter cookie makes these cookies extra special and extra delicious. This flavor-packed fall cookie recipe is definitely a winner!
Welcome to Day Two of Fall Cookie Week 2018 (FCW)! Today we are making these crazy good Peanut Butter Brownie Pillow Cookies!
I’m so excited you’re here for FCW 2018! My blogger buddy Julie Blanner and I will be sharing a new cookie recipe every day this week. You can follow along here in case you missed anything. I’ll be linking Julie’s cookie recipe at the end of each post, so you can also easily check out what she’s baking!
Peanut Butter Browne Pillow Cookies:
My friend Mike gave me today’s recipe idea. In his version, a chocolate chip cookie is wrapped around a brownie. However, because of my deep love for anything peanut butter and chocolate, I couldn’t resist making my own flavorful adaptation.
While I carefully select/create all the FCW recipes I share, there’s usually one that stands above the rest each year. Despite the unassuming appearance of these cookies, they just might be “the one” for 2018. The combination of peanut butter and chocolate is hard to beat!
How Do You Make Peanut Butter Brownie Pillow Cookies:
The recipe might seem complicated, but it’s actually pretty easy. You start by making a brownie batter and a peanut butter dough.
After time in the refrigerator, the brownie batter is rolled into balls which are then covered with peanut butter cookie dough.
Next, the cookies are baked. And, if the dough coverage is good, no one will ever suspect there’s a brownie hiding inside. What a delightful surprise it will be when someone bites into the cookie or breaks one open!
The end result is a peanut butter cookie with a chewy brownie center. Oooh!! It’s love in every bite!
Like this peanut butter-inspired recipe? You’ll love these too:
You can grab the complete recipe for these Peanut Butter Brownie Pillow Cookies below.
Before you go about your day, click on over to Julie Blanner!
Today for FCW, she’s also baked up something with peanut butter. These No-Bake Stuffed Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies. Don’t they sound dreamily delicious!? I’ll take a dozen, Julie!
Hope you’re enjoying FCW. Julie and I will back tomorrow with two more tasty recipes!
A brownie baked inside a peanut butter cookie makes these cookies extra special and extra delicious. This flavor-packed fall cookie recipe is definitely a winner!
Begin preparing the brownie batter by adding the chocolate and butter to a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Stir in the sugars.
Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth. Then add the flour and stir to combine. Refrigerate the brownie batter until it becomes firm - 4-5 hours or overnight.
Now prepare the peanut butter cookie dough with an electric mixer by creaming together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Then, beat in the peanut butter.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time; then stir in the vanilla.
Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water. Add that to the batter, along with the salt. Finally, mix in the flour. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and remove the dough from the refrigerator.
Form the brownie batter into 3/4-inch balls. Then cover the brownie balls with the peanut butter dough. (I found it easiest to first roll the peanut butter dough into a 1 1/2-inch ball and then flatten it and wrap it around a brownie batter ball.) Cover the brownie ball completely.
Place the balls of dough to an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges of the cookie begin to brown. Cool on a baking rack.
Store the cookies in an airtight container.
A brownie baked inside a peanut butter cookie makes these cookies extra special and extra delicious. This flavor-packed fall cookie recipe is definitely a winner! Welcome to Day Two of Fall Cookie Week 2018 (FCW)! Today we are making these crazy good Peanut Butter Brownie Pillow Cookies! I’m so excited you’re here for FCW 2018! […]
These Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies bring together some of my favorite flavors and make the perfect sweet treat for fall.
Well, dear friends, it’s a special day here on Inspired by Charm! We are kicking off another Fall Cookie Week with these Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies!
If you’re new around these parts, Fall Cookie Week (FCW) started back in 2012 when I baked a selection of cookies for a Fall Open House that I was hosting at the Gift Shop in my Bed and Breakfast. Although I chose to close the B&B in 2013, the FCW tradition is still going strong on IBC.
Several years ago, I asked Julie Blanner, who is a fellow blogger and one of my close friends, to join in on the FCW fun. Julie is such a powerhouse of talent, and I couldn’t be more excited to again share this wonderful week of cookie baking with her. You can find her blog here. I will also be linking up her cookie-of-the-day at the end of each of my posts, so you won’t miss a thing. Over the course of the week, we will be posting a total of 10 fabulously fall and decadently delicious cookie recipes. *loosens belt buckle*
If Fall Cookie Week is new to you, you can catch up below. I’ve linked every year’s FCW recipes, beginning with 2012. (Please forgive the quality of the 2012 recipes and photos. I was just a beginning blogger back then. I hope to get those posts updated in the future!)
Okay, now that the FCW introductions and history have been taken care of, are you ready to talk about these Salted Carmel Shortbread Cookies?
When I’m planning a Fall Cookie Week, I think about the big fall flavors I love – pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, salted caramel, and so on. Although I can’t hit every one of the flavors in just five recipes, I decided that salted caramel was a must and that these shortbread cookies would be the ideal lead-off for this year’s FCW.
How to Make Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies:
These cookies are simple to make. They start with a basic shortbread cookie recipe.
Once the cookies are baked, they are topped with melted caramel. This can get a bit sticky, so it’s important to move quickly with this part of the recipe. A small ice cream scoop worked best for me.
This post contains affiliate links.
Once the caramel is on, sprinkle it with flake sea salt. My recommendation: Maldon Flake Sea Salt. It’s THE BEST. (Don’t even think about using table salt or kosher salt.)
The final step is to drizzle the cookies with melted semi-sweet chocolate.
When the chocolate is set, your cookies are complete and ready for a taste test. (If you’re like me, you won’t be able to wait that long to try one.)
The crisp shortbread, gooey caramel, drizzle of chocolate, and sprinkle of flake sea salt make this cookie a winner!
Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies:
If you like this caramel recipe, you’ll love these:
These Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies bring together some of my favorite flavors and make the perfect sweet treat for fall.
Ingredients
1 1/2cupsunsalted buttersoftened
3/4cupsugar
1teaspoonvanilla
3 1/2cupsall-purpose flour
Topping:
2bags(13 oz each) caramelsunwrapped
4tablespoonsmilk
6ouncessemi-sweet chocolatechopped
1tablespoonbutter
3teaspoonsflake sea salt
Instructions
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl with your electric mixer on high, beat the butter until creamy. Then beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer to low and beat in the flour until just incorporated.
Divide the dough into two parts. Place one half of the dough between two sheets of wax paper and roll it until it’s 1/4-inch thick. Then use a 2 1/2-inch-diameter round cookie cutter to cut the dough. Place the cut-outs on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat this process with the remaining half of the dough. (You can reform excess dough, roll it out, and cut it again until all the dough is used.)
Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes or until set and just barely starting to brown. Transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
While the cookies cool: In a microwave safe bowl, melt the unwrapped caramels and milk on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth.
Add1-2 teaspoons of the caramel mixture to each cookie. Then sprinkle the cookies with flake sea salt.
Finally, in another microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and butter on high for 1-2 minutes until it is smooth. Stir every 30 seconds. Drizzle the melted chocolate mixture over the cookies. Let the cookies cool until the chocolate sets.
These Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies bring together some of my favorite flavors and make the perfect sweet treat for fall. Well, dear friends, it’s a special day here on Inspired by Charm! We are kicking off another Fall Cookie Week with these Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies! If you’re new around these parts, Fall Cookie Week […]
This post is sponsored by Morton Salt. As always, all opinions are my own.
As you know, I’ve been busy making improvements to my new home. While some of them have been more obvious (like my cozy new deck space), others are taking place behind the scenes. For example, my water softener and water filtration system, which I’m excited to tell you about today.
Shortly after moving in, my friends over at Morton Salt contacted me about their Water Softener Salt. Not knowing whether I had hard water, they sent me a free hard water test strip.
And as you may have guessed, since I’m writing this post. I discovered that I had hard water at my new place.
In case you’re not familiar with hard water, it has a high mineral content, which is primarily calcium and magnesium. In your home, hard water can cause spotty dishes, dry skin, stained clothes, and rust build up on appliances.
Do You Need a Water Softener?
You’ll need to determine if you have hard or soft water. You can visit the Morton Salt website here and ask them to send you a test strip. It’s free!
I hired a local plumber to install my softener since my plumbing skills are limited. It actually fit perfectly in my garage. It doesn’t make for a beautifully styled photo, but it does get the job done.
The black container to the left of the tank is called the brine. This is what holds the Water Softener Salt. This container should always be half full of salt. You simply add more salt whenever needed. Depending on your system and water usage, it’s usually about 1 bag per month.
How much Does it cost to put in a water softener?
My particular system, which is a water softener and water filter, cost about $3,000 to install. Depending on the location of your system the price may fluctuate to run more plumbing or electricity.
It’s always best to get a quote from a trusted plumber for the best estimate.
How Does a Water Softener Work?
Well, it’s pretty simple. The brine tank (the black container) contains resin beads. When the water passes through them, the minerals in the hard water are attracted to the resin and removed from the water. This turns the hard water into soft water before it flows into your home.
Adding Morton Water Softener Salt recharges the resin beads so the softener can perform at its best.
Morton offers a variety of water softener salts. I’m using the Morton Clean and Protect Plus Rust Defense. This variety gives you better tasting water, fewer rust stains in your bathroom and kitchen, brighter laundry, and longer-lasting appliances.
My particular water softener unit also contains a charcoal water filter, so I’ll never need to buy a water filtering pitcher or attach any units to my faucets. The water is softened and filtered before it enters my house.
I love that!
What Are the Benefits of using a Water Softener?
There are quite a few benefits of having soft water. First off, it leaves your hair and skin feeling clean after your shower. Soft water also makes your laundry bright and your dishes spot free.
In addition, softening your water can improve the taste of your drinking water.
Another reason I was excited to get a softener installed is my upcoming kitchen remodel. Soft water helps to protect appliances from harmful build up and makes cleaning them easier.
With new kitchen appliances, a new washer and dryer, and even new toilets, soft water will help to extend their life, plus prevent mineral build up. Win-win-win!
Bet you didn’t expect a lesson in water today.
I am super happy with my new water softener and the benefits of using Morton Water Softener Salt.
If you want additional information about soft water, head on over to the Morton Salt website. While you’re there, you can also get that free test strip to test your own water.
This post is sponsored by Morton Salt. As always, all opinions are my own. As you know, I’ve been busy making improvements to my new home. While some of them have been more obvious (like my cozy new deck space), others are taking place behind the scenes. For example, my water softener and water filtration system, […]
It’s finally time to tackle a few indoor projects. First up, a design plan for my family room.
It’s hard to believe it’s officially fall. It’s even harder to believe I’ve already been in my new home for more than three months. While I’ve made a lot of progress, I had wanted to be further along by now. Even though things haven’t panned out exactly as planned, I’m allowing myself a little latitude and moving forward with excitement.
With the holiday season sneaking up on us, there are two big spaces I would like to tackle: my family room and my den.
These spaces function fine with the furnishings I had in my apartment, but they just aren’t what I envision in this house. We’ll save the living room for another day. Today I want to talk about my family room design plan.
As I mentioned before, this is my favorite room in the house. It’s probably where I spend most of my time. And while I’m dreaming of big fires on cool fall days and frigid winter nights, the space isn’t very cozy yet.
Here are my current issues with the room…
Without any windows on the back wall, it’s a dark room. I don’t really mind it, but I would like to brighten things up with furnishings.
I’ve discovered I don’t like the leather couch. It’s either cold or sticky. I’d rather have fabric against my skin than cold, sticky leather. Also, this couch seems a bit too large for the space.
The TV cable runs from the closet (to the right of the fireplace) across the floor to the TV. (The cable has been edited out of these photos so you can’t see it.)
There isn’t enough seating. I went back and forth on the layout of this room. It’s challenging. However, I think I’ve come up with a good solution.
With all of that in mind, here’s my plan for the space:
#Bayberrry House Family Room Design Plan:
To give you an idea of what I’m thinking, I have a couple inspiration images. (Coincidentally, both of these inspiration photos are Christmas related, but that works since the holiday will be here soon, and I’m already thinking about where to put the Christmas tree.)
The skeleton of the room is obviously different, but this image gave me the idea to do two matching sofas.
I love this idea because it creates comfort for everyone. I noticed that when my Mom visited or a friend was over for a movie, I gave my guest the sofa while I took the chair. Even though I was perfectly comfortable in a chair, it’s nice to nestle on a sofa when watching a movie. (Sometimes you just want to be horizontal, right?) Having, two sofas allows for more coziness.
While we’re looking at this picture, I also should note that the Christmas tree will go to the left of the fireplace behind the sofa (where the cactus is).
Then I stumbled upon this image from the latest Pottery Barn catalog, and it reinforced my decision to do double sofas.
On the wall opposite the fireplace will be a large console for storage and TV components. I’m also working with my electrician to mount the TV above the console and add a sconce on each side.
For the coffee table, I selected this leather ottoman. The goal for this room is comfort so I thought this could offer additional seating, including a place to sit if you want to be even closer to the fire. It’s also a comfortable place to put your feet up should there be more than one person on the couch. I will add a large tray to the ottoman so there is a surface to place drinks and snacks.
In the design plan above, I did include pieces I’ve already selected for the space. The larger pieces (sofa, ottoman, console) have been ordered and are on their way. I’m still on the hunt for sconces, pillows, and accessories.
(I haven’t linked to anything but will provide sources once everything is in place.)
Other things to note:
For now, I will keep the wall color as is. One wall in this room will get repainted during the kitchen remodel so I may opt for a different color then.
I’m also considering swapping out the natural wood mantel for a thick white painted slab. I have no intention of painting the brick. However, I think a chunky, white mantle could brighten things up a bit.
Once the sofas are in place, I will make decisions about side tables and lamps. This could mean a narrow sofa table behind the sofa to the left of the fireplace or a couple small side tables. Neither of the inspiration images has lamps but I do need lamps, so I’ll have to figure out what will work.
I also need a larger area rug. Although I love this one, it’s just a couple feet too small.
I’m on the fence about curtains for this room. Right now, I’m digging the no-curtains look.
As I mentioned previously, my design scheme for the entire house is Modern Country Colonial, so I think this plan suits it well. While the larger pieces are neutral, I will incorporate color through the rug, pillows, art, and accessories.
I hope this gives you an idea of what I’m planning. I’ll pop back in when I have updates and more information about the space.
Now, I’m off to find throw pillows!
It’s finally time to tackle a few indoor projects. First up, a design plan for my family room. It’s hard to believe it’s officially fall. It’s even harder to believe I’ve already been in my new home for more than three months. While I’ve made a lot of progress, I had wanted to be further […]
Creepy, crawly, and delicious, these Spider Cheeseballs are the ideal Halloween appetizer recipe.
With Halloween only a little over a month away, I thought now might be a good time to share a few ideas and recipes to help you celebrate! First up are these Spider Cheeseballs.
Okay, I know what you’re thinking, “Really, Michael? Another cheeseball recipe?”. I know, I’ve been on a cheese kick lately, but let’s just ROLL with it. (Pun intended.) I like to compare my obsession with cheese to an artist who works in a particular medium for a time. Apparently, my current medium is cheese shaped into balls.
Even if you’re not as excited about cheeseballs as I am, there’s no denying that these Spider Cheeseballs are a fun Halloween treat.
Spider Cheeseball for Halloween:
I recently styled a Halloween table (I’ll be sharing that with you soon.) and wanted to add a couple food elements. While a tablescape can look beautiful on its own, I think a few treats and drinks can complete the look.
In fact, I actually made two cheeseballs – these spiders plus this Cranberry, Bacon, and Walnut Cheeseball. If you look closely at that post, you can see a few cheeseball spiders tucked among the grapes.
How do you make a Spider Cheeseball?
It is so easy.
Toss all of your ingredients into a bowl, mix them together, and form the mixture into small balls. As you can see I made two different sized spiders.
The base for this particular cheeseball has a delicious herb flavor mixed with cream cheese and goat cheese. I think the combination is well-suited to the spiders.
Before adding the “legs,” roll each ball in black sesame seeds. These will give your spiders a wonderful texture and color.
For the legs, I tucked small pretzel sticks into the cheeseball. For the larger spider cheeseballs, I used whole sticks, and for the smaller cheeseballs, I broke the sticks in half.
Just pop them in the refrigerator until serving time.
While you can use the pretzel sticks to eat the cheeseballs, I also like serving them with crackers.
Be sure to get creative with your presentation. I think the “spiders” look extra creepy climbing over green grapes. I even tucked in a few fake plastic spiders for more variety. Halloween appetizer perfected!
Creepy, crawly, and delicious, these Spider Cheeseballs are the ideal Halloween appetizer recipe.
Ingredients
2packages8 ounces each cream cheese, softened
3tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
4ouncesgoat cheese
4green onionschopped
3garlic clovesminced
1tablespoondried dill weed
2teaspoonsdried oregano
1teaspoonkosher salt
1/2teaspoonblack pepper
1/2cupblack sesame seeds
2cupspretzel sticks
Additional pretzels and crackers for serving
Instructions
In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese and olive oil until smooth. Then beat in the goat cheese, green onions, garlic, dill, oregano, salt, and pepper. Chill for 30 minutes.
With your hands, roll the cheese mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls (for small spiders) and 3-inch balls (for large spiders). Then roll the balls in the black sesame seeds to coat.
For the small spiders, use four pretzel sticks broken in half to create eight legs (four on each side of the ball.) For the large spiders, use eight pretzel sticks to create eight legs (four on each side of the ball.)
Cover the Spider Cheeseballs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until you're ready to serve them. Serve with crackers or additional pretzel sticks.
Creepy, crawly, and delicious, these Spider Cheeseballs are the ideal Halloween appetizer recipe. With Halloween only a little over a month away, I thought now might be a good time to share a few ideas and recipes to help you celebrate! First up are these Spider Cheeseballs. Okay, I know what you’re thinking, “Really, Michael? […]
These Baked Apple Cider Donuts are a delightful way to celebrate the season. Moist and rich with fall flavor, they can be served for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or even dessert.
I have a sweet treat for you today. Last week I shared my latest fall tablescape and hinted at a couple tasty recipes. Today I’m back to share these Baked Apple Cider Donuts.
Like many folks, when it comes to fall, I’m a sucker for anything apple cider or pumpkin flavored. (Hence this recipe for Baked Apple Sider Donuts!) However, I do prefer homemade or freshly baked goodies over “fake” pumpkin things.
These are actually mini-bundt cakes, but I couldn’t resist calling them donuts because of the holes in the center. It seemed so much more suitable.
What I love about this particular recipe is that they are simple to make. You just need two bowls and a whisk. That’s right, no mixer is required. (I know it’s not a big deal, but sometimes it’s nice not to have to clean the mixer.)
How to Make Apple Cider Donuts:
To make these Baked Apple Cider Donuts, mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another and then mix them together. (It’s really that easy.)
Once they are out of the oven and still warm, brush them with butter and press a generous amount of cinnamon sugar on them. This will give them that beautiful deep cinnamon color and add a crunchy outer shell.
With that, your Baked Apple Cider Donuts are complete!
They are wonderfully moist and full of apple spice flavor. I think you’re going to love them!
If you liked this fall-inspired recipe, you’ll love these:
These Baked Apple Cider Donuts are a delightful way to celebrate the season. Moist and rich with fall flavor, they can be served for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or even dessert.
Ingredients
3cupsall-purpose flour
1teaspoonground cinnamon
1teaspoonapple pie spice
1 1/2teaspoonsbaking powder
1/2teaspoonbaking soda
1teaspoonkosher salt
1 1/2cupsugar
1cupapple cider
3/4cupunsweetened applesauce
3/4cupextra-virgin olive oil
3large eggs
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
Topping:
3tablespoonsunsalted buttermelted
1/2cupsugar
2tablespoonscinnamon
Instructions
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray your donut (mini-bundt cake) pan with a baking spray*. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, apple pie spice, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, apple cider, extra-virgin olive oil, applesauce, vanilla, and eggs. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan filling each cavity about three-quarters full.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow the donuts to sit in the pan for 3-4 minutes. Then invert the pan to remove.
In a small bowl, make the topping by whisking together the cinnamon and sugar. Brush each donut with melted butter. Then, using your hand, press the cinnamon and sugar mixture onto each donut.
The donuts can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes
*The particular pan that I used for this recipe will bake six donuts at a time. I baked half of the recipe first, removed the donuts from the pan, and then baked the remaining half. Alternatively, you could use two of the same pans.
These Baked Apple Cider Donuts are a delightful way to celebrate the season. Moist and rich with fall flavor, they can be served for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or even dessert. I have a sweet treat for you today. Last week I shared my latest fall tablescape and hinted at a couple tasty recipes. Today […]
