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Halloween: Using Dry Ice for Party Drinks

It’s Halloween and nothing looks spookier then a steaming caldron on your beverage table.  To make your favorite potion, you won’t have to cast a spell but you will need some dry ice.  Dry ice has long been used to create creepy atmosphere at parties.  The rolling mist it creates transforms an everyday cocktail or punch into a bone-chilling brew.

Most grocery stores or fish departments will have dry ice.  Call around first to make sure your local store uses it. Because it’s popular to use at Halloween, you may want to try and reserve some in advance. When you find it, plan on picking it up just before your event.  Dry ice won’t keep long in your freezer.  It’s frozen carbon dioxide and it will ultimately convert back to a gas without proper storage.  Be very careful when handling it.  Always wear heavy-duty gloves, as dry ice is much colder then regular ice and can really burn your skin.  Unless you specifically ask for “food grade” dry ice, it is not safe to ingest or put directly into beverages.  Always keep it safely away from children and in an area that is well ventilated.  Inhaling large amounts of the fumes can cause discomfort.

To give your punch that graveyard affect, you’ll need two punch bowls – one larger then the other.  Mix up your favorite Halloween punch recipe in the smaller bowl. Add a few dry ice chunks to the larger container and place the bowl filled with punch on top of the ice in larger bowl.  Just before serving your ghoulish guests, pour a little hot water on the dry ice until it starts misting the desired amount.  For the maximum amount of spooky mist, make sure your punch is at room temperature.  You do not need to add regular ice to your punch either.  The dry ice will make it cold.

For an extra special effect, add some “Shrunken Apple Heads” to your punch.  Seeing those little faces will give your guests that extra jolt when they take a peek into the misty pot!

Shrunken Heads in Cider

Photo Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.

Recipe: Shrunken Apple Heads

• 6-8 Granny Smith apples
• 1.5 cups lemon juice
• 2 TBSP coarse salt
• Whole cloves (enough to make “eyes”)

 Method:

1. Preheat oven to 250
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, mix lemon juice with salt.
4. Peel apples and cut in half (through the stem) – remove seeds and core.
5. Use a paring knife to carve your desired “face” on the rounded side of the apple
6. Place all apples in lemon mixture for one minute. 
7. Drain and allow to dry on paper towels.
8. Place all apples “face side up” on baking sheet and place in oven
9. Bake until apples are dry and just begin to lightly brown on the edges (about 90 min)
10. Remove apples and make the “eyes” by pressing whole cloves into eye socket area
11. Float shrunken apple heads on top of punch in smaller bowl.

For more information on using dry ice, check out this website dedicated to dry ice!

Looking for a fun punch recipe?  Here are a few more punch and cider recipes for you to consider this Halloween!

Taste of Home:          Shrunken Heads and Citrus Cider

Canadian Living:      Shrunken Head Dried Apple Punch

Martha Stewart:       Shrunken Heads in Cider plus another 25 spooky cocktail and drink ideas

Martha Stewart:        Hot Spiced Concord Grape Punch

Kid Party Paradise:  Spooky Halloween Punch Recipes

Yellow Watermelon Margarita with Chipotle Rim

Thoughts From Viviane: 

I had other plans for the fragrant watermelon I’d bought at the farmers’ market last Sunday, but Kate Bush’s song “Eat the music” inspired me to make a sinfully delicious cocktail, one that is sure to make your taste buds sing…

I also thought the watermelon would be its usual seductive pink color, but it turned out to be deep-yellow — and, I might add, super-sweet!

The idea of garnishing the rim with more than just salt happened as I was making my first trial — it was a fluke! I found myself stirring into my sugar-salt mixture a bit of smoky chipotle powder. The result? As you put your nose in the glass to take your first sip you get a whiff of smokiness — an unbelievable counterpoint to the sweet aroma of the watermelon!

As for the drink itself, the Reposado tequila rounds off the flavor of the watermelon beautifully, the elderflower liqueur accentuates its lovely floral notes, and the fresh lime juice keeps everything in check. In a word: Heaven in a glass…

Cheers… And this time… Drink the music!

Yellow Watermelon Margarita with Chipotle Rim

serves 1

For the rim
1 tablespoon organic sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle
lime wedge

For the cocktail
2 oz Reposado Tequila
1 1/2 oz watermelon juice (see cook’s note)
3/4 oz elderflower liqueur (St. Germain)
3/4 oz fresh lime juice

Step 1: Place the sugar, salt and chipotle powder in a small bowl and mix well. Spread on a small plate. Moisten the rim of a cocktail glass with the lime wedge and dip the glass rim in the sugar/salt/chipotle mixture. Set aside.

Step 2: For the cocktail – Shake all ingredients with ice cubes until a thin layer of frost appears on the outside of the shaker. Pour in the prepared glass and serve immediately!

Cook’s note: To make the watermelon juice – remove rind and seeds of watermelon and cut flesh in 2” chunks. Place in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Then process until smooth and liquidy. Strain through a fine sieve. Transfer juice into large squeeze bottle and refrigerate until ready to use. Refrigerate up to 3 days (after 3 days the juice starts losing its flavor).

West Indies Lime Mint Rum Punch

Recipe and Photos Reprinted with Permission of  Lorraine Thompson

www.copywriterskitchen.com

I was fantasizing about a tropical vacation and this recipe appeared on my Twitter account.  I love just about anything with rum in it, but this combination of lime and mint is so refreshing.  Lorraine was gracious enough to let me share this recipe from her clever and well-written blog,  www.copywriterskitchen.com.  The blog focuses on making delicious recipes from scratch, without the usual time and hassle factors.

In her own words,

Today we’re serving West Indies Lime Mint Rum Punch, inspired by my Trinidadian mother-in-law.

Trinidadians need little no excuse to gather together friends and family for “fêtin’”—partying.

West Indies Lime Mint Rum Punch is a tall, cool variation of the traditional rum punch my mother-in-laws’ people serve in tiny glasses—refilled over and over and over.

To make West Indies Lime Mint Rum Punch you need to first concoct a simple syrup infused with lime and mint. You can make the syrup ahead. Make in quantity if inviting West Indian friends.

When ready to fête, simply mix the syrup with San Pellegrino water or club soda and serve. For festive presentation, it’s fun to serve West Indies Lime Mint Rum Punch in a punch bowl. Otherwise use tall glasses.

West Indies Lime Mint Rum Punch

• 1 cup lime juice—about eight limes
• 4 tablespoons finely grated lime zest
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves, stems removed and chopped fine
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 quart San Pellegrino water or club soda
• 1 cup rum
• Thin slices of limes

METHOD:

Juice the limes and remove seeds but don’t strain pulp—it adds extra flavor.

Grate lime zest, being careful not to include white pith. You’ll need about 6 limes to make 4 tablespoons of zest.

Remove stems from mint, wash well and spin in salad spinner. Chop fine.

Combine lime juice, zest, mint leaves, sugar and water in saucepan over medium-low flame.

Bring to simmer, turn off flame. Let syrup steep for at least two hours—but no longer than four hours or it will become bitter.

Strain syrup into glass container, pressing mint leaves into strainer to extract full flavor. Cover syrup and store in fridge until ready to use.

To make a punch bowl, pour syrup into bowl and add rum. Slowly add the bottle of San Pellegrino water or club soda, stirring carefully to incorporate water but not diffuse soda bubbles. Float lime slices on top. For a very impressive presentation add an ice-ring.

To make individual glasses of punch, add 2 jiggers of syrup and one jigger of rum to a tall 12-ounce glass. Add ice cubes to top of glass and fill with San Pellegrino water or club soda. Stir gently, garnish with thin slice of lime and serve.

Serves 10 using punch cups and 6-7 using tall glasses.

Famous Mygatt "Tequini"

This festive libation is the creation of Chris and Marcee Mygatt of Denver.   Be sure not to skip step #4 as this is critical to get just the proper blend and chill to your Tequini!

1. Pour 4 oz of Anejo Tequila (whatever brand you prefer: Patron, Herradura, etc) into a cocktail shaker over ice!
2. Pour 1 oz of Cointreau into the same cocktail shaker.
3. Add a good squeeze of 1/2 fresh lime.
4. Shake 10 times to a Mariachi beat (or until shaker is frosted).
5. Grab a chilled salt-rimmed Martini glass and pour gently.
6. Garnish with fresh lime.
7. Drink and repeat...

Serves 4.

• 12 eggs, separated
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound butter, room temperature
• 3 pounds confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Beat egg whites and salt until foamy in a large glass or metal mixing bowl until stiff peaks form.  mix until the egg whites should form a sharp peak that holds its shape.

Beat the egg yolks to soft peaks in a separate bowl. Beat the butter and confectioners' (powdered) sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla to the butter mixture; mix. Stir in the nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cinnamon and the egg whites; beat until well blended. Batter can be frozen or kept in refrigerator for several weeks.

For one drink, fill a cup of hot water or warm milk with spiced rum or brandy and stir in 1 heaping tablespoon of batter (or more). Top with freshly grated nutmeg. This makes a great non-alcoholic treat too!

Update:  For more information on the history of egg nog check out this article