As much as we love the creepy, crawly, scary side of Halloween, let’s face it, haunted houses and other seasonal celebrations can be more frightening than thrilling for our little ones (and maybe even the adults too!). This Halloween, we’re embracing the whimsical side of the holiday with a party full of bright hues and silly desserts.
First up on our playful menu: monster macarons.
How did we get these macarons so perfect? We bought ’em! Save yourself some prep time by purchasing macarons in your favorite Halloween color palette. To give them the monster touch, add a dab of icing on the macaron and place candy eyes on the icing before it hardens. You can find candy eyeballs at most craft and party stores.
Now for our other colorful treat — purple candy apples!
Use the following recipe to make these yourself. With adult supervision, the kids will love dipping the apples themselves and perfecting each one’s purple coating.
- Wash and dry 6 medium apples, then insert knobby sticks or popsicle sticks into the apple.
- In a medium saucepan, combine a 1/2 cup of light corn syrup, 2 cups of sugar, 3/4 cup of water and purple food coloring over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to medium-high. Using a candy thermometer, boil until temperature reaches between 300 and 310 degrees.
- Remove the mixture from heat and quickly dip the apples in the sugar mixture, coating them completely (this should be under adult supervision). Place the candy-dipped apples on a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper. Before the coating has set, kids can apply sprinkles so they stick.
- Allow the apples to cool completely before serving.
- To make candy apples easier to eat for small kids, slice them into bite-sized pieces.
Serve with your favorite savory snacks and milk or juice to complete the mischievous menu. For even more Halloween recipes and party ideas, check out our entire Halloween Party Guide!