Think twice this year before you simply pop open a beer or uncork a bottle of wine. Wild cocktails are the drink of choice this Halloween season. Anyone can hand out cans and bottles but the discerning hosts will serve up one or two outrageous libations. Halloween is the time to elevate your cocktails to wild and wacky. They can be as elaborate as Glow In The Dark Eyeball Shooters or as simple as a glass with the rim dripping with thick red blood! Here an outrageous suggestion to serve your ghouls and goblins this Halloween.
GLOW IN THE DARK EYEBALL SHOOTERS
Turn those standard Jell-O shots into a slimy Halloween delight! We’ve all seen slippery eyeballs made of Jell-O as a Halloween treat, but we’ve kicked up the zing factor by making them with an alcoholic punch. These big beautiful eyes make for fantastic party buzz! Serve them in a clear cocktail glass or jar to get the full effect. Carry them around your party with a spoon and see who will be the first to allow one to slither down their throat! Both vodka and gin will work, but to achieve that neon glow be sure to use the tonic water.
NOTE: This recipe requires the Jell-O eye mold but uses unflavored gelatin, not Jell-O.
· Jell-O eye mold · Cooking oil spray · Unflavored gelatin (granulated) · 1/3 cup gin (plus 2 tablespoons) · 2/3 cup tonic · 3 tablespoons simple syrup · 2 tablespoons soy milk (cow’s milk will curdle) · Food coloring (blue, green, red, and yellow) · Straw · Cotton swab · Toothpick
WHITES
Measure out 2 tablespoons soy milk and let set at room temperature. Clean mold with soapy water; rinse and dry well. Lightly coat with cooking spray and snap eye sockets into place. Make simple syrup by boiling ½ cup water. As water begins to boil, add ½ cup sugar and stir. Allow to boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Mix gin, tonic water, and syrup in a measuring cup or bowl with a pour spout. Place gelatin in the top of a double boiler. Do not turn on heat. Add 2 tablespoons of gin, or just enough to cover granules and let sit until gelatin is softened, (approximately 3 minutes). Now turn on heat and stir until completely melted. Add melted gelatin to the gin, tonic, and syrup mixture. Stir until well blended. Add soy milk and stir. Pour into the small opening of the eye molds. Place tray in the refrigerator to solidify. This will take approximately 3 hours.
IRIS
Place ½ teaspoon gelatin in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon boiling water and stir until dissolved. Add 1 tablespoon cold water and stir. Add food coloring to make the eye color of your choice. Remove eyes from refrigerator. Insert one end of the straw into the mix and place your finger over the other end to trap the liquid. Insert the filled straw into the mold opening and release so gelatin will cover a portion of the white to form the iris. Continue until all eyes are filled. Place back into the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
PUPIL
In a small dish mix food coloring: 2 drops red, 1 drop blue, 1 drop green, and blend with a tooth pick. Remove the tray from the refrigerator and slightly insert the colored toothpick into the middle of each iris. You may need to do this several times until the pupil is large enough to recognize.
BLOODSHOT EFFECT
Place several drops of red food coloring in a small dish. With your fingers, pull at the end of a cotton swab to make jagged strands. Dip into the red coloring and dab the red onto the white of the eyes. Add as much bloodshot effect as you desire. Allow to dry for a few minuets before transferring.
From the book 10 On-Set Secrets Halloween; Outrageous & Affordable Decorating, Entertaining and Special Effects. Visit www.trashlassies.com for other fast affordable solutions to Halloween entertaining and www.onsetsecrets.com for free preview chapters.