NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS

A group blog featuring an international array of killer mystery, suspense, and romantic suspense writers. With premises and story lines different from your run-of-the-mill whodunits, we tend to write outside the box. We blog several times a week on all topics relating to romantic suspense and mystery, our writing, and our readers. We welcome all comments and often have guest bloggers. All our authors can be contacted separately, too, using their own social media links.

We find our genre delightfully, dangerously, and deliciously exciting - join us here, if you do too!

NOTE: the blog is currently dormant but please enjoy the posts we're keeping online.


Julie Moffet . Cathy Perkins . Jean Harrington . Daryl Anderson . Nico Rosso . Maureen A Miller . Sandy Parks . Lisa Q Mathews . Sharon Calvin . Lynne Connolly . Janis Patterson . Vanessa Keir . Tonya Kappes . Julie Rowe . Joni M Fisher . Leslie Langtry

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Trick or Treat?? We Vote Treat! Recipes & Giveaway


To celebrate All Hallows Eve, NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS are blogging about their favorite homemade Halloween treats. Enjoy!--And we are giving away four books for your delectation. Muwhahaha!!


Pumpkin Soup

Six green onions (Separate the white from the green).
Cook in two cups of chicken broth (approximately 15 minutes).
Add two cups of pumpkin (cook 15 minutes or tender when tested with a fork).
Drain and work through a sieve then combine with three tablespoons of butter, tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 quarter teaspoon of white pepper.
Cook over low heat about ten minutes.

Before serving add two cups of half and half, sliced tomato and sprinkle green onion on top.

 Elise
Scene Stealer
Bread Stick Bones with Blood

1 tube refrigerated bread stick dough
1 Tbs butter
2 Tbs Parmesan cheese
Garlic salt to taste

Unroll bread stick dough. Carefully stretch out and tie ends into knots. Use a scissors to cut a notch in the middle. Place on ungreased cookie sheet then brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with cheese and garlic salt then back at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes until golden.  Serve with red sauce.

Wynter
Cookie ghosts
Take Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies (or similar flat oval shaped cookie (for you furriners: try a lady finger, like you'd use for tiramisu?) and melt some white chocolate. Dip them in chocolate about half way. Lay they on a wax papered cookie sheet. Add some round candies for eyes...like mini M&Ms or sprinkles. Try a dab of black gel icing for an open mouth. Or just set out the decoration possibilities and let the kids go to town! (We always made dark chocolate ones as well, for an integrated ghost neighborhood.<g>)
Frankenheads
Get some big marshmallows, white or dark melted chocolate, your leftover holiday sprinkles, gel icing in different colors and a few toothpicks or small pretzel sticks. Use the marshmallow as the head. Dip one end in chocolate and add green or black jimmies for crazy hair. Use the toothpicks or pretzels to paint on spots of chocolate to attach eyes or draw some wicked looking scars. Set the finished "heads" in mini paper cupcake papers. Another fun kid-artist activity!

Last but not least, I always like to throw a few plastic spiders and eyeballs into some ice cube trays or small tupperware holders. The secret is to use the last of the boiled water in the kettle, which will freeze clear, not cloudy. Drop them in a glass for a surprise at dinner! (Note to the file: this can be a fun April Fool's moment, as well.<g>)

J Wachowski



Pumpkin & Choc Chip Muffins


Makes: 24
  • 415g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
  • 600g caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 500g pumpkin puree
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 150ml water
  • 170g plain chocolate chips

Preparation method

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 30 mins
http://www.clarelondon.co.uk
 
 
 

Severed Fingers Halloween Cookie

2 tablespoons red food coloring
30 blanched almonds
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 pinch salt
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:


1
Heat oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats) or parchment paper, and set aside.
2 Place food coloring in a shallow bowl. crack each whole almond into halves. and toss them into the bowl with the food coloring and stir them until the color is evenly distributed. leave them in the bowl and stir them every so often until the color is as dark as you like.
3 Separate 1 egg. Set aside the white. In a small bowl, whisk together yolk, remaining egg, and vanilla. Set aside.
4 In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Add egg mixture, and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic, and chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes.
5 Divide the dough in half. Work with one piece at a time, keeping remaining dough covered with plastic wrap and chilled. Divide the first half into fifteen pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece back and forth with palms into finger shapes, 3 to 4 inches long. Pinch dough in two places to form knuckles. Score each knuckle lightly with the back of a small knife. Transfer fingers to prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
6 When all fingers are formed, brush lightly with egg white. Position almond nails; push into dough to attach.
7 Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Cool completely.
8 note: To make the knuckles more creepy just shape them big and uneven. To keep them from puffing out too much roll the fingers extra skinny (skinnier than you want them to look if that makes sense). I also try to get them out of the oven before they brown. I sometimes add a bit of almond extract to dough

Read more at: http://www.food.com/recipe/severed-fingers-halloween-cookies-135850?oc=linkback
 
Anne Marie
********************************************
 
And, because it's Halloween, we are giving away a copy of EDGE OF LIGHT, PROTECTIVE CUSTODY, SEA OF SUSPICION to one lucky commenter, today. Muwhahaha!!

Plus, a rare and special paperback copy of...
 Winners chosen at our discretion. Probably random, possibly Ouija board!
********************************************

15 comments:

Debby said...

What great recipes. I am going to try some. Thanks
debby236 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

Halloween isn't such a big thing in the UK but it's getting there. This year, for the first time ever, I have two pumpkin lanterns sitting in my window. :)

Love the sound of these recipes. They sound easy - as if even I could make them. :)

Maureen A. Miller said...

Yummmm recipes! Now I just need you to bake them and bring them to me. :)

Happy Halloween everyone!

Rita said...

What fun! Thanks to all my fellow authors for these grat recipes. I'm with Maureen. I'll be waiting for mine.
Happy Halloweenie!

Elise Warner said...

My sweet tooth is on a rampage. Happy Halloween.

Marcelle Dubé said...

Too much fun! Enjoy the day, everyone.

Ivy said...

Some of those look good but there won't be any Halloween celebrating here. HRH is too little & I have a StVdP meeting tonight. No big deal at our house since the boys grew up.

Jean Harrington said...

Love all the recipes and the inventiveness--but with a group like this, not surprised.

A secret: my favorite is the spiders and eyeballs in the ice cubes. Inspired! Bottom line, you guys are more ambitious in the kitchen than I am. Thanks for sharing. Will save 'em all for grandchildren.

Anne Marie Becker said...

Love these! Thanks, everyone, for sharing. :)

books4me said...

Great recipes for Halloween! I am so NOT creative so thanks for ideas!

books4me67 at ymail dot com

Clare London said...

I've got 2 large pumpkins on my kitchen floor at the moment, begging for recipes like this! :)

I'm jus twaiting for one of my strong menfolk to come home and cut the darned thing up for me...

walkwithfarmgirl said...

So inspired by all these treats!! Racing off to the grocery store to buy some stuff to make my own Halloween treats now--hope someone in the family will be home to eat them up!!

Julie Moffett said...

Awesome recipes and what a fantastic giveaway!! Now we can curl up with our treats and read!! :)

Wynter said...

OMG - I can't wait to try some of these recipes!!

Toni Anderson said...

And the winner is... Debby! Congratulations. Thanks so much for a fun day yesterday!! Hope Halloween was spooktacular!

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