Happy Bow-Wow-Ween!

First off, Happy Birthday to my little Tokki Pokie!  It's a year today that your adoption was finalized and I'm so happy you are part of our family!

Mookie and Tokki in their matching skeleton costumes!

And they're glow-in-the-dark too!

To celebrate Tokki's birthday and Halloween, we had a little pumpkin carving party with all the classic sweets (VegNews Bucket List #20).

For the caramelized popcorn balls, I used a recipe from Planetgreen.  What's great about it is that you don't need a candy thermometer.  Instead of sugar and corn syrup as the main ingredient, this recipe uses barley malt syrup and maple syrup.  It has a deeper, almost molasses-y taste (vs. more caramel-y), so it may take some getting used to.  But they worked great and when you wrapped them in the wax paper and twisted the ends, it ends of looking a little like a ghost.  Perfect for the spooky season!

To simplify the process, I used 6 oz. of ready-made popcorn and increased the maple syrup and barley malt syrup to 2/3 cup each.  It made about 16 popcorn balls.

Next I made caramel apples using another recipe from Planetgreen.  I was amazed at what the arrowroot powder could do.  It thickened the sugary sauce into a rich, creamy caramel sauce, the consistency a lot like gravy.  It never hardens so unfortunately you can't do caramel coated apples (I tried and then had to scrape the sauce off), but it made for a great dipping sauce.

Next came the pumpkin-carving.  My friend and I have been carving pumpkins now for 2 years, so we pretty much have it down to a science now.  I realize that I had absolutely no technique when I was younger, which was probably why my pumpkins turned out crappy and I hated the whole experience.  But, if you prep your pumpkin well enough, the carving is easy and you can make some great designs!  And never fear, I used a template (although I did free-carve the monster and it looks pretty great, if I do say so myself!)

Last, I cleaned and dried out the pumpkin seeds and roasted them with a little canola oil and sea salt.  400 degrees, about 15 minutes, and you got yourself a great snack!

Have a Happy Howl-O-Ween!