It’s the most spookilicious time of the year – who’s joining me for trick-or-treating? 🙂
Halloween is coming up in the US, and seasonal sweets seem to be everywhere I look. Indeed, according to a recent article/survey published by the National Confectioners Association, candy dominates Halloween shopping, with chocolate at the top of the list for 81 percent of US candy shoppers. Chewy/gummy candies and mixed assortments are also popular, with approximately two-thirds of survey respondents planning to purchase from these categories as well. Americans are expected to spend even more on Halloween this year, surpassing 2023 (the largest Halloween shopping season on record!), which exceeded $12.2 billion in sales of candy, costumes, decorations etc. (candyusa.com)
I’m not very good at making Halloween-themed sweets, but I do know that everything looks spookiliciously better when I use activated charcoal. Such was the case with these red velvet pumpkin bars, recipe by Better Homes and Gardens.
I used activated charcoal instead of red food coloring to achieve the customary Halloween dark streaks, along with spooky “eyes” and jelly “blood.” A special mention must be made about the not-spooky-but-oh-so-delish buttercream frosting, arguably my favorite part of any cake Soo irresistible, especially when eaten on its own, by the spoonful, mmm… I love, love, love Halloween-inspired treats!
You are welcome to check out my detailed post on activated charcoal here. Another seasonal favorite treat of mine with pumpkin can be found here.
Do you have a favorite Halloween dessert? Let me know in the comments 🙂
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