It’s Halloween and nothing looks spookier then a steaming caldron on your beverage table.  To make your favorite potion, you won’t have to cast a spell but you will need some dry ice.  Dry ice has long been used to create creepy atmosphere at parties.  The rolling mist it creates transforms an everyday cocktail or punch into a bone-chilling brew.

Most grocery stores or fish departments will have dry ice.  Call around first to make sure your local store uses it. Because it’s popular to use at Halloween, you may want to try and reserve some in advance. When you find it, plan on picking it up just before your event.  Dry ice won’t keep long in your freezer.  It’s frozen carbon dioxide and it will ultimately convert back to a gas without proper storage.  Be very careful when handling it.  Always wear heavy-duty gloves, as dry ice is much colder then regular ice and can really burn your skin.  Unless you specifically ask for “food grade” dry ice, it is not safe to ingest or put directly into beverages.  Always keep it safely away from children and in an area that is well ventilated.  Inhaling large amounts of the fumes can cause discomfort.

To give your punch that graveyard affect, you’ll need two punch bowls – one larger then the other.  Mix up your favorite Halloween punch recipe in the smaller bowl. Add a few dry ice chunks to the larger container and place the bowl filled with punch on top of the ice in larger bowl.  Just before serving your ghoulish guests, pour a little hot water on the dry ice until it starts misting the desired amount.  For the maximum amount of spooky mist, make sure your punch is at room temperature.  You do not need to add regular ice to your punch either.  The dry ice will make it cold.

For an extra special effect, add some “Shrunken Apple Heads” to your punch.  Seeing those little faces will give your guests that extra jolt when they take a peek into the misty pot!

Recipe: Shrunken Apple Heads

• 6-8 Granny Smith apples
• 1.5 cups lemon juice
• 2 TBSP coarse salt
• Whole cloves (enough to make “eyes”)

1. Preheat oven to 250
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, mix lemon juice with salt.
4. Peel apples and cut in half (through the stem) – remove seeds and core.
5. Use a paring knife to carve your desired “face” on the rounded side of the apple
6. Place all apples in lemon mixture for one minute.  
7. Drain and allow to dry on paper towels.
8. Place all apples “face side up” on baking sheet and place in oven
9. Bake until apples are dry and just begin to lightly brown on the edges (about 90 min)
10. Remove apples and make the “eyes” by pressing whole cloves into eye socket area
11. Float shrunken apple heads on top of punch in smaller bowl.