Halloween treats don’t all have to be sweet. Here are some devilish dishes for a spooky supper to delight kids and adults alike.

Most iterations of witches fingers are made with cookie dough. Cheddar pastry makes a great savory alternative.

Witches fingers

• 1/2 lb. sharp orange-colored cheddar cheese, grated or chopped as per different methods below. Do NOT use pre-grated cheese.

• 1/4 c. (4 T.) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1 1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1 T. Worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• Pinch of cayenne pepper or to taste, optional

• Blanched whole almonds

• Gel food coloring of your choice for the almond “nails”

The dough can be made in a food processor, by hand or in a mixer. If using a food processor, let the cheese come to room temperature, then coarsely chop it. If using a mixer or making by hand with forks or a pastry blender, chill the cheese before grating it finely, then let it come to room temperature before proceeding.

Combine all the ingredients. Mix until a smooth dough is formed.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Using about 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons of dough for each finger, roll each piece of dough into a cylinder roughly the size of a large man’s finger. The thickness of the fingers should depend in part on the size of your almonds; larger almonds will look best with thicker fingers. As well, fingers that are too thin can easily break. They will expand somewhat during baking.

Making sure the pointed end is the fingernail tip, at the top of the cylinder, press an almond into the dough. Part of the almond should extend beyond the tip of the finger. With your fingernail or the tip of a paring knife, make a few shallow indentations a bit below the almond nail, and again further down the finger,to resemble the finger joints. Gently squeeze between the joints to make the fingers appear bony. It’s fine – actually good – if the fingers are somewhat irregular so that they look gnarled.

Place the fingers on a baking sheet and bake about 12 minutes or until they are firm but not browned, then cool completely on a rack.

Using a small paintbrush, paint the almond nails with gel coloring. If you are unfamiliar with color gels, experiment on a sheet of paper first to help get the hang of it.

Serve or store in an airtight container after the gel coloring has dried.

Forget tomato sauce or catsup. Beets make the most realistic fake blood. In fact, there’s even a variety named Bull’s Blood.

Borscht is an Eastern European soup with countless variations. There are cold borschts for summer and hearty, warming winter versions. Some contain primarily cabbage and no beets. Some strain the ingredients to produce a deepred clear broth.

Most cold-weather borschts contain meat.

But this vegetarian version is just as satisfyingly hearty. It has the unusual addition of kidney beans for extra protein and flavor.

Bloody Soup (aka borscht)
• 3 large beets, thoroughly washed and with about an inch of stems
• 8 c. (2 qt.) water
• 2-3 large boiling potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces, about 3 c.

• 1 1/2 c. onion, finely chopped
• 1 c. chopped carrots
• 2 bay leaves
• A handful of fresh dill stems
• 1 T. cooking oil
• 4 T. (1/4 c.) tomato paste
• 1/2 small head of cabbage, thinly sliced, approximately 4-5 c. loosely packed
• 1 28 oz. can kidney beans with their liquid
• 8 c. vegetable stock or broth
• 4 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Freshly ground pepper to taste 

For garnish or passing at the table:
• Sour cream or thick Greek-style yoghurt
• Snipped dill fronds

Bring the water to a boil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and add the beets. Cover and boil for 45 minutes – 1 hour or until they are easily pierced with a sharp knife. Remove the beets and let cool. Reserve the water.

Add the potatoes, carrots and onion to the same water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Tie the bay leaves and dill stems into a bundle with kitchen twine or cotton string and add to the pot.

Heat the cooking oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat, add the tomato paste and stir constantly until it darkens a bit, then stir it into the soup pot; add the cabbage.

Using plastic gloves to keep your hands from turning red, slide off the beet peels and tops; use a paring knife if any stubborn spots don’t slip off easily. Cut the beets into bitesized pieces (you should have 3-4 cups) and add them to the pot.

Add the remaining broth, lemon juice, pepper and beans and their liquid to the pot.

Simmer for another 15-20 minutes. It can be served immediately, but will be even better if it stands for an hour or two or refrigerated overnight. Be sure to remove the herb bundle before serving.

Garnish with a dollop of sour cream/ yoghurt and dill fronds. For the best “bloody” effect, pass the garnishes at the table; diners can add their own.

The names tell the tale. These meatballs really do look as if there are worms desperately trying to escape. The insides are even creepier; the meat is riddled with the rice “worms.”

Use the longest grained rice available, such as Basmati. Using white rice is crucial. Brown rice takes longer to cook so the meat gets overdone; “minute” rice gets mushy before the meat is cooked through.

Prickly wormballs (aka prickly meatballs or wormy meatballs) with ghostly gravy

For the meatballs:

• 1 c. uncooked long grain white rice
• 1/2 c. tepid water
• 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
• 1/3 c. finely chopped onion
• 1 large clove minced garlic

• 1/2 c. grated parmesan-type cheese
• 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice or cinnamon or crushed fennel seeds, optional
• 1 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 c. chicken, beef or other stock or broth 

For the gravy:
• The residual liquid from the baking dish
• 1/4 c. sour cream or thick Greek-style yoghurt
• Dijon-style mustard to taste, optional 

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
In a small bowl, mix together the rice and  the water and let stand while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a larger bowl, mix the ground beef, onion, garlic, cheese, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings.

In a small skillet, sauté a tablespoon of the mixture and taste it for seasonings. Don’t worry if it’s just a bit salty and over-seasoned because it will be mixed with the rice.

Drain excess water from the rice and mix it into the ground meat mixture. Avoid breaking the rice as much as possible.

Form the mixture into balls, using about 2 tablespoons for each. Place the meatballs in a baking dish or pan that is at least 2 inches deep and large enough to hold the meatballs comfortably in one layer with at least an inch or two between them, as the rice will expand them as they cook. You may need to use two baking dishes.

Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and place in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the rice is tender and the meatballs cooked through.

Remove the meatballs to a platter. Serve immediately or cover well and keep warm while making the gravy or sauce.

Put the pan juices and any rice that’s fallen into them in a bowl and let stand a couple minutes for the fat to rise. Spoon off as much fat as possible, then purée in a blender or food processor. Pour into a pan over low heat and whisk in the sour cream/yoghurt and mustard. Do NOT let the mixture boil. Pass the gravy with the meatballs.

Contact Julianne Glatz at [email protected].