Best of … Halloween-themed food

Contributed by Tim Brugger, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru

As fun as Halloween is; mugging small children for their candy, scaring the living daylights out of anyone and everyone and decorating the house with all things black and orange, it’s the food that puts it near the top of the Holiday list.

And not just the food taken from the aforementioned small children, though that tastes especially sweet.

When the adults jump on the bandwagon and stir up a spread of delectable Halloween themed food, that’s when you know its party time.

Spiced Pumpkins

Candy shell, cake and cream cheese filling

Oh my. A light, tasty shell, moist pumpkin cake with cream cheese and a gooey, cream-filled center; yeah, that’s Halloween themed food right there. These are almost good enough to give the twice-mentioned candy back to the small child. Though, upon reflection, candy can be frozen and eaten for months, whereas these little delectable treats from Figis will be gone in minutes. Though, after some reflection, what’s scary about a princess costume anyway? I say she deserves to have her candy heisted.

Orchard Bloom

Fresh and dried fruit

While this may seem a bit out of place; it’s actually bordering on healthy which is a stretch for Halloween themed food, it looks just too darn tasty. And always the thrifty person that I am, I can’t help but think it wouldn’t take much to re-use this perfect Fall basket to do some Thanksgiving style decorating too. I’m guessing the folks at The Fruit Company sort of had that in mind.

Apple Cider Vinegar

For the fall pantry

While it’s not possible to actually overtake the caramel apple for the top dog of all Halloween themed food, gourmets don’t take much convincing that apple cider vinegar will give it a run for its money. The Gourmet Food Store sells this treat, great for recipes that pair it with everything from desserts to meats.

Pumpkin Fudge

Autumn treat

Fudge is rarely if ever a bad thing, though it doesn’t exactly scream Halloween themed food. Thankfully, this conundrum is no longer, the folks at WisconsinMade.com were kind enough to remedy the situation with the big ‘ol block of Pumpkin Fudge. It’s sort of like pumpkin pie with even more decadence; oh yeah.

Treats in a Tin

Chocolate, jelly beans and more

For those of us who have a difficult time deciding what to include on our table full of Halloween themed foods, Liberty Orchards (the Aplet and Cotlet folks) has come to the rescue. This tin of Halloween-inspired goodies includes jelly beans, Halloween creams, licorice and vanilla bites; a little something for everyone. Or, better yet, a whole of everything just for you.

Caramel Apples

Ghoolishly decadent

Caramel apples. I could go on, but why? When it comes to Halloween period, let alone Halloween themed food, the crown is placed firmly on the head of the caramel apple. I’ve come to appreciate those daring souls who proceed to roll the newly, caramel dipped Granny Smith apple in diced nuts too; nice touch. If you’re the type that likes to leave the heavy lifting to others, Pittman and Davis drops these beauties in their homemade caramel, and then they’re kind enough to deliver them right to the door.