Halloween Appetizers - Spooky Bites

Courtesy of the Canadian Living Test Kitchen comes this Halloween party appetizers recipe for Spooky Bites - these terrifying tidbits are the perfect formula for some frighteningly good mouthfuls of Halloween appetizers for your Halloween cocktail party.

But before you serve your spooky appetizers, set the scene for an eerie Halloween party with some creative staging - arrange flowers and groupings of colorful liquids (such as Kool-Aid) in test tubes. Write scientific formulas in chalk on a chalkboard. Replace regular lightbulbs with red or green colored ones, or use black lights for an eerie setting. Tape colored cellophane gel to a lamp and direct the light towards a spooky object to highlight.

To serve your spooky appetizers, use metal medical trays, thin tongs and long tweezers for serving. Place food in specimen jars instead of bowls and label with their Latin names, for example: Caseoli (cheese, for bocconcini balls), luglandis (walnuts), Oleae (olives), Betae et ovi (beets and eggs).

Dressing the part of a mad scientist is the best part - Wear a tattered lab coat, chunky glasses with lenses removed (or goggles), a wild wig (think Albert Einstein) and a pocker protector filled with as many pens, pencils and gadgets as can be crammed in.

Now for the crowning glory of the night, your spooky Halloween Appetizers:

Ribs with Blackberry Sauce

3 lb (1.5 kg) pork back ribs, centre cut removed

Spice Rub:
2 tbsp (25 mL)chili powder
1 tbsp (15 mL) dry mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp (4 mL) each salt and cinnamon

Sauce:
1/2 cup (125 mL) blackberry jam
1/2 cup (50 mL) ketchup
1 tbsp (15 mL) balsamic vinegar
2 tsp (10 mL) minced gingerroot
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

Preparation:
Pour enough water into shallow roasting pan to come scant 1/2 inch (1 cm) up side. Add ribs, meaty side up. Cover and cook in 325°F (160°C) oven for 80 to 90 minutes or until meat is tender. Drain; transfer ribs to cutting board. Let stand for 10 minutes. Cut into 1-rib portions.

Spice Rub: In large glass baking dish, combine chili powder, mustard, garlic, salt and cinnamon; rub all over ribs. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Sauce: In small saucepan, combine blackberry jam, ketchup, vinegar, ginger and pepper; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Strain through fine sieve into bowl, pressing on solids. Set aside. (Make-ahead: Let cool; refrigerate in airtight container for up to 1 week.)Place ribs, meaty side down, on rack on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil for 5 minutes. Brush ribs with half of the sauce; broil until bubbling, about 2 minutes. Turn and brush with remaining sauce; broil until sauce forms bubbling glaze, about 2 minutes.

Enjoy!

For more great Halloween Appetizers Recipes visit www.appetizersunlimited.com
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