Oct 26

Oct 26 How to Create a Halloween Treat Table

Trick or Treat! Let’s carve out some fun!

I’m hosting a Halloween party today! Soon enough friends and neighbors will be arriving in their spooky best. I’ve set up a hauntingly sweet treats table, sure to bring out the tricker or treater in kids and adults alike.

I love Halloween. On this day my diet consists of 99% candy and 1% real food, which makes me the ideal candidate to create the ultimate Halloween dessert bar spread. Creating a dessert table for a crowd is no simple task, especially when you still need to decorate your house, dress up your kids, and do your zombie make up. To make things easier on myself, and to avoid a disaster of a mess in my kitchen, I found some simple shortcuts that don’t sacrifice style, flavor, or sophistication. I’m thrilled with the turnout and can’t wait to share.

Candy is a must. Rather than filling bowls with the usual Halloween go-tos, like M&Ms and Snickers, I wanted something with more pop. For truly unique, boutique candy (yes, there is such a thing), I turn to Mursell’s Sweet Shop in Jackson. Mursell’s has my favorite nostalgic finds, the kind of candy you’d buy from the ice cream truck as a kid. Harnessing my inner child, I loaded up on pixy stix, giant gum balls, gummy fried eggs, and all the sour goodies I could carry.

How cute are these rainbow sour fruit strip and live bait gummy worm shish kabobs? So easy and such a fun statement. I filled the mug with candy corn to hold the bamboo skewers in place. These will not last long with kids! Mursell’s also carries the best gourmet sprinkles, which I used as the finishing touch on my cupcakes.

For the baked treats, Stonewall Kitchen is a lifesaver with their specialty gourmet mixes and adorable decorative linens. I used their Sugar Cookie mix, their Chocolate Whoopie Pie mix (I simply added orange coloring to the frosting for some extra Halloween flair), and their Pumpkin Spice Bread mix for the cupcakes, baking them for 18 minutes and adding my favorite chocolate buttercream. Everything came together quickly and easily, and looks absolutely grab-worthy. Stonewall Kitchen also carries your Halloween classics, like candy corn and Hammond’s candy corn crunch, the most addicting popcorn ever.

The table styling is key. I love using eclectic cake stands to stack desserts high, creating that coffee shop look. I keep some serving pieces low and others tall, as varying heights give the table more interest. Sprinkles and bright pieces of ribbon thrown about makes the table approachable, like you can dive right in, as you hope your guests do. Decorative touches, like a painted mug or patterned linen (both from Stonewall Kitchen), are a perfect way to carry out a color or holiday theme.