How To: Throw a Sophisticated Halloween Soirée

HOW TO: Throw a Sophisticated Halloween Soirée

As we all know, a lot of times Halloween décor can be a bit on the tacky side. If you are
looking to add a little class to the most “spooktacular” holiday of the year, keep reading for a
few of our favorite tips, tricks, and treats.

An easy way to make your Halloween décor more sophisticated is to keep things minimal
and stick to a simple color palette. A classic black and white palette with a few pops of dark,
moody colors will help set an air of mystery, while not going overboard. This was my thought
for the table set-up. I stuck to black and white overall décor and then added color just with the
floral arrangement. Some of the flowers I chose were black calla lilies and scabiosa, dark
magenta coxcomb, for their colors while I chose blue thistle and safari sunset for their texture.

I wanted all the pumpkins to look unique, but cohesive. This is why I chose to paint them all in a black or white matte paint with black or white accessories. These are all do-it-yourself projects and can enjoyable be done by the whole family. Also, these were done with craft pumpkins, but can be done with fresh pumpkins once they are back in season.

See below for instructions on how to "DIY" these yourself!

Stay tuned next week for the "spooktacular" recipes!

Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies

• 1 cup salted butter (warmed)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 T lavender buds
• 2 T finely grated lemon peel
• 1 t vanilla
• 1/2 t lemon juice
• 1/2 t butter flavoring
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• dash of kosher salt

In a medium bowl, beat together butter and powdered sugar until smooth. With a mortar and pestle, combine lavender buds and lemon zest. Mix lavender-lemon zest mixture with vanilla, lemon juices and butter flavoring. Add flour and kosher salt, then beat just until well blended. With a rubber spatula, scrape the sides and bottom to make sure everything is combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, for 20-30 minutes. Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Using a 2" circular cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place them on parchment-lined cookie sheets until sheet is filled. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, chill pan for 10 minutes. Bake cookies until light brown on bottom and just barely golden around edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack and cool completely. 

ICING

• zest of half a lemon
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 2 T lemon juice
• 2 T cream cheese

In a medium bowl, slowly whisk together lemon juice into the powdered sugar. Add lemon zest and cream cheese and beat until well combined. Top each cookie with icing using a pastry spatula. 

Baked Salmon with Lemons, Capers, & Dill

Baked Salmon with Lemons, Capers, & Dill

• 2 salmon fillets
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• Cavender's greek seasoning
• 1 lemon
• 6+ capers
• fresh dill weed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover a pan in aluminum foil. Lay the fillets down on the pan and cover both sides in olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and Cavender's. Lay down two lemon slices on each fillet and about two capers on each lemon slice. Sprinkle with dill and cover with another layer of foil. Cook for 15-20 minutes. 

Blackberry Thyme Cocktail

Blackberry Thyme Cocktail

• 1/3 cup blackberries, plus more for garnish
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 bottle dry sparkling wine
• few sprigs of fresh thyme

In a small saucepan, bring the blackberries, water and sugar to a boil. Turn to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Strain blackberries and let syrup cool. Add 2T of syrup to the bottom of each glass. Top with champagne and garnish with a sprig of thyme and blackberries.  

Pear & Goat Cheese Flatbread

Pear & Goat Cheese Flatbread

• 1 ball store bought pizza dough
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• kosher salt, to taste
• 1 container spreadable goat cheese
• 1 pear, sliced
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 2-3 tsp. balsamic glaze

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough into a long rectangle. Transfer to a parchment-lined pizza pan. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Dock the center of the pizza with a fork to prevent large bubbles from forming. Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, remove and set aside. Spread goat cheese on crust, leaving about an inch around the edges of the rectangle. Lay pear slices down on the goat cheese. Top with chopped pecans and balsamic glaze. Bake for 3-5 minutes, until the pears have softened and crust begins to brown.