It’s a spooky thought that Halloween is quickly approaching. Between choosing a costume, trick-or-treating with the kids, and signing up for your favorite fall activities, this holiday can be a lot! If you’re anything like us, you can’t have a successful Halloween without a party. This is why we have created a full-proof guide to hosting a tasteful Halloween party, and it’s a guaranteed good time!
Image via @woodenthatbesomethin
01. Bring on The Snacks!
Images via Modern Glam
Everyone knows that any successful party starts with snacks. If you want your tasteful Halloween party to be extra tasty, you’ll have to try serving these delicious fall snacks from Trader Joe’s!
The Ultimate Trader Joe’s Snack List:
- Halloween Joe Joe’s
- Pumpkin Spice Batons
- Orange and Black Cookies
- Maple Sea Salt Kettle Corn
- Petite Pumpkin Spice Cookies
- Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- Maple Leaf Cookies
- Ghosts and Bats Chips
- Candy Corn
02. Festive Decorations
Images via Delovely Details & Karas Party Ideas
Halloween is nothing without some festive decorations. It doesn’t have to be too spooky either; adding a colorful balloon wall, wall art, and some tasteful dining details will be perfect for guests of all ages. The balloon wall is also a prime photo opportunity and an amazing way for everyone to remember how fun your party was!
03. Black Cat Skeleton Halloween Cookies
Image via Modern Glam
We are loving these delicious Black Cat Skeleton Halloween Cookies from Modern Glam and Martha Stewart, and they would be a perfect homemade dessert for a Halloween party!
Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Vanilla Icing
- Fine sanding sugar
Instructions for Matha Stewarts Dark-Chocolate Cutout Cookies
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour mixture. Divide dough in half. Form each half into a disk, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm but still pliable, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Working with 1 disk of dough at a time, roll out to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured parchment. Brush off excess flour, transfer dough on parchment to a baking sheet, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters, rerolling scraps as needed. Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake until crisp, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating once and firmly rapping baking sheet halfway through baking to flatten any bubbles in cookies. Let cookies cool completely on baking sheets set on wire racks.
- Place icing in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (Ateco #0, 1, or 2). Pipe outlines and details on cookies. Immediately sprinkle with sanding sugar, and tap off excess. Let set completely, uncovered, at room temperature, at least 4 hours or (ideally) overnight.
Instructions for Black Cat Skeleton Cookie
- Once you have made the cookie dough, let it cool for an hour, and then set it out for 15 minutes before you roll it out.
- Dip the cookie cutter in flour before using each time and make sure your dough is at least 1/4″ thick.
- Begin icing the cookies to outline the skeleton.
04. Mummy Bowling!
Image via Target
To ensure a fun time at your Halloween party, you have to have a fun activity planned. Thanks to Target, you won’t have to scramble to find a game! This game of mummy bowling is the perfect family-friendly Halloween activity. You can purchase the game at your convenience, either in-store or online.
We hope you’ve been inspired by our guide, and you feel ready to host your own tasteful Halloween party. With good food, decor, activities, and company, you’ll be sure to have the spookiest party on the block!