This post is sponsored by the Kroger Company. I have been compensated for this post. As always, all opinions are my own.
I just love Halloween. Doesn’t everyone? It seems like Halloween is becoming the new favorite holiday, don’t you think? More and more people are going all out with their decorations, costumes, parties, and treats. The Spider Oreos, the Googly Eyes, and the Vampire Milkshakes all over Pinterest. It’s just a fun time of year, whether you have kids or not!
I love getting creative with my food, but I’m not all about the cutesy. You’ll probably never see me shape my cake pops into a cartoon character (well, that’s more about the fact that I don’t have the talent of Bakerella). Cupcakes decorated to look like bugs, animals, and creepy-crawlies are just outside my realm of know-how, unless I copy it straight from Pinterest. My mind just doesn’t work that way.
So when I got to talking to my favorite people over at Kroger about this season’s Spooky Sweet Treats, I had a few ideas, but I just wasn’t sure how exactly I was going to execute them. Off to my local Kroger store I went. I needed inspiration for my Spooky Sweets. Shelves and shelves of packaged Halloween candy. Sprinkles and cupcake cups in orange and black. Pumpkin Spice cake. Food coloring to turn your gooey fillings green. They have it all.
I also made sure to head over to Smiths Spook-tacular Treats Pinterest Board for more inspiration. Seriously. You have to check these out. I’m a big fan of the Frankenstein Kit-Kat bars. And there are so many other ideas that got me in the spirit of Halloween. You must check it out!
But I knew I wanted to think a bit outside the box… literally. True to myself, I wanted to make Spooky from scratch. No food coloring. No candy or box mixes. Just a couple of my staples and a little creativity!
You do remember those brownies from last week, right?? After walking through my Kroger’s Smiths store for inspiration, I knew exactly what I was going to do to creep those perfect brownies out a bit. Strawberry puree “blood” hidden under a layer of buttercream “flesh”. I was onto something!
This is the perfect treat to take to the Halloween party, work potluck, or just as a treat for your family.
- 8 x8 pan of your favorite brownies
- 16 ounces of strawberries , frozen and then thawed are fine
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 stick butter , cold
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar , sifted
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To make strawberry filling (to emulate blood), in a small saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar, water, and cornstarch. Bring to a slow simmer and stir fairly consistently for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken. Once it has thickened to a jelly-like consistency, remove from heat and let cool.
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Once completely cool, spread filling on top of cooled brownies. Leave about 1/4 of a cup reserved to fill in the slash-marks in the buttercream. Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour to set.
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While cooling, prepare the buttercream. Beat all the buttercream ingredients together until smooth.
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Once the strawberry filling has set, top with buttercream, and place in the refrigerator for another hour or so.
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To decorate, cut brownies into squares. Using some sort of prongs (I used a serving spoon with prongs) "slash" through the buttercream on each brownie. To get more of a "bloody" effect, carefully fill in the slash-marks with the reserved strawberry filling.
Hey there! My name is Holly, and I am passionate about enjoying all foods without guilt, judgement, or failure. Food shouldn’t have a “good” or a “bad” label. After years and years of dieting and having a bad relationship with food and my body, I am finally at place where food is not the enemy, and I want nothing more than to help other women get to this place with me!
I live in the beautiful state of Utah with my son and the love of my life. I’m a coffee obsessed, yoga-practicing, Zumba-rockin’ nerdy tattoo-lovin’ Air Force wife, and I’m so excited to share my story, experiences, and lessons with you.
Megan - The Emotional Baker says
I love that you made the “blood” naturally with strawberries instead of food coloring. I’m not very good when it comes to being super creative, but you nailed it! (No pun intended)
Monica says
These are so cool! Although if I made them I would be lazy and use strawberry jam. I can’t wait to do this next year!
Holly Waterfall says
You’re so smart… not sure why I didn’t even consider the easy route of using jam… doh!
Ashli says
Too cool! 🙂
Holly Waterfall says
Thanks Ashli!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
These are awesome Holly!
Holly Waterfall says
Thanks Dorothy… they’re perfect for a spooky night!
Mandi@Moments with Mandi says
What a cute and fun idea! Thanks for sharing. Stopping by from Cast Party Wednesday 🙂
Holly Waterfall says
They were fun to make and even better to eat!
Martha@A Family Feast says
These are great Holly!
Holly Waterfall says
Thanks Martha! It was fun to get creative and spooky with my perfect brownies!