A Berry Scary Halloween Ghost

When I was a kid, shopping for a Halloween costume was not like it is today. We didn’t have elaborate costumes or costume shops on every street corner. We pretty much had two choices – to buy a plastic mask or get creative and make a costume out old clothes, boxes, etc.

I actually miss those days. You just never knew what people would come up with, and I think kids really appreciated their costumes more because they put so much work into them. Of course, for those who lacked imagination, it was easy (unless you were Charlie Brown, of course) to grab a white sheet from the linen closet, cut out two eye holes and walk around with it over your head saying, “Boo!”.   Ah, the good ole days.

This Berry Scary Halloween Ghost recipe reminds me of that “old fashioned” Halloween tradition. The only difference is that you’ll be dressing a strawberry in the ghost costume instead of yourself. Much like the sheet costume, this recipe is pretty easy to throw together with one caveat. The Greek yogurt has to drain overnight in the refrigerator. Once you pass that hurdle, it’s smooth sailing.

You will need:

• 18 large California Giant Strawberries
• 8 ounces nonfat Greek yogurt
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 ounces dark chocolate

Instructions:

1. Place the Greek yogurt in cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Place the cheesecloth and yogurt in a small colander and place in the refrigerator overnight on a shallow dish to drain more liquid. If you don’t have a cheesecloth, line your colander with paper coffee filters, a thin men’s handkerchief or (believe it or not) a cloth diaper (not previously used, of course).
2. Wash and dry berries thoroughly. Set aside.
3. Add yogurt, sugar, vanilla, and butter to a medium mixing bowl and beat until very smooth (about 3 minutes). 

Dip berries in the yogurt dip and place on a parchment lined baking sheet to cool/harden.

4. Melt chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a small saucepan with about an inch of simmering water. Pour the chocolate into a plastic piping bag or make one from parchment paper rolled into a cone with a tiny tip cut off.
5. Use the small tipped piping bag to draw ghost eyes and a mouth on the dipped berries with chocolate.
6. Allow to cool/harden completely before serving.
7. Enjoy

For more scary berry recipes, download our Scary Berries recipe book.