If you are on Pinterest you know that this month there is everything from Halloween Bento boxes being sent to school with kiddos, fun Halloween cocktails for grown ups to enjoy while others indulge in their favorite childhood candies.  Every food channel, magazine, local restaurant and bakery is celebrating the flavours of the season as well as the fun and playfulness of Halloween.

The Food Network shared some of their favourite Halloween recipes with me and I picked the perfect one to try for an upcoming party.  What I like about this recipe is the simplicity.  I’m going to be helping the children get in their costumes and want to capture the excitement of it all so I would rather focus more on them than the dish I’m bringing to the party.  I also wanted to bring some spreads that I can just pick up at the local store.  I’ll probably grab a few whipped feta and pepper, hot pepper labne, and mouhammara from Sofra and Arax because they are so tasty and my standby crowd pleasers to serve with the Ghostinis.

Ghostinis with Bloody Murder Sundried Tomato Tapenade
From Food Network Kitchens

Prep Time:15 min
Inactive Prep Time:5 min

Cook Time:15 min       Level: Easy
Serves: 8 to 10 servings

The ghost-shaped crostini–ghostinis–make as eerie accompaniment to this tomato-ey tapenade. But even without its ghostly companions, it’s still a hit.

Ingredients
1 loaf sourdough bread (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, plus 1 tablespoon flavored oil from the jar
2 tablespoons drained capers in brine
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Grissini and/or seeded flatbread crackers, for serving
Special Equipment: one 2 1/2- to 3-inch metal ghost-shaped cookie cutter

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Trim the hard crusts from both ends of the loaf of bread. Slice the remaining loaf into 1/2- to 3/4-inch slices; you will have between 14 and 16 slices. Using the cookie cutter, cut 1 to 2 ghosts from each slice of bread, depending on the size. Reserve the scraps for making fresh breadcrumbs, stuffing or bread pudding.

Lay the ghosts on a rimmed baking sheet and lightly brush with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season all the slices with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bake in the oven until toasted, flipping halfway, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

While the bread toasts, put the olives, parsley, sundried tomatoes, flavored oil, capers, remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons water and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until chunky and then process until mostly smooth. Add the lemon juice and pulse a few times to incorporate.

Serve with the ghostinis on the side plus additional grissini breadsticks and/or flatbread crackers.

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