Halloween Party Food: Chocolate Flies

More Halloween Party Food, and this time there are flies all over the table. Indeed, there were two real flies buzzing about the kitchen last night, but those are not the critters that concern us.

Last Halloween, when our party theme was Wizards & Witches, I found a clever method (it's hardly a recipe) for making Chocolate Frogs with Oreos, mini pretzels and M&Ms. This Halloween Party's theme is Movie Monsters, so I messed around with the Oreos and pretzels until I came up with The Fly. I think Jeff Goldblum would be pleased. 

The only scary aspect of these little critters is that I've had to abandon all scruples and admit that they have no redeeming  nutritive value whatsoever. The raisin eyes are the only detail resembling real food, and even those could be easily replaced by small candies. My early flies had Jujubes for eyes, but both David and I decided they were inedible. I nixed the M&Ms because they turned my flies into frogs. But golden raisins - the ones more yellow than brown - look about as good as fly's eyes can get.

If small children are involved and you really must put nutrition into these, half a dried plum ("prune" is such a nasty word) or apricot could take the place of the marshmallow. I suppose you might also bake up whole wheat wafers to replace the Oreos, but, listen. There must be JOY in life. This is Halloween food, so make it a party.

Be warned, the chocolate can get very messy. I had it in my hair and on my glasses, among other places. I also have a nice friend who enjoyed licking it off. I'm talking about my dog - what were you thinking? But let's get back to the kitchen.

How to eat flies: After taste testing with unsuspecting friends, one comment was, "These are delicious, but they're hard to eat." A direct frontal attack of biting straight down through marshmallow and cookie invariably resulted in the whole creature falling apart in the hand. The better method is to bite the marshmallow from the top of the fly, then proceed to eat the pretzel wings, and only then consume the Oreo cookie by whatever method one prefers.


Recipe: Chocolate Flies

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (any variety)
Mini twist Pretzels
Marshmallows (full sized)
Golden Raisins
Chocolate Chips, melted

You were expecting amounts? Here you go: for each Chocolate Fly you're going to need one cookie, two pretzels, 1/3 marshmallow, two golden raisins and some melted chocolate. That's about as specific as it's going to get.

Melt about 1/2 cup chocolate chips in the microwave. That takes about 40 seconds in my unit. When the chips get glossy, take them out of the microwave and stir them. Surprise! They don't lose their shape in the microwave, only when stirred. I'd like someone to explain the physics of that.

Slicing marshmallows: not as difficult as it sounds. Quite easy, in fact. I use kitchen shears, and if the marshmallows stick to the blades, moisten the shears with water. Don't fret over cutting the marshmallows into perfect thirds - just cut off one end, then cut off the other end, and what's left of the middle is your third piece.


Now smear some melted chocolate on the top of a cookie, and stick on two pretzels and one marshmallow slice. Load your little spatula or knife with more melted chocolate, and cover all the visible marshmallow. If you get chocolate drips everywhere, you're a cook after my own heart. Where's the fun in being tidy? Add two golden raisins for eyes, and that's one fly finished.

Slide your sticky flies into the fridge for an hour or so to firm up the chocolate. Then they can sit at room temperature without melting, unless you're one of my neighbors here in Arizona where it reached 90 degrees again today. In any case, keep your Chocolate Flies cool and dry until Halloween Party time.