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Spooky snacks that make Halloween pop

From watching scary movies to dressing up as ghouls and goblins, spooky season means it’s time to pop up your loved ones’ favorite snacks for a ghostly good time. Before heading out to trick-or-treat, gather your minions in the kitchen for some family-friendly fun crafting these haunting yet tasty treats.

Throughout October, you can honor National Popcorn Poppin’ Month with eerie, delicious eats like Spooky Popcorn Spider Web, Green Halloween Zombies, Witchy Popcorn Balls, and Popcorn Caramel Apples that add festive fun to the Halloween excitement.

As a perfect ingredient in treats of all types, popcorn is beloved for its seed-to-snack simplicity as a non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free snack that’s naturally low in fat and calories. Add in its irresistible smell, taste, and versatility, and it’s easy to see why it pairs so well with spooky celebrations.

Find more Halloween treats at popcorn.org

Spooky Popcorn Spider Web

Yield: 1 spider web

1/4 cup butter 8 cups mini marshmallows, divided 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 9 cups popped popcorn, divided 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided black string licorice candy eyes

Line round pizza pan with parchment paper; set aside. In large saucepan over low heat, melt butter; stir in 5 cups marshmallows, stirring constantly, 3-4 minutes, or until completely melted. Stir in vanilla. Remove from heat. Stir in 8 cups popcorn until coated. Spread onto prepared pizza pan in irregular round shape, about 1-inch thick, to resemble spider web. Refrigerate about 15 minutes, or until firm. In microwave, melt remaining marshmallows about 20 seconds, or until melted. Using spatula, string strands of melted marshmallow over popcorn spider web to create cobweb effect. In heatproof bowl set over saucepan of hot (not boiling) water, melt 3/4 cup chocolate chips; cool slightly. In large bowl of remaining popcorn, pour chocolate over popcorn, folding gently to coat. Spread mixture on waxed paper-lined baking sheet, separating into eight small clusters. Affix two candy eyes to each popcorn cluster. Refrigerate 10-15 minutes, or until set.

Melt remaining chocolate chips. Cut licorice into 1-inch lengths. Using small spoon, dab circles of chocolate onto spider web. Affix chocolatecoated popcorn onto chocolate circles. Affix licorice lengths to chocolate popcorn clusters to resemble spider legs.

Refrigerate 15 minutes, or until set. To serve, cut into smaller pieces.

Witchy Popcorn Balls

Yield: 8 popcorn balls

16 chocolate wafer cookies nonstick cooking spray 3 quarts popped popcorn 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter or margarine 3 cups miniature marshmallows 3 tablespoons (½ of 3-ounce box) lime gelatin dessert mix green food color (optional) ¾ cup chocolate chips licorice strings 8 chocolate ice cream cones orange sugar sprinkles, placed in small dish jellybeans candy corns

Spread sheet of waxed or parchment paper over work surface and place wafer cookies on it.

Spray large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray and place popcorn inside.

In medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Stir in marshmallows and gelatin powder until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth. Adjust color with 1-2 drops food color, if desired. Pour mixture over popcorn and mix until coated.

Spray hands with nonstick cooking spray and press firmly to form into eight balls. Place balls on eight wafer cookies. Press candy decorations into popcorn balls to form “eyes,” “nose” and “mouth.”

In small, microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate chips, covered, 10 seconds. Stir to aid melting. Repeat as needed until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Spoon about ½ teaspoon melted chocolate on top of each popcorn ball. Press licorice strings into chocolate to form “hair.”

Dip cone edges into melted chocolate then orange sugar sprinkles. Place on remaining wafer cookies to form “witches’ hats.” Place hats on popcorn balls. Allow chocolate to set about 45 minutes before serving.

Serve or seal individually in plastic wrap.

Green Halloween Zombies

Yield: about 7 pieces

2½ quarts popped popcorn 6 tablespoons butter or margarine 3 cups mini marshmallows 4 tablespoons lime gelatin powder red gum balls candy corn flat green candy strips or fruit leather green sugar sprinkles

Place popcorn in large bowl; set aside.

In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir marshmallows into butter until melted. Stir in gelatin powder until evenly colored.

Pour melted mixture over popcorn and stir until evenly coated. With buttered hands, shape popcorn into seven ovals.

Flatten one oval slightly and squeeze one end to form “skull” shape. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ovals.

To decorate: Press two gumballs into each skull to form “eyes.” Press candy corn into skull to form “teeth.” Use scissors to trim candy strips and press into top for “hair.” Sprinkle with sugar sprinkles.

Allow “zombies” to set about 20 minutes before wrapping individually in plastic wrap or serve immediately.

Popcorn Caramel Apples

Yield: 4 apples

1 quart freshly popped popcorn 1 package (9½ ounces, 35 total) caramels, unwrapped ¼ cup light cream or half-and-half 4 lollipop sticks or wooden candy apple sticks 4 apples ½ cup chocolate chips sugar sprinkles decorative ribbon (optional)

Place popcorn in large bowl; set aside. Place sheet of waxed paper on work surface.

In small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat caramels and cream. Stir frequently until caramels are melted and cream is blended into caramels.

Push one stick into apple center and dip into caramel. Spoon caramel over apple to coat. Repeat with remaining apples

Place caramel-coated apple in bowl of popcorn and press popcorn onto caramel to cover. Place apple on waxed paper to set; repeat with remaining apples.

In small, resealable plastic bag, microwave chocolate chips 10 seconds and press chips to aid melting. Repeat, heating at 10-second intervals, until chips are completely melted. Cut small corner off bag and squeeze chocolate onto each apple, allowing chocolate to drip down sides. Sprinkle with sugar sprinkles.

Tie bow to each apple stick, if desired. To serve, cut apples into slices. (Family Features)

Animation of Ed Buck putting a spell on his victims (Remy M. Ndow (Animator) & Shivelight LLC photo) Gemmel’s friend Jerome Kitchen fighting for justice (Shivelight LLC photo)

One of Ed Buck’s victims recalls his experience at the infamous apartment on 1234 North Laurel Street (Shivelight LLC photo)

By MARGRIRA

Special to the AmNews

The world is a dangerous place. There are predators everywhere but for young, African American men those dangers are amplified and in the new documentary “Gemmel & Tim” the deaths of Gemmel “Juelz” Moore who died in 2017 and Timothy “Tim” Dean who died in 2019, are carefully explored. Gemmel and Tim were young, gay African American men who lived in the West Hollywood area of Los Angeles and whose paths, tragically, crossed when they connected with a much older white man named Ed Buck, a.k.a. “the devil.” What Buck did was grim and deadly. He would invite young, fit, dynamic, African American gay men to his West Hollywood apartment to give them drugs—crystal meth—that he would inject into their bodies getting them hooked with ease.

The doc makes the point that Tim’s death could have been avoided if the police and justice system had acted in time to put a stop to Ed Buck back in 2017: the police did not. It’s a known fact that police respond differently to white people and things would have been treated very differently if the body of a white young man had been found in the house of an African American man.

Here’s what you need to know: crystal meth is the common name for crystal methamphetamine, a strong and highly addictive drug that affects the central nervous system. There is no legal use for it. Methamphetamine is a manmade stimulant that was developed during World War II and given to soldiers to keep them awake. Believe it or not, this highly addictive and destructive drug has been used to assist in weight loss and ease depression.

Gemmel and Tim went to Buck’s apartment numerous times, where the evil, white man injected them with the drug which eventually led to their deaths. Some mainstream media outlets seem to imply that Gemmel and Tim dying of a meth overdose was deserved. Even Timothy’s past as a part-time adult film actor was used against him. A number of outlets even tried to brush away the story but the doc, “Gemmel & Tim” focuses the narrative firmly in the hands of people who love these men, to this day, and refuse to let them be forgotten.

They humanize them correctly, showing the viewer the qualities that made them both special. Gemmel and Tim were basketball players, friends, and hikers, with momentum and dreams, not statistics. On a deeper level, this doc is an intersectional look at racism, drug use, drug abuse, and the queer community.

Naturally and sadly, society tends to look away in shame as marginalized communities fall victim to predators and that’s exactly what Ed Buck was—a protected predator because he was male, white and he was preying on African American men.

“Gemmel & Tim” portrayed the interviewees in their raw state where some felt a strong sense of guilt for not helping enough but the fact of the matter is that there’s only so much a person can do when dealing with active drug addicts.

Seeing what Gemmel and Timothy had in common as well as their differences deeply humanizes their struggle, not making them unique, of course, but helping the viewer understand that there by the grace of the God of your own understanding go…any one of us.

Producer Michael Franklin is an American actor and film producer who got his start in Hollywood as a dancer, working for artists including Mariah Carey, Rihanna, and Beyonce. Franklin plays the recurring role of young Leander “Shreve” Scoville on the Apple TV+ drama series “Truth Be Told.” His most recent appearance is in the series “Atypical” on Netflix and “9- 1-1: Lone Star” on FOX. Franklin is a producer on the documentary features “Gemmel & Tim” and “That’s Wild,” both directed by Thomas.

Producer, editor, and writer Niq Lewis is an award-winning editor and visual storyteller with over 10 years of experience editing narrative and commercial content for clients including Vice Media Group, TV ONE, BET, Food Network, Fox, Lifetime, Macy’s, Home Depot, and Booz Allen Hamilton. Most recently she edited the Netflix feature documentary “In Our Mothers’ Gardens.” A native New Yorker, her family moved from Brownsville, Brooklyn to Central Harlem in the early ’90s, and it was at the Schomburg library, reading poetry by Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou, that she began to understand the power that came with telling our own stories, unapologetically, as Black people.

Here’s what producer Niq Lewis had to share about why getting “Gemmel & Tim” made was important.

AmNews: Why did you feel the need to create this doc?

Niq Lewis: I’m born and raised in NYC and have been a spectator of the ballroom scene since coming out in my late teens. It was one of the first places I felt a sense of community in my queerness. So when Michael approached me to edit this story, I immediately gravitated toward Gemmel’s story. After further research, I was almost in disbelief when I realized how long the family and friends of both Gemmel and Tim had been fighting for justice, with no answers or action. As a Black, queer filmmaker, it’s been my goal and my responsibility to shed light on the stories within my community—the stories that don’t often get told.

AmNews: How (or has it) helped bring awareness to issues surrounding the vulnerable community?

NL: Black gay and trans men and women are being preyed upon and murdered by numbers that are unfathomable; 2021 was the deadliest year on record for trans people and we aren’t talking about this enough. I think this film, along with films like “Crystal Diaries” directed by Enyce Smith, has helped to keep stories of the vulnerable in people’s minds. Plenty of folks knew of Ed Buck when these stories hit mainstream media and now a wider audience will get to know Gemmel and Tim.

AmNews: Do you think (or rather, do you feel) that the victims would have been supportive in this pursuit of justice?

NL: I can’t speak for the victims because I didn’t know them personally, but based on the testimonies from Gemmel’s friends, they believed that he was on a mission to expose Ed Buck.

So with that information in mind, I do believe they would have supported their friends’ and families’ fight for justice.