Brain Dip Recipes

BRAIN DIP

Steps:

• Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer + large bowl), add in cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high until smooth and fluffy, about 2-5 minutes.
• Drop speed to medium and slowly add in powdered sugar, about a 1/2 cup at a time, until thoroughly mixed. If desired, add a small amount of food coloring to frosting so that it's pale pink in color.
• If you'd like the brains to appear "bloody" as pictured, set up a pastry bag with your chosen piping tip, then use a paintbrush or a butter knife to draw streaks of red down the sides of the bag, going from tip to end.
• Fill a piping bag with prepared cream cheese frosting, then place icing bag in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so the icing can firm up (this will help the frosting keep its shape better). If you refrigerate icing for longer than 30 minutes, you may need to let icing soften at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.
• Food Safety Step: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread red velvet cake mix out on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Allow cake mix to cool completely before using.
• While the icing chills, prepare the cake batter dip. Using a stand mixer (or a hand mixer + medium bowl), add in cream cheese and butter then beat on medium-high until smooth and fluffy, about 2-5 minutes.
• Drop speed to medium and slowly add in the dry red velvet cake mix, powdered sugar, and brown sugar until thoroughly mixed. If you'd like the dip to be a deeper red, you can try adding a few drops of red food coloring (can use up to 1 tablespoon of red food coloring.)
• Place red velvet cake batter dip in your chosen serving bowl and smooth the top into a dome shape.
• Pipe icing on top of red velvet cake batter dip in the design of a brain. Easiest way to create this design: always piping from the front of the dip to the back, draw a line straight down the middle, then add squiggly lines along the sides.
• Serve immediately with ladyfingers cookies for dipping.

HALLOWEEN BRAIN DIP

Steps:

• Wash cauliflower.
• Cut florets from the top of the cauliflower until you have a cauliflower 'bowl'.
• Remove greens from bottom. Cut stems from radishes, leave the root which will look like an optic nerve, and remove skin but leave a little to resemble blood shot eyes/veins.
• Hollow out the cut end of the radish with the tip of a knife so to stuff with olive. Use a toothpick to hold everything together.
• Line your "bowl" with aluminum foil or a clear cling wrap so dip doesn't escape.
• Fill cauliflower with dip, garnish with radish 'eyes', pepper nose and onion mouth, and serve with veggies and crackers.

BRAIN DIP

Steps:

• Cut florets from the top of the cauliflower until you have a cauliflower bowl.
• Remove greens from bottom.
• Cut stems from radishes, leaving the roots but removing the skin.
• Using toothpicks and food coloring, draw an eyeball on the flat part of the radish (the roots will look like optic nerves).
• Fill cauliflower with dip, garnish with radish eyes.

SKELETON AND BRAIN DIP

Steps:

• Line half of small bowl with lettuce for the skeleton's hair; fill with dressing. Place at one end of large tray or baking sheet for the skeleton's head.
• Arrange vegetables on tray to resemble skeleton's body.

BLOODY BRAIN

Steps:

• Arrange shrimp in a 6 1/2- to 7-cup brain-shaped mold with tails facing upwards in vertical rows.
• Fill a glass bowl with 1 2/3 cups cold water; sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand 5 minutes. In a small saucepan, cook gelatin mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin has dissolved. Whisk in lemon juice, horseradish, salt, Old Bay, and cayenne pepper until well combined.
• Pour gelatin mixture over shrimp in mold. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down on the surface. Fit a plate into mold and weight with cans. Refrigerate until set, about 5 hours. Invert mold onto a serving platter; serve with cocktail sauce.