Mmm...Cockroach Clusters
Oct. 25th, 2007 08:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mysidI just finished making a yummy batch of cockroach clusters. I made one batch a few days ago, but the nibblers in my family have been at them, so I had to make more. And no, we don't have exotic tastes; I must confess that I didn't use real cockroaches.
The explanation: I'm one of the "room parents" for my son's second grade class. Last week, all the second grade room parents met together to discuss the Halloween party. One mom suggested a "Fear Factor" type game in which each child would spin a wheel marked, "Montster Toes, Spiders, Witch's Brew, etc." The child would then have to eat whichever food the spinner stopped on. (Monster toes are gherkin pickles, Witch's brew is green punch, etc.)
When I got home, I started trying to think of additional items for the game, and suddenly thought, "Cockroach clusters." The chocolate part is easy enough, but what to use instead of cockroaches. After browsing in the snack food aisle of the store, I found the perfect thing: toasted pumpkin seeds. The brand I'm using looks more like melon seeds than pumpkin seeds (thin pointed ovals rather than teardrop) but they do look vaguely like insect wings. And the flavor and texture are perfect. They're crunchy and slightly salty--a great combo with chocolate--but have an unidentifable, vaguely grassy taste. Just what one might imagine cockroaches covered in chocolate would taste like--if one had never had the real thing. (And I doubt anyone in class has had the real thing.)
My daughter (son's twin) insisted that I make cockroach clusters for her class as well. With this lastest batch, I now have enough for both classes. Now, if I can just keep my family from eating them before Halloween!
The explanation: I'm one of the "room parents" for my son's second grade class. Last week, all the second grade room parents met together to discuss the Halloween party. One mom suggested a "Fear Factor" type game in which each child would spin a wheel marked, "Montster Toes, Spiders, Witch's Brew, etc." The child would then have to eat whichever food the spinner stopped on. (Monster toes are gherkin pickles, Witch's brew is green punch, etc.)
When I got home, I started trying to think of additional items for the game, and suddenly thought, "Cockroach clusters." The chocolate part is easy enough, but what to use instead of cockroaches. After browsing in the snack food aisle of the store, I found the perfect thing: toasted pumpkin seeds. The brand I'm using looks more like melon seeds than pumpkin seeds (thin pointed ovals rather than teardrop) but they do look vaguely like insect wings. And the flavor and texture are perfect. They're crunchy and slightly salty--a great combo with chocolate--but have an unidentifable, vaguely grassy taste. Just what one might imagine cockroaches covered in chocolate would taste like--if one had never had the real thing. (And I doubt anyone in class has had the real thing.)
My daughter (son's twin) insisted that I make cockroach clusters for her class as well. With this lastest batch, I now have enough for both classes. Now, if I can just keep my family from eating them before Halloween!