Spooky spirits, Halloween kids treats on tap

Along with fun Halloween activities this month, we have a few culinary tricks and treats being served up.

Tiki-Ko: The downtown bar has always been big on Halloween. And since fans can’t flock to the bar and enjoy the vintage holiday decorations, Tiki-Ko has the next best thing with some festive to-go cocktails.

The Ecto-whip evokes an encounter with Slimer from “Ghostbusters,” with the usual Dole whip dyed green. The beverage is $10, offered with Frangelico or Kahlua.

Season of the Witch ($10), inspired by one of the Tiki-Ko team’s favorite movies “Halloween III,” tastes like rum-soaked apples thanks to apple cider and spiced rum. Dive in with The Creature From the Blue Hawaii ($10), a Halloween take on the Blue Hawaii served with vodka. Dracula’s Fang is a spooky, inky drink with Kraken rum.

All single-serving to-go drinks are $10, available to order via the bar’s website tiki-ko.com through the month. Pickups are available

Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at the bar, 1919 K St.

Halloween box: Children deserve holiday treats too. Act quickly to order this box with an assortment of treats from local businesses. This box ($25) contains a black candy apple from Sugar Street Cakes, cute ghost cookies SweetNSalty CC Shop and festive macarons in chocolate and strawberry flavors from Franco Baked. Other goodies include chocolate eyeballs, candy corn, chocolate-covered pretzels and vampire teeth candy. It’s all packaged in a box with a black ribbon and Happy Halloween tag.

Boxes will be available for pickup on Oct. 30 but must be ordered in advance through Franco Baked’s Instagram page (@franco_baked) or email francobaked@gmail.com. Supplies are limited so act now.

Make it yourself: Eagle Mountain Casino is serving up a pumpkin treat in its Yokuts Coffee House this month. The Porterville casino, operated by the Tule River Tribe, is open with a limited capacity. If you can’t make the short drive to try its pumpkin cheesecake, the casino’s bakery department shared the recipe.

Pumpkin cheesecake Crust

1½ cups crushed graham crackers

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup salted butter Combine crushed graham crackers, sugar and butter until mixed well. Press into the bottom of a parchment lined 9 inch springform pan. ( The bottom of a flat glass works well to press in the crust tightly.)

Filling

1 can pure pumpkin puree (about 2 cups) 1 can sweetened condensed milk (about 1 1/4 cup)

4 eggs

8 ounces cream cheese 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffier and increased in volume slightly. Add pumpkin puree and pie spice, and continue to beat until fully incorporated.

Slowly pour in sweetened condensed milk while continuing to mix. Reduce mixer speed to low and add eggs one at a time. Do not beat quickly as this will create air bubbles in the cheesecake mixture.

Pour filling into spring foam pan and bake on center over rack at 300 degrees for about 60 minutes. Center should still wiggle slightly when cheesecake is finished. It will firm up as it sets.

Allow cheesecake to set at room temperature for one hour, then in the refrigerator at least three hours.

Know of any other fun local Halloween or fall treats? Send the details to thedish@bakersfield.com.

COURTESY OF FRANCO BAKED COURTESY OF TIKI-KO COURTESY OF EAGLE MOUNTAIN CASINO These spooky macarons from Franco Baked are part of a Halloween box designed by local businesses. We ain’t afraid of no ghosts thanks to this spin on TikiKo’s Dole whip that evokes ectoplasm. It’s one of the new beverages in the bar’s to-go lineup. Eagle Mountain Casino shared its recipe for a seasonal pumpkin cheesecake, which is served in its Yokuts Coffee House.