Life in Bianca’s Kitchen Presents
A Week of Hallowe’en — 2026
What to Serve at a Hallowe’en Party
Vintage Refreshments from 1928
A little entertaining inspiration from Dennison’s Party Magazine, with five modern kitchen reconstructions.
From Dennison’s Party Magazine — 1928
From Bianca’s Kitchen
Shall We Plan Another Hallowe’en Party?
There’s something rather irresistible about the promise of a Hallowe’en party in an old magazine.
The costumes, the decorations, the games, and, of course, the refreshments. I always find myself wondering what the hostess served, what could be prepared ahead, and which dishes might have caused the guests to ask for a second helping.
Having visited the elaborate Hallowe’en tables of 1912, we’re turning the calendar forward sixteen years.
This time, our inspiration comes from the 1928 issue of Dennison’s Party Magazine, where Alice Bradley contributed an article called Hallowe’en Refreshments.
Put the kettle on. We have another rather wonderful collection of old-fashioned entertaining ideas to explore.
From the Archives
Dennison’s Party Magazine, 1928
The cover alone is enough to draw me into this issue: a witch, a black cat, a broomstick, and the promise of Hallowe’en parties and refreshments inside.
Before we turn to the recipes, here is the magazine’s own interior contents page. It is a particularly useful glimpse of how this issue was arranged: decorations, costumes, amusements, and refreshments all gathered in one place.
These pages remind us that Hallowe’en entertaining was about much more than the supper table. Dennison’s offered ideas for decorations, favors, costumes, and games, too.
We’ll return to those subjects later in our Hallowe’en week. Today, however, we’re heading straight to the refreshments.
The Original Article
What to Serve
Alice Bradley’s Hallowe’en Refreshments appears on pages 32 and 33 of the magazine.
What caught my attention was the combination of practical entertaining advice and playful presentation.
Fruit could be arranged in seasonal containers. Mashed potatoes could be shaped into little apples. Even an ordinary vegetable accompaniment could become part of an attractive party plate.
Bradley also offers a practical reminder that feels just as sensible today: choose refreshments that allow the hostess to enjoy the gathering, rather than spending the entire party attending to the kitchen.
The 1928 Supper Table
What Was on the Menu?
Bradley’s article includes a suggested Hallowe’en menu, along with additional recipes, variations, and serving ideas.
The following is the Hallowe’en supper menu presented in the magazine, arranged here for easier reading.
Elsewhere in the spread, Bradley supplies directions for Sweet Pickled Carrots, Cheese Crackers, Butterscotch Filling, and Fruit for Hallowe’en, along with a separate church supper menu for one hundred guests. Those are distinct from the smaller party menu above.
That larger menu includes Stuffed Tomato Salad, Chicken Fricassee with Baking Powder Biscuits, Mashed Potatoes, String Beans, Sweet Pickles, Cranberry Jelly, and Coffee. The magazine provides preparation notes for several of these dishes.
I rather like this contrast: one menu suited to a smaller gathering, and another intended for a much larger party.
From the Archives to Our Kitchen
Five Recipes to Bring Back
We don’t need to prepare the entire 1928 supper to enjoy its spirit.
I’ve selected five preparations that seem especially interesting for a modern Hallowe’en table. Some are familiar, some are a little unexpected, and all invite a bit of old-fashioned presentation.
Select a recipe below to view its ingredients and preparation.
Hallowe’en Fruit Cocktail
Modern Kitchen Reconstruction No. 1
Bradley’s fruit cocktail is served in a hollowed red apple, with fruit, nuts, and a few sweet additions. Our version keeps that playful presentation while making a simple fruit salad for today’s table.
Ingredients
- 6 medium red apples, for serving, or 6 small glass dishes
- 1 cup seedless grapes, halved
- 1 cup diced cantaloupe or other ripe melon
- 1 crisp apple, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, optional
- 1/3 cup miniature marshmallows, optional
- 6 maraschino cherries, drained, for garnish
Method
- If using apple cups, cut a thin lid from each of the six red apples. Carefully hollow them out, leaving sturdy walls and bases; remove all seeds and core. Brush the cut surfaces lightly with lemon juice.
- Dice enough of the usable scooped apple flesh to make about 1 cup, or use the additional diced apple listed above.
- Toss the diced apple with the remaining lemon juice, then combine with the grapes, melon, and orange juice.
- Fold in walnuts and marshmallows, if using, shortly before serving.
- Fill the apple cups or glass dishes, top each with a cherry, and serve promptly, well chilled.
Kitchen note: Hollowed apples are best prepared shortly before the party so they remain fresh and attractive.
Mashed Potato Apples
Modern Kitchen Reconstruction No. 2
The 1928 instructions call for mashed potatoes shaped like apples, delicately colored, with a clove at the blossom end and a parsley stem. This modern version uses a little paprika-tinted butter and a brief oven finish instead of the original coloring method.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1/4 cup warm milk, as needed
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 8 whole cloves, for decorative blossom ends
- 8 short parsley stems, for decorative apple stems
Method
- Cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water until tender. Drain thoroughly and return briefly to the warm pan to let excess moisture evaporate.
- Mash until smooth with 2 tablespoons butter, just enough warm milk to bind, salt, and pepper. Keep the mixture fairly firm.
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Let the potatoes cool until comfortable to handle, then form eight small apple shapes on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and stir in the paprika. Brush very lightly over the tops to suggest the blush of an apple.
- Bake for 10–15 minutes, until hot throughout and the shapes hold their form.
- Just before serving, add a parsley stem and a whole clove to each apple as decorations.
Important: Remove the decorative cloves and parsley stems before eating. The 1928 recipe does not call for baking the shapes; the oven finish is our modern adaptation.
Sweet Pickled Carrots
Modern Kitchen Reconstruction No. 3
Bradley’s carrots are cooked in a sweet vinegar mixture scented with whole spices. Here is a smaller refrigerator version suitable for a family supper.
Ingredients
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into thick slices or long strips
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- 3 whole allspice berries
Method
- Simmer the carrots in water for 5–7 minutes, until just tender, and drain.
- Combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the carrots and simmer for another 3–4 minutes.
- Transfer carrots and liquid to a clean heat-safe container. Cool briefly, cover, and refrigerate promptly.
- Chill overnight before serving. Remove whole spices if desired.
Kitchen note: This is not a shelf-stable canning recipe. Keep refrigerated and use within one week.
Stuffed Tomato Salad
Modern Kitchen Reconstruction No. 4
For a church supper of one hundred, the magazine suggests tomatoes filled with cabbage and mayonnaise. We’ve scaled that idea down for six.
Ingredients
- 6 medium firm tomatoes
- 2 cups finely shredded cabbage
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 6 lettuce leaves
- Fresh parsley, optional
Method
- Slice a small cap from each tomato and scoop out the centers, leaving sturdy shells.
- Turn the tomatoes upside down on a clean towel to drain.
- Toss the cabbage with mayonnaise and lemon juice; season to taste.
- Fill the tomato shells with the cabbage mixture.
- Place each on a lettuce leaf, garnish if desired, and refrigerate until serving.
For the party table: Serve individually on small salad plates, as Bradley recommends for the larger gathering.
Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Filling
Modern Kitchen Reconstruction No. 5
Bradley’s filling begins with butter and brown sugar, followed by milk and a flour-thickened custard. This version retains that old-fashioned approach, with more explicit modern cooking directions.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold whole milk
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- 1 fully baked 9-inch pie shell, cooled, or baked tart shells
Method
- Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the brown sugar and cook gently for about 1 minute, stirring.
- Slowly whisk in 1 1/2 cups milk. Heat until steaming, without scorching.
- In a bowl, whisk the flour and salt with the remaining 1/2 cup cold milk until smooth.
- Whisk the flour mixture into the hot milk and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
- Lightly beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl. Gradually whisk in a little of the hot filling, then return everything to the saucepan.
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches at least 160°F and is thick enough to coat a spoon. Do not let it scorch.
- Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla, if using. Pour into the baked shell or tart shells.
- Cool briefly, refrigerate promptly, and chill at least 4 hours until set. Keep refrigerated until serving.
Kitchen note: This is a working, untested modern reconstruction. The original 1928 recipe uses a smaller amount of brown sugar; our version increases it for a more pronounced butterscotch flavor.
A Thought for the Hostess
A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way
One of the pleasures of reading old entertaining magazines is discovering how familiar the practical concerns can be.
A hostess in 1928 still had to think about timing, presentation, and the comfort of her guests.
For a modern gathering, I would prepare the butterscotch filling and pickled carrots the day before.
The fruit can be prepared shortly before serving, the tomatoes can be filled and chilled, and the potato apples can be baked nearer supper time.
I think that’s a bit of entertaining wisdom worth keeping, whatever the year.
From the Research Desk
Historical Sources & Notes
Our primary source is:
Alice Bradley, “Hallowe’en Refreshments,” in Dennison’s Party Magazine, October–November 1928, pages 32–33.
The magazine contains historical menus, recipes, and entertaining suggestions. The five recipes above are modern interpretations developed for Life in Bianca’s Kitchen.
The three archival magazine images are presented as historical source material. Modern recipe measurements and adaptations are not attributed to Bradley.
Continue the Collection
A Week of Hallowe’en
This article is part of our 2026 collection of vintage Hallowe’en recipes, menus, decorations, games, and merrymaking.
Return to A Week of Hallowe’en
Next, we’ll leave the supper table behind and explore the wonderful world of vintage Hallowe’en decorations.
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