One of my favorites is the dwarf ghost in “The Castle,” who supposedly sailed to the New World with Frenchman Jean Ribault when he claimed Beaufort for France in 1563. According to legend, the dwarf ghost was a jester named Gauche who crossed the mean captain of the ship, and he was forced to walk the plank in the Beaufort River.

His spirit haunted the marsh for 300 years until a beautiful antebellum home was built nearby that allegedly reminded him of his home in France. “The Castle,” as that house is known, is a large three-story brick home covered in a tan plaster that changes tones depending on the time of day. The marsh on the river side almost gives the impression of a moat, adding to the “castle” like quality.

Gauche only appears to children and speaks an archaic form of the French language. He likes to slam doors, and it is said you can hear the ringing of the bells on his jester costume. He appeared to generations of the Johnson and Danner families, who owned the house from the time it was built until the early 1980s.

Another popular local experience involves the famous “Lands End Light,” a gas-like blob of energy that appears along the side of Land’s End Road. Going to “look for the light” was a popular activity when we were in high school, parking along a desolate country road waiting for a ghost light to appear. His story has many variations — a Confederate soldier who was ambushed by the Union troops occupying Beaufort during the Civil War, a U.S. soldier who got in an argument with several locals over moonshine in the 1900s and was killed, and several other versions. For many years, cars could be seen all along Land’s End Road, with occupants waiting for the light to appear. My older brother even claimed to have witnessed it once.

Another favorite of mine is a pirate ghost who was left behind while helping Blackbeard hide his gold. One of the town’s oldest homes was later built on the alleged site of the buried treasure. The pirate was said to taunt the longtime gardener with promises to tell him where it was hidden. When I was in high school, I babysat for a young boy who lived in this house, and he always talked about seeing “The Man.”

The boy would occasionally give us updates as to what “the man” was doing. As an adult, all he will say he remembers about “the man” was a man with a long beard coming out of the fireplace in his room at night to tuck him in and tell him not to be afraid. Hunting for ghosts on The Point was high sport among my group of friends until I started babysitting in this house. After that, I didn’t want to do anything to conjure up Blackbeard’s long-lost crewman, so we decided to leave well enough alone.

In the Gullah-Geechee culture of the South Carolina Lowcountry, a “haint” is another word for a ghost. When I was growing up, it was still commonplace to see houses painted with haint paint — a bright turquoise blue painted around the door and windowsills to keep the evil spirits from entering the house. Old-timers still kept a broom or a sieve by the door to distract haints that tried to enter the house; apparently haints can’t resist stopping to count broom straws or holes. Bottle trees in the yard captured evil spirits that might be roaming about at night. When the wind rattled the blue glass bottles, it was a sure sign the haints were trying to escape. I have a bottle tree in my backyard in Beaufort — one can never be too careful when it comes to haints.

One likely haint that might be riding someone at night was a “boo hag,” a spirit that sheds its skin at night and finds a victim to “ride” and steal their energy. Waking up tired in the morning may indicate someone’s been ridden by a boo hag. The only way to get rid of a boo hag is to find its skin while it is out riding and sprinkle salt on the empty skin so that the hag cannot reenter the skin and continue to torment its victim.

As grown-ups, I don’t think we ever outgrow the fun of listening to spooky tales or the excitement of dressing up for Halloween. When my friend Johnathan Scott Barrett lived in Savannah, Georgia, he had a beautiful early 1900s home with a circular drive leading to a long front porch containing steps on either end. He’d invite adult friends over, and they’d line the porch and parts of the driveway with chairs.

Each adult was asked to bring a large bowl of their favorite candy. The neighborhood children would “trick or treat” across the driveway and up the porch, stopping at the chair of each adult and scoring a large amount of candy in a short period of time. Word spread through the neighborhood, and they would routinely have more than 300 children parade through over the course of the evening.

Another friend who lives in Elmwood Park in Columbia hosts an annual Halloween party, and much like small children who begin planning their Halloween costumes at the end of summer, our group of friends take their costume planning very seriously. Disney villains are a particular favorite. A friend in the Shandon area swears teenagers in his neighborhood are still spooked from the year I answered his door as Cruella de Vil, accessorized with my mother’s and aunt’s mink tail stoles and a black-and-white wig. A once beautiful bridesmaid ball gown was cut off and made into Ursula the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid, including long black velvet tentacles sewn onto the skirt.

My best friend bears a passing resemblance to a certain former White House press secretary who is now the governor of a Southern state. One year she dressed as she, complete with a Press Office podium made from boxes taped to her children’s leftover scooter, a la Melissa McCarthy on Saturday Night Live. Her husband donned a dark suit, white shirt, skinny tie, and a pair of aviator sunglasses.

He threaded one end of a pair of earbuds through the buttonhole of his shirt cuff and went as a member of her Secret Service detail, talking into the earbud and “protecting” her with a distancing arm from partygoers who got too close. Needless to say, they won for best costume that year. The coveted trophy for best costume consists of a skeleton that the lucky winner proudly gets to keep until the next year.

Although costumes are part of what makes Halloween fun, everyone is a winner if the spread of treats is irresistible. Hauntingly fun food adds an extra touch to any Halloween celebration, whether the party is intended for children or grown-ups. These tasty treats will send a happy chill up the taste buds. Whether you have a grown-up costume party in the works or just a fun evening with friends while giving out treats at home, make a tray full of these goodies and enjoy a spooky evening full of treats but no tricks!

Bacon and Cheese Dip with Apple Slices

A grown-up version of bobbing for apples — much tastier and far less messy. Instead of bobbing for them in a big vat of water, slice the apples and dip them into a big bowl of cheesy bacon goodness! And slicing them ensures no spells will be cast with poison apples from a wicked stepmother!

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated Note: Do not use pre-grated cheese; it does not melt well.
6 tablespoons half-and-half
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon onion salt
3 to 4 dashes Tabasco sauce
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (or 1 cup bacon bits)
Red and green apple wedges, unpeeled
Lemon juice or Fruit-Fresh Produce Protector

In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, half-and-half, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, onion salt, and tabasco. Cook in the microwave for 1 minute and stir well. Continue to cook for 30 second intervals until all the cheese is melted, about 1 to 2 minutes more, stirring between each interval. When the cheese is melted, remove from the microwave and add bacon. Stir well. Makes 4 cups.

Toss the apple slices with lemon juice or Fruit-Fresh to prevent discoloring.

Serve the dip in a chafing dish to keep it warm and use the apple slices for dipping. The dip can also be served with vegetables, crackers, or corn chips.

Witchy Fingers

Grandmother’s classic Southern nutty finger recipe becomes something a little scarier with the addition of an almond “fingernail” and a few wrinkles, and unlike real life, the more gnarled the fingers look, the better. These can be made several days ahead and stored in an airtight coffin … I mean container!

30 sliced almonds
Red food coloring
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup ground pecans or almonds

Place the almonds in a shallow, flat-bottom bowl. Dot each with enough red food coloring to completely cover it. Allow the food coloring to absorb into each almond sliver until each “nail” is completely colored, and the desired intensity is reached. Place the almonds individually on paper towels to dry. (Food coloring in the aerosol container can also be used.)

In the bowl of a large stand mixer, or with a handheld mixer, cream together the butter and powdered sugar at medium speed until it is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat until it is well blended. Add flour and beat until well combined into the butter mixture. Add the nuts and blend until well incorporated. With a spatula, form mixture into a ball in the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 300 F. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Drop the dough into 1 tablespoon size balls — a No. 50 cookie scoop is helpful for this. Roll each ball between your fingers, until it forms a “finger” about 3 inches long and ½ inch wide. Place each finger on the parchment paper, allowing room between the fingers for them to spread. When all the fingers are rolled, pinch each finger up slightly about halfway up to make a “knuckle.” With a sharp paring knife, cut a few shallow slits crosswise above and below the knuckle to resemble wrinkles on the fingers. Place one of the tinted almonds at one end to make the fingernail, and press into the dough.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the fingers are lightly brown. Let fingers cool on the pan for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 30 fingers.

This recipe, minus the almond fingernail and cuts, also makes a great classic nutty finger. Roll them in ½-inch by 2-inch fingers and bake.

Nutty Ghosts

Peanut-shaped sandwich cookies do double duty as ghosts when dipped in white chocolate with mini chocolate chips added for the eyes. These are easy enough for children to help make as a special Halloween treat for friends and family.

1 (12-ounce) package white chocolate chips
2 tablespoons coconut oil or plain Crisco
16 peanut shaped sandwich cookies
32 mini chocolate chips

Place white chocolate chips and Crisco in a deep microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir well. Microwave for an additional minute. Remove from microwave, stir until smooth and all the white chocolate chips are melted. With a fork, dip each cookie into the melted chocolate, letting the chocolate drain back into the bowl until most of the chocolate stops dripping. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. Place two mini chocolate chips on the top half of each dipped cookie to resemble eyes.

Allow to set completely. Once dry, store in an airtight container.

Praline Pecan Caramel Popcorn

Peanuts and Cracker Jacks are classic old-fashioned trick-or-treating fare — this praline pecan popcorn takes them to a more adult taste. Serve in a large bowl for snacking, or individually package in decorative treat bags for giving to trick-or-treaters you know and who know you. For a special treat, I love making it with “Almost Rum” Sugar Cane Syrup from Richland, Georgia, (RichlandRum.com) but any cane syrup will do.

20 cups freshly popped popcorn, unsalted (about ¾ cup unpopped corn). Three bags of low-fat microwave popcorn can also be used, but omit the salt.
2 cups unsalted pecans
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
½ cup sugar cane syrup
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 250 F. Mix the popcorn and nuts together in a large nonstick or greased roasting pan. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, taking care to prevent it from scorching. Remove from the heat; add the baking soda, which makes the caramel appear fluffy; vanilla; and salt. Stir well.

Pour the mixture over the popcorn and pecans, stirring until the mixture is evenly distributed and the popcorn is well coated. Bake, stirring every 15 minutes to be sure the caramel continues to be well distributed and that the popcorn doesn’t stick together, for 1 hour. Remove from the oven.

Line the counter with several pieces of wax paper and turn the popcorn mixture onto the paper. Separate the pieces with a large spoon and allow to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container or zip top bags for up to a week. Makes 5 quarts 20 (1-cup) servings.