Tim Burton is the creative genius behind many haunted films, like Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride, and more.
One that’s a fascination around Halloween time is his 1988 comedy horror, Beetlejuice, and its long awaited sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice that debuted in theaters last month.
Films like these that hold such an impact in viewers’ minds have started to sneak into our lives in new ways — from rounds of trivia, themed board games, and even cookbooks.
The Unofficial Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Cookbook, published in 2023, features 75 recipes inspired by the hit movie, giving readers another avenue to indulge in the Beetlejuice universe.
“For the public, it’s a way to enjoy the film further,” said Matthew Donahue, a professor in the department of popular culture at Bowling Green State University.
Other films, like Harry Potter and Hocus Pocus also have cookbooks tied to their respective franchises, which Donahue explained is “a way to continue to re-market the movie and keep the movie alive through these pop-culture products.”
If the professor were to host a Beetlejuice Halloween party of his own, he said he’d likely plan around the movie’s main color palette: black, white, nausea green, and mauve purple, which are prominent colors throughout both the film and its unofficial cookbook.
Books like The Unofficial Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Cookbook almost give the film “a life of its own,” he said, or a “new lease on life.”
The cookbook features recipes like a Post-Bio-Exorcism smoothie, a Showstopper Shrimp Cocktail as an ode to Delia’s dinner party in the movie, and the Shrunken Head Cider after the Harry the Hunter character.
Donahue said by accompanying Halloween, “one of America’s most popular holidays,” with Beetlejuice, these inspired treats can bring a new layer of excitement to a yearly tradition.
Matt Yockey, film professor at the University of Toledo, agreed that the film coincides perfectly with Halloween because of its seasonality.
“Horror films, through TV, can become a seasonal point of view,” he continued. “Halloween is so strongly associated with food, so the home space and the fantasy space of these films collapse in one another.”
From the very start, movies have been a social experience, Yockey added, explaining that food can be viewed the same way.
“The unintended pun baked into our culture is the idea of watching movies together and sharing whatever the intended emotions are together,” he continued.
“It’s no accident that we share a bucket of popcorn in a movie theater. … When you’re eating food that is thematic to the film that you’re watching, it’s about bonding with the fellow viewers and bonding with the characters on screen.”
Strange and unusual recipes
This week’s recipes are adapted from The Unofficial Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Cookbook, with the first representing the iconic purple and green color palette that is often associated with the film.
Green and Purple Meringues are inspired by the film’s cinematographer, Thomas E. Ackerman, who included these colors in the Netherworld, or the Land of the Dead in Beetlejuice.
Crunchy, sweet, and colorful — these would be a showstopper at any Halloween party, but especially a Beetlejuice-themed one.
Next up, Candy (Pop)corn is a given to have during any movie, like Yockey noted, but with a bloody twist from the melted red chocolate drizzled on top of the caramel corn.
A final Beetlejuice Halloween treat is the Shakes, Senora drink that combines chocolate brownie ice cream with chocolate milk and more decadent flavors. This shake is an ode to the song sang in the film, “Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora),” which is an iconic scene that most fans don’t forget.
Instead of saying his name three times, making these three Beetlejuice-inspired recipes for this Halloween season may be the safer route.
Green and Purple Meringues
Yield: 45-55 meringues
Total time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients:
5 egg whites, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
8-10 drops green food coloring
8-10 drops purple food coloring
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.
Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper
Using a mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar into soft peaks. Slowly add in the sugar, whisking on medium speed. On high speed, whip until hard peaks form, about two minutes.
Place half of the meringue in a different bowl. Fold the green food coloring into one bowl and purple into the other. Place the green and purple meringues side by side onto a piece of plastic wrap. Roll the meringue up in the plastic, leaving one end open. Place the open side into a piping bag with a large piping tip.
Pipe the meringue in rounds onto the sheet pans, spacing 1 inch apart. Cook for 30 minutes, turn pans, and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the meringues sit in the oven for 1 hour or until set. Times may vary depending on humidity.
Source: Adapted from The Unofficial Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Cookbook
Candy (Pop)corn
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 12 minutes
Ingredients:
⅓ cup red chocolate melts
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup popcorn kernels
¼ prepared caramel
1 tablespoon sea salt
Directions:
In a double boiler, melt the chocolate
In a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, add oil and the popcorn kernels. On medium-high heat, pop the kernels by shaking the pot. Cook until the popping slows down. Remove from heat and wait until popping stops.
Pour the popcorn into a bowl, pour half of the melted chocolate and all of the caramel and sea salt into the bowl and toss to coat. Drizzle the remaining chocolate over the popcorn and serve.
Source: Adapted from The Unofficial Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Cookbook
Shakes, Senora
Yield: 4 servings
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1 (16 ounces) tub chocolate icing
6 ounces mini marshmallows
32 ounces chocolate milk
8 scoops chocolate brownie ice cream
1 (6 ½ ounce) can whipped cream
⅓ cup chocolate sprinkles
Directions:
Spread a generous amount of chocolate icing on the top inch of the outer rim of 4 large serving glasses. Press the mini marshmallows into the icing.
Fill each glass with 8 ounces of chocolate milk and add 2 scoops of ice cream.
Top each evenly with whipped cream and sprinkles.
Source: Adapted from The Unofficial Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Cookbook
First Published October 26, 2024, 2:21 p.m.
