A Halloween Tablescape with Apple Cider Chai and Spiced Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches

While hosting a big Halloween bash isn’t in the cards for us currently, we’re making the most of our new normal by planning the next best thing: a small, intimate family gathering. Our friend and resident baker, Amanda Wilens, is on the blog with us today to share not only the most gorgeous Halloween tablescape, but also two brand-new recipes for the occasion: Apple Cider Chai and Spiced Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches. Absolutely mouthwatering, right? For a look at how Amanda created this stunning tablescape and her delicious recipes, keep reading…

A Halloween Tablescape

To create this tablescape, I started by placing seeded and silver dollar eucalyptus from the grocery store on the center of the table as the base for all of my decorations. I then added candlesticks, small white pumpkins, and dried flowers, all from Afloral, to my base, evenly spreading them out across the table and desk.

I then picked up cute gold pumpkins and small vases, and interspersed them through the space too. I added a gold skull and a small cauldron to the middle of the table, making them the spooky centerpieces that are perfect for Halloween.

I made the bats out of gold and ivory scrapbook papers on a Cricut cutting machine, and purchased the digital files for the bats here and here. I also spray-painted spiders gold for that extra Halloween feel.

All of my plates, napkins, glasses, and serving ware are from The Little Market. For each place setting, I had adorable Halloween straw sticks and bingo cards from Leonora of Yellow Heart Art, which you can download here and here.

Apple Cider Chai

This recipe can be made alcoholic or non-alcoholic and can be served hot or cold. It’s a super versatile drink that can be sipped on the daily and can be stored in the refrigerator. I mixed in edible glitter and topped the cider with edible flowers too. You can use store bought or homemade apple cider and homemade chai concentrate for this recipe as well.

Yields 6-10 drinks (depending on serving size)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups apple cider, store bought or homemade
• 2 cups chai concentrate, may vary on proportions depending on your concentrate (read the label), store bought or homemade
• 10 oz. Bourbon, optional
• Ice and Garnish, optional 
  
  

Instructions:

1. Combine all these ingredients in a large pitcher. Serve with ice and garnish. Enjoy!
   
   

Spiced Oatmeal Cookie Sandwich

These spiced oatmeal cookies are perfect for everyone and won’t last long at home {they’re just SO good}. You can make them without the filling and enjoy the cookies by themselves too, if you’d like. You can store these in the refrigerator due to the filling for up to one week.

Yields 21 cookie sandwiches

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  
  

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
  
  

Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients:

• ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar sifted 1-2 times
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
  

Cookie Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl from your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment on medium-low speed, add butter and sugars into the bowl. Cream until thoroughly combined and fluffy. This can take 3-5 minutes.

2. Add eggs, one at a time, each mixing in thoroughly. Then add in vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.

3. In a second large bowl whisk flour, oats, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

4. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with the mixer turned onto lower speed (to prevent the dry mixture from spilling out).

5. Cover and chill dough in the fridge for at least one hour and up to 24 hours. I place them in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Then I remove, ball into 2 Tbsp sized balls, and place in the freezer for 1 hour before baking.

6. Preheat the oven to 350° F and prepare 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

7. Place 2 Tbsp sized balls onto baking sheets and a few inches apart.

8. Bake for 12-14 minutes (may need a couple more minutes if you freeze the dough).

9. Remove from the oven and top with flakey salt. Let sit for about 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.

Cream Cheese Filling Instructions:

1. Using your mixer and the paddle attachment again, whip the butter and cream cheese for 8 minutes on medium/low speed. The butter will become very creamy!

2. Mix in the vanilla extract letting it stir for about 1 minute. Slowly add in sifted powdered sugar until mixed.

Assembling Instructions:

1. Pipe filling on top of the bottom side of one cookie and smoosh another cookie on top of that. Repeat with remaining cookies.

2. Serve and enjoy!

To learn how to make these delicious Pumpkin Scones from her Halloween spread too, head over to Amanda’s website for the recipe here, and to view her Instagram, click here.

To view more of Leonora of Yellow Heart Art’s work, you can visit here Instagram here.

P.S. For more details on how Amanda put this beautiful tablescape together, head over to her site here.

How will you be celebrating Halloween this year?

Let us know in the comments below.

XO Team LC

Photos: Amanda Wilens, Yellow Heart Art

Affiliate links may have been used in this post.