Okay, so this isn’t the normal type of post I’d make on the blog, but at the request of the Party Planning Professor, I was asked to put together a small menu for a friend whose husband loves the Grateful Dead.

As you probably know, the Dead are an American icon for their great music, the era in which they made it, and for certain herbal and/or chemical activities in which they partook.  And sang about.

So if you’re looking to capture the spirit of the Grateful Dead, but maybe without all the “extras,” here’s a few sweets that are sure to get you Truckin’ this Valentine’s Day.

“Pot” Brownies and Vitamin C, ‘Rettes and “Cocaine”

So, in other words, what I have done is in no way family friendly, but I do love me a good pun every now and then and couldn’t resist the chance to employ my punning ability for evil.

Ready for the recipes?

Pot Brownies

Okay, so the Grateful Dead, they happened to enjoy herbs, so why not treat your guests to brownies baked in a terra cotta pot… you know, pot brownies?

You will need:

• The ingredients for your favorite brownies or go with the ol’ standby and get some Duncan Hines.  Have enough to double or triple a normal recipe.  Whatever you do, add another teaspoon of oil per pot to the brownie mix to keep it moist.
• If you are so inclined, add a tablespoon of parsley per pot.

Only use shallow terra cotta pots, no taller than 4 inches or so.

Clean them very well with soap and water.  If they have been used for growing plants, coat them in oil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Let them cool before using.

Pour brownie mix into the pots so that they are 2/3 of the way full.

Bake according to the package or recipe instructions.

Vitamin C, ‘Rettes, and Cocaine

A line from the song “Truckin’” inspired the following recipe.

You will need:

• 1 sheet of phyllo pastry
• 5 tablespoon butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup ginger ale
• Juice of 3 oranges
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• Powdered sugar for baggies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter.

Using a pasty brush, spread the melted butter over the sheet of phyllo.  Cut in half lengthwise and then cut it into 1 inch sections.  Working quickly, roll each section tightly so that it resembles a hand rolled cigarette and put on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake in the oven for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.

While baking, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a saucepan.  Add the sugar, ginger ale, and stir until dissolved.  Then add the orange and lemon juice and salt.  Add the corn starch and stir until thick.

Arrange the cigarettes on a platter, serve with the dipping sauce, and individualized baggies of powered sugar for the full Grateful Dead experience.

Grateful Dead image taken from Dead.net.