Haunted Houses of Long Island
With chilled and damp weather guiding us through fall, Halloween is slowly creeping up and we are excited to find all the different ways around Long Island to celebrate. Haunted Houses are one of my personal favorites, and some of the spookiest Halloween attractions can be found right in our area.
Haunted Hallways of Centereach is a rare attraction, only opening for a few days a year right before Halloween. This year, doors are open between 6:30p.m. and 10:30p.m. on October 20, 21, 27 and 28. For four days only, you can have the Haunted Hallway experience that some are calling “the best in town.”
“There are no tickets or scheduling this year, you just have to show up and get in line. Entrance is free,” said Haunted Hallways on their Facebook page. The organizers are a local Long Island family opening their home and backyard to interested neighbors. They do not have a webpage but release the dates each year through their Facebook page. Be prepared as annual attendees say the wait is long, but completely worth it.
One anonymous reviewer said: “So much better than I expected. Definitely recommend! Homeowners are so humble, I had to ask twice if I could leave a donation, which was so deserving considering they do all this just for fun. Support this great group to keep cost-friendly fun available to our community and our kids! Thank you so much, we absolutely LOVED it and really appreciate your work! Very professionally done! Still don’t know how you got all the sound effects and lighting in all the right places at all the right times. Actors were amazing as well! You should really open your own business; it IS that good!”
Please note that the Haunted Hallways experience is appropriate for teens and up, or “very brave young’uns.”
For those who are truly in for the scare, rated New York’s number-one haunt by New York Haunted Houses, Chambers of Hell in Hauppauge will make you second-guess the actor’s humanity. With the purchase of one ticket, you will have access to three different haunted houses on the property, as well as some additional experiences such as haunted laser tag, escape rooms, and other limited time activities.
The organizers of Chambers of Hell reinvent their spooks to make the experience longer and scarier every year. In 2023, visitors can experience Bourbon Street in New Orleans with Vampires and Witches, an underground cave system with creatures you couldn’t imagine in your wildest nightmares, and finally, the fiery depths that are out of this world.
“We checked out Chambers of Hell over the weekend and it is an absolute scream-inducing masterpiece of horror! From the second we walked in, I was on edge. The vibe even in the waiting area was incredible, and the attention to detail in the lounge décor while we waited to go in was unlike anything I’ve ever seen in a haunt before,” said a reviewer on LI Haunted Houses.
Please note that Chambers of Hell is not appropriate for children, and parents should use discretion when bringing them along.
Spooky Walk in Center Moriches will have you scared for a good cause. “Started in 1989, the Spooky Walk is a fundraiser hosted by the Moriches Paquatuck Squaws to benefit Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck, a camp for children and adults with special needs,” says Spooky Walks. The walk is about 45 minutes long, making it the longest lasting haunted walk on Long Island. Only available on October 20, 21, 27, and 28, all of the proceeds are donated to the camp, including profits made at the beer tent and food trucks.
Fall’s Favorite Recipe
Mummy Baked Brie
Ingredients
- 1 (17.3 ounce) package frozen puff pastry (see Note)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 (16-ounce) wheel Brie
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- Sliced apples (for eyes)
- Pecans pieces, craisins, or raisins (for eyes)
Note
Store-bought puff pastry comes with 2 sheets of dough. Brie comes in either 8-ounce wheels or 16-ounce wheels. For a 16-ounce wheel you will need 2 sheets. If you use an 8-ounce wheel you will only need 1 sheet of puff pastry. Use the trimmed dough, roll it out and cut strips for the mummy. If you have too much puff pastry dough layered it won’t bake all the way through so, make sure you roll it thin enough.
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Thaw puff pastry on the counter for approximately 15 to 20 minutes and unfold.
In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the pecans in the butter until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon and stir until pecans are coated well. Set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 14-in. square. Cut off corners to make a circle.
Place Brie in the center of the pastry. Place the pecan mixture on top of the Brie and sprinkle the brown sugar over the mixture.
Fold pastry over cheese, trimming as necessary, and pinch edges to seal.
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, seam side down. Use scraps that were cut off into 1-inch strips. Wrap strips around Brie, trimming as necessary. You don’t want to make too thick of a layer of strips or it won’t cook all the way through. Discard scraps. Brush the beaten egg over top and side of Brie.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
For eyes, cut two circles from apple slices or use sliced almonds; place on top of Brie as eyes. Top each circle with a dried cranberry, raisins, or pecan pieces. Serve warm with apple slices and crackers.
Recipe provided by The Girl who ate Everything
