Here's How They Make the Desserts for Bette Midler's Halloween Gala

Now in its 22nd year, Bette Midler's Halloween party is a New York institution. Considering how many costumes the Divine Miss M herself inspired, it's no surprise that her All Hallow's Eve gala is one of New York's hottest tickets. In partnership with her charity, theNew York Restoration Project，以及迈克尔·科尔斯（Michael Kors），她于10月30日在圣约翰大教堂举办“在尘世的愉悦花园中”。我们与Dan Keehner, a Union Square Hospitality veteran and pastry chef who will oversee the tricks and treats for this year's "Hulaween" festivities.

Food & Wine:Is this your first "Hulaween?"

丹·基纳（Dan Keehner）：This is our first Hulaween. My personal style is very traditional European, French, German and Austrian. I'm very much a food geek in the old world sense of the way. This lets me combine that with some fun ideas, too.

F&W:您是万圣节的忠实粉丝吗？

柯ehner:When I was growing up in Mill Basin, my parents would walk in the West Village parade together. I wish I was more of a Halloween person. I never really dressed up. Later, when I was working as a pastry chef in the far West Village, I got to leave the restaurant first every night. On Halloween, I'd walk through the parade and hang out. The next morning I'd arrive first, too, and then I'd see some real sights in the neighborhood.

F&W:How did you choose what to make for Hulaween?

柯ehner:我们有一到两个菜单编写的会话。这是一个公开论坛。每个人都在这里做出贡献，无论他们曾经六个月，还是我的厨师，有14年的经验。这是一个事件的一个很好的例子，我的整个团队聚集在一起将他们的印记在菜单上。从本质上讲，我是一名艺术家和老师，所以我可以说：“嘿，我们怎么看？”因为我没有所有答案。这也使我成为更好的糕点厨师，因为我向他们学习。

F&W:今年在计划课程中引起了所有人的注意？

柯ehner:It's an evolving process. For example there's a cookie called a langues de chat—you may know it as Pepperidge Farm Milano cookie. I always push putting that on the menu. For Hulaween, one of my sous chefs thought it looks like a tombstone. Then we all decided to put people's name on them. Then another chef put them in a graveyard. We get lost in those processes and play culinary ping pong until we end up with the finished product.

F&W:What menu item got you the most excited?

柯ehner:酥皮鬼是我的最爱。我是作为糕点厨师的酥皮的吸盘。我们正在做这些小酥皮。我们吹了他们的一座山。一旦它们脱水10％，我们就会sc起内部，然后制作一个帕夫洛娃。我的一位入门级厨师认为它看起来像幽灵，那是我们能够进一步采取的。我们所有人想到的演讲很迷人。我不是一个可爱的家伙，但这让我微笑。

F&W:How much of the food preparation can be done ahead of time?

柯ehner:It depends on the items, on the components involved. We do everything 100 percent by hand in our kitchen, from the simplest brownie to hand-dipped chocolates. We chose to do elevated nostalgia candies, and those can be made a week in advance because we have a temperature-controlled kitchen. It's like planning a war.

F&W:Are there going to be sweets that people will remember from their own trick-or-treating days?

柯ehner: Those nostalgia candies: that's something that makes everyone smile. Taffy, toffee, bon bons… we're making gummis, which are a labor of love. Now these things are penny candies, but a hundred years ago people labored over them. Today, you get them at Duane Reade. It gives you a real respect for how charming they are. And they're just as beautiful no matter whether they are fancy or not. We don't cook for glory. The product is eaten by a real human being. I want the food to taste good first.

贝特·米德勒（Bette Midler）的Hulaween Gala门票是still available here.