A dozen years of Halloween fun, and this might have been our best yet! Blue skies and bright fall leaves made it the perfect afternoon for Samuel’s 12th Annual Halloween Spooktacular in Rhinebeck, NY.

The red velvet ropes went up, the patio heaters glowed, and the Hudson Valley’s most creative creatures came out in full force.

Meet This Year’s BOO Crew

Our staff went all out this year:

• A purple-coated chocolatier handed out baskets of Samuel’s goodie bags.
• A bubbly good witch in pink floated by with her wand.
• A green-faced alien with wiggly antennae greeted guests.
• A fluttering moth and a heavenly angel kept the candy coming.

Darryl from Button Down Balloons Returns

Our favorite balloon wizard, Darryl from Button Down Balloons, was back again! He arrived in a dapper top hat and greatcoat, with a lucky ace tucked in the brim.

Darryl twisted up magic from his trusty vintage suitcase all afternoon. Balloon skeletons were the hit of the season. Swords, wands, and one fabulous pink octopus were close behind.

Costume Highlights

The costumes were truly SPOOK-tacular. We spotted:

• A pack of little devils with pitchforks
• A crew of face-painted pirates (and their captain!)
• A cardboard robot and a fire-breathing dragon
• A skeleton dinosaur and unicorn fairies
• Bumblebees, snow queens, and superheroes
• A dalmatian pup
• A family of lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!)

Bonus points to the matching skeleton family. They were truly bone-afide winners!

Thank You for 12 Sweet Years

From the bottom of our candy-loving hearts, thank you for making twelve years of Spooktaculars possible. We can’t wait to see your costumes next Halloween!

Stay sweet and spooky,
—The Samuel’s BOO Crew 🎃👻🦇🍬

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Eleven years in, and our Halloween Spooktacular is still the sweetest scare in Rhinebeck! Families packed the sidewalk outside Samuel’s Sweet Shop for an afternoon of costumes, candy, and spooky fun.

Our BOO Crew Dressed to Impress

We rolled out the red velvet ropes, and our staff got into the spirit too. You might have spotted a purple-coated candy maker with a golden ticket, a caped crusader, a buzzing bumblebee, and a lovely ladybug.

One dramatic Victorian lady even fainted right on the sidewalk! Don’t worry. She made a full recovery once the candy came out.

Balloon Magic with Darryl from Button Down Balloons

The star of the street was our friend Darryl from Button Down Balloons. He was back for another year of balloon magic, straight from his vintage suitcase.

His Halloween menu had something for every little monster:

• Sammy the Spooky Snake
• The Zombie Neutralizer Gun
• Morticia the Flower
• Sidney the Skeleton
• Spot, the Slightly Large Spider

Spooky skull wands were the must-have accessory of the day!

The Cutest Costumes in the Hudson Valley

Rhinebeck’s tiniest trick-or-treaters brought their A-game. We saw witches, princesses, a cuddly honey-loving bear, a pint-sized lion, a cauldron-carrying witch, and a whole royal court of snow queens.

Our pumpkin display out front was looking smashing. And our candy cauldron was bubbling over with Halloween treats and sugary surprises.

Thank You, Rhinebeck!

Thank you to every little monster (and big one!) who celebrated with us. Your spirit makes this tradition so special. We’re already brewing up ideas for next year!

Stay sweet and spooky,
—The Samuel’s BOO Crew 🎃👻🦇🍬

The post A Boo-tiful Afternoon at Samuel’s 11th Annual Halloween Spooktacular 2025! appeared first on Samuel's Sweet Shop.

We got our SPOOK on this Halloween at Samuel’s 10th Annual Halloween Spooktacular, and it was a WICKED good time for everyone! The energy was electric as ghouls, goblins, and kids of all ages filled the event in their most creative and spooky costumes, making it a feast for the eyes and the imagination.

The highlight of the afternoon was Darryl from Button Down Balloons, who wowed the crowd with his incredible balloon-twisting skills. From witches to pumpkins and everything in between, his creations were a hit with both kids and adults alike.

Of course, no Halloween event at Samuel’s would be complete without our signature sweet treats! Our tables were overflowing with candy, Halloween-themed goodies, and plenty of sugary delights, spreading joy (and chocolate smudges) to everyone who attended.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and made this year’s Spooktacular another frightfully fun success. We loved seeing all the creativity, smiles, and Halloween spirit, and we can’t wait to do it all over again next year!

Stay sweet and spooky,

—The Samuel’s BOO Crew 🎃👻🦇🍬

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And as always, we thank YOU – our sweet fans & followers for your support, your patronage & your friendship!

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WE WON! Proudly displaying our BEST DESSERT award from this year’s @rhinebeckchamber Taste of Rhinebeck! Thanks all for enjoying the event and for supporting Rhinebeck’s Autism Supportive Community Committee!

Now come on by & try our BRAND NEW, AWARD-WINNING ‘Shut the Front Door!’ – a homemade mouthwatering mashup of nutella, peanut butter & cookies dipped in milk chocolate. YUM!

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Pix11 News Interview

The back story of Andy Ostroy

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Read the full article below!

people.com/paul-rudd-candy-shop-peanut-butter-blondie-recipe-7963983

Peanut Butter Cup Blondies

2 cups (about 8½ oz.) all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. kosher salt

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup creamy peanut butter

½ cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter, melted

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1½ cups peanut butter chips

12 peanut butter cups (regular size), frozen

1. Preheat oven to 350°, and line bottom and sides of a 13×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

2. In another large bowl, beat together brown sugar, granulated sugar, peanut butter and melted butter with an electric mixer on medium speed, until well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl, and beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to medium low; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in peanut butter chips.

3. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Gently press the frozen peanut butter cups evenly spaced into the dough in 3×4 rows (so that when cut into squares, there will be a peanut butter cup in the center of each blondie).

4. Bake for 20 minutes; rotate pan from front to back, and continue baking until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes more. Let cool in pan or on a wire rack.

5. Cut into 12 squares. Serve or store blondies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Serves: 12
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

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