Ghostly Guacamole with Tortilla Chips

A Halloween snack built as a smooth, limey guacamole molded into a ghost shape and finished with olive eyes. It is served with warm, crisp tortilla chips for scooping and sharing.

By Julienne

Cook time: 10 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 10 ml olive oil for brushing the chips before warming
• 200 g tortilla chips
• 4 each ripe avocados halved, pitted, and flesh scooped out
• 45 ml lime juice freshly squeezed
• 30 g red onion very finely minced
• 10 g fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems chopped
• 1 each jalapeño seeded and finely minced
• 1 clove garlic finely grated or minced
• 5 g kosher salt
• 1 g black pepper freshly ground
• 2 each black olives sliced into small rounds or halves for decorating the ghost face

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 180°C. Spread the tortilla chips on a baking sheet and brush them very lightly with the olive oil if using it. The oven is fully preheated and the chips are lightly coated.
2. Warm the chips for 8 to 10 minutes, just until crisp and lightly toasted at the edges; do not let them color deeply. Chips are hot and crisp, with dry surfaces and a faint toasted aroma.
3. In a large bowl, mash the avocado until mostly smooth with a few small lumps for texture. The avocado looks thick and spreadable, not chunky.
4. Mix in the lime juice, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño if using it, garlic, salt, and black pepper until evenly combined. The guacamole tastes bright and balanced, with no streaks of unseasoned avocado.
5. Mound the guacamole on a serving plate and shape it into a ghost form with a rounded top and narrower base. Add the olive slices as eyes. The guacamole holds a ghost shape and the olive eyes sit neatly on the surface.
6. Serve immediately with the warm tortilla chips on the side. The chips are crisp and the guacamole surface is still bright green.