I spent $200 on food and drinks at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. Here are 12 seasonal items I’d order again.

I’ve been visiting Universal Orlando since it opened. Carly Caramanna Halloween Horror Nights is a seasonal event at Universal Orlando that’s been running for 31 years. Food and drinks have become a cornerstone of the event, with over 75 specialty items this year.

I spent $200 trying everything from pepperoni-pizza skulls to churro dogs to see what’s worth it. The pepperoni-pizza skull was fun and delicious. The pepperoni-pizza skull from Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.

Carly CaramannaOne of the highlights of my visit, the pepperoni-pizza skull ($7. 49), was thematically pleasing and delicious. The skull-shaped dough was very fresh and stuffed with a generous portion of cheese and pepperoni bits.

It was cooked until golden brown and set in a bowl of zesty marinara sauce. This reminded me of an elevated, adult version of a Hot Pocket in the best possible way. Overall, it was very flavorful and made for sharing.

The pumpkin cookie-dough ball is the perfect size for a little treat. A pumpkin cookie-dough ball from Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. Carly CaramannaSometimes too much of a good thing is a bad thing, but the pumpkin cookie-dough ball ($4.

50) doesn’t fall into that trap. The two-bite treat had just the right amount of sweetness (ideal for me) and was also beautifully artful in presentation. The pumpkin-gingersnap punch was one of the best cocktails of my visits.

Pumpkin-gingersnap punch from Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. Carly CaramannaThe pumpkin-gingersnap punch ($15. 49) is a tiki-style cocktail with a dash of fall inspiration and notes of sweet, spicy, and savory.

Myer’s dark rum is combined with pumpkin puree, ginger-and-cinnamon syrup, single-press lemon juice, orange juice, and pimento bitters. It was perfectly balanced, with a strong liquor flavor complementing the juices and spices. The fresh-ground princess was very inventive.

Fresh-ground princess from Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. Carly CaramannaThe cleverly named fresh-ground princess ($6. 49) was essentially a freshly prepared marshmallow treat.

It was subtly sweetened with raspberry jam, which contributed to its vivid appearance. The butcher-shop packaging alone makes this worth a purchase. Plus, if you’re a fan of the classic treat, this was well executed and didn’t disappoint.

I was pleasantly surprised by the churro dog on a stick. Churro dogs from Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. Carly CaramannaThe churro dog on a stick ($8.

99) combined two beloved theme-park snacks: churros and corn dogs. Somehow the combination worked really well, with the sweet cinnamon sugar adding a layer of flavor to the savory hot dog. It was well cooked and had just the right amount of batter.

The Lil’ Boo spicy-pumpkin bun was full of flavor. Squash buns from Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. Carly CaramannaThe bao-style spicy-pumpkin bun ($6.

49) was a unique combination of flavors and made for the perfect portable theme-park snack. The treat is named after the unofficial event mascot, Lil’ Boo, a wide-eyed, adorable pumpkin. The bun itself had a soft and pillowy texture, with a bright-orange exterior fitting for the holiday.

There was also the right amount of butternut-squash filling, and the spices brought a delightful heat.  The burning skull is one of the event’s many signature cocktails. Burning-skull cocktail from Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.

Carly CaramannaThe burning-skull cocktail ($15. 49) featured a tantalizing combination of tequila, Gran Gala liqueur, lime juice, simple syrup, mango nectar, pineapple juice, spicy bitters, jalapeño, and basil concentrate. To make it even better, it’s topped with a Tajin-coated ice pop.

The sweetness of the drink was cut perfectly with some heat and a generous portion of booze. I also loved the keepsake light-up skull cup it’s served in.  Pizza fries have returned to the event year after year.

Pizza fries from Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. Carly CaramannaA staple of Halloween Horror Nights for many years, pizza fries ($10. 99) are standard french fries piled high with sausage, pepperoni, marinara sauce, and cheese.

There’s nothing earth-shattering about them, but they’re delicious, generously portioned, and perfect for less adventurous eaters. I was impressed that Universal now offers a vegan version ($10. 99) as well for those with dietary restrictions.

The burnt-offering mac-and-cheese bowl was filling and flavorful. Burnt-offering mac and cheese from Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. Carly CaramannaThe base of the shareable mac-and-cheese dish ($8.

49) featured creamy, white-cheddar macaroni with large shells. For a twist on the classic, it was topped with a skewer of char-siu pork. The meat was very tender and cooked to a perfect temperature.

This dish was super impressive, especially considering it was prepared and served from a food truck. The flavors and textures of the killer stove-top popcorn custard were super interesting. Killer stove-top popcorn custard from Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.

Carly CaramannaDescribed as popcorn infused with custard and topped with blood-splattered kettle corn, the killer stove-top popcorn custard ($6. 99) was a total surprise for me. I wasn’t expecting the flavors and textures to work together so well, but they did.

The dense but creamy custard added a subtle sweetness to the crunchy, salty popcorn. Fiery twisted taters aren’t for the faint of heart. Fiery twisted tater from Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.

Carly CaramannaTwisted taters ($9. 99) are another signature dish of Halloween Horror Nights. The fried, spiralized potatoes are thinly sliced and skewered.

The unique “fiery” version was topped with white-cheese sauce and sprinkled with crushed hot-cheese puffs and ghost-pepper seasoning. The potato on its own is delicious, but it was kicked up a notch by the spicy, ghost-pepper seasoning.  The name may be a turnoff, but the petrified rat tails were one of the biggest surprises of my trip.

Petrified rat tails from Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. Carly CaramannaThe petrified rat tails ($9. 99) are made from funnel fries coated in Florida Bay seasoning and topped with creamy crab dip and sliced scallions.

The crispy fries are deep-fried and offer a hint of sweetness to balance out the savory richness of the crab dip. It’s a hearty dish with an unexpected layering of sweet and salty flavors. Read the original article on Insider.