Behind-The-Scenes Video: Getting Ready For Halloween 2011 At The White House

President & First Lady will welcome trick-or-treaters as the White House becomes the Orange House...
President Obama and First Lady Obama will celebrate Halloween early this year, welcoming a couple thousand local kids for trick-or-treating under the North Portico of the White House on Saturday. Here's a video about what staff and volunteers have been doing to get the treats ready and the grounds decorated: Ravens, bats, cobwebs, pumpkin urns and haystacks are all over the North Lawn. Last week, the Obamas purchased pumpkins at a farmers market in Virginia, and there's a clip from their visit included in the video. These have been carved and decorated. There's also a peek inside the Pastry Kitchen, where Assistant Pastry Chef Susie Morrison shows off the treats bags.

Despite President Obama joking to Jay Leno earlier this week that the White House will get egged on Halloween if more candy isn't handed out, the treat bags for Saturday's celebration contain exactly the same items as in 2010, the White House announced today. Yes, there's candy: Each goodie bag includes a box of White House M&Ms, a scoop of dried fruit, and a White House Sweet Dough Butter Cookie made by Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses and his team. Each cookie is a mini White House, covered with orange glaze. The treats are packed in clear cellophane bags covered with stars and tied with a ribbon. The recipe for the cookies and the dried fruit mix is here. Check the sidebar for more White House recipes.

The President talks White House egging on the Tonight Show...


Related: CLICK HERE for a post about the 2009 Obama Halloween Celebration; CLICK HERE for a post about the 2010 Obama Halloween Celebration.