4 servings

Hands on: 30 minutes

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Total time: 1 hour

Meridith Ford: Real blood pudding is pretty disgusting. A byproduct of pig slaughtering, one recipe I looked at called for three quarts of fresh pig?s blood, which most of us keep handy these days for the many special occasions — like a visit from your ex — that warrant its use. Not.

No, vanilla pudding with red melba sauce for blood is the modern way to go.

1 package vanilla pudding mix (6-serving package; requires 6 cups whole milk)

1/2 cup seedless red raspberry jam

1/2 cup simple syrup (see note)

2 large marshmallows

4 black M&Ms

Prepare the pudding according to package directions (for a richer, thicker pudding, substitute 1 cup heavy cream for 1 cup milk). Pour the warm pudding into glass goblets.

For melba sauce: Combine the raspberry jam with simple syrup in a small sauce pan. Using a whisk, stir gently over low heat until the jam melts and a thick sauce forms. Set aside to cool.

Cut the marshmallows in half with kitchen scissors; trim the edges to create an oval "eye" shape.

Put the cooled melba sauce into a piping bag or squirt bottle. Pipe squiggles of sauce from the center of the pudding to look like veins. Place a half marshmallow in the center of each "eye." Place the black M&M in the center of each eyeball. Devour.

Note: To make simple syrup, in a small sauce pan, heat 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Per serving: 307 calories (percent of calories from fat, 18), 6 grams protein, 59 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 6 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 25 milligrams cholesterol, 412 milligrams sodium.

Bob Longino:: You remember that great moment in Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" — a busted dam's worth of blood pouring in slo-mo from the ghostly Overlook Hotel?s elevators. It was used in the movie trailer, too. But in 1980, the MPAA would not allow blood to appear in a preview. Kubrick sidestepped the issue, convincing rating officials that it wasn?t supposed to be blood, but rusty water.

Oh, we like our horror blood. And we like it red. Pig?s blood dumped on Sissy Spacek in "Carrie" (1976), dripping fangs in Roman Polanski's comedy "The Fearless Vampire Killers Or: Pardon Me, but Your Teeth Are in My Neck" (1967) with Sharon Tate, and pools of rouge goo gushing from severed limbs in Takashi Miike's far-out "Audition" (1999). Watch the latter, only if you count yourself among the bravest horror fan.

And "Psycho" (1960)? It?s in black and white. The only way Hitchcock could get his blood to look like blood was to use chocolate syrup. Yum.