Halloween recipes

Pumpkin-shaped potato chips

Ingredients

2 large potatoes
2 small sweet potatoes
2tsp olive oil
1/2tsp Mexican seasoning
To serve: sour cream and sweet chilli sauce

Method

1) Preheat oven to 220°C/ 200°C fan. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

2) Cut the potatoes and sweet potatoes into 1cm-thick discs. Using a small round cutter (if you wish - or you can go free hand!) and a small sharp knife, carefully cut out eyes and mouths from potato and sweet potato slices.

3) Place in a large bowl, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with Mexican seasoning. Gently toss to combine and arrange in a single layer on the lined trays.

4) Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning the chips halfway through cooking until they are golden brown and just tender. Cool slightly. Serve the chips on a serving platter with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce.

Chocolate Apples

Ingredients

200g milk chocolate, finely chopped
4 small eating apples
4 skewers - wooden chopsticks or large lolly sticks
To decorate:
sugar strands
finely chopped nuts
sprinkles
honeycomb pieces

Method

1) Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (but not touching). Stir frequently until completely melted, smooth and shiny. Remove from the heat.

2) Put the apples in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over them. Drain carefully, and wash under hot water to remove any residual wax on the skin. This helps the chocolate stick better. Pat apples dry with kitchen paper, remove the stalks and push a lolly stick or skewer in its place.

3) Line a baking tray or large board with baking parchment. Hold the apples by their sticks and dunk them into the melted chocolate. Use a spoon to coat the tops of the apples. Once the apples are completely coated, hold them over the bowl for a few seconds to allow any excess chocolate to drip off. Then place the apples, stick pointing up, onto the prepared tray. Leave to set for a minute or two.

4) When the chocolate on the apples is just starting to set but not fully firm, sprinkle the decorations onto the apples. Hold them on their side and rotate using the stick to completely cover. Place back on the tray and leave until completely set.

Roasted pumpkin seeds

Ingredients

1 pumpkin
Non-stick cooking spray
1/2tsp salt

Method

1) Heat oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan. Cut pumpkin in half. Remove the seeds. Remove most of the pulp from the seeds (leave some pulp on as it adds to the flavour).

2) Spread seeds in a shallow roasting tine and spray seeds with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt.

3) Bake for 25-30 minutes or until browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before enjoying.

Boo-scoti

Ingredients

Biscotti
Chopped white chocolate
Chopped dark chocolate
For decoration:
Chopped dark chocolate
Toothpicks

Method

1) In a medium bowl, melt your white chocolate (either over a pot of simmering water or in a microwave).

2) Dip biscotti into melted chocolate, then place them on a baking sheet. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 15 minutes.

3) In a small bowl, melt the dark chocolate.

4) Dip a toothpick into dark chocolate and use it to draw faces on your biscotti. Let them set and enjoy!

Witches (carrot) fingers

Ingredients

18 thin carrots
1/2 red pepper, cut into slices
1/2 green pepper, cut into slices
50g soft cheese
1 tub houmous

Method

1) Peel your carrots and carve them into finger shapes, cutting outlines for knuckles and flattening off the tips.

2) Cut nails out of the peppers and use a little soft cheese to attach to each finger. Arrange on a platter and serve with houmous.

Apple troll lips

Ingredients

1 green apple
1 large red apple
6tsp smooth peanut butter
30g white mini marshmallows

Method

1) Quarter and core each apple, then slice each quarter into three to make 24 apple slices in all – 12 red and 12 green.

2) Keeping red with red and green with green, make apple 'sandwiches' with each slice spread with ¼ tsp peanut butter. Arrange mini marshmallows in a line along 1 of the 2 slices, using the peanut butter as glue, so that they look like teeth. Lay the other apple slice on top, peanut-butter side down.

3) Repeat this with the remaining peanut-buttered apple slices and mini marshmallows to make 6 green and 6 red troll lips.

Blood lemonade with floating teeth

Ingredients

1ltr lemonade
350g frozen raspberries
Ice cubes
16 jelly teeth sweets

Method

1) Combine the raspberries and lemonade in a bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes, or until the liquid turns red, stirring every now and then. Strain the lemonade into a large jug.

2) Divide the ice and jelly teeth between 8 glasses and top up with the lemonade. Serve immediately.

Spooky tortilla shapes & green avocado sludge

Ingredients

4 large flour tortillas
2tbsp olive oil
2 ripe avocados
¼ chopped red onion
2tbsp finely chopped coriander
1 juiced lime

Method

1) Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan. Lightly brush the tortillas with olive oil on both sides.

2) Using Halloween -themed cookie cutters or free hand, cut your tortillas into spooky shapes and spread out on a large baking sheet. Bake for 6 mins, turning halfway through, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

3) To make the 'sludge' dip, mash your avocados in a bowl with the red onion, coriander and lime juice. Season to taste. Serve the dip with your tortillas for dipping.

Super simple satsuma pumpkins

Ingredients

6 mandarin oranges
1 stick of celery
Handful of parsley, torn into small pieces

Method

1) Peel all the oranges and remove any pith.

2) Slice the celery sticks into ¼ inch thick pieces that are ½ to ¾ inch long - these will be the 'pumpkin stems' so make sure that they are thin enough to fit into the top of the orange.

3) Assemble the 'pumpkins' by placing a small piece of parsley and celery into the top of the oranges. And just like that, they're ready to eat!

Red Velvet cupcakes

Ingredients

75g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
1tsp red food colouring
1tsp vanilla extract
15g cocoa powder
125ml buttermilk
175g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp white wine vinegar
For the frosting:
150g unsalted butter (not spread) at room temperature
150g icing sugar
300g cream cheese
1tsp vanilla extract

Method

1) Preheat your oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan and prepare your cupcake tins/cases.

2) Beat together the butter and sugar (either in a stand mixer or by hand) until smooth and fluffy. Add in the eggs and beat again.

3) In a small bowl, mix the red food colouring and vanilla extract together until they make a paste. Add this mixture to the butter mixture and beat until combined and there is an evenly distributed red colouring.

4) If you're using a mixer, turn the speed down to slow for this next part. Mix in the cocoa powder before pouring in half of the buttermilk and beating until well combined. Then add half of the flour and mix.

5) Add in the remaining half of the buttermilk and mix, then add in the last half of the flour and beat again (all of this done on a slow speed). This may feel time-consuming but it helps to make the cupcakes more flavourful and fluffy. Mix in the bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and vinegar until everything is smooth and incorporated well.

6) Spoon this mixture into the cases and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean when poked with a skewer. Once the cakes are baked, leave them to cool on a wire rack.

7) Now time to prepare the icing: Beat your room-temperature butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in cream cheese and beat for around a minute. Then add in the vanilla essence until the consistency is thick and smooth.

8) Using a piping bag or spoon, place your cream cheese frosting onto your cooled cupcakes. If you wish to use any red velvet cake crumbs for decoration simply level off any peaked cupcake tops with a knife ad crumble them over your icing. Red or black edible decorations can also be found in the supermarket bakery section.