Halloween Makes

Halloween Biscuits

115g Butter, softened
75g Caster Sugar
1 Free Range Egg Yolk (the white can be frozen)
2tsp Milk
200g Plain Flour, plus extra for dusting
500g pack Ready to Roll Icing
Raspberry Jam

(Food colouring if required)

Preheat oven to 180C and line 2 baking trays with paper.  Beat the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until combined.  Stir in the egg yolk and milk.  Add the flour and mix to make a dough.

Roll out onto a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick.  Cut out biscuits using ghost shape cutters or any other spooky shapes you have.  Place on baking trays and bake for 12-15 mins until golden.  Cool on a wire rack.

(If required, mix a little food colouring into the icing).

Roll out the icing and cut out shapes to match your biscuits, cutting out eyes and mouths so the jam can ooze through (I used the end of a pastry brush).
Spread a layer of jam over the biscuits and carefully place the icing on top, pushing it down gently.

 Pumpkin Carving

 

Draw your design.  We decided on Scooby Doo this year.

Slice off the top and scoop out the flesh. (You could save the seeds and dry roast them.  Everything else can be composted).  

Mark out your design with a skewer (or, ideally, a special pumpkin carving tool).

Cut out the design and smooth the edges.  Brush the exposed flesh with lemon juice to preserve.

Place a small candle or tea light inside and pop the top back on.

We also made mini lanterns using persimmons.

These taste pretty good after they've been lit!

Don't forget to compost your pumpkin once you've finished with it.

It's National Chocolate Week!

So why not try some of these...

Garam Masala Chocolate Bark

150g bar good quality plain chocolate
(at least 70% cocoa)
1 1/2 tbsps Garam Masala
2 tbsps dessicated coconut
1 1/2 tbsps flaked almonds

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and chill in the fridge.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a pan of boiling water.
Lightly toast the Garam Masala in a frying pan then stir into the chocolate.  Lightly toast the coconut and almonds.
Spread the chocolate onto the greaseproof paper with the back of a spoon or a palette knife and sprinkle over the almonds and coconut.  Chill in the fridge until set.  Break into chunks.


Chilli Chocolate

200g good quality dark chocolate
(at least 70% cocoa)
1/2 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
100g chopped nuts (eg. pecans, hazelnuts, almonds etc.)
1 tbsp seeds (eg. sunflower or pumpkin)

100g mixed dried fruit (eg. cranberries, raisins)

Preheat oven to 200C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.  Toast the chilli, nuts and seeds in the oven for about 5 mins until everything is shiny and smells great.  Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of boiling water.
Mix half the chilli, nuts and seeds into the melted chocolate and spoon onto the lined baking tray.  Spread out using the back of a spoon or a palette knife.  Sprinkle over the remaining chilli, nuts and seeds.  Chill in the fridge until set.  Break into chunks.


Chocolate Pops

100g white chocolate
100g milk chocolate
Dried fruit (eg. cranberries, raisins etc.)
Dessicated coconut
Lolly sticks (I use Asda's own)

Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
Melt the white chocolate and milk chocolate in separate bowls.
Put several spoonfuls of each on each tray and spread into a small circle.
Use teaspoons or piping bags to make different patterns of chocolate (milk on white, white on milk).  Sprinkle over some fruit and coconut.
Push a lolly stick into each and spread the chocolate to cover the end.
Chill in the fridge until set.


Sheena x