toffee/ caramel-ed apples

apple bobbing and toffee apples are great seasonal treats for any halloween party and are great for bon fire night too (uk mainly)

so give this easy recipe a go

you will need:

• 12 ripe/crisp apples
• 40ml of dark corn syrup
• 35g granulated sugar
• 35g light brown sugar 
• 35g heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon(s)salt 
• 3 tablespoon(s) butter 
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

how to make:

Line a baking pan with a generously oiled sheet of parchment paper. Push a candy apple stick into the core of each apple.

Combine the syrup, sugars, heavy cream, and salt in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer until the mixture reaches 270 degrees F – about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the butter and vanilla. Let cool for 6 to 8 minutes, until caramel thickens to a toffeelike consistency.

 Dip and gently swirl the apples into the caramel and place on the prepared baking sheet. you can add sweets, melted chocolate and other toppings you wish at this stage Let cool completely.

 

sweet popcorn balls

want a sweet but more traditional treat for trick or treaters or party goers this halloween why not try making some sweet popcorn balls.

to make this sweet snack you will need: 

large bowl of popped pop corn 

50-70g of dried fruit (figs, cherries, raisins, apricots)

40g granulated sugar 

25 g brown sugar

28g corn syrup

150ml of water 

Directions

1.  Toss popcorn and dried fruit together in a large, lightly oiled, heatproof bowl. Oil 2 waxed paper-lined baking  pans and a long metal fork. Set aside.
2. 
   
3. Bring sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, and water to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. 
4. 
   
5. Reduce heat to medium and cook until mixture reaches 260 degrees F.
6. Carefully pour the syrup over the popcorn mixture. Stir with the fork to distribute. Let sit for 1 to 2 minutes.
7. 
   
8. With well-oiled hands, form 3-inch balls, place on pans, and cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

spider web cupcakes

to make spider web cupcakes you will need:

• super moist german chocolate cake mix prepared
• 100ml of dark maple syrup
• 150ml pumpkin pie filling
• 1 tub or packet of chocolate frosting
• handfull of white chocolate chips 

To Make the Cupcakes: Place paper liners in a muffin pan, then fill each liner two-thirds full with prepared cake mix.Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, then set aside until cool. Repeat process until you've baked 24 cupcakes.

Transfer frosting into a bowl, microwave for 10 seconds, and stir; repeat until thin enough to pour. Dip cupcake upside down into frosting, submerging the top but not touching liner to frosting. Let excess drip off before turning upright. Continue until all cupcakes are glazed.

To Make the Cake Topper: Microwave white-chocolate chips in a bowl for 30 seconds and stir. Continue to microwave in 20-second intervals until almost melted. Stir again until chocolate is completely melted. Pour inside a freezer bag with one tip snipped off to create a piping sleeve.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Slide spiderweb templates  underneath paper. To make each web, use piping sleeve to trace white chocolate along design, making sure to connect all lines. Repeat process until you've created 24 toppers. Chill them in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Then, using a spatula, remove webs carefully from parchment and position one on each cupcake.

pumpkin pie

pumpkin pie

Ingredients

Serves: 5

• 425g chopped pumpkin flesh
• 1 packet ready rolled shortcrust pastry
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 1 pinch of allspice
• 95g dark brown sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 medium egg
• 30ml cream

Preparation method

Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 1 hour | Extra time: 8 hours, setting

1.

Pre-heat oven to 180 C / Gas 4.

2.

Steam chopped pumpkin for approximately 30 minutes and leave to cool slightly.

3.

Place ready rolled pastry in a pie dish, cover with a disk shape of baking parchment and cover with dried beans or lentils; blind bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Take out and leave to cool.

4.

Blend or mash the steamed pumpkin into a purée.

5.

Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and dark brown sugar to the pumpkin mixture and stir.

6.

Whisk the egg and egg yolk in a bowl and add to the mixture along with the cream.

7.

Fill the pastry case in the pie dish with the pumpkin mixture. Lower the oven to 160 C / Gas 3 and bake the pie for 35 minutes.

8.

When cooked leave pumpkin mixture to set. And when cool put in fridge overnight to continue to set.

pumpkin mousse

pumpkin mousse

to make this delicious pumpkin mousse you will need:

5 large Egg Yolks

1 cup(s) Sugar

3 1/2 cup(s) Heavy Cream

15 ounce(s) Canned Pumpkin

2 teaspoon(s) Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 teaspoon(s) Ground Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon(s) Ground Ginger

1/4 teaspoon(s) Ground Nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon(s) Salt

2 tablespoon(s) Dark Rum

1 teaspoon(s) Powdered Gelatin

3 ounce(s) Shaved Dark Chocolate

Instructions:

1. first take a large bowl fill it half way with ice and set aside.

2.Whisk the yolks, 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and 3/4 cup cream together in a medium saucepan. Heat while stirring continuously with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon over medium-low heat, until thickened and the mixture coats the spatula -- about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set over the ice bath . Stir to cool.


3. Add pumpkin, vanilla, spices , and salt to the egg mixture. Stir 1 tablespoon rum and 1 teaspoon gelatin together in a small bowl. Heat the remaining tablespoon rum, and stir in to the gelatin mixture until dissolved. Gently whisk into the pumpkin mixture. Beat 1/2 cup cream to stiff peaks, and fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour into a shallow dish, cover and chill until cold and thick enough to fall from a spoon in heavy dollops -- about 8 hours or up to overnight.

4. Beat the remaining cream and sugar to stiff peaks. Alternately layer the pumpkin mousse and whipped cream in a glass serving dish. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings between top two layers. Serve chilled.

 

ghoulish ice-scream float

so it's less than a week to Halloween and you are probably starting to get some ideas for your Halloween party.
have you thought about drinks.
here is a great idea for a drink that looks great for kids parties and tastes even better.

what you need:

• ice cream of your choice ( vanilla and mint work best for ghoul icescream) 
• fizzy drinks (lemonade is better but you can use anything including coca-cola)
• food colouring (blood red, ghostly green, black,yellow anything you like)
• scary sweet/candy (jelly snakes and spiders work well or even white chocolate mice) 
• ...or add fruit for the healthy option. 

first take a large sundae glass or a tall glass if you don't have either ask an adult if they have a pint glass you could borrow.

fill it about two thirds with your chosen ice cream flavor you could even mix more than one ice cream flavor together to see what different effects you get.

next add your fizzy drink and fill just under the top of the glass. 

it should froth up nicely to create a creepy ghostly foam.

you can add different food colouring to create different effects and colours.

 you can add halloween sweets/candy to your creation to make it extra scary or add fruit for the healthy option.

add mint ice cream and green food colouring to get a ghoulish green ice scream float