At this point in the year we're all wondering how it's already October, as well as getting prepared for the upcoming festive season. And just around the corner is Halloween, a fun celebration becoming increasingly popular in Australia.
Along with spooky or funny costumes, carved pumpkins and trick-or-treating, Halloween treats are on the cards -- think monster-themed cookies, brownies and muffins, and even spooky cocktails for the parents.
To get you in the Halloween spirit, here are four Halloween treats to make this October, which are perfect for kids and adults alike.
Mummy cookies
Serves 24.
Preparation time: 30 minutes. Cooking time: 15 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
Cookie batter:
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1¾ cups plain flour, sifted
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bi-carb soda
- 1 cup milk or dark chocolate chips
- ¾ cup coconut flakes
Decoration:
- 200g white chocolate, melted
- 48 candy eyeballs
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Line oven trays with baking paper.
- Beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla essence in a bowl with electric mixer until combined.
- Slowly stir in sifted flour, baking powder and bi-carb. Add choc chips and coconut.
- Drop tablespoons of the cookie mixture 5cm apart onto baking trays. Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool on trays.
- Drizzle on melted white chocolate to create a mummy effect. Stick on candy eye balls.
Tips/variations: For a berry twist add ½ cup frozen raspberries or mixed berries at step 3. For double choc cookies omit ⅓ cup plain flour and replace with ⅓ cup cocoa at step 3.
Spider cookies
Serves 24.
Preparation time: 30 minutes. Cooking time: 15 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
Cookie dough:
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 ¾ cups plain flour, sifted
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bi-carb soda
- 1 cup milk or dark chocolate chips
- ¾ cup coconut flakes
Spider decoration:
- 40 Maltesers (or other chocolate balls)
- 200g dark melted chocolate
- 40 candy eyeballs
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Line oven trays with baking paper.
- Beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla essence in a bowl with electric mixer until combined. Slowly stir in sifted flour, baking powder and bi-carb. Add choc chips and coconut.
- Drop tablespoons of mixture 5cm apart onto baking trays. Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool on trays.
- Use a bit of melted chocolate to glue on two Maltesers per cookie to form the spider's body. Using a piping bag, create four lines of melted chocolate on each side of cookie to form the spider's legs. Stick on candy eyeballs with remaining melted chocolate.
Zombie brain cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes.
Preparation time: 20 minutes. Cooking time: 20 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes:
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- 125g caster sugar
- 125g plain flour
- ½ teaspoon bi-carb soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
- 2 tablespoons full cream milk
Icing:
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- 250g icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 2 teaspoons full cream milk
- Pink food colouring
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 12 x ⅓ cup capacity muffin tin with cupcake patties.
- Using an electric mixer on medium setting, mix all cupcake ingredients except the milk. Gradually add the milk. Mix until smooth.
- Divide the mixture across the 12 cupcake patties. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cake skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool.
- Beat butter with icing sugar using an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla essence and milk until smooth, adding extra milk or icing sugar if necessary. Add a few drops of food colour and combine. Use a piping bag to decorate brain pattern onto cooled cupcakes.
Skeleton gingerbread biscuits
Makes approx. 20 biscuits.
Preparation time: 40 minutes. Cooking time: 10 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup golden syrup
- 1 egg yolk
- 2½ cups plain flour
- 1 teaspoon bi-carb soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
Royal icing:
- 3 cups icing sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 egg whites
- Blue food colouring
- Black writing icing tube
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper.
- Beat butter, sugar and golden syrup in a bowl with electric mixer until pale and creamy. Add egg yolk and beat until just combined. Sift flour, bi-carb, ginger, cinnamon and cloves into mixture. Use a wooden spoon to combine.
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth. Roll out dough to approximately 5mm thick. Using a gingerbread biscuit cutter, cut out shapes and place on prepared trays.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and cool.
- To make royal icing, sift icing sugar into a small bowl. Add lemon juice and egg white to form a firm paste.
- Divide ¾ of the icing into one bowl and add in 2-3 drops of blue food colouring. Spread blue icing onto the cooled biscuit. Allow to set.
- Using a piping bag fitted with a 1mm nozzle, pipe remaining white icing for skeleton outline. Use black icing pen for the eyes. Set aside for one hour to set.
Recipes and images courtesy of McKenzie's.