Squeamish Squares

These will be a big hit at Halloween - sticky, crunchy and chewy in one bite

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 10 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 16 squares or 32 bite-size chunks

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  197

• Protein

  2g

• Carbs

  26g

• Fat

  10g

• Saturates

  6g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  17g

• Salt

  0.15g

Ingredients

• 150g dark chocolate, broken into pieces (70% cocoa solids is good)
• 100g unsalted butter
• 4 tbsp golden syrup
• 100g Rice Krispies cereal
• 50g dried blueberries
• 50g dried cranberries
• 100g mini marshmallows
• 50g white chocolate, broken into pieces
• jelly snakes and bugs, to decorate

Directions

1. Line a 20cm square tin with baking parchment or cling film. Place the dark chocolate, butter and golden syrup in a pan over a low heat and stir until melted.
2. Put the Rice Krispies in a large bowl and mix in the blueberries, cranberries and marshmallows. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture until everything is well-coated. Spoon the mixture into the tin and spread out evenly. Chill in the fridge for an hour until set (or make the day before and chill overnight).
3. Remove from tin and peel away paper or cling film. Using a sharp knife, cut into 16 squares or 32 bite-size pieces. Melt the white chocolate in a small bowl over a pan of barely-simmering water, or in the microwave on High for 1 min, stirring half way. Using a teaspoon, drizzle the white chocolate over the squares. Scatter with the jelly sweets, then allow to set before piling onto a serving plate. Keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

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Malloween Ghosts

Made with melted marshmallows, these spooky little Halloween cakes are both chewy and crisp

• Cooking Time Prep 40 mins
  Cook 10 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Makes 18

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  233

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  35g

• Fat

  10g

• Saturates

  6g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  22g

• Salt

  0.24g

Ingredients

• 100g unsalted butter, plus a little extra for the tin
• 300g pink and white marshmallows
• 200g rice cereal (try Rice Krispies)
• 300g white chocolate, melted, for coating
• a little melted plain chocolate or black writing icing, to decorate
• wooden lolly sticks or coffee stirrers (stirrers are a little more bendy)

Directions

1. Butter, then line a 30 x 20cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment. Melt the butter in a large non-stick saucepan. Tip in the marshmallows, then melt very gently for about 10 mins, stirring regularly to make sure they don't stick.
2. Once smooth, stir in the cereal until all of the grains are coated. Spoon the mix into the tin, then press down to make it flat and smooth. Chill until cool and set. Can be made up to 2 days ahead.
3. Make the ghost shapes two ways. Cut the cake into rectangles, then use a sharp knife to round off the tops and zig-zag the bottoms. Or, to make flying ghosts, stamp out circles about 9cm across and use a sharp knife to divide into teardrop-shaped ghosts. Cut pieces of leftover cake to make arms, if you like.
4. Carefully push a lolly stick into the bottom of each ghost. Put onto a cooling rack. If you've made arms, stick them on using a little white chocolate, then spoon over more chocolate and paint it over and down the sides of the ghosts with a pastry brush. Leave to set. Pipe on eyes with the plain chocolate or icing.

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Monster Cupcakes

Let your little monsters do their worst, decorating these spooky Halloween treats

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 20 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 12

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  389

• Protein

  5g

• Carbs

  53g

• Fat

  19g

• Saturates

  9g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  36g

• Salt

  0.3g

Ingredients

• 250g self-raising flour
• 25g cocoa powder
• 175g light muscovado sugar
• 85g unsalted butter, melted
• 5 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
• 150g pot fat-free natural yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• For the frosting and decorating
• 85g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tbsp milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 200g icing sugar, sifted
• food colourings (optional)
• sweets and sprinkles, to decorate

Directions

1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with deep cake cases. Put all the cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat together with electric hand beaters until smooth. Spoon the mix into the cases, then bake for 20 mins until risen and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out dry. Cool completely on a rack. Can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container, or frozen for up to 1 month.
2. For the frosting, work the butter, milk and vanilla into the icing sugar until creamy and pale. Colour with food colouring, if using, then create your own gruesome monster faces using sweets and sprinkles.

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Haunted Graveyard Cake

The perfect centrepiece for a Halloween celebration, this cake is guaranteed to make your party extra spooky

• Cooking Time Prep 45 mins
  Cook 2 hrs
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Serves 10

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  721

• Protein

  9g

• Carbs

  95g

• Fat

  36g

• Saturates

  11g

• Fibre

  3g

• Sugar

  66g

• Salt

  0.63g

Ingredients

• To decorate
• 1 egg white
• 50g icing sugar
• 200ml single cream
• 200g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 125g rich tea finger biscuits
• 100g double chocolate cookies
• 25g white chocolate
• silver balls, to decorate
• For the cake
• 85g cocoa powder
• 200g self-raising flour
• 375g light brown muscovado sugar
• 4 eggs
• 200ml milk
• 175ml vegetable oil

Directions

1. To make the ghosts, heat oven to 110C/90C fan/gas ¼. Whip the egg white in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form. Whisk in the sugar a tbsp at a time and keep whisking for a couple of mins until the mixture is thick and resembles shaving foam. Gently spoon the mixture into a large freezer bag, then cut a 1.5cm hole in one of the corners. Cover a baking sheet with some baking parchment. Carefully squeeze a small circle of whipped egg white out of the bag, pulling upwards as you do to make a ghost shape. Repeat until the mixture is used up-you should get about 15 ghosts. Bake for 1½ hrs until crisp. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
2. Now make the cake. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip the cocoa powder, self-raising flour and sugar into a large bowl, breaking up any clumps of sugar. Mix together the eggs, milk and oil in a measuring cup or bowl, then pour over the dry ingredients and stir everything together until smooth. Grease and line a deep baking dish (20 x 30 x 5cm) with baking parchment. Pour in the cake mixture and bake for 30 mins. Leave to cool, then turn out onto a serving plate. Alternatively, wrap well and store for up to 2 days.
3. Finish decorating the cake: heat cream in a saucepan until just boiling. Place the dark chocolate in a large bowl and pour over the hot cream. Stir until the chocolate melts. Use a clean brush to paint a layer of chocolate over 7 rich tea finger biscuits, then set aside to cool. Pour the rest of the chocolate mixture over the cake and smooth over with a knife. Whizz the chocolate cookies, or bash in a freezer bag with a rolling pin, until small crumbs form. Sprinkle over the top of the cake.
4. Place the white chocolate in a small bowl, set over a pan of simmering water. Leave for 5 mins or until melted, then spoon into a small freezer bag. Wait for 10 mins so the mixture is not too runny, then cut a tiny hole in one corner of the bag. Pipe out 2 small blobs onto each ghost, place a silver ball on each to make eyes, then pipe out suitable words and shapes on the gravestones. Leave for 30 mins to set, then push the biscuit gravestones into the cake and arrange the ghosts around. To get the ghosts to 'fly', push a thin wire (you can get these from a florist shop-remember to remove before eating) into the bottom of the ghost, then place in the cake, hiding the wire behind a gravestone.

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Spooky Spider Cakes

Children will have great fun decorating these at Halloween parties

• Cooking Time Prep 40 mins
  Cook 25 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 12

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  481

• Protein

  6g

• Carbs

  63g

• Fat

  24g

• Saturates

  10g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  45g

• Salt

  0.64g

Ingredients

• 200g butter, at room temperature
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 200g self-raising flour
• 4 eggs
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
• To decorate
• 2 packs liquorice Catherine wheels
• 12 tbsp Nutella or other chocolate spread
• liquorice allsorts (the black ones with the white centre)
• tube black writing icing
• 1 length red bootlace

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and line a muffin tin with 12 cases, preferably brown ones. Put the butter, sugar and flour in a mixing bowl. Break the eggs into a smaller bowl, taking care not to get any shell into it, then tip on top of the butter mixture.
2. Add the baking powder and vanilla to the larger bowl, then beat with an electric hand whisk until smooth and creamy. Stir in the chocolate drops or chocolate. Spoon the cake mixture evenly into the cases and bake for 20-25 mins until golden-a cocktail stick pushed into the middle of one of the cakes should come out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
3. To decorate the cakes, unravel the liquorice wheels and cut into lengths with scissors to make dangly legs. Stick 8 into the top of each cake, making small cuts with the tip of a sharp knife so they push in really securely.
4. Spoon the chocolate spread on top and spread lightly within the liquorice legs to make a round spider's body. Now cut the Allsorts to make eyes and the red bootlaces to make mouths, then stick them onto the cakes and dot on the icing to make eyeballs. Will keep for up to 2 days in a cool place.

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Hooting Halloween Owls

Delicious and simple chocolate cup cakes to make with the kids at Halloween - real crowd-pleasers

• Cooking Time Ready in 30-35 mins, plus cooling and decorating
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 12

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  615

• Protein

  6g

• Carbs

  68g

• Fat

  38g

• Saturates

  23g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  54g

• Salt

  1.06g

Ingredients

• 280g butter, softened
• 280g golden caster sugar
• 200g self-raising flour, minus 1 rounded tbsp
• 1 rounded tbsp cocoa powder
• 6 medium eggs
• For icing and decoration
• 200g butter, softened
• 280g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tube orange ready-to-use icing
• 1 small bag Maltesers
• 1 tube choco M&Ms minis (use just the brown sweets) or Cadbury's mini buttons
• 1 tub jelly diamonds (just the orange ones)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with brown muffin cases. Beat the first 5 ingredients to a smooth batter and spoon between the cases, almost filling them to the top. You may have a little left over. Bake for 20-25 mins until risen and spongy. Cool on a rack.
2. Beat the butter and icing sugar until smooth. Slice off the very tops of the cakes and cut each piece in half. Spread a generous layer of icing over each cake.
3. Working on one cake at a time, squirt a pea-sized blob of orange icing onto two Maltesers and use to fix a brown M&M on each. Sit the eyes, two pieces of cake top (curved edge up) and a jelly diamond on the icing to make an owl.

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Spider Web Chocolate Fudge Muffins

Special Hallowe'en chocolatey bakes for lucky trick or treaters - you can make ahead and freeze

• Cooking Time Ready in 40-45 minutes
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Makes 10

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  349

• Protein

  5g

• Carbs

  45g

• Fat

  18g

• Saturates

  9g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  28g

• Salt

  0.59g

Ingredients

• 50g dark chocolate (55% cocoa solids is fine)
• 85g butter
• 1 tbsp milk, water or coffee
• 200g self-raising flour
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 85g light muscovado sugar
• 50g golden caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 142ml carton soured cream
• For the topping
• 100g dark chocolate (as above)
• 100g white chocolate

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to fan 170C/ conventional 190C/gas 5 and line a muffin tin with 10 paper muffin cases. Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl, add the butter and liquid. Melt in the microwave on Medium for 30-45 seconds (or set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water). Stir and leave the mixture to cool.
2. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and both sugars in a bowl. Beat the egg in another bowl and stir in the soured cream, then pour this on the flour mixture and add the cooled chocolate. Stir just to combine-don't overmix or it will get tough.
3. Spoon the mixture into the cases to about three quarters full. Bake for 20 minutes until well risen. Loosen the edges with a round-bladed knife, let them sit in the tins for a few minutes, then lift out and cool on a wire rack.
4. For the topping, make two piping bags out of greaseproof paper (or cut the ends off two clean plastic bags). Break the dark and white chocolate into separate bowls and melt in the microwave on Medium for 2 minutes (or over a pan as in step 1). Put 2 spoonfuls of dark chocolate in one bag and the same of white chocolate in the other.
5. Working with one muffin at a time, spread with dark chocolate from the bowl, letting it run down a bit, then pipe four concentric circles of white chocolate on top. Using a small skewer, drag through the circles at regular intervals, from the centre to the edge, to create a cobweb effect. Repeat with four more muffins. On the remaining five, spread over the white chocolate and decorate with the dark. Best eaten the day they're made-even better while the chocolate's soft.

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Lemon CrAme FraARche And Chestnut Cake

A zesty, gluten-free cake that uses crme frache instead of butter, from Mary Cadogan's blog

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 40 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Cuts in 6 slices

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  -

• Protein

  -

• Carbs

  -

• Fat

  -

• Saturates

  -

• Fibre

  -

• Sugar

  -

• Salt

  -

Ingredients

• butter, for greasing
• 4 eggs, separated
• 125g caster sugar
• 200g tub crème fraîche
• 1 large unwaxed lemon
• 125g chestnut flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• icing sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line the base of a 20cm round cake tin.
2. Put the egg yolks into a mixing bowl with the caster sugar and, using an electric whisk, beat for a 1-2 mins until light and creamy. Stir in the crème fraiche and lemon zest. Add the sifted flour and baking powder (gluten free, if necessary)
3. In a separate bowl, whisk 4 egg whites until stiff, then fold into the cake mix using the whisk blades.
4. Pour into the tin and bake for 35-40 mins until the cake feels firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then turn out and cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

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Date Banana & Rum Loaf

A tasty cake with no added fat or sugar - try it to believe it. Plus it's easily made gluten-free

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 1 hr
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Cuts into 10 slices

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  310

• Protein

  5g

• Carbs

  57g

• Fat

  8g

• Saturates

  1g

• Fibre

  3g

• Sugar

  49g

• Salt

  0.39g

Ingredients

• 250g pack stoned, ready-to-eat dates
• 2 small or 1 large bananas (140g/5oz in weight)
• 100g pecans, 85g/3oz roughly chopped, rest left whole
• 200g raisins
• 200g sultanas
• 100g fine polenta
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 2 tsp baking powder (use gluten-free if needed)
• 3 tbsp dark rum
• 2 egg whites
• a few banana chips and 1 tsp sugar (optional), to decorate

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with non-stick baking paper, using a little oil to make it stick. Put the dates into a small pan with 200ml boiling water and simmer for 5 mins. Drain the liquid into a jug, then put the dates into a food processor. Add the bananas and 100ml of the date liquid and whizz until smooth. Mix the nuts, dried fruit, polenta, spice and baking powder in a bowl, then add the date purée and rum, and stir until combined.
2. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and fold into the cake mix. Tip into the tin (it will be quite full), then top with the remaining pecans and the banana chips and sugar, if using. Bake for 1 hr until golden and crusty and a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting into slices.

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Stem Ginger & Squash Steamed Pudding

The secret of Jodie Montgomery-Cranny's delicious gluten-free dessert is grated butternut squash

• Cooking Time Prep 25 mins
  Cook 1 hr, 30 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Serves 10

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  230

• Protein

  4g

• Carbs

  40g

• Fat

  5g

• Saturates

  1g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  26g

• Salt

  0.3g

Ingredients

• butter, for greasing
• 3 balls stem ginger from a jar, finely chopped, plus 4-6 tbsp syrup from the jar
• 3 large eggs
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 200g peeled and finely grated butternut squash
• zest 1 large lemon
• 175g rice flour
• 50g ground almonds
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp baking powder

Directions

1. Lightly butter a 1.5-litre pudding basin. Put one-third of the stem ginger and all the ginger syrup in the bottom. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Fold in the butternut squash, lemon zest and the remaining stem ginger. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture with a large metal spoon until well combined.
3. Fill the basin with the sponge mixture. Cover with a layer of buttered baking parchment and foil, making a pleat in the centre to allow the pudding to rise. Tie on securely with string, then put in a steamer or large pan with an upturned bowl in the bottom. Add boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the basin, cover with a lid and simmer for 1½ hrs. Check the water level every now and then, and top up if you need to.
4. To test when the sponge is ready, insert a skewer into the centre. It should come out clean with no trace of raw mixture. Unwrap and serve hot.

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