It is that time of the year when pumpkin carving is as important as making morning coffee, and looking up for newer (and scarier) home decor ideas is among the top five of the to-do list. At number one, of course, is the carefully curated spread that must be tasty as well as Instagram worthy. So, if you’re throwing a Halloween party, these recipes are perfect for your friends and family to gather, scream and giggle over. Check them out…
Cupcakes with spooky decorations
Cupcakes with spooky decorations Unsplash
Kickstart the day with these cute chocolate cupcakes with stencils or decorations of your choice. We suggest, go all out and make an assortment. Pour in a large mug of pumpkin latte or homemade mocha and say Happy Halloween!
Ingredients:
● All purpose flour: 1 cup
● Baking powder: A small pinch less than 1 teaspoon
● Salt: Less than ½ teaspoon
● Eggs: 2
● Caster sugar: ¾ cup for cake, 6-7 tablespoons for stencils
● Vanilla essence: 1 teaspoon
● Unsalted melted butter: 70gm for cake, 50gm for topping
● Lukewarm full fat milk: ½ cup
● Piping bag: 1
● Icing sugar: ½ cup
● Full fat whipped cream: 1 cup
● Food colour of choice: 1 teaspoon
● Paper cupcake moulds
● Silicon cupcake holder
● Halloween cake stencils
● Halloween cake decorations
Recipe:
● Before starting to assemble the cupcake batter, preheat your microwave oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.
● Now, take a mixing bowl. Add flour and sieve. Add baking powder and salt and give one gentle mix
● Beat the eggs in a separate bowl until fluffy and light in colour
● Add sugar in the egg bowl and beat for another 10 minutes approximately, until the colour has turned almost white. You can use an electric or a hand beater
● Stop the beating process, add half of the flour into the bowl and give one gentle fold. Pour milk in little batches and continue light folding as you add the other half
● Add essence, give one final and quick fold
● Grease the muffin tray and cupcake holders with some butter
● Pour the batter in each holder. Remember, pour only halfway through because the batter will rise and you don’t want a spillover
● Bake for about 20-25 minutes at 180 degrees centigrade in convection mode, conducting a quick toothpick test at half time. Once the cupcakes are all ready, take them out, brush some melted butter on top and allow them to cool down
● Place the stencils on the cakes and sprinkle sugar. Remove the stencils and carefully brush away any excess
● For the cupcakes that need toppings, take a bowl and some whipped cream. Beat until fluffy
● Add icing sugar and butter, and continue to beat for another 3-4 minutes
● Add food colour and give a good mix. Pour in a piping bag and add frosting on the cakes. Place the halloween decorations, refrigerate for 10-12 minutes to let the frosting set in or have them right away
Pumpkin pie
Pumpkin pie Shutterstock
Is it even Halloween without pumpkins and pumpkin pies?
Ingredients:
● Pumpkin puree: ½ of a medium size pumpkin
● Pumpkin spice: 1 and ½ tablespoons
● Condensed milk: 1 can
● Eggs: 2
● Salt: 1 small pinch
● Baking mould: 1
● Unsalted melted butter: 2-3 tablespoons for greasing, 2 tablespoons for surface brushing
Recipe:
● Preheat the microwave oven at 425 degrees F or 218.33 degrees centigrade. You can even pre-heat at 200 degrees centigrade
● Take a mixing bowl and add pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, condensed milk, eggs and salt. Mix well
● Grease the baking tin and pour the pie mix
● Bake for 15-minutes first at 180 degree centigrade. Insert a toothpick and check if it is coming out clean
● If the answer is yes, cook for another 20-25 minutes at 140 degrees centigrade
● Brush some butter on the top
● Allow the pie to rest for about 1 and ½ hours in the microwave. Cut into pieces and serve, or refrigerate and serve later
Red candy apples
Red candy apples Shutterstock
The easiest and quickest to make — these red and shiny apples will not only keep the doctor away but will match the Halloween mood too.
Ingredients:
● Small or medium sized apples: 6
● Lollipop sticks: 6
● Powdered sugar: 300gm
● Red food colour: 1 teaspoon
● Full fat cream: 100gm
● Grated dark chocolate: 1 small cup
● Choco chips: 100 gm
● Roughly chopped walnuts: 4-6
● White vinegar: 1 teaspoon
● Melted butter
● Water
Recipe:
● Wash the apples well and pat dry
● Take one whole apple each and scoop from the top. Leave some flesh around the skin
● Mash the scooped apple and keep it aside
● In a pan, add sugar, white vinegar and water and start making the caramel. The ideal caramel consistency is medium thick
● In another pan, add the grated chocolate and start melting it. Once the chocolate is almost liquid in consistency, add the full fat cream and scooped apple. Mix well, cook for about 30 seconds and turn off the flame
● Add choco chips and walnuts in the chocolate filling
● Once the caramel is ready, add the food colour and give a gentle mix
● Hold each apple with a tong, dip in the red caramel and coat well
● Plate the red apples, pour chocolate filling, place lollipop sticks and put them into the freezer for 30-minutes
● Right before serving, brush some melted butter for shine
Dark chocolate cake with walnuts and ghost marshmallow toppings
Dark chocolate cake Shutterstock
Take a good helping of this rich chocolate cake with spooky marshmallow topping, play the horror watchlist-must — Conjuring or The Exorcist — turn off the lights and call it a day Halloween-style.
Ingredients:
● All purpose flour: ¾ cup
● Brown sugar or caster sugar: 1 cup
● Unsweetened cocoa powder: ¼ cup
● Baking powder: 1 teaspoon
● Salt: 1 small pinch
● Roughly chopped walnuts: 1 small cup
● Eggs: 2
● Melted unsalted butter: 1 cup
● Milk: 1 small cup
● Halloween cake top-ups
Recipe:
● Preheat the oven at 180 degrees centigrade for 15 minutes
● Meanwhile, grease the cake mould and keep it aside
● Take a mixing bowl and sieve the flour, baking powder and salt
● Now add all the remaining dry ingredients, like cocoa powder and sugar. Give a light mix
● In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and butter until white and fluffy
● Mix all the dry and wet ingredients together and give it a final whisk for about 2-3 minutes
● Coat the walnuts in flour and mix in the batter
● Pour the batter into the cake tin, sprinkle some coated walnuts and tap the tin gentle on a flat surface to release any air bubbles
● Bake for 20-minutes first at 180 degrees centigrade and in convection mode. Insert a toothpick to check, and bake for another 15-20 minutes
● Let the cake tin rest for 10-15 minutes before you unmould
● Cut into slices and dig in warm or cold
Tip: Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, sprinkle some choco chips and walnuts if you like
Fake blood dessert bowl
Fake blood bowl Shutterstock
While the cake is for the late night movie accompaniment, the fake blood dessert bowl can be added to the curtain fall for dinner, or, if you throw in some granola or muesli into it, you can even enjoy some ‘healthy’ sugar rush that sets the mood for the scare-feast day. What say?
Ingredients:
● Grated white chocolate: 100gm
● Cornstarch: 2 tablespoons
● Liquid glucose: 1 cup
● Red and blue food colour: 2 teaspoon
● Vanilla essence: 1 teaspoon each
● Cherry or cranberry juice: 100ml
Recipe:
● Take a pan and start mixing grated chocolate, cornstarch, fruit juice and cornflour on low heat
● Add glucose syrup and vanilla essence and continue the light-handed stir. The mixture must not be boiled. Switch off the heat once it has reached the desired consistency
● Add red food colour first and give a quick mix. If you need a darker and richer colour, add the blue one too. Add them little by little, gradually building the colour and texture
● Store in a jar and refrigerate. Right before serving, if you need a little liquidy consistency, pour in some cherry or cranberry fruit juice, give a gentle mix and the bowl is ready
