I’ve come full circle with Halloween. From an infantile infatuation with skeletons to a bah-humbug resentment of corporate marketing, I have now rejoined the wacky bandwagon (with the help of my young children) and wonder why I ever thought apple bobbing, pumpkin carving, tricks and treats were so bad. I have taken this rediscovered zeal pretty far today, with ghosts and gnarly monster’s feet, so do rein in the spook and shape these delicious treats in any way you like. And I wish you all a terribly terrifying night.
Halva and white chocolate Rice Krispies ghosts (pictured above)
I used a ghost-shaped cutter, but use any you have to hand, or none at all. If you do use one, you’ll have trimmings to dip in chocolate, which is no bad thing. The ghosts will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Prep 15 min
Cook 15 min
Set 1 hr 10 min
Makes 9
125g unsalted butter
300g white mini marshmallows (or regular white marshmallows), roughly cut into 1.5cm pieces
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
½ tsp flaked sea salt
160g Rice Krispies
3 tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted
125g plain or vanilla halva, roughly crumbled
To decorate (optional)
80g white chocolate, cut into roughly 1cm pieces
25g dark chocolate, cut into roughly 1cm pieces
Grease and line the base and sides of a 24cm x 34cm swiss roll tin.
Put the butter in a large saucepan on a medium-high heat and leave to bubble away until it smells nutty and has turned an amber colour – about seven minutes. Turn off the heat and immediately add the marshmallows, vanilla extract, sesame oil and salt, and stir continuously for about a minute, until completely melted and smooth. Stir in the Rice Krispies, sesame seeds and halva until everything is combined and all the cereal is coated in marshmallow.
Spread out in the prepared tin and, using a spatula, press the mixture down and into the corners, then smooth the top. Leave to cool until set, about an hour, before stamping out into shapes with a cutter.
To decorate the ghosts, put the white chocolate in a small, heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water and stir occasionally until almost completely melted but with some visible chunks (these will melt in the residual heat). Take the bowl off the pan and let the chocolate cool, stirring occasionally. Pour the melted chocolate into a small piping bag or sandwich bag. Repeat with the dark chocolate, so you end up with two chocolate-filled bags.
Snip a tiny hole at the end of the white chocolate bag, and pipe zigzag lines across the ghosts, to look like bandages. Snip a tiny hole in the dark chocolate bag and pipe two small dots on each ghost face, for eyes. Leave to set at room temperature for about an hour, or for 10 minutes in the fridge.
Honeycomb and chocolate monster feet
Making honeycomb can seem a bit daunting, especially if you have little experience of working with sugar, but as long as you read the recipe carefully and measure everything out beforehand, it isn’t really hard at all. The feet keep for up to five days at room temperature in an airtight container.
Prep 5 min
Cook 15 min
Set 1½ hr
Makes 12
50g water
60g runny honey
110g glucose
300g caster sugar
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
To decorate
200g dark, milk or white chocolate
20g flaked almonds and/or pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted
Grease and line the base and sides of a 30cm x 20cm high-sided baking tin. Have a metal whisk at the ready.
Combine the water, honey, glucose and sugar in a large saucepan, and gently stir together with a heatproof spatula until just combined – do not stir too much, otherwise the sugar might crystallise. Put the pan on a medium-high heat, bring to a gentle boil, then cook without stirring for eight to 10 minutes, until light amber in colour and smelling prominently of honey. If the mix colours unevenly, gently and slowly swirl the pan in a circular motion.
Take off the heat and immediately whisk in the bicarb until thoroughly combined. Take care when doing this, because the sugar mixture will bubble and rise up rapidly. Quickly but carefully pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin, letting the mix even out by itself – do not be tempted to spread it out, because this will cause the honeycomb to deflate. Leave to cool completely – about an hour.
Use the tip of a knife to cut the honeycomb into roughly 6cm shards – do not use your hands, because the honeycomb will crumble.
Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a small bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stirring occasionally, leave the chocolate until it’s almost completely melted but with some visible chocolate chunks (they will melt in the residual heat). Take the bowl off the pan and let the chocolate cool down, stirring from time to time, until cool to the touch. Half-dip the honeycomb pieces in the chocolate, shaking off any excess. Stick five flaked almonds or pumpkin seeds along the shorter edge of the honeycomb, to look like toenails – then leave to set completely, about 30 minutes.
Baked apples with pumpkin caramel and rye crumbs
Use Pink Lady apples for a more vibrant colour and tangy flavour, or ambrosia for a more custardy result. To save time, replace the crumbs with roasted, chopped salty nuts.
Prep 15 min
Cook 1¼ hr
Serves 6
For the pumpkin caramel
200g caster sugar
150ml double cream, at room temperature
60g unsalted butter, at room temperature and roughly chopped into 3cm cubes
100g pumpkin puree
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp flaked sea salt
For the rye crumbs
25g unsalted butter
2-3 slices rye sourdough, crusts removed, bread roughly crumbled (100g)
35g soft light brown sugar
¼ tsp ground ginger
6 cardamom pods, shells discarded and seeds finely ground in a mortar
¼ tsp flaked sea salt
For the apples
6 Pink Lady or ambrosia apples
30g unsalted butter, at room temperature
30g soft light brown sugar
90g soured cream, to serve
Heat the oven to 165C/330F/gas 3¼. Put a medium saucepan on a medium-high flame and, once hot, add a third of the caster sugar – it will begin to melt as soon as it hits the pan. Give it a stir and, once completely melted, add a third more and repeat. Repeat with the final third of sugar and cook until it has all turned amber – about four minutes. Off the heat, slowly whisk in the cream and butter – it will sputter as it emulsifies into the sauce. Return the pan to a medium-low heat and whisk in the pumpkin, cinnamon and salt until completely smooth – about two minutes – then set aside.
For the crumbs, melt the butter in a large saucepan on a medium-high heat. Add the bread and sugar, and cook, stirring continuously, for six minutes, until they begin to take on some colour. Add the spices and salt, lower the heat to medium, and cook for six minutes, until deeply golden and slightly crisp. Spread out on a baking tray and leave to cool.
Core the apples, then put them in a deep, 28cm x 18cm baking dish.
Put the butter and sugar in a small saucepan on a medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, for about three minutes, until smooth. Pour over the apples and bake: 30 minutes if using Pink Lady; 45-50 minutes for ambrosia. You want the apples to be soft and cooked through, but still retain their shape.
Return the caramel to a medium-high heat and warm for a few minutes. Divide the apples and their liquid between six plates. Pour caramel into the centre of each apple, top with a spoon of soured cream then the crumbs, and serve.
