By Amy Layton

Having a Halloween house party and need some snacks to impress your guests? Or are you simply looking for a bite to devour after a night out? Here are some tricks and treats to get you in the Halloween spirit.

Treats

Rice Crispy Ghouls

This spooky twist on a classic rice crispy cake recipe is an easy, cheap and quick treat.

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp golden syrup
• 15g sugar
• 15g butter
• 150g rice crispies
• 1 large bar of white chocolate
• Decorations to bring your ghouls to life

Method:

1)   Melt the salted butter, golden syrup and sugar in a saucepan on a low heat until all the  ingredients are melted together in a sticky, dark brown mixture.

2)   Add the rice crispies and mix thoroughly until completely coated

3)   Mould the rice crispy mixture into a ghost-like mound shape. Be careful as these will be hot!

4)   Leave the ghouls to chill in the fridge for a couple of hours

5)   Melt the white chocolate and coat your ghouls in it

6)   Decorate your ghouls to give them eyes and mouths

Black WidowÔÇÖs Web Cake

This killer cake will surely be the centrepiece (and the first to go) of your Halloween party banquet.

Ingredients:

• 170g caster sugar
• 170g butter or margarine
• 3 eggs
• 140g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 30g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 50g butter
• 100g icing sugar
• 25g cocoa powder

Method:

1)   Cream the sugar and butter together until in a lightly coloured mixture

2)   Beat in the eggs, one at a time

3)   Add the self-raising flour and baking powder to the mixture, along with the vanilla extract, making sure to now be folding it in gently with a metal spoon

4)   Take 4 tbsp of mixture away and leave to the side for later

5)   Add the cocoa powder to the main batter and fold it in

6)   Share the chocolate batter out between two cake tins

7)   On top, put a dollop of the vanilla cake mixture on top of the chocolate and, with a knife, gently marble the mixture out into a web shape

8)   Bake the cake for 15-20 minutes on 200 (180 fan oven)

9)   Now cream together the icing sugar and butter until smooth, afterwards folding in the cocoa powder

10) When the cake has cooled enough, spread the chocolate buttercream generously on top of one cake and sandwich together

 

Tricks

Critter Jelly

With Halloween here and IÔÇÖm a Celeb fast approaching, treat your friends to this delicious trick- even if you do have to close your eyes to eat it!

Ingredients:

• Jelly powder (in your favourite flavour)
• Jelly bug sweets
• Water
• Vanilla ice cream

Method:

1)     Make your jelly by following the instructions on the back of the packet

2)     Before you put it in the fridge to set, add the jelly bugs

3)     Now put it in the fridge to set for the allotted time

4)     Add a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on top

Cheesy Snakes

Who doesnÔÇÖt love cheesy breadsticks? Even if they do look like snakes.

Ingredients:

• 150g self raising flour
• 150g cheese
• 75g of butter
• 4-5 tbsp of milk
• Peppercorns
• A little red pepper

Method:

1)   Rub the butter into the flour until there is a breadcrumb-like consistency

2)   Add and mix the milk until the mixture is doughy

3)   Add half the cheese, grated

4)   Roll out on a floured surface and cut into finger-like shapes

5)   When placing on baking tray, curve the shape of the breadsticks so they look like snakes

6) ┬á┬áAdd the cheese on top and put peppercorns for the snakesÔÇÖ eyes and red pepper for the ┬á┬ásnakesÔÇÖ tongue

7)   Bake at 200° (fan oven 180) for 15-20 minutes until golden brown