Wicked treats for Halloween

Angela Day prepares some wicked treats that kids will enjoy for trick or treat on Halloween this weekend.

Sweet Meringue Bones

Makes 18 to 20

6 egg whites

375ml castor sugar

Place all the egg whites and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer and set over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture feels warm to the touch.

Remove from heat and beat with the electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.

Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle and pipe bone shapes onto a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper.

Bake at 100°C for 1 to 2 hours until dried out and crisp.

Other treats to make with meringue:



Spooky Cupcakes

Makes 18

Cupcakes

125g butter

250ml castor sugar

2 eggs

500ml flour

10ml baking powder

150-200ml milk

7ml vanilla essence

Butter icing

100g butter

375ml sifted icing sugar

15-20ml milk

24 marshmallows

500g white plastic icing

black food colouring

For the cupcakes, cream the butter and castor sugar well. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Add flour and baking powder with enough milk to make a batter with a soft dropping consistency. Mix in vanilla essence. Spoon into paper-lined muffin cups and bake at 180°C for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked.

Butter icing: Cream butter and add icing sugar and enough milk to make a spreadable icing.

Cut 9 marshmallows in half and press one half of a marshmallow on to a whole marshmallow.

Take the cupcakes out of their paper casing and turn them upside down.

Spread with some butter icing on the sides and on top. Press the one-and-a-half marshmallow stack on to the cupcake and spread with some icing.

Place the cupcakes into the fridge for 20 minutes to make them more manageable.

Divide the plastic icing into 18 balls and roll out each ball to form a circle.

Drape over the cupcakes.

Use black food colouring to mark two eyes.

Spiderweb cookies


Makes 18 to 20

250g butter

250ml light brown sugar

2 eggs

750-800ml flour

10ml mixed spice

10ml ground cinnamon

Icing

2 egg whites

400-500ml sifted icing sugar

black and orange food colouring

For the biscuits, cream the butter and sugar well. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.

Sift flour and spices and add to creamed mixture to form a stiff, but not dry, dough. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thickness and cut out circles about 5 to 6cm in diameter.

Place on a greased baking tray and bake at 180°C for 15 to 20 minutes until pale golden brown. Remove and cool.

For the icing, lightly whip the egg white and gradually add enough icing sugar to make a stiff icing that will make a peak when lifted with a spoon.

Divide the icing among three bowls. Leave one white and colour the others black and orange.

Place some of the icing in a small icing bag with a plain nozzle or use a paper-made icing bag with the tip cut off. Outline the edge of the biscuit and allow to dry.

Thin the remaining icing down by adding water, a drop at a time, to achieve a thick runny consistency.

Pour the thinned icing into an icing bag and cut off the point.

Squeeze the icing into the middle of the biscuits and spread to cover the surface using a toothpick.

Pipe circles in the biscuit using a contrasting colour and, using a toothpick, draw lines from the centre of the circle towards the outer edge of the biscuit to create the spider web effect.

Allow to dry completely.


Monster munch rolls


Makes 12

500ml cooked shredded chicken

1 bunch spring onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

125ml mayonnaise

salt and pepper

12 mini bread rolls

3 large gherkins

125ml cheese spread

12 stuffed olives, halved

pieces of red pepper or Peppadews

Combine the chicken, spring onion, celery and mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper.

Fill the bread rolls with this mixture. Place the cheese spread into a small icing bag and pipe a blob on top of the roll to look like hair.

Add two halved stuffed olives for eyes and a piece of red pepper for a nose.

Cut each gherkin into quarters lengthwise and inset them between the two halves of the roll to represent fangs.


Witches' chocolate hats


Makes 6 to 8

8 sugar cones

250g cooking chocolate, melted

Marie biscuits

sweets for decorating

royal icing for decoration

To make the cones level, wet the edge of the sugar cone with a little bit of water to help it soften, then trim it level so that it will stand flat on the biscuit.

Spread the cones with melted chocolate and allow to set.

Spread the biscuits with chocolate and allow to set.

Attach the cones to the biscuits with extra melted chocolate.

Decorate the hats with sweets.

Halloween jelly

Makes 6 to 8

1 packet green jelly

jelly snake sweets

jelly lip sweets

watermelon

stuffed olives

red gel food colouring

Make up the jelly according to instructions and pour into glasses. (we used plastic martini glasses).

Place some snakes in the glasses or some lip sweets and set the glass in the fridge.

How to make an eyeball: using a melon baller, scoop out rounds of melon. Hollow out a little portion in one end of the ball and inset half a stuffed olive.

When the jelly has thickened slightly, place the ball in the centre of the jelly and allow to set completely.

Decorate the edge of the glass with gel food colouring.

A healthy Halloween snack.


Scary apple teeth

Makes 4

1 red or green apple

lemon juice

slivered almonds

Cut the apple into quarters. Take each quarter and remove a wedge from the centre to form an opening for the mouth.

Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning.

Insert almonds into the top and bottom of the gap to represent broken teeth.

• This article was originally published on page 15 of The Star on October 29, 2009

Source : Babynet