Annabel Karmel’s Spooky Treats

Delicious Spooky Treats For Halloween!

Halloween is the perfect time to create a stir in the kitchen. So why not put on a spooky spread to remember with these fiendish treats from leading children’s cookery author Annabel Karmel. Perfect for re-fuelling after a busy night of trick or treating!

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Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 20-25 minutes
Makes: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 225g plain flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 125g butter softened
• 125g caster sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 200ml milk
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 100g sultanas
• 125g pumpkin, peeled and grated

Decoration

• 1 tub ready-made buttercream
• Orange food colouring
• Chocolate flavoured Writing icing
• 150g ready to roll white icing
• Green food colouring
• Brown food colouring

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C Fan. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin cases.
2. Measure all of the ingredients into a free standing electric mixer. Whisk until blended. Spoon into the cases.
3. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until well risen and lightly golden on top.
4. Remove the muffins from the muffin tin and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile colour two thirds of the ready to roll icing green and two thirds brown. Roll out the green icing and shape into 12 leaves, use a toothpick to draw the veins on the leaves. Shape the brown icing into 12 stalks.
6. Colour the buttercream orange and spread the icing over the cupcakes.
7. Decorate with eyes, noses and mouths using the chocolate flavoured writing icing and then add the leaves and stalks to the pumpkins.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1hr 15 minutes
Makes 4 portions

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
• 2 red onions, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 200ml tomato ketchup
• 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4 tbsp orange juice
• 85g (4 slices, crusts removed) fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 tsp dried
• 1 small carrot, grated
• ½ apple, peeled, cored and grated
• 450g lean minced beef
• Salt and pepper to season
• 150g pappardelle
• 1 ball mozzarella
• 1 black olive

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4/Fan 160. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and sauté the onion for 6-8 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute then transfer half of the onion to a bowl and leave to cool. Add the ketchup, sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce and orange juice to the saucepan.
2. Add the breadcrumbs to the remaining onion and stir, then add the rest of the ingredients and 3 tbsp of the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon into an 8” / 20cm shallow round ovenproof dish. Level the top and bake for 25 minutes.  After 25 minutes, pour over the sauce and bake for another 10 minutes.
3. While the meatloaf is cooking, boil the pasta in boiling water according to the packet instructions. Drain and toss in a little olive oil.
4. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Arrange the pasta over the meatloaf in lines to make a mummy effect. Slice two round slices of mozzarella and place two halved black olives for eyes on top and place within the pasta.
5. Bake the meatloaf for 30 minutes then brush with some of the sauce. Bake for a further 10 minutes then brush again and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, heat the remaining sauce until boiling and bubble for 1 minute. Serve the meatloaf in slices with the BBQ sauce.

Prep: 25 minutes
Makes approx. 900ml fizz and 1 melon

Ingredients

• Melon Brain
• 1 small watermelon
• Cranberry and Elderflower Fizz
• 200ml cranberry juice
• 150ml elderflower cordial
• 45ml sparkling water

Method

1. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the green skin of the watermelon to expose the white rind.
2. Slice off the base of the melon so that it is flat and will not roll.
3. With a cocktail stick or skewer, outline the squiggly furrows that resemble the surface of the brain.
4. Finally using a small sharp knife, carve narrow channels along the squiggles to expose the pink flesh of the water melon.
5. To make the potion, measure all of the ingredients into a jug and stir together.