Don’t know what to make for that upcoming Halloween party? We’ve got you covered with three easy and fun recipes! For old-school folks, go for the classic Caramel Apples with Walnuts. If you have the time, try baking some Graveyard Cupcakes for a sweet and spooky treat. We’ve also got a Ghost & Spider Pizza just because pizza never fails to please the little ones.
1. Graveyard Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakesIngredientsVanilla cupcakes*
85g unsalted butter
175g granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
156g all-purpose flour
146ml milk
Chocolate ganache
200ml heavy cream
200g chocolate
Gravestone Toppers
Scotch tape
12 toothpicks
12 paper gravestone toppers*
Meringue bones*
One egg white
50g sugar
DirectionsVanilla cupcakes
1.Preheat oven to 180°C.
2.Cream together butter and sugar. Stir in egg, vanilla extract, salt and baking powder.
3.Alternate between adding the flour and milk, starting and ending with the flour. Stir until batter is smooth.
4.Fill paper-lined muffin tins with batter. Bake at 180°C for 18 - 20 minutes. If an inserted toothpick into the toothpick comes out clean, they are done. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Tombstones
1.Cut out the paper tombstones. Using the scotch tape, stick the toothpick to the back of the tombstones.
Chocolate Ganache
1.Heat the heavy cream in a pan over medium heat until it starts boiling. Be careful to watch the heat because it will boil over in seconds.
2.Pour the hot heavy cream into the bowl of chocolate and start mixing with a spatula until the chocolate has melted completely. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
3.Using a hand mixer, whip the chocolate ganache until it forms stiff peaks. Frost the cupcakes, stick the tombstones into the cupcakes and refrigerate them.
Meringue Bones
1.Place the sugar and egg white in a heatproof bowl over a pot with simmering water. Make sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water.
2.Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is warm about 5 minutes. Using a hand mixer, whisk the sugar and egg white mixture until it forms stiff peaks, about 10 minutes.
3.Preheat the oven to 100°C and line a tray with parchment paper. Pipe small meringue bones onto the parchment paper and bake for about 10-15 minutes.
4.Let the bones cool for about 30 minutes. Break the bones and decorate the 12 cupcakes with them.
*Vanilla cupcake recipe was adapted from food.com
*Meringue bones recipe was adapted from marthastewart.com
*Gravestone toppers were printed from Chickabug
2. Caramel Apples with Walnuts
Makes six Caramel ApplesIngredients
6 apples, washed
6 chopsticks
100g walnuts
Caramel*
330g granulated sugar
150g unsalted butter, cubed
200ml cold heavy cream
Directions
1. Insert the chopsticks through the core of the apples. Place the apples in a pot of hot water for about 15 seconds to ensure the wax comes off. Dry and refrigerate the apples for one hour, so that the caramel will stick later on.
2. To make the caramel, start by melting the sugar in a medium sized pot over medium heat.
3. Stir the sugar constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula until it melts completely into an amber-coloured liquid. Careful not to burn it!
4. Take the pot off the stove and add the butter immediately. Be careful because the mixture will bubble rapidly. Stir in the butter until it melts completely.
5. Pour in 200ml of heavy cream very slowly. The mixture will bubble rapidly again. You might feel like a witch with her cauldron at this point.
6. Boil the caramel for 3 minutes, or until it is a coffee brown and let it cool for a few minutes.
7. Take the apples out from the refrigerator and dip them into the caramel. Place them on a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle walnuts over them. Chill for an hour until set.
*Alternatively, you can use store bought caramel.Caramel recipe was adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction
3. Ghost and Spider Pizza
Makes four 15cm pizzasIngredients
300g strong bread flour
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
200ml warm water, about 40°C
1 tablespoon olive oil
200g tomato sauce
150g grated Mozzarella cheese
Optional toppings such as diced capsicums, ham, mushrooms
Two small olives
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Combine flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl.
2. Make a well; pour in 200ml warm water and the olive oil. Knead until you have soft and slightly wet dough.
3. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins until smooth. Separate the dough into four balls.
4. Roll out the four balls of dough into four circular pizza bases, about 15cm in diameter each. The dough needs to be very thin as it will rise in the oven.
5. Lift one pizza base onto parchment paper. Smooth tomato sauce over the pizza with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle desired toppings over the pizza. Bake for 5 mins.
6. Take the pizza out from the oven and put the ghost and circular cutters on it. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese inside the ghost and circular cutters until they are full and press down on them. Bake them for about 1-2 minutes until the cheese melts slightly.
7. Remove the cutters from the pizza. If the cheese sticks to the cutter, cut it off with a knife. Put two olives on the circular cheese and draw eight “legs” with tomato sauce. Draw two eyes with tomato sauce for the ghost cheese.
8. Slice and serve immediately. Repeat for the other three pizza bases.
* Pizza base recipe was adapted from bbcgoodfood.comSee also:Where to find Halloween TreatsPrettiest Cakes in SingaporeWritten by Rachel Wong
Images are writer's own