9 IDEAL RECIPES FOR YOUR HALLOWEEN PARTY

‘Tis the season to be spooky, or so the saying should go. And while most of the tricking and treating yields little more than a lucky dip in a box of Celebrations, we at IDEAL think that such a lack of imagination is an opportunity missed. Why not give a fright to those knocking at the door with these fun, frivolous and flavourful treats; our 9 IDEAL recipes for your Halloween party courtesy of Waitrose & Partners.

TARANTULA EGGS WITH VENOM DIP

Serves: 6

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 6 large Waitrose Columbian Blacktail Eggs
• 150g pack essential Waitrose Blueberries
• 2 tbsp crème fraîche 
• 1 tbsp Sacla Sun-dried Tomato Paste

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO DO

1. Place the eggs and blueberries snugly in a pan and just cover with water. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Lift out an egg and lay on a piece of folded kitchen paper. Lightly crack the shell with the handle of a wooden spoon and return to the pan. Repeat with all the eggs.
   
2. Continue to cook the eggs for a further 5 minutes then turn off the heat and leave the eggs to cool completely in the water.
   
3. Drain and shell the eggs to reveal the cobweb effect. Ripple together the crème fraîche and sun-dried tomato paste to create the venom dip then serve with the eggs.

IDEAL tip: 150g are enough blueberries to make 12 tarantula eggs provided they are packed snugly in the pan so you don’t need to add too much water.

POISON MERINGUE MUSHROOMS

• Preparation time:30 minutes
• Cooking time:1 hour + cooling
• Makes: 25-30

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 3 Waitrose British Blacktail Large Free Range Egg whites (roughly 125g)
• 250g caster sugar
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp liquid red food colouring (not gel)
• 50g dark chocolate
• 1 tsp cocoa, plus extra for dusting

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO DO

1. Preheat the oven to 110°C, gas mark ¼ and line 2 solid baking sheets with baking parchment. Fit a large piping bag with a 1.5cm plain nozzle.
2. Place the egg whites into a medium heatproof glass or ceramic bowl, add the sugar, cream of tartar and a pinch of salt. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water, not touching the surface. Whisk for at least 5 minutes or until the sugar has completely dissolved, the mixture is white and warm to the touch. Remove from the heat and continue whisking for 3 minutes or until thick, glossy and white and will stand in stiff peaks.
3. Spoon just over half the meringue into the piping bag and pipe about 25-30 domes in assorted sizes onto the parchment, to make the mushroom caps. Flatten the pointed peaks with a wet fingertip. Dip a clean dry pastry brush into the red food colouring and use a finger to flick it over half of the mushrooms.
4. Scoop the remaining meringue into the piping bag and on another baking sheet pipe 25-30 upright cone shapes in assorted sizes – these will be the stalks of the mushrooms. Bake the caps and stalks for 1 hour, swapping the trays around halfway through. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.
5. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave. Stir until smooth and remove from the heat. Using a wooden skewer, make a 3mm hole in the middle of the underside of each mushroom cap. Dip the flat underside of each one in melted chocolate and place back on the parchment.
6. Place 1 mushroom cap on top of each stalk – you may need to carefully knock the spikey top off the stalks first – positioning the top of the stalk into the hole in the underside of the caps. Dust the top of the plain mushrooms lightly with cocoa. Sprinkle a tray or serving platter with more cocoa and arrange the mushrooms on top to serve.

GUACAMOULDY WITH CRISPY GHOULS

• Serves: 4
• 20 mins

WHAT YOU NEED

• Set of 3 Waitrose Halloween Creepy Cookie Cutters
• 4 Discovery Wrapbreads or Flour Tortillas
• 1 tbsp Waitrose Basil Infused Olive Oil
• Pack of 2 Waitrose Perfectly Ripe Avocados
• 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO DO

1. Heat the oven to 180.C, gas mark 4. Using the cutters, stamp as many shapes out of the flatbreads as possible. Arrange on 2 non-stick baking sheets and brush lightly with the basil oil. Bake for 5–6 minutes until golden. Leave to cool.
2. Meanwhile, halve, skin and stone the avocados and mash roughly with a fork. Stir in the tomatoes, lime juice and chives. Spoon into a shallow bowl or rimmed plate and serve with the crispy ghouls.

Cook’s tip
Store the crispy ghouls in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

SPOOKY SAUSAGE ROLLS

Makes: 16

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 1 small leek 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 450g pack Waitrose British Gourmet Pork Sausagemeat Stuffing
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 430g (2x215g) pack Cooks’ Ingredients Puff Pastry Sheets,defrosted
• Plain flour for rolling
• 1/4 red pepper or handful of black pitted olives, cut into tiny pieces
• 1 medium Waitrose Columbian Blacktail Egg
• 2 tbsp milk

 WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Thinly slice the leek. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the leek for 5 minutes until softened.
2.  Tip the leeks into a large bowl and add the sausage meat and sesame seeds. Mix well together.
3. On a lightly floured surface, open out the pastry sheets and cut each in half lengthways to give 4 long strips. Quarter the sausage mixture and position down the centre of each strip. Dampen the edges with a little water then roll up to seal. 
4. Lay the rolls sealed-side down then cut each into 4 lengths. Pinch the top of each sausage roll together at the top then snip the bottom of each one in a zig-zag pattern to make a ghost-like outline. Make 2 holes at the top and push in tiny pieces of red pepper or olives for the eyes.
5. Place on 2 large parchment-lined baking sheets and chill for 30 minutes if you have time. 
6. Beat together the egg and milk and brush over the sausage rolls. Bake for 20–25 minutes until puffed and golden. Cool a little before serving.

HALLOWEEN CAKE POPS

• • Preparation time:40 minutes plus chilling
  • Cooking time:45 minutes to 50 minutes
  • Total time:85 minutes plus chilling
  • Makes: 12

WHAT YOU’LL NEED…

FOR THE MADEIRA CAKE

• 125g self-raising flour
• 125g plain flour
• 175g Stork Original
• 175g Waitrose Golden Caster Sugar
• 1 tsp Taylor & Colledge Vanilla Bean Extract
• 3 medium essential Waitrose Eggs
• 1-2 tbsp milk

FOR THE CAKE POPS

• 300g Madeira cake (see above)
• 50g Cooks’ Ingredients White Chocolate
• 2 tbsp raspberry jam
• 12 cake pop sticks or wooden skewers*, halved

TO DECORATE WITH WITCHES’ HATS

• 6 wafer ice cream cones
• 1 tbsp apricot jam
• 100g Dr Oetker Regal-Ice Black Ready To Roll Icing
• 150g Cooks’ Ingredients Plain Chocolate, melted
• 113g pack 6 liquorice Catherine wheels

TO DECORATE WITH GHOSTS

• 150g Cooks’ Ingredients White Chocolate, melted
• 150g Dr Oetker Regal-Ice Ready Rolled Icing

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4. Grease and base line a 20cm round tin with baking parchment.
2. Mix the flours together. In a separate bowl, whisk the Stork with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract and then the eggs one at a time. Fold in the flours and add the milk until you have a good dropping consistency. Spoon into the tin and bake for 45-50 minutes until cooked throughout. Allow to cool.
3. To make the cake pops, crumble the cake with your fingers to make a breadcrumb consistency. Place 50g white chocolate and the raspberry jam in a bowl and place over a pan of simmering water until dissolved then mix into the cake crumbs. Divide the mixture into 12 and shape into balls.
4. Dip one end of each stick or skewer in the melted plain chocolate and press into each cake ball. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours (or 20 minutes in a freezer).
5. To make witches’ hats, cut the tip off each ice cream cone about 5-6cm long and brush with the apricot jam. Divide the black icing into six and roll each out into a rectangle big enough to cover the cone. Dip the wide end of the cone into the melted chocolate and place on a Catherine wheel and allow to set.
6. Dip six cake pops in the melted plain chocolate, gently shaking off any excess chocolate and stand the sticks upright in a heavy-bottomed narrow glass, ensuring they don’t touch each other. Press a witch’s hat on top and chill in the fridge.
7. To make the ghosts, dip the remaining cake pops into the white chocolate to evenly coat, gently shaking off any excess. Press each stick again into polystyrene to allow it to stand upright.
8. Roll out the white icing and cut 6 x 11cm circles. Drape each circle over the cake pops and pinch the ends to look like ghosts. Use a tiny amount of the black icing from the witches’ hats to make little eyes. Place in the fridge to chill until you’re ready to serve.

BLOOD SUCKING PUMPKIN CUPCAKES

• • Preparation time:15 minutes
  • Cooking time:15 minutes to 20 minutes
  • Total time:30 minutes
  • Makes: 12

WHAT YOU’LL NEED…

FOR THE CUPCAKES

• 150g Flora Buttery
• 150g Waitrose Golden Caster Sugar
• 3 medium essential Waitrose Eggs
• 150g self-raising flour
• 80g seedless raspberry jam

TO DECORATE

• 50g Flora Buttery
• 100g icing sugar
• Yellow and red food colouring
• 20g Dr Oetker Regal-Ice Green Ready To Roll Icing

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC, gas mark 5. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with 12 paper muffin cases.
2. Whisk the Flora Buttery with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time until combined. Fold in the flour and spoon half the mixture into the paper cases. Add a teaspoon of the jam to the centre of each and spoon over the remaining cake mix to cover the jam.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.
4. For the icing: whisk the Flora Buttery until pale and gradually whisk in the icing sugar. Add a few drops of yellow and red food colouring at a time to give an orange colour (you will need more yellow than red). Spread over the cakes.
5. Divide the green icing into 12 large pea shapes and mould each into a thin cone shape for the pumpkin stalks then place in the centre of each cake.

GHOST CUPCAKES

• Children’s
• Vegetarian
• Preparation time:15 minutes
• Cooking time:15 minutes
• Total time:30 minutes
• Makes: 9

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 335g pack Betty Crocker Chocolate Chunk Muffin Mix
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 medium British Blacktail Free Range Egg
• Semi-skimmed milk

FOR THE TOPPING

• 200ml double cream
• Dr Oetker Dark Chocolate Chips (selected stores)

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6, and place 9 muffin cases in a muffin tin.
2. Prepare the muffin mix, oil, egg and milk according to the pack instructions, and divide between the 9 cases. Bake for 15 minutes until a skewer, when inserted in a muffin, comes out clean. Allow to cool.
3. Whisk the cream until it holds its shape and place in a piping bag with a 1cm nozzle. Pipe the cream onto the cakes to create ghost shapes. Use the chocolate chips for the eyes. 

GREEN THING CUPCAKES

• Preparation time:30 minutes + cooling
• Cooking time:25-30 minutes
• Serves: 12

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 200g caster sugar
• 175g plain flour
• 50g cocoa
• 1½ tsp baking powder½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 100ml sunflower oil
• 2 Waitrose British Blacktail Large Free Range Eggs
• 2 tbsp soured cream

EYEBALLS

• 100g white fondant icing
• 12 brown chocolate M & M’s
• Red liquid food colouring (not gel or paste)

BUTTERCREAM

• 125g caster sugar
• 2 Waitrose British Blacktail Large Free Range Egg whites
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 150g unsalted butter, softened and at room temperature
• Green food colouring paste (or gel)

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO 

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC, gas mark 3, and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Sift the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the sunflower oil, eggs and soured cream and beat until smooth. Add 125ml boiling water and beat again to combine.
2. Divide evenly between the paper cases. Bake for 20-22 minutes until well risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, roll the fondant into 12 even sized balls and press one M & M into each, to make eyeballs. Dip a wooden skewer or cocktail stick into the red food colouring and draw veins on each eyeball. Leave to dry.
4. For the buttercream, tip the sugar into a 2 litre heatproof mixing bowl or stand-mixer bowl. Add the egg whites, 2 tbsp cold water, vanilla and salt. Warm the bowl over a pan of simmering water – without the bowl touching the water. Using a balloon whisk, beat constantly for 5 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved, the meringue has doubled in volume, leaves a ribbon trail and is hot to the touch. Remove the bowl from the heat, and whisk with an electric mixer until the meringue is cold.
5. Gradually add the softened butter 1 tbsp at a time, whisking well between each addition. When all of the butter has been added the frosting may start to look a little curdled. If this is the case, continue to whisk and it will come back together. Add the green food paste or gel. Scoop the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a 4-5mm plain nozzle.
6. If the cupcakes have a very domed top, slice off a little to level it. Pipe the buttercream in a haphazard, wiggly fashion over the top of each to completely cover them. Top with a fondant eyeball and serve

HALLOWEEN BISCUITS

• • Preparation time:15 minutes plus chilling
  • Cooking time:12 minutes to 15 minutes
  • Total time:27 minutes plus chilling
  • Makes: 20 – 24 biscuits

WHAT YOU’LL NEED…

FOR THE BISCUITS

• 125g Stork Original Baking Block
• 75g Waitrose Golden Caster Sugar
• 1 medium essential Waitrose Egg yolk
• 200g plain flour
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• Raisins
• Dr Oetker Chocolate Chips

TO DEORATE

• Icing sugar
• Cocoa powder
• Dr Oetker Fruity Writing Icing, in green and orange

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

1. Preheat oven to 190ºC, gas mark 5. Line two baking trays with baking parchment.
2. Whisk the Stork with the sugar until pale and fluffy, then whisk in the egg yolk. Gradually whisk in the flour and mixed spice and bind to a dough. Cover with cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
3. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to the thickness of a £1 coin. Using Waitrose Halloween Creepy Cookie Cutters including ghosts and pumpkins, cut out about 20-24 biscuits and place on the baking trays.
4. Cut the raisins into quarters and use as eyes for the ghosts, use the chocolate chips as eyes for the bats and bake for 12-15 minutes until just golden. Transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool.
5. To decorate, dust the ghosts with icing sugar and the bats with cocoa powder. For the pumpkins, use the green icing for stalks and the orange icing to outline the pumpkin shapes.