Halloween is certainly going to be different this year, but we can still make the spooky evening fun for the kids at home. Think creepy costumes, wacky games and spellbinding snacks!
Celebrated kids' cookbook author Annabel Karmel has come up with some brilliantly freaky food ideas to keep your children happy this Halloween – and they can help mix up the 'potions' with you in the kitchen too!
Have a go making these fun recipes…
MORE: How to make a pumpkin spice latte at home for Halloween
WATCH: How to make Halloween cupcakes
Rice Krispie Monster Bars
Annabel says: "Keep your excitable vampires, witches or zombies busy this Halloween helping to prep my Snap, Crackle and Pop Rice Krispie monster bars."
Prep: 30 minutes (plus chilling time); Cook: 5 minutes; Makes: approx. 12 monster bars
MORE: 8 savoury Halloween party recipes that are devilishly delicious
INGREDIENTS
- 100g butter
- 200g golden syrup
- 100g white chocolate
- 175g Rice Krispies
- 150g icing sugar
- Orange, green and purple food colouring
- Edible eyes
- White and black ready to roll fondant icing (for the large eyes)
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1
Melt the butter and sugar together in a saucepan. Once runny, remove from the heat and add the white chocolate. Stir until melted. Add the Rice Krispies and stir well. Spoon into a 23cm x 23cm square tin lined with baking paper.
Step 2
Press down firmly (a potato masher is good for this!). Chill for 2 hours in the fridge until set and slice into approximately 12 rectangular bars.
Step 3
Put the icing sugar and two tablespoons of water into a mixing bowl. Stir until you have a thick icing. Divide the icing into three bowls. Add food colourings to each bowl and then spoon over the bars.
Step 4
To make the large eyes, make small balls of white icing and very small balls of black icing and flatten them. Then place the black circle on top of the white circle to make the eyes. Arrange the edible eyes on the bars for the small eyes.
Mini Monster Cakes
Annabel says: "This recipe is perfect for a children's Halloween party – it uses shop-bought Madeira cake to keep things scarily simple!"
Prep: 20 – 30 minutes; Makes: 8 monster cakes
MORE: 13 best Halloween costumes for kids – got your little monsters sorted yet?
INGREDIENTS
- 1 Madeira cake
- 100g butter, softened
- 175g icing sugar 1 - 2 tbsp milk
Decoration
- 150g desiccated coconut
- Lime green and orange food colouring
- Edible eyes
- White ready to roll fondant icing
- Black ready to roll fondant icing
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1
Slice the Madeira cake into 8 rectangles.
Step 2
To make the buttercream, whisk the butter, icing sugar and milk together until light and fluffy.
Step 3
Spread the buttercream over the pieces of cake.
Step 4
Divide the desiccated coconut into 2 bowls. Add green food colouring to one bowl and orange to the other, until well coloured.
Step 5
Coat the cakes in the coloured coconut mix.
Step 6
Add edible eyes to the faces. Make large eyes out of the black and white fondant. Add to the monster faces.
Ghoulish Chocolate Ghost Cupcakes
Annabel says: "Boo! These ghost cupcakes are ghoulishly good, and your little monsters will love to get involved in the mixing, whisking and piping."
Prep: 30 – 40 minutes; Cook: 1 hour; Makes: 12 ghost cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes
- 115g butter, softened
- 175g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 175 g self-raising flour
- 15g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 75g plain chocolate, melted
- 2 tbsp milk
- Pinch of salt
Meringue Ghosts
- 2 egg whites
- 100g caster sugar
Edible eyes
- White icing pen
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 160C Fan / 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
Step 2
To make the chocolate cupcakes, whisk the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and whisk again. Add the remaining cake ingredients and whisk until light and fluffy.
Step 3
Spoon into the cases and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until well risen and just firm in the middle. Leave to cool.
Step 4
To make the meringue ghosts, preheat the oven to 100C Fan / 120C / 250F / Gas Mark ½.
Step 5
Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Whisk the egg whites until stiff using an electric hand whisk. Add the sugar a little at a time until you have a shiny, stiff meringue.
Step 6
Spoon into a piping bag. Pipe 12 ghost shapes onto the paper.
Step 7
Bake in the oven for 1 hour until firm. Leave to cool.
Step 8
Put the meringue ghosts on top of each cupcake. Stick eyes onto the ghosts using the white icing pen.
Find Annabel’s range of ready-to-go meals for toddlers and children in the chilled aisle at Sainsbury’s, Tesco Waitrose and Ocado. Inspired by Annabel’s famous cookbook recipes, they are low in salt, super balanced, and a tasty way towards their 5 a day. Visit annabelkarmel.com
