Halloween

Anything to keep the children happy, and to counteract at least some of the sugar-shock induced by all that trick-or-treating… 

My children, when little, loved the Halloween food that follows, relishing most the grossness of the recipe names. But don’t be put off by the disgusting titles – these recipes are just the thing to set children (and accompanying adults) up for a night of marauding through the chilly streets, or to warm them up once they get home.

Slime Soup is not only extremely easy to make, but – as any pea and cheese soup would be – is addictively wonderful, especially if served with some Cheesy Feet cut into a Halloween shape of your choosing. Black spaghetti provides a very convincing Witches’ Hair, and as for Blood Clots and Pus – which I am inordinately proud of – you could hardly ask for a simpler or more hideously child-pleasing Halloween dessert.

Goo is most definitely good as far as my Devil’s Food Cake is concerned – the crumb is tender, the filling and frosting darkly, stickely luscious. But if it’s a Halloween knockout you are after, let me point you in the direction of Ghoul-Graveyard Cake. It’s not subtle - but, really, is this the night to be worrying about that?  If you feel so inclined, you can use the cake batter and icing to make Halloween cupcakes – you should get 12 out of the mixture – and feel free to decorate with ghoulish abandon. 

Which brings me to Creepy Cookies. These sugar cookies are easy to make and very forgiving – so get those Halloween cookie cutters out again and set to work. Add some instant royal icing and tubes of lurid decorating icing and unleash the dark recesses of your mind…

If your Halloween gathering is more a grown-up affair, I’d steer you towards Thai Yellow Pumpkin and Seafood Curry – easily whipped up after work – or the vegetarian-friendly showstopper Roast Stuffed Pumpkin with Gingery Tomato Sauce. Perhaps followed by Toblerone Fondue – afterall, why should the children have all the fun?