Tags
baking, cake, food, Halloween, halloween baking, Hocus Pocus, Holiday, Jack-o'-lantern, Libby, Practical Magic, Pumpkin, spooky treats, Treats, Trick or Treat
Happy Wednesday blog readers! And welcome to my new Halloween HQ! With the mornings and evenings now crisp and cool (the central heating may have been on once or twice!) and the leaves starting to change – it can only mean one thing – HALLOWEEN is on its way! I’ll be bringing you a few Halloweeny posts so keep your eyes peeled!
As a teenager brought up on repeated viewings of Practical Magic and Hocus Pocus, I’ve always loved Halloween. I always used to put up some decorations in our old house, carve a pumpkin, bake halloween cookies/cupcakes and wait patiently for the hoardes of trick or treaters…
who never materialised. You see, Halloween still isn’t a really big thing in the UK, even now, and definitely not back in the late 90s. In fact, lots of people back then, and still now, view the whole thing as slightly suspicious in a devil worshipping kind of way.
Regardless, I still LOVE Halloween and spend every September/October getting ridiculously excited about it. This year, I’m having a small Halloween gathering at my house so I’m investigating Halloween party foods and decorations that are easy and inexpensive to make, but still awesome.
I wish I could do something like this amazing cake by I am Baker….
Photo by Iambaker via Pinterest
Or these ridiculously fantastic Halloween cake pops… although even I balk at spending so long on something that will be gone in a second (I like to eat things that look delicious but not so intricate that I’m put off wanting to eat them).
Halloween cake pops, photo via Pinterest
So, what are the easier, but still impressive options? How about this cute Halloween bark? It’s super easy to make, can be customised with your favourite chocolate, and you can get some cute Halloween sprinkles here. You can even now buy orange candy melts in supermarkets in the UK now so you could do a plain chocolate then an orange layer and cover with yummy sprinkles or chopped up chocolate bars.
Photo by livelovepasta via Pinterest
Or what about Halloween pumpkin cupcakes? These are just normal vanilla cupcakes with bright orange buttercream – really sweet! I’m definitely planning to make these.
Photo by mycakeschool via Pinterest
I LOVE these Scream cheese brownies too – the cream cheese is tinted orange for a spooky brownie! But still so so easy to do (promise!)
Scream cheese brownies from The Girl who Ate Everything
And let’s not forget sugar cookies... I’m the proud owner of a set of cookie cutters featuring bats (like the below), scary cats, ghosts, and pumpkins… I plan to put them to very good use this Halloween. I’ve never really attempted the ‘proper’ icing shown below, so hopefully it will go well!
Halloween sugar cookies by Cooking with Karen
I’m also thinking since its Halloween, I HAVE to make something with real pumpkin too – featuring my lovely Libby’s tinned pumpkin. I’m thinking pumpkin bread could be a good alternative to the more sugary treats above.
Are you excited about Halloween? Let me know what treats you’re planning to make!
x Kerry
PS – check out my Pinterest board of Halloween treats here!
Pingback: Loving right now – Halloween! « Kerry Cooks
I am planning on some scary cupcakes for cake club! Going to check through my Cox Cookies & Cake book tonight for decoration inspiration
Yay! I did orange, purple and black ones last year… trying to think of what to do this year… exciting!
Oooooh Kerry I am so like you when it comes to Halloween! It’s such a shame it isn’t a big thing in the UK. In my opinion its not so much to do with the dark, evil side of halloween but more that people see it as begging, the same with Christmas carollers! Friends (+their parents) and family members have alwasy felt awkward about it because you’re knocking on a strangers door asking for something for free!
When I was a child I only went trick or treating once and that was in a closed of cul-de-sac where the parents had checked with all the other houses in the street first that they were happy for us to come knocking. It was only a tiny part of the evening though and it was most spent dressing up and playing spooky games.
It’s probably why I’m so obsessed with halloween now! My mum used to let me dress up to open the door to other children and I’ve done that now for as long as I can remember.
Last year I got on the halloween baking bandwagon too. I did sugar cookies (I think I have the same cookie cutters as you haha) with roayl icing decorations.
This year I’m doing cake pops, spooky road (like rocky road just spookier) and chilli chocolate tarts inspired by the day of the dead.
Cannot wait to see all of your ideas!!!
Ooh Spooky Road sounds fun! I think its definitely so much better now than it was 15 years ago, we get quite a lot of trick or treaters now, hopefully it will carry on getting more and more mainstream!
There is so much to comment on. My favorites might be the bat cookies. You are very inventive and prolific posting so many delectable recipes. In my neighborhood there’s one whole block that goes nuts on Halloween. They block it off for the kids like a little Disney Land. Sculls and witches as far as the eye can see.
I could see you there handing out treats in a baker’s hat Milo and Marty at your feet. You’d be Kerry, Good Witch of of the North who bakes.
Enjoy the weekend.
Thanks Susannah! I can’t wait to do the cookies and post them on here
I bet New York is amazing for Halloween. Have a great weekend too!
Careful, Kerry. You’re American is showing
you should come celebrate in the states!
I wish! I would love to come see Halloween in New England – thats the dream!