Juliet Sear's terrifying treats
If you’ve left your Halloween preparations to the last minute, Juliet’s got some quick and easy spooky treats you can make this afternoon. From vampire fang biscuits to chocolate-apple skulls, these gruesome goodies are to die for!
Vampire bite cookies
Makes 12-14
Ingredients
For the cookies:25g cocoa powder¼ tsp fine sea salt160g self raising flour125g unsalted butter, softened75g light brown sugar75g golden caster sugar1 medium egg1 tsp vanilla extract150g dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
For the filling:100g unsalted butter, softened200g sifted icing sugar½ tsp vanilla extractRed food colouringMini and large marshmallows
Method
1. Heat the oven to 170℃ fan and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Dry whisk the cocoa and salt into the flour in a large bowl.
3. Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla.
4. Once combined, stir in the flour and cocoa powder mix and the chocolate chips.
5. Make little balls of cookie dough (I weighed mine so they were the same size to match up as pairs 35g each). Place onto the trays, leaving space between each to allow for spreading.
6. Bake for 10-12 mins or until firm at the edges but still soft and gooey in the middle – they will harden a little as they cool.
7. Leave to cool on the tray then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. For the filling, beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla until soft and fluffy, add some red food colouring to it and place most of it into a piping bag with a small star nozzle. Place one cookie flat side up and pipe over with buttercream, around the depth of a mini marshmallow.
9. Place the mini marshmallows on top of the buttercream to form the teeth as shown.
10. Take the larger marshmallows and snip them with scissors to form the fangs. Then press them into the filling to make and top with a second cookie. Put the rest of the buttercream into a bag with no nozzle, snip a small hole and add some extra blood effect.
11. Repeat with the rest of the cookies.
Chocolate candy apples
Makes 6
Ingredients
For the apples:350g melted white chocolate6 x eating apples1 tbsp vegetable oil
To decorate500g icing sugar2 x egg whites
Method
1. Place the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place it on top of a pan of just simmering water, being careful that the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and is smooth and shiny. Or alternatively, heat the chocolate in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between each burst until melted. Remove the bowl of chocolate from the heat and set aside.
2. Place the apples in a heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water from the kettle. Drain carefully, and wash the apples under hot water to remove any wax, this helps the chocolate to stick better. Pat the apples dry with kitchen paper, remove the stalks and push a lolly stick or skewer in its place.
3. Line a baking tray or large board with baking parchment. Hold the apples by their sticks and dunk into the melted chocolate. Use a spoon to coat any bare patches.
4. Once the apples are completely coated, hold over the bowl for a few seconds for excess chocolate to drip back into it, then place on the baking tray with the stick pointing up until set firm.
5. Mix the royal icing according to packet instructions. Split the icing across the number of bowls required depending on how many colours you’d like. Then dye them with food colouring of your choice.
6. Decorate the chocolate apples with brightly coloured icing to create skull designs as shown.
Shatter cake
Makes 1 large 23cm cake
Ingredients
For the sponge:900g butter, softened900g caster sugar1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or extract18 free range medium eggs900g self raising flour2 tsp baking powder
For the buttercream:750g softened unsalted butter1.5kg icing sugar
For decoration: 1.2kg seedless strawberry jamRed food colouring 3-4 packets of strawberry laces and fruit strips300g clear mints
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180℃ fan and grease and line 4x 23cm cake tins.
2. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale, fluffy and creamy in an extra large mixing bowl. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated. You might need to split the mixture in half and mix across two bowls.
3. Gently fold in the flour and baking powder and mix well.
4. Divide the batter equally into the 4 tins and level the batter with a spoon or palette knife.
5. Bake for approx 30-35 mins or until springy/golden and risen. A skewer should come out clean from the middle. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Unwrap the clear mints required for decorating and place in the oven for about 5-6 minutes on a baking sheet or silicone mat until the mints have melted. Carefully remove the tray from the oven, tap the tray and tilt slightly to remove any bubbles. Leave to cool and set hard.
7. Once cooled, cut out 5” rounds of sponge from the centre of two of the sponges and set aside.
8. Combine the softened butter and icing sugar for the buttercream in a bowl and mix well to combine with an electric whisk. Set ½ of the buttercream aside for later.
9. Take the first full sponge and place it on a cake board. Pipe a thin layer of buttercream on top and then place one of the sponges with the centre cut out on top of the base sponge. Carefully pipe a thin layer of buttercream onto the top of the cut out sponge, and then place the second cut out sponge on top. Pipe a thin layer of buttercream on top of this circle of sponge as well.
10. Mix together the jam and strawberry laces in a bowl (add red food colouring at this step if not vibrant enough), then pour this into the centre of the cake until the filling reaches the top of the sponge. Place the final full sponge round on the filled cake.
11. Using the remaining buttercream, crumb coat a thin layer of the buttercream around the whole cake until completely coated.
12. Leave to set in the fridge for at least an hour.
13. Once set, take the remaining buttercream and carefully coat the cake with a final full layer of buttercream.
14. Carefully break up the melted mint sheet into smaller shards and press them into the cake. Use remaining jam and pipe along the shards to form blood.