MN Cook Club Halloween and Bonfire Night recipe suggestions

[ColdSancerre]

Everyone welcome!

The idea is that we suggest recipes to try, vote on the suggestions and then try the most popular recipes out. Then we report back on how easy the recipe was to follow, how long it took, cost per portion, ease of obtaining ingredients and family verdict on the finished product.

This time we're doing recipes for Halloween and Bonfire Night, so suggest recipes for that in here, sweet savoury or ghoulish. Even drinks. I'll leave this thread open for recipe suggestions until the evening of Sunday 23rd then we'll have a couple of days of voting so people have time to shop for ingredients in time.

Please post your recipes as either a link or type them out.

Well I'm going to be trialing Bonfire Cupcakes!

They are fabulous!

Just think of the potential mess they could cause-so red, so sticky!

Also doing roasted potatoes/beetroot/ sweet peppers with thyme (to accompany sausages).

And I have a jelly ring which I want to use- maybe red jelly with 'eyeballs' (lychees with blueberries?)

Plus red squash drink with lemonade floating hand...

Bump

Will nobody think of the toffee apples :(

Pumpkin pie?

halloween:

eyeball pasta

hubble bubble pumpkin pot

sausage and pumpkin roast

colcannon

some repulsive ideas here!!

bonfire night:

sticky hot dog jackets

pumpkin pie

toffee apple cookies

sausage and pumpkin casserole

sticky chocolate pudding

cheesy bonfire bread

although I've suggested pumpkin pie here - should we make Thanksgiving our next theme, and have pumpkin pie, sweet potato, and turkey recipes suggested then? I have 2 tins of pumpkin sitting in the cupboard taunting me, so will make pumpkin pie at some point, regardless :o

Jelly pumpkin heads went down a treat with my lot.

Scoop flesh from oranges in stylee of pumpkin and make eye/teeth cuts (not too big). Make red jelly in a separate bowl and then when set scoop large pieces into halloween pumpkin oranges for ghoulish effect. Don't panic if some jelly escapes it adds to the blood from eyes mouth effect.

Kids can help with scooping oranges and with jelly spooning for much hilarity all round.

You've got to make Parkin otherwise it's just not Bonfire Night. The treacly, oaty, gingery squidginess is perfect for wintry evenings and it tastes even better if you keep it in an air-tight tin for a few days.

Pumpkin and Cheese Bake (can be plus or minus ham depending on whether you want a veggie option or not!)

1lb halved new potatoes
1lb peeled and thinly sliced pumpkin or squash
6oz onion thinly sliced
4oz smoked ham thinly sliced (sub. extra cheese for a veggie version)
8oz buttery cheese (eg, gruyere, taleggio or fontina)
10floz creme fraiche

Lot of french bread and salad to serve with.

Pre-heat oven to 200dc (fan)/gas 7.
Boil potato, pumpkin and onion together in salted water in a casserole dish for 3-4mins. Drain liquid and mix in ham and cheese.
Beat a few tbsp of cold water into the creme fraiche until it's a thick pouring consistency and pour over the bed. Put dish on the hob and bring to the boil.
Put in the oven and cook for 40-60mins, stirring 2-3 times during this. The veg will be tender when the dish is cooked.

Oooh the bake sounds delicious!

Toffee Apple Pie:

For 6

2 x 397 ml tins condensed milk
8 Granny Smith apples
100g unsalted butter
1 tbspn caster sugar
juice and zest 1 lemon
1 x 284ml carton double cream
toasted falked almonds for decoration

For biscuit base

300g digestives
100g melted unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Put unopened tins of condensed milk in a large casserole dish, cover with water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Preheat oven to 140c/Gas 1. Cover casserole with a lid and place in the oven for 3 and a half hours. Cooking the tins this way ensures they don't boil dry. Set aside to cool overnight.

To make base, whizz biscuits in food proessor to fine crumb. Transfer to mixing bowl add butter and cinnamon and stir. Press mix into 25cm loose bottomed tart tin and place in fridge.

Peel and core apples, cut each one into 8. Melt butter in pan over low heat. Add apples and sugar and cook until golden brwon and just softening but keeping their shape. Stir in lemon zest and juice.

Open tins of cold boiled condensed milk and spoon toffee mixture onto the biscuit base ( use a warm spoon that you keep dipping in a mug of hot water to prevent sticking ). Arrange apples evenly over the top.

Whisk the cream in a large bowl until just thick, then spread over the apples. Keep in the fridge until needed, then remove tart from tin and sprinkle almonds on just before eating.

Oh have made this btw and its massive. Feeds at least 12, more like 20 as its so rich.

Its bloody gorgeous tho. [hgrin]