Tasty Creations

A Collection of Recipes You’ll Love to Try

Halloween is a fantastic time for parties, costumes, and spending time with family and friends, especially grandchildren. To make your celebration even more special, why not bake something show stopping? Conjure up the perfect treat with our spellbinding Maple Pecan Pie or Spooky Ghost cake. Whether you’re hosting a haunted house or simply indulging in a cosy night in, these are the perfect companion for a frightfully delightful feast.

Witch’s Delight – A Maple Pecan Pumpkin Pie to haunt your taste buds this October

Ingredients:
Crust: 200g plain flour, 100g butter, 1 tbsp icing sugar, 1-2 tbsp water or buy ready-made pastry

Filling: 400g pureed pumpkin, 150ml double cream, 100g brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger,
1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping: 100g pecan halves

Instructions:
1) Combine flour, icing sugar, and butter in a bowl. Rub together until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Add water gradually until a dough forms. Chill for 30 minutes. Roll out, line a 9-inch pie dish, and blind bake at 160°C fan for 15 minutes. Remove beans and bake 5 more minutes.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together all of the filling ingredients. Pour into the pre-baked crust. Bake for 45 minutes until the filling is set with a slight wobble in the centre. Cool completely.

3) Melt butter in a pan, stir in maple syrup, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Coat pecans in the syrup, then spread evenly over the cooled pie.
Let the pie cool before slicing. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for an extra treat.

Show-stopping Ghost Cake Recipe

This fun, easy-to-make treat is perfect for Halloween and will wow your guests with its spooky design. Not only is it delicious, but it also serves as a stunning centrepiece for your Halloween table.

Children will love helping out, from spreading buttercream to decorating the ghostly face, it’s a great way to get them involved and add some family fun to the mix. With minimal effort, you can create a ghost cake that looks impressive but is simple enough for any level of baker to make.

Ingredients

• 500g self-raising flour
• 500g butter or margarine, softened
• 500g caster sugar
• 9 medium free-range eggs
• 5 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 tbsp milk (adjust as necessary)
• 300g butter, softened
• 600g icing sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (for buttercream)
• 1.50kg white fondant icing
• Strawberry jam
• Black fondant icing ​

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or Gas mark 4. Grease and flour a hemisphere cake tin or bowl. Additionally, grease three 18cm/7in round cake tins and line them with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Gently fold in the flour, adding a little extra milk if needed, to achieve a soft dropping consistency. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cake tins and smooth the tops with a spatula.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cakes are golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack after peeling off the baking paper. Let the cakes cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the buttercream. In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft. Gradually add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Add the remaining icing sugar along with 2 tablespoons of milk, and continue beating until creamy and smooth. If necessary, add more milk.
6. Once the cakes have cooled, assemble them. Start by placing one of the regular sponges on a cake board and spreading buttercream over the top. Stack the remaining sponges with layers of buttercream between each, finishing with the hemisphere-shaped sponge on top. Smooth a thin layer of buttercream over the entire cake. (Don’t worry about perfect smoothness as the white fondant will cover it!)
7. Roll out the white fondant into a large circle big enough to cover the whole cake. Drape it carefully over the cake, ensuring it’s evenly placed, and press down gently to secure it.
8. Use the black fondant to create eyes and a mouth, attaching them to the cake with a small amount of strawberry jam.

For more Halloween inspiration and fun take a look at our latest October Adlington Life Magazine.

And why not inspire other by share your baking photos with us on Facebook 

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