Katie’s Corner October 2010

Trick or treat?

Spider web and ghost buns

Ingredients;

100g/4oz Margarine

100g/4oz Caster Sugar

2 Medium eggs

100g/4oz Self raising flour

Bun cases

To decorate;

Icing sugar

Red and yellow food colouring

Black writing icing

Mini marshmallows

Heat oven to 190C, cream margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time, adding a little flour with each.  Gently fold in remaining flour.  Half fill the paper cases with the mixture and bake for about 15 minutes until firm.  Decorate when cool.

Nutty toffee apples

Ingredients;

6 Cox apples

6 small wooden ice lolly sticks

225g/8oz granulated sugar

110ml/4fl oz water

30g/1oz butter

2 tbsp golden syrup

4 tbsp finely chopped mixed nuts

Push the wooden sticks halfway into the apples at the stalk end.  Dissolve the sugar and water in a thick-bottomed pan over a gentle heat.  Add the butter and syrup to the mixture and bring to the boil.  Continue to boil, without stirring, until the toffee reaches 290C (use a sugar thermometer to measure this).  Remove the pan from the heat and gently stir in the nuts.  Carefully dip each apple into the toffee, making sure each apple is well coated, and set aside to harden on a baking try lined with non-stick parchment.

Scary Gingerbread men

Ingredients;

350g plain flour plus extra for rolling out

1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 level tsp ground ginger

1 level tsp ground cinnamon

125g butter

175g light soft brown sugar

1 medium egg

4 tbsp golden syrup

To decorate;

Ready to roll icing (white)

76g colour writing icing

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/ Gas 4.  Line two baking trays with baking paper.  Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl.  Rub in the butter and then stir in the sugar.  Lightly beat the egg and golden syrup together. Add to the flour and mix to make a dough. Chill the dough for 15 minutes.  Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of ½ cm thick.  Cut shapes out with gingerbread cutters, remembering to take off a few limbs and head for added gore.  Place on a baking tray, leaving a gap between them in case they spread a little.  Bake for about 15 minutes. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.

When cool, let your imagination run wild!  Use the red writing icing along the edges of the missing limbs and heads as blood.  For the skeletons and mummies – either pipe with white writing icing or roll out the ready to roll icing to 3mm thickness and cut shapes slightly smaller than the gingerbread. Lightly brush the gingerbread with boiled water and carefully place the icing on top. Using the black writing icing decorate as a skeleton or mummy!

Enjoy!

Posted in Katie's Corner.