If you're planning for a Halloween party, here are some easy recipes and ideas for cocktails, including punch bowl cocktails, cakes, cupcakes and jelly shots - should you wish to provide these.
Impress guests with these easy cocktails. Recipes have been shared from CookServeEnjoy, Bacardi, Sobieski vodka, NIO Cocktails and Smokehead.
Ingredients
Method
First, make your black vodka. Infuse vodka with black liquorice sweets for a day or two before your party, mixing from time to time.
Add one serve of vodka to a tumbler, stir in the coffee liqueur and blackcurrant cordial and mix well.
Carefully layer over lightly whipped double cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Ingredients
Method
Shake over ice. Pour over crushed ice. Stir and garnished with a cherry and orange.
Ingredients
Method
Combine the pumpkin pie spice and crushed crackers on a plate. After dipping the rim of each glass in water, dip them into the spice and cracker mixture.
Then, add ice to each glass, pour in the vodka and Kahlua, and top it with the creamer. Stick in a cinnamon stick and sprinkle the pumpkin pie spice on the top to garnish.
Ingredients
Method
Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add all ingredients. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.
For the eyeballs
Dip glacé cherries in white chocolate then put on on a cocktail stick. Pop in the fridge to set for a couple of hours. Then draw eyes with a red and yellow icing pen.
The Boë Haunted House cocktail turns unexpected kitchen ingredients into a deliciously eerie dual-colour concoction.
Ingredients
Method
Add a handful of butterfly pea flowers to a teacup or jug and top with 100ml boiling water.
Leave to steep. This will create that vibrant violet colour to your drink.
To make the simple syrup, combine 300g caster sugar, 150ml water and the juice and zest of 1 lime in a pot and simmer until dissolved (100g sugar to 100ml water). Strain out zest before using.
Cut the liquorice laces into four 6cm strands. Wrap another lace around in the middle and loop through to secure.
Add all other ingredients to a shaker and muddle basil. Seal the shaker and shake without ice for 30 seconds.
Once foamy, fill the shaker with the ice and shake again for another 30 seconds.
Strain the shaker contents into a glass of choice and use the liquorice spider to the side.
Your butterfly pea tea should be lovely and purple by now.
Pour 30ml of the butterfly pea tea over the drink to achieve a purple float.
This recipe from NIO Cocktails mixologist, Patrick, is ideal for a non alcoholic option this Halloween.
Patrick said:
“As a non-alcoholic alternative to the traditional mulled wine try a Mulled Apple Juice.
"Crafted from apple juice, zesty orange peel, aromatic cinnamon, cloves and a touch of honey, this mocktail is perfect for those responsible designated drivers and anyone with a fondness for the enchanting flavours of autumn.
"Don’t be afraid to elevate your own spooky concoctions by adding decorations such as broom or skeleton hand drink stirrers to your drinks."
Ingredients
Method
Heat all the ingredients in a saucepan (don't boil) then pour into glasses/mug before adding the garnish.
Find more cocktails here.
Ingredients
Method
Shake ingredients and double strain into a chilled rocks glass.
Float ruby port on top with bar spoon.
Save time by creating a punch bowl of a seasonal cocktail for guests to enjoy.
Ingredients
Method
Add the vodka, tequila, lime juice, bitters and pumpkin seed or peanut butter to a shaker.
Fill with ice and shake vigorously for a minute, until well mixed.
Strain into a chilled glass and serve.
Indulge in some sweet treats this Halloween with these cake, cheesecake and cupcake recipes from Ocado.
Find more recipes for cakes, cake pops and cupcakes here.
These vegan brownies are topped with fluffy melted marshmallow to create the spider web effect.
Ingredients:
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Grease a 23cm square cake tin with butter and line the bottom with baking paper.
Use a balloon whisk to whisk together the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and fine sea salt and set to one side.
Use a freestanding mixer or electric hand mixer to beat the melted butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the almond milk and vanilla extract, then add the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
With a spoon, stir in the chocolate and broken biscuits; dollop into the tin. Level the top and bake for 25-28mins, or until just set with a crust but still a bit gooey.
Remove from the oven; leave to cool in the tin for 20 mins, before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Melt the marshmallows in a microwave for 30 secs, then stir with a fork.
Allow to stand for 2 mins or so, until cool enough to handle, then stretch the mixture over the brownies, pulling and draping it to create a spider web effect.
Then leave to cool completely before slicing and serving the brownies. They’ll store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
This gloriously ghoulish Halloween dessert is perfect for a party. Oreo biscuits are used to make the chocolate crumb base, with a creamy cheesecake filling and orange jelly topping.
This recipe uses wriggly snake sweets to decorate the cake, but any spooky jellies would work well.
Ingredients
Method
Start making the cheesecake the day before. Lightly grease a 23cm springform round cake tin with butter. In a bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix the melted butter, Oreo crumbs and light soft brown sugar.
Evenly press into the tin so it covers the base and the sides (this is your cauldron). Use your knuckles to really compress the mixture to stop it from crumbling. Place in the fridge to chill for 30 mins.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Using a hand mixer, whisk the cream in a large mixing bowl until stiff peaks form.
Set aside. Place the soft cheese and caster sugar in the bowl of a freestanding mixer, and beat with the paddle attachment until smooth, or use a hand mixer.
Add the soured cream, 1tbsp lemon juice and the lemon zest, and beat for 2 mins, until smooth. With a metal spoon, gently fold in the whipped double cream.
When the cheesecake base has chilled for 30 mins, remove it from the fridge and spoon in the soft cheese mixture. Smooth it over; place the tin back in the fridge and leave to set overnight.
The following day, put half the quantity of jelly cubes in a measuring jug and top with 170ml boiling water. Allow the jelly cubes to melt, then top up with 170ml cold water.
When the liquid jelly is room temperature, pour it over the soft cheese filling. Pop in the fridge and leave to set for 1 hr. While you’re waiting, make up the remaining jelly in the same way and leave to cool again.
Remove the tin from the fridge, dot over most of the jelly sweets, leaving some sticking up so that they look like they’re crawling out of the jelly, then pour over the cooled orange jelly and place the tin in the fridge for at least 4 hrs to set completely.
When you’re ready to serve, arrange the reserved jelly sweets on top and slide a knife around the inside of the tin to loosen it, then release. It will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Jelly shots and quick and easy, and don't need to be alcoholic. Get creative with the addition of jelly worms or eyeballs.
Mummy Peppers
Blackberry Spiders
Zombie Fingers
Melted Ghoul Fondue
Edible Eyes
Method
1) Preheat your oven to 180C Fan. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. To make the Mummy Peppers-slice the puff pastry into 1/2 cm strips and wrap the peppers. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Add the eyes and set aside to cool.
2) To make the Zombie Fingers, make a small incision at the end of each sausage then add an almond to create a "fingernail". Bake for 15-18 minutes until dark golden brown. Allow to cool.
3) To make the Edible Eyes, using a champagne glass layer to drape 10 salami slices halfway in and around the rim of the glass, then turn upside down onto the board. Gently push in the centre a single Babybel and add an edible eye.
4) For the Blackberry Spiders, unwrap the Laughing Cow cheese onto a cracker. Add a blackberry onto a plastic spider. Take care to remove the spider before eating. These are just for decoration.
5) Make the Melted Ghoul Fondue last, by heating all the ingredients together until completely melted. Pour into a ramekin and dip using crackers or the Zombie Fingers.
6) You can also carve little faces into the wax of the Babybel - get creative! Enjoy!
