Bloody Halloween Cocktails

A friend recently said to me 'Katie, in your house every day is Halloween.' She wasn't wrong! We're big fans of October 31st in this household and this year we'll be handing out candy, watching my favorite psycopath stalk his innocent camp councellors and sipping on these bloody beauties.  It'll be a graveyard smash!

A delicious mix of vodka, chamboard and pomegrannet juice these babies will have you in the Halloween spirit in no time.  You'll be itching to get out and party with those skelletons.

Bloody Halloween Cocktails

Ingredients

• 100ml Vodka
• 50ml Chamboard
• 250ml Pomegranate Juice
• 4 Tinned Lychees
• 4 Blueberries

Cooking Directions

1. To make the eyeballs simply pop a blueberry into the hollow of a tinned lychee and skewer two eyeballs onto a cocktail stick.
2. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake together the vodka, Chamboard and pomegranate juice.
3. Strain into two ice filled glasses (top up with any remaining pomegranate juice)
4. and garnish with your gruesome eyeballs. Enjoy.

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Pumpkin Pie Bars

It's finally October! Autumn is my favorite time of year, both sartorially and culinary. The month of cosy jumpers without the need for a coat, cute ankle boots with thick black tights and wide brimmed hats. I love it

 More than that, it is finally season appropriate to start putting pumpkin in everything.  From drinks to cakes to a hearty risotto, there's barely a meal goes by in my home that doesn't feature those sweet orange gourds.  I can't be the only one, right?!

Pumpkin pie bars are the perfect way to ease you into the season. Soft and delightfully spiced with a nip of dark rum, these cosy bars will have you dreaming of orange leaves and crisp afternoon air.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

(From Primrose Bakery Christmas)

Ingredients:

Base

140g light brown sugar

100g rolled oats

120g plain flour

150g unsalted butter, cold

Topping

1 can of pumpkin puree (I used Libby's)

2 large, free range eggs

110g caster sugar 

30g self raising flour

1tsp ground nutmeg

1/2tsp ground cinnamon

1/4tsp ground cloves

1/2tsp ground ginger

1/2tsp salt

50ml dark rum

1tsp vanilla extract

flaked almonds

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160C and grab a 33x23cm disposable foil tray (try these) 

To make the base place the sugar, oats and flour in a large bowl and stir together.  Add the butter in and rub together with your fingertips till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Press this mixture into your tray and bake for around 18 minutes, until golden brown.  Set aside to cool while you make the topping.

To make the topping put all of the ingredients, except the almonds, into a large bowl and beat until combined and smooth.

Pour the pumpkin mixture on top of the cooked and cooled base, spreading it out into an even layer and sprinkle with a handful of flaked almonds.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until firm to the touch.  Leave to cool completely before cutting into bars and serving.

I'm submitting this recipe to Lavender & Lovage and The Hedgecombers October Tea Time Treats. 

 

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Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Brownies

Where has the time gone, dear friends?! I certainly didn't intend to take a five month blogging hiatus, it just kinda happened.  To be perfectly honest I think I feel into the same trap many bloggers fall into, I became disillusioned.  Bigger and better blogs began popping up in my home city of Newcastle and I felt there was no longer room for my little Katiecakes.  Then I snapped back and thought screw it!  I'm reclaiming my corner of the internet and promise never to neglect it, or you again... that is if I still have any readers.

Halloween is almost upon us and what better way to get back into this blogging business than with a kick ass autumnal brownie adaption.  Sticking with my trusty brownie base I added a spiced pumpkin cheesecake layer studded with crunchy chopped pecans. 

You will need:

150g full fat cream cheese

1 large egg

200g caster sugar

220g canned pumpkin

1tbsp plain flour 

1tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

handful of chopped pecans

250g good quality plain chocolate (70% solids are best)

250g unsalted butter

350g light brown sugar

5 large free range eggs

150g plain flour

Method:

Preheat the oven to 175C and line a 13" by 9" brownie pan with baking paper or do what I do and use a disposable foil tray!

First make your cheesecake layer.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment whisk together the cream cheese, sugar and egg.  Once the cheesecake is thick and creamy add the canned pumpkin, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Whisk again and set aside while you make your brownies.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large saucepan over a low heat, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture catching.  Once the mixture is fully combined and smooth take the pan off the heat and add the sugar, mixing with a large balloon whisk.  Once sugar is combined whisk the eggs together in a large bowl and add to the brownie mixture, mixing till smooth. 

Pour half of the brownie batter into the prepared pan.  Drop spoonfuls of the cheesecake mixture on top and swirl together with a knife.  Pour the remaining brownie batter into the pan and top with more spoonfuls of cheesecake, swirling together when finished.  Sprinkle with the chopped pecans and bake for 30 - 40 minutes until the brownies are set with a slight wobble in the center.

Cool completely before serving.

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Happy Halloween

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday!  Sadly it isn't as appreciated or celebrated much in this country but every year my closest friends and I get together and do something spooky to celebrate.  Last year we were in Florida getting chased around a theme park by zombies with chainsaws, this year we decided to throw a costume party followed by some ghost hunting in the wind swept wilds of Northumberland while listening to Night Owls.  Unfortunately I didn't get around to taking any snaps of the decorated house or the spread I put on but I thought I'd share a few of my favorite party goers costumes with you.

Myself and Kris as a Day of the Dead Bride and Marty McFly

Sweeney Todd & Bambi's Mam

Miss Argentina & Steve Jobs

Kick Ass & Baby Doll

Katy Perry & Zombie Farmer Ryan

The Riddler & Undead Ghoul

 
 I hope you all had a fabulous Halloween.  Did you get into the spirit and dress as something ghoulish?  I sure hope so!

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On the second day of Halloween my true love gave to me..

In my eyes, Halloween is right up there with Christmas in the favorite holiday stakes! This year I'm making Halloween stretch the full weekend to squeeze out every last piece of enjoyment possible.  In celebration of this I've made a few delicious Halloween themed treats which I will be posting over the weekend.  

Yesterdays installment of Cupcakes from Beyond the Grave went down a storm at Pet Lambs event last night, as did these Hooting Halloween Owl cupcakes.  Those bad boys stole the show :)

I made a few adjustments to the recipe due to my cupcakes not rising as much as they should have.  This was due to me not reading the recipe properly and failing to fill the cupcake liners to the top so rather than using the tops of the cakes to create the eyebrows I used giant chocolate buttons.  I piped the frosting in my usual swirl to give the owl a bit of a bigger face and used orange candy melts for the beak.  I can't for the life of me find those little jelly diamonds anywhere, odd as I remember them being abundant when I was a kid.

You can find the recipe on the BBC Good Food site.

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Halloween Cupcakes

Halloween is my favorite time of the year.  That brisk chill in the air, orange leaves carpeting the streets and that wonderful burning smell wafting in the air, although that's usually from early firework enthusiasts than pumpkins on the porch.

This year I'm keeping the celebrations low key!  Pet Lamb are holding a super fun Halloween themed cupcake stall with lots of spooky treats and wine.  Saturdays will see us taking drinks in a bar, going to see Halloween at the local independent cinema with cocktails then I'll top the weekend off with a warming meal with some friends before what will hopefully be a petrifying ghost tour of Newcastles Castle Keep.  

What are your Halloween plans?

These brilliant From Beyond the Grave cupcakes were adapted from my new favorite cupcake book  Zombie Cupcakes!  If you don't already have it, pick it up and enjoy the fabulously creative projects within!

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