PUMPKIN SOUP Ingredients 900g [2 lb] pumpkin 25g [1 oz] margerine 1 medium onion 1 vegetable stock cube ground nutmeg ground black pepper paprika 100ml [4 fl oz] thick single cream Method Hollow out a medium sized pumpkin, discard the seeds. Melt the margerine in a large cooking pot, and gently fry the onion for a few minutes, until soft. Slice the pumpkin and add to the cooked onion, and stir. Make up the vegetable stock cube with 500ml of boiling water, [almost a pint], and add to the pot. Bring back to the boil and then cover and simmer on a low light for approx 30 minutes. Pour into a blender and blend until soft, [alternatively, push through a sieve], return to the pot and heat gently, adding a couple of pinches of ground nutmeg, paprika and ground black pepper, do not boil. Add the cream, stir, and serve!! While you are waiting for the soup to cook in the 30 minutes why not carve a spooky face into the now hollowed-out pumpkin!!!!
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SKULL CAKE Ingredients 1 lb [450g] digestive biscuits 8 oz [200g] butter 2 dessertspoons cocoa 2 tablespoons golden syrup 2 tablespoons sugar Icing - 8 oz [200g] icing sugar Method Dissolve the butter, sugar, golden syrup and cocoa in a saucepan until just warm. Crush the digestive biscuits well in a mixing bowl using the end of a wooden rolling pin. Add the liquid to this and mix well. Now shape the mixture into the skull. Do this on to greaseproof paper on which you have drawn the outline of the skull. Make indentations for the eyes, nose and mouth. Allow the cake to harden off in the fridge for a few hours. To ice the cake. Mix a little water with about 4 oz [100g] if icing sugar, keeping the mixture as stiff as possible. Ice the skull, avoiding the eyes, nose and mouth. When the icing has hardened apply a second coat, using the remaining 100g of sugar mixture. Allow the cake to set completely in the fridge. Then remove it from the greaseproof paper and transfer it to a square cake board which has been covered with a black plastic bin-liner.
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