These tempting treats will take your Halloween celebrations to a scary new dimension. Visit Broadmeadows Central to gather all the ingredients required.

1)    Jack-o-lantern spice cookies

These rich cookies take less than 15 minutes to prepare – they’re quick, easy and are total crowd-pleasers. By combining pumpkin puree with allspice and cinnamon, every bite tastes like Halloween.

Ingredients:

·         2¼ cups of all-purpose flour

·         1 tsp of baking soda

·         1 tsp of allspice

·         1 tsp cinnamon 

·         ½ tsp of salt

·         1 cup of unsalted butter, softened

·         ¾ cup of brown sugar

·         ½ cup of granulated sugar

·         300g butternut pumpkin

·         1 egg

·         2 tsp vanilla extract

·         2 cups of chocolate chips

Method:

1.     Preheat oven to 200°C and line three large baking pans with baking paper.

2.     Cut, peel and deseed the pumpkin. Cut into cubes, approximately 5cm x 5cm.

3.     Place the pumpkin on one of the baking sheets and roast in the oven for approximately 20 minutes until soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

4.     Lower the oven temperature to 180°C.

5.     Once the pumpkin has cooled, put it in a blender and puree.

6.     In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon and salt.

7.     In a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

8.     Beat in the pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until combined, then gradually add the flour mixture. Beat on low until no flour appears, then fold in the chocolate chips.

9.     Refrigerate the  cookie dough for 30 minutes.

10.  Scoop bite sized balls onto two baking trays, leaving a 3cm space between them.

11.  Bake for about 12 minutes or until puffed up and golden around the edges.

2)    Spooky pumpkin tarts

Prepare these tarts using a variety of cookie cutters in the shapes of pumpkins, bats, spiders or witches. They’re great to make with kids as they don’t create too much mess!

Ingredients:

·         200g butternut pumpkin

• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• 4 sheets of puff pastry, defrosted

Method:

1.     Preheat oven to 200°C and line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

2.     Like the recipe above, cut, peel and deseed the pumpkin. Cut into cubes, approximately 5cm x 5cm.

3.     Place the pumpkin on one of the baking sheets and roast in the oven for approximately 20 minutes until soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

4.     Once the pumpkin has cooled, put it in a blender and puree.

5.     In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar and allspice to create the filling.

6.     Lay the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Use a cookie cutter to cut out approximately 40 shapes.

7.     Place a heaped teaspoon of filling onto a piece of pastry. Use a spoon to spread the filling almost to the edges.

8.     Lightly dip a pastry brush into water and brush the edges of the pastry. Top with another piece of matching pastry and lightly press the edges together to seal. Repeat with the remaining shapes and filling.

9.     Place the tarts onto a baking tray. Bake for 18 minutes or until golden brown.

3)    Eyeball punch

Encourage your guests to bite into an eyeball or two with this punch recipe – which is equal parts creepy and clever.

Ingredients:

·         425g of lychees (canned or fresh and peeled)

·         225g of blueberries

·         1L of blackcurrant juice, chilled

·         1L of cranberry juice, chilled

·         1L of sparkling water, chilled

Tools:

·         One pair of powder-free disposable gloves

Method:

1.     Rinse the gloves and fill each with water. Tie a knot in the top of each glove, as you would a balloon. Freeze overnight.

2.     Ensure the lychees are peeled. Then, push a blueberry into the centre of each lychee to make ‘eyeballs’.

3.     Tip the juices into a large bowl with the eyeballs.

4.     Take the filled, frozen gloves out of the freezer, peel the gloves from the ice and add to the punch bowl – creatively creepy.

5.     Top up with sparkling water and you’re done!

4)    Snake potion

Dare your guests to drink this sweet, colourful snake-filled concoction.

Ingredients (per serve):

·         150ml of orange juice

·         Green liquid food colouring

·         2 tbsp of grenadine, raspberry syrup or pomegranate molasses

·         1 liquorice wheel

·         ½ packet of jelly snakes

Method:

1.     Mix the orange juice with a few drops of green liquid food colouring. Pour into a highball glass filled with ice.

2.     Pour the grenadine, raspberry syrup or pomegranate molasses down the side of the glass so it sinks to the base.

3.     Add some jelly snakes to the glass.

4.     Unroll a liquorice wheel, trim and cut the end into a point so it resembles a snake’s head.

5.     Drape over the rim of the glass with some jelly snakes.