This week, food writer Libby Kimber brings you these recipes from McKenzie’s Foods, for spooky-but-sweet treats to get you into the Halloween spirit.
Pumpkin monster cupcakes
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Serves 12
Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups plain flour
- 2 tsp McKenzie’s baking powder
- 1/4 tsp McKenzie’s bi-carb soda
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp orange essence (optional)
- 3/4 cup orange juice, with pulp
- 1 Tbsp grated orange zest
- Few drops orange food colour
Orange frosting
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 3/4 tsp orange essence or vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp grated orange zest
- 2-3 drops orange food colour
To decorate
- 6 chocolate coated finger biscuits, halved
- 30 Tic Tacs
- 24 candy eyes
Pre heat oven to 180°C and place patty pans into a 2 x 12-hole pans.
In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and bi-carb soda. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, icing sugar, oil, orange essence and food colour. Mix well.
Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients in two batches, mixing well in between. Add the orange juice and the zest. Mix well by hand.
Fill patty pans to 1/2 – 3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
To make the frosting: In a small mixing bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the icing sugar, orange zest and extract. Add enough orange juice to achieve a frosting consistency (a little on the firm side so that it holds the weight of another cupcake when assembling your monsters).
Spread frosting on top of cupcake and then top with another upside-down cupcake. Add the tic tacs for teeth and candy eyes, using a little extra frosting as glue if required. Insert chocolate stick through the top cupcake.
Monster chocolate chip cookies
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 8-10 mins
Serves 36
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups caster sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cup plain flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp McKenzie’s bi-carb soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips
To decorate
- 72 candy eyes
- Extra chocolate chips
- 100 (approx.) Smarties or M&Ms
Pre heat oven to 175°C and line 3 baking trays with baking paper.
Cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth, then add vanilla extract and eggs. Continue mixing until well combined.
Add flour, cocoa powder, bi-carb soda and salt. Beat until a dough forms. Stir in choc chips for an even distribution through the mixture.
Roll a tablespoon full of dough into balls and spread 12 balls evenly onto each prepared baking tray. Bake for 8-10 minutes until they are set. Allow to cool for 2-4 minutes before inserting the candy eyes, extra choc chips and Smarties/M&Ms as desired. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
