So I popped into my local Marks and Spencer and found that they had a nice little Halloween display in the space that they usually fill with festive goodies.
Given the small area, there was a lot to see, with plenty of costumes, sweets, toys/props and decorations.
Here are a few things that caught my eye.

Marks and Spencer Halloween picks

Pumpkin Pinata

Halloween Pinatas are going to be even more popular this year, the question is, which shape will you buy? Most Halloween product stockists have their own designs and M&S have a couple of excellent examples in this large round pumpkin and the Skull model. You’ll undoubtedly have loads of fun bashing them up.
Marks and Spencer have lots of treats and sweets for you to fill them with. If you’d like to add some gifts, Woolworths have a great selection of made for purpose pinata filler packs:
Woolworths Pinata Packs

Coffin box

If you want somewhere good to keep your Halloween treats, why not check out the Marks and Spencer Halloween coffin box? It looks pretty good – black with white cobwebs (very fetching), it’s also a good size so there’s planty of space for lots of your goodies (M&S treats and usually pretty magnificent).
But when you open the lid, there’s an added surprise… Spooky noises. That should keep unwanted fingers away, or maybe just cause a few giggles.
It would make a nice table centre-piece or even be a novel way to issue your treats to any visiting trick or treaters.

Spooky Snow Globe

Another nice think that I saw instore is this cool little spooky snow globe. I say ‘snow’ but actually it’s nice, orange Halloween glittery which is of course a lot more Halloweeny than some snow (although the weather people have predicted snow this October!).
Give this little guy a shake and he will sparkle away. Not only thay, but he also lights up, which looks very cool. It does mean that you’ll need batteries though.
The main thing is the quality of the product. As with all of the M&S products, all of them have a great feel and aren’t cheap like the products from other retailers. As a result, the slightly higher price is kind of justified. These are decorations that you’ll be able to use year after year.

Spooky Spinning Cake Stand

It’s all very well spending your time making magnificent halloween cupcakes (using our recipes of course). But on All Hallows Eve, you don’t just want those delicious and amazing looking cakes sitting out on a boring old plate. What you need is a cake-stand. And what better a choice than this Spooky Spinning Cake Stand from the Marks and Spencer Halloween range?
Adorned with bats, cobwebs and creepy spiders this stand comes flat-packed for easy delivery (particularly if you order it online), then is assembled simply, making a surprisingly sturdy platform for your proudest works.
If you need help making the cakes themselves match the spookiness of the stand, you can also get some nice cake decorations to go with it:
M&S Halloween Cake Decorations

Halloween Costumes

There’s also a whole heap of nice kids fancy dress costumes that are well worth checking out.

Although again, they are a little more expensive than at other stores, the quality is pretty good and the little orange witches costume is particularly fetching…

The Marks and Spencer Halloween range is certainly worth checking out this year (if you haven’t done so already).

What is a whoopie

A whoopie is made of two round mound-shaped pieces of chocolate cake, or sometimes pumpkin or gingerbread cake, with a sweet, creamy filling or frosting sandwiched between them.

The origin of the whoopie

There is a dispute over where the whoopie orginates, some say it is an Amish tradition, and it is said would the amish women would bake these desserts which are known as hucklebucks and they would put them in farmers’ lunchboxes. When the farmers would find the treats in their lunch, they would shout “Whoopie!”

Others say it originated from Maine The now-defunct Berwick Cake Company of Roxbury, Massachusetts had been making the “Whoopee Pie” since 1931 and it is also claimed that the whoopie pie originated there in Massachusetts and spread both north and south.

All we know here at Halloweenerrific is that they are delicious and will make a fab addition to any halloween party!
Particlarly with this pumpkin twist…

How to make Pumpkin Halloween Whoopies

Ingredients

 
Cookies:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

 
For cookies:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease or line four baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt in medium bowl.
3. Beat butter and sugar in large mixer bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Add pumpkin and vanilla extract; beat until smooth.
6. Stir in flour mixture until combined. Drop by heaping measuring teaspoons onto prepared baking sheets. (A total of 72 cookies are needed for the recipe.)
7. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until springy to the touch. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

For cream cheese filling:
1. Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl on medium speed until fluffy.
2. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Spread a heaping teaspoon of filling onto flat side of one cookie; top with flat side of second cookie to make a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling.
4. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

There you have it, some trendy treats to try out this Halloween. Have a go at making these Pumpkin Halloween Whoopies this year and you’ll no doubt have people yelping with excitement!

5. Chocolate cobweb cupcakes (source: www.bbc.co.uk/food)

Ingredients

• 125g/4.5oz plain flour
• 25g/1oz cocoa powder
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 150g/5oz caster sugar
• 50g/2oz butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 free-range egg
• 8 tbsp milk

 
For the cream cheese icing

• 50g/2oz cream cheese
• 25g/1oz butter, softened at room temperature
• 125g/4oz icing sugar, sifted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• For the chocolate icing
• 25g/1oz icing sugar
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder

 
Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line a muffin tray with 9 paper cases.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into a bowl. Add the sugar and butter and beat the mixture together until well combined.
3. Whisk in the egg and milk until the mixture is thick and smooth.
4. Divide the mixture between the paper case and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until springy to the touch and skewer inserted into the middle of one of the cakes comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.
5. For the cream cheese icing, beat the cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until well combined. Beat in the icing sugar and vanilla.
6. Spoon the icing onto the cupcakes, leaving a small border around the edge.
7. For the chocolate icing, sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons of water to form a smooth, thick icing.
8. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a fine nozzle. (Alternatively, spoon the mixture into the corner of a sandwich bag and snip off the corner, to form a small hole.)
9. Carefully pipe 3 concentric circles onto each cupcake. Run a toothpick from the centre to the edge of the cake, through each circle of icing, at 2cm/1in intervals to create a cobweb effect.

4. Halloween Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Icing (source: www.Waitrose.com)

These chocolate cupcakes, decorated with pumpkins and spiders’ webs are ideal for enjoying at Halloween!  
Ingredients

• 150g softened butter or margarine
• 150g caster sugar
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 medium eggs, beaten
• 150g Waitrose Self-raising Flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 50g Green & Blackís Organic Cocoa Powder

 
To decorate

• 50g butter or margarine
• 2 tbsp milk
• 250g icing sugar, sifted
• 500g pack Super Cook Ready-to-Roll coloured Icing
• 75g pack Super Cook Writing Icing

 
Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180∞C, gas mark 4. Place 22 paper cake cases in bun tins. Using an electric hand whisk, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together for 4-5 minutes or until very pale and creamy.
2. Gradually add the beaten egg then sift in the flour with the baking powder and half of the cocoa.
3. Using a metal spoon, fold in carefully. Half fill the paper cases with the mixture.
4. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cakes have risen and the tops spring back when pressed lightly with your finger. Cool on a wire rack.
5. To make the chocolate icing, melt the butter with the remaining cocoa in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water, or microwave on high for 1 minute. Add the milk and 225g of the icing sugar and beat until smooth and glossy. Place a little of the icing on each cake and smooth with a round-bladed knife dipped in hot water.
6. To make the orange icing, blend 15g red and 125g yellow icing with the remaining icing sugar. Roll out, then cut out pumpkin shapes. Add faces with the writing tubes and make green-icing stalks. Place on the top of the cakes.

3. Hotel chocolat‘s Halloween cupcakes (source: hotelchocolat.co.uk)

Here’s a great, deliciously chocolately Halloween cupcake recipe from the highly successful chocolate shop chain.  
Ingredients

• 85g Dark Chocolate for Cooking
• 85g Butter, cut into 2cm cubes
• 100g Soft Light Brown Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 Egg Yolk at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 tbsp Soured Cream
• 75g Self-Raising Flour
• 1 tbsp Organic Cocoa Powder
• Pinch Salt

 
For the icing

• 30g Confectioners Icing Sugar
• 2 tbsp Organic Cocoa Powder
• 75g of Soft Unsalted Butter
• 25g of meted Dark Chocolate for Cooking (optional)
• Boo Box Halloween chocolate shapes to decorate
• Pumpkin Munchkins

 
Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180/ Gas mark 4 and line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.
2. Put the chocolate, butter and sugar in a heatproof bowl and place over simmering water and allow to melt, stirring continuously. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Whisk together the eggs, vanilla and soured cream. Stir this into the cooled chocolate mixture. Sift over the flour, cocoa powder and salt and fold in. Spoon into the paper cases, filing to around 2/3 full.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for approx 20 minutes, until the muffins are risen and just firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
5. To make the chocolate topping melt the dark chocolate over lightly simmering water. Allow to cool.
6. Beat the butter, confectioner sugar and cocoa powder together. Add in the cooled chocolate a table spoon at a time until a thick consistency is achieved. Thick enough to pipe.
7. Place the icing into a piping bag fitted with a piping nozzle of your choice and start from the centre of the cake and pipe outwards.
8. Decorate with Boo Box! Halloween chocolate shapes and Pumpkin Munchkins.

2. The Hummingbird Bakery Pumpkin cupcake (source: The Hummingbird Cookbook)

This is one of the most delicious cupcake recipes. You’ll just need to add a bit of your imagination to decorate it accordingly (or leave it as is – it’s contains pumpkin after all!)  
Ingredients

• 120g plain flour
• 140g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• A pinch of salt
• 40g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 120ml whole milk
• 2 eggs
• 200g tinned pumpkin puree (available at Waitrose/Ocado)
• 1 quantity cream cheese frosting (recipe below)

 
Method

1. Heat oven to 170 C degrees.
2. Mix with an electric mixer: flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and butter.
3. Beat until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined. Gradually pour in milk and mix well.
4. Add the eggs and mix well.
5. Stir in pumpkin puree by hand until evenly dispersed. 6. Spoon mixture into paper cases until 2/3 full and back for about 20 minutes (if making mini cupcakes, halve the time to 10 minutes).
Do not frost until completely cooled. Cream Cheese Frosting

• 300g icing sugar
• 50g unsalted butter, at room temp
• 125g cream cheese, cold

1. Beat the icing sugar and butter together in an electric mixer until well mixed. 2. Add cream cheese and beat until fully incorporated. 3. Continue mixing until frosting is light and fluffy. Frost when cupcakes have cooled. And the No.1 Halloween cupcake is…

1. Lili Vanilli’s Black Rose Cupcake (source: A Zombie Ate My Cupcake)

This cupcake has the perfect balance, it looks great and tastes delightful. It is a little bit of a complicated recipe, but is well worth the effort. A perfect Halloween party pleaser.  
Ingredients

• Cornflour, to dust
• Vegetable shortening
• Gum paste
• Black food colouring (if needed)

 
Method
To make the roses…
1. Dust surfaces with cornflour and rub your hands with some shortening to prevent the gum paste from sticking to them. Knead some gum paste (either store-bought or homemade) until it’s pliable. Add some black food colouring if it’s not already black.
2. To prepare a “base” (centre) for the flower, break off a small piece of the gum paste, and roll it out to a thin, flat petal shape using a rolling pin.
3. Roll up this piece into a cone shape and set aside. This will form the centre of the rose.
4. Roll out the other “petals” one by one, using the same method, into flat, thin petal shapes. Wrap these around the base, overlapping each one and increasing the size slightly for the “petals” on each layer.
5. When you are finished, leave the “roses” in a cool place to dry for at least a day. 6. Make a batch of 12 cupcakes in any flavour you like (the Red Velvet recipe below works well in this context) and top with vanilla frosting.
Top with the black roses. Red Velvet cupcakes (Makes 12 cakes)

• 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup (140g) superfine (caster) sugar
• 1 extra-large (US) or large (UK) egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons red food colouring (I use Dr Oetker) pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup (30g) cocoa
• 1.5 cups (225g) all-purpose (plain) flour, sifted twice
• 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)

 
Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until very light (about 5 minutes). Beat in the egg until well incorporated. In a small separate bowl, beat the vanilla extract, colouring, salt, and cocoa into a thick paste. Beat into the butter mixture.
3. With the mixer running on a slow speed, add the flour to the mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour.
4. Stir the vinegar into the baking soda, add to the batter, and fold in using a spatula. Leave to stand for 3 minutes.
5. Using an ice-cream scoop, spoon the batter into the paper cases, filling them three-quarters full. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
6. Cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating. Vanilla frosting (Covers 12-15 cakes)

• 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons full-fat milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups (360g) confectioner’s (icing) sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy (double) cream

 
Method

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter in a bowl until smooth.
2. Add the milk, vanilla extract, two-thirds of the sugar, and the double cream, and blend until smooth.
3. Slowly add the remaining sugar, beating constantly until smooth.

You can find this recipe along with a load of other great halloween cupcake recipes in Lili Vanilli’s book “A Zombie Ate My Cupcake“. Available on Amazon.
 
 

There you have it, 5 perfect Halloween Cupcakes recipes for you to try this halloween!

With that in mind, check out this find piece of cookware. The Staub Pumpkin Cocotte. I can’t think of a better way to present my much admired pumpkin soup!

I have decided recently that it really is worth investing in good cookware – you do eat from it after all! And although the £135 price might be slightly out of my range, I have been passed a nice 10% discount for us all to use at the Salamander Cookshop which can be used right up until the witching hour on All Hallows eve.
At checkout just enter the code ‘SOC123′. The code can be used on most of their products.

Check out the other quality goods that they have in stock: The Salamander Cookshop

Think back to the first film. You know the bit when the Stay Puft marshmallow man is coming to town? Remember when he gets melted and covers the city in melted marshmallow? You wanted to taste it didn’t you? DIDN’T YOU?!

Well now you can!

Melt him down and eat him up!

You read it right. You can actually buy Stay Puft marshmallows now! Only near 30 years after the original film was released – talk about slow burn marketing.

According to Firebox.com – Officially licensed by the Ghostbusters gang, this beautifully crafted movie prop-style box contains 24 ultra high quality handmade marshmallows of the kind advertised by the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man (and briefly glimpsed in Dana Barrett’s apartment). Well, there’s something you don’t see every day!

Yep, these marshmallows look good on the outside, with cool, retro, film faithful packaging; and they look good on the inside – deliciously shaped and seemingly scrumptious. I can almost taste them through my monitor.

A little plus (for those who are into staying awake) is that they are caffeinated. So kind of good for horror movie marathons, but probably a good reason to not go mad with them on a school night.

They do seem a tad expensive at £25 a box, but I still really want to try them, don’t you?

You can buy them now here: Firebox.com