Halloween at university is simply unmissable. There are always so many events and parties going on that you are bound to end up joining at least one of them before the spook-fest comes to an end.
If you really want to do something to get all of your friends involved, making some spooky treats together could be a fantastic way to bond, or even just a great way to spend an afternoon. Here are The Linc’s favourite Halloween-themed treats to really get everyone in the mood.
FOOD
Halloween stuffed bell peppers
Ingredients (serves 4):
4 orange bell peppers
500g Mince beef
1 red onion, diced
8 mushrooms, sliced
1 jar of chilli con carne sauce
Cheddar cheese, grated
Method:
First, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Next up, grab your peppers and, using a sharp knife, carve any kind of pumpkin face you want into one side of each pepper. Then, slice the tops off each one and remove the seeds and core. Place the peppers on an oven tray and put to one side while you make the filling.
Using a frying pan, cook the mince meat, onion and mushrooms for five minutes over a medium heat. Now add the jar of chilli and leave to simmer for a further five minutes. Using a large spoon, evenly distribute the chilli into the carved peppers and top with grated cheese. Finally, place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
DRINKS
Poison apple cocktail
Ingredients (makes 1):
1 shot vanilla vodka
1 shot Cointreau
1 shot Apple sourz
Lemonade
Method:
Simply pour the shots into a glass, stir and top with lemonade! Cheers, and happy Halloween!
Beetle juice
Ingredients (makes 1):
Vodka
Melon liqueur
Raspberry liqueur
Blue curaçao
Cranberry juice
Sweet n Sour Mix
Method:
Not quite as easy as the first one, but it’s definitely a must have for any fans of the film! Fill a tall glass with ice, pour in a measure of vodka before filling the glass 3/4 of the way with Sweet n Sour Mix. Mix this together and add a single measure of the rest of the ingredients one by one.
SNACKS
Spooky-Shaped Cookies
Ingredients (makes 12-18):
250g butter
140g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
300g plain flour
Anything else you want to add
Method:
Mix the butter, caster sugar, egg yolk and vanilla extract into a bowl before beating vigorously. When this is all mixed together, sift the flour into the bowl and mix once more. Add in anything else you want, shape them however you wish (bats, spiders, cats and pumpkins could be good if you’re stuck for ideas!) before cooking for 15 minutes at 180°C.
Ghost brownies
Ingredients (makes 16):
185g butter
185g dark chocolate
85g plain flour
40g cocoa powder
50g white chocolate, chopped into little chunks
50g milk chocolate, chopped into little chunks
3 large eggs
275g caster sugar
16 marshmallows
Icing sugar – mixed in a bowl with a bit of water
Black icing pen
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a baking tin with grease proof paper. In a saucepan, melt the butter and dark chocolate together over a low heat. Once melted, take the pan off the heat to cool down. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until thick and creamy, then pour the cooled chocolate/butter mixture from the pan into the mixing bowl, and gently fold the mixture together. Now, sieve the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl, before adding the chocolate chunks and stirring gently.
Pour the mixture evenly into the tin and cook for approximately 25 minutes. Once the brownie has cooled, remove from the tin and cut into equal squares. Now pop a marshmallow on top of each brownie and cover with a spoonful of icing. Once the icing has set, use the black icing pen to make eyes and mouths. And that’s all there is to it!