With the Halloween countdown officially underway, get creative this spooky season and whip up a batch of Siúcra x Catherine Fulvio’s spooktacular homemade sweet treats. These mouth-watering Pumpkin and Praline Cheesecake Dip with Ginger Digestive Biscuits are perfect for your Halloween party or to hand out to trick or treaters on Halloween night. Your little monsters will not only enjoy devouring these seasonal treats, but the method is easy enough for them to take up the role of sous chef in the kitchen and lend you a helping hand!

If you feel like a challenge in the kitchen this spooky season then why not try your hand at recreating this picturesque Witches Hat Cake courtesy of Siúcra and Catherine Fulvio. This easy yet impressive cake is sure to be a crowd pleaser for Halloween fans of all ages! Your little ones will have a ball decorating the Witches Hat Cake with spider webs and mini hats!

For more delicious recipes visit www.siúcra.ie.

Siúcra & Catherine Fulvio’s Pumpkin and Praline Cheesecake Dip with Ginger Digestive Biscuits

Makes about 18 biscuits depending on the size   

 For the praline

50g hazelnut nuts, roughly chopped

100g Siúcra caster sugar

 

For the biscuits

200g whole-wheat flour

50g plain flour

1 tsp baking flour

½ ground ginger

80g Siúcra light golden brown

100g chilled butter

50ml milk

 

For the dip

100g pureed pumpkin (steam to cook first, then puree in blender)

3 tbsp Siúcra icing sugar

120g mascarpone

100ml cream

1 orange, zest and juice

Melted chocolate

 

For the praline

  1. Toast the nuts in a dry nonstick frying pan until golden. Line a tray with parchment and pour the nuts onto the parchment.
  2. Heat the sugar in the nonstick saucepan until light golden in colour and pour the liquid sugar over the nuts, leave to cool completely.  Place in a food processor and grind until smooth.

 

To make the biscuits

  1. Add all the ingredients except the milk into a food processor and blend until a fine breadcrumb forms. Add enough milk to form a biscuit dough.
  2. Wrap in parchment and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 170°C/gas 5.  Line 2 baking trays with parchment.
  4. Roll out the biscuit dough thinly and cut rounds and place on the baking tray.  You will need to smooth around the edge of the biscuit. Prick with a fork and bake for about 14 to 16 minutes or until baked.
  5. Transfer to a cooling rack.  Once cold, dip the biscuits into melted chocolate, half way up and leave to dry on parchment.

 

To prepare the dip

  1. Combine all the ingredients together and whisk until thick and fluffy.  Fold in about 4 to 5 tbsp of the crushed praline. Taste, add more praline, if required.

 

To serve

  1. Spoon the dip into a bowl and arrange the biscuits around.

  

Siúcra & Catherine Fulvio’s Witches Hat Cake

For the cake

200g softened butter

220g Siúcra caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 eggs

320g plain flour

1½ tsp baking powder

70ml milk

 

For the buttercream

200g softened butter

400g Siúcra icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 lemon, zest only

 

200g blackberries

 

1kg Siúcra rollout icing

Siúcra Royal Icing, for decorating

 

Orange colour food gel

Black colour food gel

 

Black or gold ribbon, for around the base of the cake

 

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.

To prepare the cake

  1. Brush 2 x 20cm cake tins with melted butter and line the base with parchment.
  2. Place the butter, sugar and vanilla extract and whisk until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs and whisk well. Sift the plain flour and baking powder together and fold into the egg mix. Add just enough milk to form a soft cake batter.
  4. Pour in the prepared tins and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer is inserted and it comes out clean.

 

To prepare the buttercream

  1. Place the butter into a mixer and whisk until fluffy, spoon in the icing sugar while still whisking and add the vanilla, lemon zest and whisk for at least 5 minutes.
  2. Divide the buttercream into ¼ for the filling and the rest to cover the cake before covering with the Siúcra rollout icing.

 

To assemble the cake

  1. Place one sponge cake layer on a cake stand or plate, scatter the blackberries on top and spread ¼ of the butter cream over. Place the next cake layer on top.

 

To decorate

  1. Colour ¼ of the Siúcra roll out icing black and the rest with the orange. (You may like to use plastic gloves when doing this).
  2. Using a spatula, cover the sides and top of the cake with a thin layer of buttercream. Place in the fridge while you roll out the orange icing. Roll a circle large enough to cover the entire cake and smooth down.  Trim off the excess icing at the base.
  3. Tie the ribbon at the base of the cake.
  4. Using the black Siúcra rollout icing, shape a large witches hat for the top of the cake.
  5. Using a template, cut out 5 or 6 smaller hats to place on the sides. Before you place them on the sides, decorate each using the Siúcra royal icing if you want.

 

To make the royal icing

  1. Add 100g of royal icing sugar to a bowl and add about 1 tbsp of water to it and mix well into a thick paste. Fill a piping bag and decorate each hat as an option.  “Glue” the hats to the side of the cake with the royal icing.  And finally add dots of white Siúcra rollout icing over the sides.