First on the agenda – Halloween shortbread.
We used a very straightforward shortbread recipe:
225g butter
125g caster sugar
350g plain flour, plus extra flour for dusting
a pinch of salt
Cream the butter and the sugar together in a large bowl. I let the children take turns at doing this, before giving it a final go myself. Sieve the flour and a pinch of salt into the creamed mixture, and combine the ingredients to make a doughy mixture. Again, rubbing the flour into the fat and sugar is wonderfully messy and this is the part where we usually have arguments as to who has had the longest turn!!
When all of the ingredients have been completely rubbed in together, gently knead the doughy mixture for a few moments, and form it into a smooth ball. Wrap it in clingfilm, and put it in the fridge for 15 minutes. Pre-heat your oven to gas mark 4, 180 degrees C, 350 degrees F, and grease a couple of large baking sheets. When the biscuit mix is ready to come out of the fridge, sprinkle some flour onto your work surface, and your rolling pin, and gently roll out the mixture to about a 1cm thickness. We used Halloween cookie cutters bought this year and last year at Tesco, and took it in turns to cut shapes from the dough. Keep reforming the dough ball and rolling out until all the mixture has been used up. The biscuits need to go into the oven for 15 minutes, but check them at around 12 minutes because if your oven is on the hot side, they'll probably be done! They just need to be golden, and more on the golden side than the brown side (I write from experience on this one!!!) When the biscuits are cooked, take them out of the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack for as long as they need to cool down. This is the part where you might want to have something else to occupy the children, as mine wanted to decorate the biscuits as soon as they were cooked, and they really do need time to cool otherwise the icing won't stick properly. I had my dear husband, a very large pumpkin, and a pumpkin carving kit at the ready, and while the biscuits were cooling, the girls helped their dad to prepare the pumpkin ready for him to carve - another extremely messy job!!
The girls had great fun scooping out the stringy bits and seeds, and it took just long enough for the biscuits to have time to cool. I bought a four-pack of writing icing, and let them do their own thing.
Here are the finished biscuits - we still have a few left to enjoy today!
And the results of the pumpkin carving? Using the Tesco pumpkin carving templates, a friendly ghost on one side, and a fiendish face on the other:
We also found time to make these orange chocolate lollies using this Supercook kit.
H*A*P*P*Y H*A*L*L*O*W*E*E*N to all our readers! Don't get spOOked!
oooh love all of this :0)
Posted by: joy | October 31, 2007 at 07:34 AM
Great post today girls!
Posted by: Diana | October 31, 2007 at 07:46 AM
Well done on a wonderful month of raising money, featuring LO's of the nation's boobs lol and giving everyone a wonderful time for a very worthwise cause.Jo Allan x
Posted by: Anonymous | October 31, 2007 at 08:31 AM
WOW !! Thanks so much for the prize :D I am chuffed to bits :D I only found this site a few days ago and am bookmaking it for a daily read - loads of inspiration here so thanks :)
Posted by: Jenga | October 31, 2007 at 08:39 AM
I love it love it love it!Can't wait until George is older, until then I just might have to practise on my own! Those are the best Halloween biscuits I have ever seen, and your models have not lost their touch either :) fab post Jo xxx
Posted by: Charlotte | October 31, 2007 at 09:52 AM
Loving those Halloween lollies!
Posted by: Sharon Peters | October 31, 2007 at 09:58 AM
ha ha - fabulous photos! Hope you enjoy the biscuits and lollipops!!!Congrats to Jenga too on winning........Happy Halloween to everyone!Katie Squirrel x
Posted by: Anonymous | October 31, 2007 at 10:14 AM
Fabby pumpkins! Got mine to do this evening, leaving it late I know! Hope mine is even half as good as yours! Natalie x
Posted by: Natalie | October 31, 2007 at 11:15 AM
Those biscuits look so scrummy!
Posted by: Rach | October 31, 2007 at 12:50 PM
well done supporting BC awareness.Off to try the shortbread now, having a party tonight with 24 teens. Congrats on winning the prize jenga.
Posted by: Fluv | October 31, 2007 at 12:50 PM
Please can I have one of those lovely biscuits. Didn`t your children make a good job of decorating them?Sue aka ambermouse
Posted by: Anonymous | October 31, 2007 at 01:02 PM
What a fab month of raising money and great boob layouts!
Posted by: Jenni | October 31, 2007 at 01:19 PM
I love the Halloween pictures, biscuit look great. You have done so much this month well done ladies just going leave my donation now. going to leave my pumpkin pictures on site when dark. :~) xx
Posted by: Marina | October 31, 2007 at 04:24 PM
Just loving the halloween goodies you've made... how fun are they :DCongratulations on everything you girls have done to raise funds this month too... and exceeding your target..whoooohoooo way to go!!Happy Halloween :D
Posted by: Chris | October 31, 2007 at 05:38 PM
lovely pumpkins
Posted by: Jane | October 31, 2007 at 07:31 PM
Love the double sided pumpkin - fab!
Posted by: ceruleanblue | October 31, 2007 at 09:10 PM
Look at your gorgeous girlies :) Love to see all your work.
Posted by: Jen | November 01, 2007 at 11:32 PM