WITH Halloween and Bonfire Night so close, it's a case of anything goes food-wise, as long as it's a comforting winter warmer!

You don't have to splash out on lots of new ingredients, there's probably plenty in the cupboard already to make a Halloween feast.

Sausages are the taste of autumn and, with a blob of ketchup, double up quite handily as severed fingers, while spaghetti is basically a plate of long wiggly worms and Bolognese looks eerily like entrails (or is that just me?).  

If you do have time and a little spare cash, try making the Frankenstein cupcakes below, for a monstrous way to top off the meal.

Kate Whiting

EYEBALL PASTA (Serves 4-6 children)

Basingstoke Gazette:

100g cherry tomatoes

150g pack mini mozzarella balls, drained

Handful of basil

400g green tagliatelle

350g jar tomato sauce

4tbsp fresh pesto

Halve the cherry tomatoes and use a small, sharp knife or a teaspoon to remove the seeds. Cut the mozzarella balls in half.

Place one half inside each tomato, trimming the edges if necessary to fit it in. Either cut the smallest circles you can from a basil leaf or finely chop the leaves and scrunch into small circles. Place one at the centre of each mozzarella ball.

Boil the pasta. Meanwhile, heat through the tomato sauce. When the tagliatelle is cooked, drain and stir through the pesto and any remaining basil, chopped finely.

Divide between four to six serving bowls. Spoon over some tomato sauce, then arrange the stuffed tomato eyeballs on top.

FREAKY FINGERS AND BRAINBALLS (Makes 20)

Basingstoke Gazette:

Freaky Fingers: 100g caster sugar

100g butter

1 egg yolk

200g plain flour

1/2tsp vanilla extract

20 blanched almonds

Red food colouring

Pinch of salt

Brainballs: (Makes 10) 85g popping corn

1tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for shaping

25g butter

85g marshmallows

For the freaky fingers: Place the first five ingredients and a pinch of salt in a food processor and whizz until a ball of dough forms. Tear off a golfball-size piece of dough and use your hands to roll into finger-size cylinders - you should get about 20. Place on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment - a little apart as they will spread during baking. Use a knife to make a few cuts, close together, for the knuckles. Place an almond at the end of each finger and trim away excess pastry around the edge to neaten.

Place in the fridge for 30 mins, heat oven to 180C/160F/Gas 4, then bake for 10-12 minutes, until firm. Leave to cool a little, then paint the almond with food colouring, if you like.

For the brainballs: Place the popping corn and vegetable oil in a large pan set over a medium heat. Stir the kernels around the pan to coat in the oil. When the kernels starts to pop, place a lid firmly on top and turn the heat down to low.

Cook, shaking the pan often to stop the popcorn burning or sticking, until the corn has stopped popping, about five minutes.

Tip into a bowl, discarding any unopened kernels. Heat butter and marshmallows over a low heat until melted. Pour over popcorn and mix well until coated.

Lightly rub oil over your hands and shape the popcorn into small balls. Set aside on a tray lined with baking parchment and leave to set.

FRANKENSTEIN CUPCAKES (Makes 12)

Basingstoke Gazette:

200g soft butter

175g golden caster sugar

250g self-raising flour

1tsp baking powder

1/4tsp salt

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2tsp vanilla extract

100ml milk, at room temperature

To decorate: 300g icing sugar, sifted

2-3tbsp milk Green food colouring paste

36 mini marshmallows, 12 snipped in half

Tube of black piping icing or gel

Method 

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with deep muffin cases. Cream the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the remaining cake ingredients and beat until smooth. Spoon into the muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and a skewer inserted into one of the middle cakes comes out clean. Cool for five minutes in the tin, then completely on a wire rack.

Using a small, sharp serrated knife, cut a semi-circle piece of cake from the left and right of each cake, to make stepped edges, level with the cupcake case. Next, make a widthways cut about 3cm from the top of the cake, about 1cm deep. Slice a 5mm piece off the surface of the cake to meet this cut, to make a flat, raised face and prominent forehead. Chill for 10 minutes to firm the crumbs.

Mix the icing sugar, milk and green colouring to make a very thick icing that flows slowly from the spoon. Spoon one tablespoon onto a cake and let it begin to spread itself over the cut shape. Ease it here and there with a palette knife to coat. Add marshmallow neck bolts and eyes. Repeat for each cupcake. Leave to set, then pipe on the faces and hair.

Recipes courtesy of BBC Good Food Magazine. The 25th anniversary issue is on sale now, priced £3.99.