Halloween is just four days away, and here at chefs for foodies we’re really getting into the spirit! That’s why today, we’re thinking about Halloween treats from across the years, and all the weird and wonderful sweets of days gone by.
Back in the Middle Ages, when Halloween didn't even have its name and was just the night before All Saint's Day, people used to bake what they called 'soul cakes', spiced biscuits that were given out to the poor in exchange for prayers. Over the years, the tradition evolved into groups going from door to door dressed up in costumes to honour the saints, collecting baked goods as they went. This is where trick-or-treating comes from!
Nowadays, spiced biscuits have gone out of fashion in the Halloween confection circuit, replaced by the more modern chocolate and sweets – but we think that spiced biscuits are still a fun way to have a seasonal bite this autumn. Our Witch Fingers are exactly that: buttery biscuits spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla, with the added bonus of being in the shape of creepy fingers to spook your friends!
Pumpkins are the most well-known of the Halloween vegetables, but did you know that the Victorians more traditionally used to carve turnips with spooky faces? Certainly more child-size, but the pale flesh of the root vegetable made them decidedly more ghoulish – we rate them a solid zero on the child friendliness scale.
While we certainly dabble in the pumpkin-carving arts, out favourite things are what we do with the pumpkin’s innards after we’ve gutted them. Our pumpkin seed and hazelnut bread is a nutritious and filling base for a meal – we love it with avocado smash or nut butter and fruit, depending if we want sweet or savoury.
We also love to curl up in a big armchair by the fire with a mug of hot chocolate and a slice of our cream cheese pumpkin loaf cake – how better to while away those dark and stormy nights?
What are your favourite Halloween treats? Let us know in the comments below, and have a look at our Halloween Recipe Boxes while you're at it. Happy Halloween!
