At Halloween the realm of darkness meets the realm of flavor thanks to spices that bring a sensory experience suspended between pleasure and mystery. The tradition of "trick-or-treating" is an opportunity for children and adults to savor sweets that guarantee authentic thrills of pleasure through the scents and flavors of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves and many other aromatic essences.
Europrodotti in this article suggests how to use spices in the desserts offered on All Saints' Eve with original recipes or ones inspired by the traditional specialties of this holiday.
Spices and Halloween: a combination of warmth and mystery
The spices have always had a dual nature: they are a source of warmth and comfort, but with their aromas and flavors they also evoke exoticism and mystery. Their origins in lands far from Europe and Western culture have given them a meaning laden with fascination and magic, thus contributing to the birth of traditions linked to the occult world where they were the protagonists not of gastronomic specialties but of potions and magical rituals.
For Halloween the contrast between the darkness of the celebration and the brightness of the flavors makes the aromatic notes of the spices a perfect vehicle for a classy scare: their skillful use can transform a cookie or a sweet into a taste surprise that evokes shivers and wonder.
Among the most used spices in autumn desserts and therefore perfect for Halloween we find:
• cinnamon: sweet, warm, enveloping;
• ginger: pungent, lively, stimulating;
• nutmeg: with a slightly toasted aroma and a warm aftertaste;
• cardamom: fresh, citrusy and slightly minty;
• cloves: bold, sweet but with a hint of pepper.
These spices not only give character and aromatic complexity to sweets, biscuits and chocolates but also facilitate sensory balance: sweetness, spiciness and a lingering aftertaste become complementary elements of desserts.
Spooky Halloween treat recipes
All Saints' Day is a wonderful opportunity to test your culinary talent by creating delicious treats that also evoke the Halloween theme aesthetically. Even if you are not a baking genius the recipes we offer are very simple and quick to prepare and the results will allow you to offer children sweets that are more delicious and original than the usual candy and packaged snacks.
1. Pumpkin spicy cupcakes with creamy poison
Carved pumpkins encasing a lit candle are one of the oldest and most evocative Halloween traditions. The Jack O'Lanternpumpkin is undoubtedly the most suitable for this purpose, recognizable by its round shape and orange color. Its firm but not overly tough rind is easy to carve and hollow out.
But what to do with the pumpkin pulp you'll have left? There are countless fall recipes that make use of this ingredient, from cream soup to risotto to the simple yet delicious roasted pumpkin slices. But if you want to prepare a delicious dessert here is the recipe for spiced cupcakes filled with cream.
Ingredients for about 12 cupcakes
For the dough
- 200 grams of 00 flour
- 150 grams of granulated sugar
- 200 grams of pumpkin
- 100 milliliters of vegetable oil or 100 grams of melted butter
- 2 eggs
- One packet of baking powder
- One teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- Half a teaspoon of ground ginger
- A pinch of nutmeg
- A pinch of salt
For the filling
- 100 grams of chocolate spread or of red fruit jam for a "sanguine" effect
Accessories
- Cupcake liners
- A pastry bag (optional)
Preparation
- Cut the pumpkin into pieces and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 25/30 minutes or steam it until soft.
- Mash it with a fork or blend it until you obtain a smooth and dry puree.
- In a bowl beat the eggs with sugar.
- Add the oil or melted butter and the pumpkin puree mixing well.
- Add the sifted flour, baking powder, spices and salt.
- Mix until you obtain a homogeneous compound.
- Divide the dough into the cupcake liners, filling them two-thirds full.
- Bake the cupcakes at 180°C (350°F) for about 20 minutes. To check if the inside is cooked insert a toothpick into one. If it comes out clean remove them from the oven.
- Let them cool. Then, using a small knife or a melon baller, make a small hole in the center of each cupcake.
- Fill the cupcakes with the chocolate cream or the red jam using a teaspoon or a pastry bag.
2. Vegan “skeleton bones” biscuits
Do any of you follow a vegan diet? Then we share a recipe for spiced biscuits, free from animal ingredients but enriched with the citrusy freshness of cardamom and the warm, pungent note of cloves. These biscuits are also strictly Halloween-themed.
Ingredients for about 18-20 biscuits
For the biscuits
- 220 grams of 00 flour
- 80 grams of powdered sugar or finely ground cane sugar
- 80 grams of cold vegetable margarine
- 30 milliliters of plant-based milk
- Half a teaspoon of ground cardamom
- Half a teaspoon of ground cloves
- A pinch of salt
For the decorative glaze
- 1 or 2 tablespoons plant-based milk
Accessories
- Bone-shaped cookie cutters
- A pastry bag (optional)
Preparation
- Prepare the cookie dough by mixing the flour, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl.
- Add the margarine, cut into small pieces, and work the dough with your fingertips until it resembles a sandy compound.
- Gradually pour in the plant-based milk and work until the dough comes together.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- Roll out the dough with a rolling pin and use the cutters to form the "bones."
- Arrange the bones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 170°C (340°F) for about 12/14 minutes, until the edges begin to brown slightly.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool.
- Mix the powdered sugar with a little of plant-based milk to create a thick but spreadable glaze.
- Spread the glaze over the cookies with a teaspoon or a pastry bag.
- Let the glaze dry at room temperature until it hardens.
Tip: if you want to vary the shape of your cookies you can find cookie cutters with ghost, coffin or skull shapes. These "skeleton bones" cookies can thus become the "terror" cookies.
3. Spiced chocolates “Witch's Secret”
Did you know that chocolates can be easily made at home? The result will give you the satisfaction of having created this delicacy yourself, saved some money and customized your favorite pralines. The ingredients are few and easy to find, the preparation is quick and in household stores you will find molds in many different shapes. So, here is the recipe for chocolates that will enchant anyone who tastes them.
Ingredients for about 15–20 chocolates
- 200 grams of dark chocolate
- 80 milliliters of fresh cream
- One teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- Half a teaspoon of ground ginger
- A pinch of nutmeg
Accessories
Preparation
- Melt half of the chocolate in a double boiler.
- Pour a teaspoon of the melted chocolate into each cavity of the chocolate mold. Set aside a little of chocolate to cover the chocolates at the end.
- Tilt the mold to coat the edges well and place in the freezer for five minutes to solidify.
- In a small saucepan heat the cream without boiling it.
- Remove from heat, add the remaining chocolate in pieces and stir until you obtain a smooth cream.
- Add the spices and stir again until well combined, then let it cool slightly.
- Pour the spiced cream into each chocolate cavity, leaving 1 or 2 mm of space from the edge.
- Return to the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up.
- Cover each cavity with a teaspoon of the remaining melted chocolate to seal the chocolates.
- Return to the freezer for 10–15 minutes. At this point, your Witch's Secret chocolates will be ready to be served.
Tip: do you want to match your chocolates to the theme of the Halloween party? On the market there are molds in the shapes of ghosts, witch hats, skulls and bats that will give your pralines a fun thriller touch.
4. “Spiced Cemetery” cake
Are you skilled in the kitchen, do you find all too easy to make chocolates, shortbreads or cookies and are you ready to tackle a more challenging recipe? Then here’s a suggestion for a Spiced Cemetery cake, a cake with vanilla cream, cinnamon and nutmeg. A dessert that will make a great impression at Halloween and, once the “macabre” details are removed, can also be served for a birthday or anniversary.
Ingredients for a cake for 8-10 people
For the base
- 250 grams of 00 flour
- 150 grams of brown sugar
- 100 grams of butter or 80 milliliters of vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 150 milliliters of milk
- One packet of baking powder
- One teaspoon of ground ginger
- One teaspoon of ground cardamom
- Half a teaspoon of ground cloves
- A pinch of salt
For the cream and topping
- 250 grams of mascarpone or fresh spreadable cheese
- 200 milliliters of whipping cream
- 60 grams of powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
For decorating the “cemetery”
- Rectangular cookies or ladyfingers to make the “tombstones”
- Crumbled chocolate cookies for the “soil”
- Chocolate spread to write “R.I.P.” on the tombstones
- Themed gummy candies (bones, worms, little pumpkins)
Preparation
- Start preparing the spiced base by beating butter and sugar until you get a creamy mixture.
- Add the eggs one at a time.
- Fold in the flour sifted with baking powder, salt and spices.
- Pour in the milk gradually, stirring until you obtain a soft and smooth batter.
- Pour it into a buttered and floured rectangular baking pan or lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C (350°F) for about 35/40 minutes. Check if the batter is ready by inserting a toothpick.
- Prepare the cream by whipping the well-chilled cream.
- In another bowl mix the mascarpone or fresh cheese with powdered sugar and cocoa.
- Gently fold in the whipped cream.
- When the cake base is cold cover it with the cocoa cream.
- Sprinkle crumbled chocolate cookies on the surface to create a dark soil effect.
- Write "R.I.P." on the cookies with the chocolate cream.
- Insert the rectangular biscuits vertically to create the “tombstones”.
- Add gummy candies for an even scarier effect.
Halloween is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate your creativity in the kitchen by making sweets that reflect the spirit of the scariest night of the year. Europrodotti suggests using the taste and aroma of spices to transform your confectionery creations into fragrant and evocative stories, capable of evoking that thrill of wonder and pleasure that we all want to experience during the witches' celebration.