Zombie cookies

Halloween is fun, and a great excuse to make cookies.  I love cooking stuff with a theme, but when I saw the price tag on a bag of four plastic cutters, which very vaguely looked like a witch, a ghost, a cat and an I-don't-know-what-that-is,  I just about screamed.  Oh, okay, no I didn't - I mean swore.  Screaming just sounds more Halloween-ish.

But I did end up buying some mint lollies and licorice straps, and gave some boring round-shaped gingerbread cookies a makeover instead.  Here is the recipe and how-to. If you have a favourite gingerbread or shortbread recipe, you could use that instead and just use the decorating face making tips.  These go together really quick.

What you need

125g butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 or 3 teaspoons of ground ginger (or none, if ginger isn't your thing)
3 tablespoons golden syrup
1/2 cup of water (you may not need all of it)
Jam
Small white mints for eyeballs (I used Jila mints)
Licorice (I used a 2 pack of 1 meter Fyna Licorice rolls, though only a tiny bit - I have about 1.95 metres left! )
Food writer (I used an Americolor Gourmet Writer) or black writing icing

To make cookies -

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.  Grease and line two baking sheets with baking paper.

Sift the flour, baking soda and ground ginger into a bowl and set aside.

Using a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolk, and beat well.  Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients and the golden syrup and continue to mix.  With the mixer running, gradually add the water a bit at a time, until you reach a cookie-dough-like consistency, as below.

Scoop mixture out of bowl (you should easily be able to able to press it into a big ball) and place on a roughly square sheet of baking paper.  Place another square sheet of baking paper on top of the dough, so it's sandwiched between the paper, and using a rolling pin, flatten  to a thickness of about 5mm.  (I find it easier to roll between two sheets of paper - it saves having to use flour to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and the bench.  Using too much flour will make the cookie dough elasticky and affect the taste.  That's my experience, anyway).

Cut 24 rounds of approximately a six centimetre diameter, using a small glass or cup (I actually used the plastic lid from my cooking spray), and pop twelve on each cookie sheet.  You may have dough enough dough left over to make more.  

Now you need to find something you can use to indent the eye sockets.  They have to be a little bit wider than the sweets you have chosen to use as eyeballs.  The end of a marker, a piece of dowel, a small plastic bottle cap, etc.  (Whatever you use, make sure you wash it and dry it so you are not inadvertently poisoning yourself with germs or something toxic.  That's not a good trick, even if it is Halloween.)  I had a hunt through my useful box and found a wooden bead which I pressed into the cookies to make the eye sockets.

Then scoop a small amount of the jam (about an eighth of a teaspoon) into each socket to make the eye-goo.  If you get a little bit on other parts of the cookie, don't worry.  A zombie wouldn't care, so why should you?

Snip small pieces of licorice into strips, and press into the cookies to make mouths.

Pop your zombie heads into the oven for ten minutes, on the middle shelf.  That means you'll have to bake them one tray at a time.

Once out of the oven, press the eyeballs on gently.  I used these Jila mints for mine.  They are white on one side and blue on the other.  I pressed the blue side onto the sockets so all the eyeballs are white.

 As far as squoosh factor goes, a bit of jammy eye-goo squeezing out from behind the eyeballs is a good thing, but don't press them on so hard that you lose the eyeball altogether through the bottom of the cookie.  Leave them to cool on the tray for at least ten minutes so they have time to firm up.

Then using your food writer or black icing, detail the eyeballs with some wonky black pupils.  Lift them off the baking sheets with the help of a spatula or egg slice, and place them onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container before using them to gross out  visitors or packing them up for the kids at school.

 

What a bunch of good-looking cookies.

Not all of them were blessed with cranky faces.  We managed to make a few smiley ones.  Because I'm sure some zombie cookies are happy with their lot in (the after-) life...

 

...even after having been stuck in the eye with a licorice stick.

These were a bit of trial run for the kids in Cameron's class.  He'll take some in his lunch tomorrow.  It's another week until Halloween, and I can see myself making another batch next week for Friday, unless I'm told not to.  They're not too over the top for nine and ten year olds, are they? You just never know these days.  I think they are sort of cute, actually, eye-goo and all.  I'm guessing that I'll sleep just fine with these sitting in my pantry tonight.  Well, I think I will.

Anyway, just in case, Happy Halloween for next Friday!  I'm sorry to say, that if you're local and you were planning to knock on my door for treats, you're all out of luck because I will be working - boooooooo (that's a sad boooo, not a scary one).  Have fun!

PS.  As the saying goes with regards to zombie cookies - eat them, before they eat you. I'm sure you've heard that one before, but I really wanted to use it.  Sorry.

Cameron baked today....

I usually bake something on Sundays for him to take to school - muffins, biscuits, something like that, but I'm in a bit of a dark mood with my kitchen today.  It is playing up like a hormonal witch (which is usually my specialty).  In the past twenty four hours, I have burnt myself on the stove-top, an oven rack AND the toaster, I slammed my finger in a cupboard door, and then my jumper got caught in the runner of my new bin drawer and ripped a large and mostly unrepairable hole in my sleeve.  If it had been my old kitchen, I would have kicked it over.  But I just spent a load of money on getting it restored, so I refrained from going full-metal-jacket on it and just swore at it instead.  Dumb kitchen.

Or maybe it's just me playing up like a hormonal witch, and I am being super clumsy.  In fact, this is probably more likely the case, but I am not prepared to admit it (or to be told such a thing by anybody within swiping distance).

But whatever the reason and whoever or whatever is at fault, I decided I am not cooking in it today.  It would more than likely do me right in.  So I sent Cameron in to do my dirty work and make his own school snacks.  I gave him this recipe because it is the easiest thing ever, it doesn't require to much concentration and it is a trade-able commodity at school, he tells me. 

Chocolate Coconut Slice

1 cup plain flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup coconut

185g (6oz) butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the icing:
I cup icing sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
30g butter (1oz) butter, melted
1 tablespoon hot water
Sprinkles (optional)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.  Grease and line an 11 inch x 7 inch pan.

Sift flour and cocoa into a mixing bowl, add sugar and coconut and stir until all dry ingredients are combined.  Add melted butter and vanilla, mix well.  Press into pan and bake for 20 minutes.  Leave to cool in pan.  When cold, ice with chocolate icing (make the icing by sifting the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl, add melted butter and hot water and mix until glossy).  Scatter with sprinkles, if desired.  Pop in the fridge for an hour or so.  Cut into bars or squares when the icing has set.

  

Too easy.   Cameron was able to get it to slab stage and smothered in icing and sprinkles.  It sat in the fridge for a few hours before I summoned up the courage to cut it up with a big knife.  But, I'm happy to report that I neither dropped the lot on the floor or stabbed myself in the hand.  It looks like things are on the up.   Take that, kitchen.

There is something really nostalgic about those old, simple recipes which just consist of throwing everything into a bowl, mixing it together, pressing into a pan and popping it in the oven.  Recipes with no fancy cooking methods, or far-fetched ingredients you have to go to a special shop for.  This recipe comes from my late Nanna, who wrote it down in a very lady-like hand on a piece of paper that must be close to forty years old now.  I love old handwritten recipes.

This yummy slice is so easy you could probably make it the first time with your eyes closed.  We made it today, and it is the perfect complement to the grey cloudy skies and brisk wind outside - the kitchen is toasty warm from the oven and the house smells like a bakery. 

125g butter

1 cup of brown sugar

1 egg

1 level tsp salt

1 cup chopped dates

1 cup self raising flour

Melt the butter, mix in the sugar and salt.  Add the egg and dates and mix to combine.  Then add the self raising flour and again mix to combine.  Spread mixture into a greased and lined 11x 7 inch pan, and bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees celsius.  If you find the top is browning to quickly, cover with foil (my oven is bad for this).  The slice puffs up while cooking, but will deflate (that is not the proper cooking term, I know, but that is the best way I know to describe what happens) on cooling.  When cool, cut into squares.  

I have also made this as a dessert by cooking in a small cake tin for about ten minutes longer, and serving wedges of it hot out of the oven with ice cream and butterscotch sauce.  Don't eat it too close to bed-time though, because all that sugar will make you super-hyper and unable to sleep.

Oooh, and my Nan noted that you could also add half a teaspoon of cinnamon, if you like things spicy.

Cameron's in the kitchen.

Once a week, after homework, Cameron and I do some easy cooking, just for something different.   He enjoys making treats for himself and his sister, and something that can occasionally be packed in his lunch box for school that he can show off.  I expect he does that, because I remember I used to do that when I was at school.  Behold! - my homemade treat.

Most mums probably know this recipe already; these are cheap and dead easy, you can make them on a whim and throw them in the freezer ahead of time, pulling them out when little unexpected visitors drop by, or for impromptu school parties.  If you process the biscuits into crumbs for the kids beforehand, they can basically be left to make these themselves (save for opening the can of milk -  gosh, I hate those tin-can lids).

Chocolate Coconut Truffles

250g plain sweet biscuits (we use Arnott's Milk Arrowroot)
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
2 tablespoons cocoa
340g tin condensed milk
about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of desiccated coconut, extra.  Put this measure onto a flat plate.

Pulverise the biscuits into fine crumbs in a food processor (I do this earlier in the day - Sophie's usually falling off to sleep when Cameron's in the kitchen).  Pop them into a mixing bowl with the first measure of coconut and the cocoa.  Mix to combine.

Pour the entire can of condensed milk into the dry mixture and stir it in thoroughly.  You may need to use your hands to push and combine everything together.  When you can mould it into a big ball shape and it all sticks together nicely, your on the money.

Roll the mixture into balls of about one inch.  Drop the balls onto the flat plate of coconut and roll them about until covered.  Refrigerate to set.

Another added bonus with these is that they only take about fifteen to twenty minutes to make, which includes cleaning up time.  Yahoo!  And very popular with little sisters, too.  So much so, they may try to fit two or three into their mouth at one time when you are not looking. 

No-bake orange slice.

Last night, we had a lovely barbecue dinner at the home of some dear friends.  The food is always awesome there, and we are always told not to bring a thing.  But I hate turning up with nothing, and usually make something to have with coffee.  I know my friend likes lemon bars, and was all set to make some, until I notice my lack of lemons.  Only one, and I needed two.  Boo!

However, I did have two oranges, so I changed up my recipe for no-bake lemon bars into orange ones.  (And when I say my recipe, I mean the one written on the back of a Repco Auto Service receipt that is tucked into my cookbook and which was probably copied from an old Woman's Weekly while waiting at the doctor's surgery.)  Here's the recipe, if you would like to give it a go.

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
125g butter
1 250g packet of Scotch Finger biscuits, finely crushed
1 cup dessicated coconut
Zest of one orange
Juice of one orange

And for the orange icing:
1 3/4 cup icing sugar
Juice of one orange
15g of soft butter

Grease and line an 11 x 7 inch pan and set aside.  In a mixing bowl, place crushed biscuits, coconut and orange zest and mix together well.  Place condensed milk and butter into a saucepan and stir over a low heat until butter has melted and mixture is combined.  Remove from heat, add orange juice to milk mixture and stir to combine.  Pour milk mixture over dry ingredients and mix together until combined.  Press into the greased pan and refrigerate until firm.

To make the orange icing, mix together sifted icing sugar, orange juice and butter in a bowl until smooth.  Spread over the chilled slice.  (The original recipe calls for extra coconut to sprinkle over the top if you so desire.  I was in a twinkly mood, so I scattered silver cachous on mine.)  Again, return to the fridge until icing has set and then cut into squares. Yum!

We are presently in the middle of another heatwave, and these kind of no-bake recipes make me very happy!

And look who else is happy!  Someone dodged a bullet...

...but only until tomorrow, because I'm going to squeeze his insides out all over a lovely salmon fillet.

Oh.  Sorry.

How to make funny face lollipops

These were supposed to look a lot scarier than they turned out, because we are making them as Halloween treats for Cameron's class.  Instead, they turned out looking all cute and slightly dopey.   A bit like a six year old.

These are a fun make, but it's probably best to keep the kids on the other side of the kitchen bench while making them, because as you probably well know, making sweets can be DANGEROUS work, and you certainly don't want to injure yourself or anyone else in the name of fun.  And the lolly sets quite quickly, so you need to jam that face on really fast.  The kids can  make the lollipop moulds and help you wrap them up once they're set.

Work out what sweets you'd like to use and get them ready, by putting them in some small dishes or containers.  You won't have time to fumble about opening up and rummaging through packets.  I've used Mentos for the eyeballs and some el cheapo tooth sweets.  I cut some of the teeth into fangs with kitchen scissors.  The black circles on the eyes were drawn on with a gourmet food writer once the sugar had set.  If you don't have a food writer, you could use black decorators' gel, or stick on a chocolate chip with a small dab of icing.

The great thing about these is that you don't even need a special mould or anything.  Just....

Standard sized foil or greaseproof cupcake liners

Lollipop sticks (mine are 4 1/2 inches long)

To make the moulds, take a cupcake liner, and with a needle, make a small hole near the base.  Then, poke a pointy toothpick or bamboo skewer through the pin hole carefully to make a larger hole.  Give it a bit of a wiggle to widen the hole to the same width of the lollipop stick.  Then slot the stick in, making sure the stick inside the liner is centred.  Place these on a flat tray lined some baking paper.  For the recipe I use, make about fifteen of these (although you may only use twelve).   Spray with cooking oil.

 

Now, I use this recipe.  It works a treat, so long as you follow it to the letter.   Don't be a dill like me, and forget to return it to a slow boil, and then wander off and fold washing.  Or you may have a favourite toffee recipe, or prefer to use another one you've found.  And you don't need a sugar thermometer as shown here.  This one is, in the immortal words of Neil Young, a piece of crap.  The cold water crack test is a much better indicator.  

Once your sugar is ready, get yourself a spoon, carry your saucepan of sugar over to your moulds and quickly spoon the sugar into the moulds.  If you moved your lollipop stick off centre while spooning the sugar, quickly move it back into position with your spoon and carry on.  Do your best to make sure the stick is covered with the mixture.  (Note: With this recipe I made 15 lollipops, but some of the sticks could have been covered up a bit more, so you may not use all your moulds.  It's best to have them ready though, just in case!)

Again, moving quickly, place your sweets on to make a face.  This stuff sets really quick -  toward the end of making my faces, I was just about  hammering my lollies on with the blunt end of my wooden spoon.  Speed is of the essence!

Once your faces are made, take a deep breath and reeeeee-lax.  Pop your lollipops in the fridge to harden up.  It won't take long at all.  Detail the eye as mentioned earlier...

...peel off the liner...

...and then you can wrap 'em up. (Tip:  I found cellophane to be not a very good option, not the stuff I used anyway.  When you unwrap them, a lot of cellophane stays on the lollipop, thus making it more a choking hazard than an enjoyable snack.  You know what a good alternative is?  Those bags you roast chicken in.  Those are made for grease, so are greaseproof-ish!  Cut them up, wrap up  your lollipops and tie them up with some ribbon).

 

Yum!