Halloween is only a couple of weeks away and our kids are already starting to get excited. We always try and make Halloween a fun time with a few games before having a themed tea party.

Here’s a few of our favourite Halloween Party Recipes that are sure to make your party go with a swing.

Mummy’s Fingers

These are great to get your little ones in the spooky mood.

Ingredients:

• Vegetable Oil
• 10 chicken small cutlets (breasts)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 12oz can of large pitted black olives, drained
• Tomato Ketchup
• 1 lettuce, shredded

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C, Gas mark 4). Lightly oil a baking sheet.

Beat the eggs thoroughly in small bowl. Place the flour and breadcrumbs in separate bowls.

Slice the chicken into strips that resemble a long mummy finger - skinny, long and crooked! Dip each finger first into the flour, then the egg, and finally the bread crumbs.

Arrange the chicken fingers on the baking sheet, and bake for approximately 10 minutes. Turn and cook for another 5 minutes or so, until golden brown and cooked through.

To serve, put the shredded lettuce on a plate and arrange the chicken fingers on top. Cut the olives in half, and trim so that they look like a long jagged fingernail. Pop a dab of ketchup on the end of each chicken finger and top with the olive. Very gruesome, but delicious!

Vegetable and Slime Dip

• 2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese with chives, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup finely chopped cucumber
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 large carrots, peeled
• 1 medium cucumber

Beat cream cheese in small bowl until fluffy; blend in sour cream. Stir in the chopped cucumber, parsley, onion, garlic and salt. Spoon into small serving bowl; cover. Refrigerate 1 hour or until serving time.

Just before serving, cut carrots and cucumber lengthwise into thin strips; gather into bundles. Tie raffia around bundles to hold in place.

Place bowl of dip on serving tray; garnish, if desired. Surround with bundles of carrots and cucumber..

Bat Fairy Cakes

Makes 12 fairy cakes

Ingredients

• 100g (4 oz) soft margarine
• 100g (4 oz) caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 100g (4 oz) self-raising flour
• 1 tsp pure vanilla essence
• 100g (4 oz) softened butter
• 175g (6 oz) icing sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tube black writing icing
• Black Liquorice Allsorts
• Edible silver balls

To make the fairy cakes

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 (Fan oven 160C).

Cream the margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy and then beat in the eggs one at a time together with 1 tablespoon of the flour.  Add the vanilla and fold in the remaining flour.

Line a cake tin with 12 paper cases, and fill each case about two-thirds full with the mixture.

Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove and put on a wire rack to cool before decorating.

To make the bat cakes

To make the chocolate frosting, beat the butter until creamy. Sieve together the icing sugar and cocoa and gradually beat into the butter, together with the milk, using a wooden spoon.

When the cakes have cooled, cut off the tops of the cakes and cut into three sections. Use the two curved ends to make the wings (reserve the middle section). Draw a V with black writing icing on the wings.

Spread a thick layer of chocolate frosting over the surface of the cake, position the wings so that they stand up: you will need to cut small squares of cake from the middle section to position under the wings to prop them up.

Stick edible silver balls on top of black liquorice sweets for the bat’s eyes.

Marshmallow Brownies

Ingredients

• 240g/8oz butter
• 150g/5oz dark chocolate
• 60g/2oz cocoa
• 150g/5oz plain flour
• 500g/1lb 2oz caster sugar
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 150g/5oz marshmallows, chopped

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Line a 30cm/12in square tin with baking parchment.

2. Melt the butter and the chocolate together very gently.

3. Mix the cocoa with the flour and the sugar and, off the heat, mix this mixture into the butter and chocolate. Mix in the eggs and fold in the marshmallows.

4. Turn the brownie mixture into the tin and bake in the oven until the surface has set but still feels squidgy underneath. This will take about 20 minutes. Allow to cool and slice.

5. Dust the brownies lightly with icing sugar

Witch’s Brew

This drink receipe is so quick and easy you can almost leave it to the last minute and serve it just as your guests arrive

• 3 pints purple grape juice
• 1 1/2 pints lemonade
• grapes
• apples

Mix the grape juice and lemonade in a pitcher. Cut the apple into small chunks. Float the fruit in the brew just before serving. Like magic, the grapes and apples will look just like eyes and teeth.