Luke Stuart of the WhitePepper Chef Academy & Cookery School at Lytchett Minster, shares a favourite Hallowe'en bake to make for your trick or treaters.
There's a growing trend for pick-your-own pumpkins, and there are now a number of farms in Dorset where you can do this. When selecting your pumpkin, look for a deep orange colour and a hard rind without blemishes. Avoid any with sunken areas to ensure firm flesh. Make sure the bottom isn’t soft or mushy. Finally, give it a gentle ‘knock’ - it should sound hollow.
Use small to medium-sized pumpkins, which are sweeter and less watery, for my ghoulish good Gunpowder Pumpkin Cakes with frighteningly delicious marshmallow frosting. These are easy to make and very easy to eat!
Why not try making this classic Dorset apple cake too
Gunpowder Pumpkin Cakes
Decorate with Hallowe'en themed edible decorations (find in shops or buy online), or make your own using marzipan and food colouring.
Makes 10-12 muffins
150ml sunflower oil
100g brown sugar
2 large eggs
75g golden syrup
175g self-raising flour
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp bicarbonate soda
100g pumpkin, grated
20g dried coconut
1 tsp chopped nuts
Method: Pre-heated oven 180°C/gas mark 4. In a large bowl whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs and syrup. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients, then gradually beat these into the egg mixture. Stir through the grated pumpkin and chopped nuts. Spoon into the lined muffin cases, and bake for approximately 15 minutes.
Marshmallow Frosting
225g caster sugar
3 egg whites
1tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Method: Fill a saucepan with two inches of water, bring to the boil. Put the sugar, egg whites, vanilla and salt into a glass bowl and mix well. Place the bowl over the water, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Whisk the mixture and allow to thicken, this takes around 10 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan, take care as it will be hot, then continue to whisk the egg white mixture until it become cold and glossy – around 5 minutes. Spoon the frosting into a piping bag with a plain nozzle and pipe swirls on top of each cake. Decorate with spooky sprinkles and edible Hallowe’en themed toppings.
Find details of courses at WhitePepper Cookery School, including the online course Cooking for Friends with Lesley Waters, at whitepepper.online
