Homemade Horrors
The gourd, the bad and the ugly
Looking to create a malevolent masterpiece?
The fine folk at Crockford Bridge Farm have some top tips for carving the ultimate pumpkin:
Choose a pumpkin and use a sharp knife to cut the lid. It is always best to cut the lid at an angle so the lid doesn’t fall straight down into the pumpkin's cavity.
- Using a large spoon, scoop out the stringy fibres and seeds from the pumpkin. Rather than waste the seeds, try roasting them with a little salt and eating them as a healthy snack.
- Using a marker pen, trace your pattern onto the pumpkin. This is a lot easier than trying to carve freehand. Try searching online for interesting designs and templates.
- It is best not to carve your pumpkin too far ahead of time - once cut, pumpkins will begin to deteriorate.
- You can preserve your pumpkin by spraying the cut areas with a mild bleach solution of 3 tablespoons bleach to 3 gallons of water.
You can pick your very own organic pumpkin at Crockford Bridge Farm. For more information visit: crockfordbridgefarm.co.uk
Make your own: troll lips
Ingredients:
- 1 green apple
- 1 red apple
- 6 tsp smooth peanut butter, at room temperature
- 30g (1oz) white mini-marshmallows
Directions:
- Quarter and core each apple, then slice each quarter into three to make 24 apple slices in all – 12 red and 12 green.
- Keeping red with red and green with green, spread the cut side of each slice with 1/4 teaspoon peanut butter.
- Arrange a few mini-marshmallows upright on one slice to look like teeth, using the peanut butter as glue. Lay another apple slice on top, peanut butter side down.
- Repeat with the remaining peanut-buttered apple slices and mini-marshmallows to make 6 green and 6 red troll lips.
Pungent Potions
For adults – Corpse Reviver No. 2
A classic from Harry Craddock, head bartender at the Savoy in the 1920s and 30s. He recommended it for “before 11 am, or whenever extra steam is needed.” However, No. 2 also came with a dire warning: “Four of these taken in swift succession will un-revive the corpse again.”
Ingredients
- 40ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin
- 40ml fresh lemon juice
- 40ml Cointreau
- 40ml Lillet Blanc
- Dash of absinthe
- Lemon twist
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker
- Shake
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
For kids – shrunken head punch
Ingredients
- 6 apples
- Juice of 3 lemons
- 2 litres apple & raspberry juice drink
- 1-litre raspberry & apple tea, made with two bags
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 orange, zested
Method
- Preheat oven to 120°C. Peel apples, cut in half right through the stem and remove the core. Using a sharp knife, carve a face on the rounded side of the apple and use a melon baller for carving out the eyes. Put the lemon juice in a bowl with the apples and top up with water until covered. Set aside for 10 minutes to prevent the apples from browning too much in the oven.
- Place apples on a lined baking tray, face side up and bake in the oven for 1½ hours. They should begin to dry around the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, put the remaining ingredients into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil then heat gently for 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and serve in a punch bowl or cauldron with the apples floating on top.
Ghoulish goody bag fillers
