Gingerbread House

3 Cups Sifted All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3 teaspoons Mixed Spice
8 Teaspoons Ginger
1 Cup Shortening
11/2  Cup Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Cups Unsulphered Molasses
2 Eggs

Sift together first 5 ingredients. Blend together molasses, shortening, sugar and eggs. Stir dry ingredients into molasses mixture. Add enough of the additional flour to make a dough stiff enough to be shaped into a disc. Refrigerate overnight for easier handling. Can be frozen

Roll to about 1/4" thickness on a floured cookie sheet. Trace the house pattern pieces onto typing paper and cut out. Arrange pattern pieces on cookie dough and carefully cut around each pattern being certain to allow 1/2" space between pieces to allow the dough to expand as it bakes.

Cut the dough with a sharp paring knife or the edge of a metal pancake turner. Be certain the walls and roof are the same size as the patterns. Remove scraps leaving house pieces on the cookie sheet. Do not attempt to shift pieces once they have been cut out. This will stretch the dough and distort the shape. Bake at 350 12-15 mins.

Cool on a wire rack

Assemble using Royal Icing as "glue". Glue the walls together first. When icing has hardened (about 15 mins) then glue on the roof. Glue on the chimney and door. When icing has hardened you may begin decorating the house with additional icing and candy.

An AMAZING Cheat:

Roll out strips of fondant and use them to anchor the house to the board and to hold the pieces together, before finishing with royal icing, makes things so much easier.

Gluten and Suger Free Banana Bread

3 eggs, separated
5 tbsp honey
4 tbsp olive oil
2 mashed bananas
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups almond flour or finely grounded almonds

Preheat the oven to 170
Cream the egg yolks and honey in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Add the oil, vanilla, mashed banana, cinnamon, baking soda and almond flour and combine well.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Fold egg whites into the banana mixture to pull it away from the sides before gradually folding the rest of the egg whites into the mixture. 
Line a loaf tin with coconut or almond oil and pour the banana mixture into this.
Place in the oven for 40-45 mins 

White Christmas

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• 125g good-quality white chocolate
• 1 cup puffed rice cereal
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup pistachio nuts, toasted, chopped
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 1/2 cup roughly-chopped white marshmallows

Place chocolate in a large, heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high (100%) for 1 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth. Add cereal, coconut, nuts, cranberries and marshmallows to chocolate. Stir to combine. Spoon onto flat tray. Allow to set. Cut into squares and Serve.

Chocolate Fudge Bar

I started out making a Raw Brownie but I didn't really like the texture, so, I added:

1/2 cup of roughly chopped walnuts

1/4 of a cup of chia seads

3 egg whites

Bake  for 10 minutes at 180

Allow to cool completely and cut into squares

Meat Pie

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• 40ml (2 tbs) vegetable oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2kg beef mince
• 8 tbs plain flour
• 750ml (3 cups) beef stock
• 8 tbs tomato puree
• 100ml (5 tbs) Worcestershire sauce
• 40ml (2 tbs) soy sauce
• 2 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 4 sheets puff pastry
• 4 sheets shortcrust pastry
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Tomato sauce, to serve
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• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to prevent it from catching. Add the garlic and beef and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until the meat has completely browned. Stir in the flour, then add the stock, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and dried herbs. Partially cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up any lumps. Set aside to cool completely. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
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Cut each pastry sheet into four equal squares, then use the shortcrust pastry squares to line the base and sides of the tart pans (you may need to stretch the pastry slightly to make sure the inside of the pan is completely covered. Add the meat filling, then top with the puff pastry squares, pressing the edges well together. Use a sharp knife to trim any excess pastry, then use your thumb and forefinger to pinch the edges together to seal. Brush each pie with the egg and transfer to 2 large baking trays. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until cooked and golden. 

Serve with tomato sauce.

Happy Halloween

The Kraken 

Gooey Ghouls

Kitty Litter

Tombstones

Mummy's 

Mummy Cupcakes

Witches Fingers 

http://pureandyummy.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/mummy-cookie-pops/
http://foodgawker.com/?s=halloween&cat=0
http://scaryhalloweenrecipes.net/

Monster Mouth's

http://www.celebrations.com/content/frankenstein-marshmallow-pops

Smore Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes

125g dairy-free spread
100g dark eating chocolate
3/4 cup of soy milk
3/4 cup of caster sugar
1 1/2 cups of self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 eggs

Place 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. Preheat oven to 180
Melt spread,chocolate, milk and sugar over a low heat, until smooth. Take off heat and, let mixture cool for 10 minutes. Whisk in flour and cocoa. Add eggs. It will be lumpy at first but keep whisking until smooth.
Fill each cupcake liner halfway and bake for around 25 minutes.  Allow to cool and ice.

Marshmallow frosting

4 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

Juice and zest of one lemon

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a heatproof bowl of an electric mixer, place egg whites, sugar, vanilla and lemon. Set over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk the mixture constantly until the egg whites are warm to the touch and the sugar is dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes.Transfer the bowl to electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high, beat until the mixture is stiff and glossy peaks form (5 to 7 minutes).Use immediately, as the marshmallow frosting will continue to stiffen. Pipe onto cupcakes, and lightly toast with a blow torch.