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PUMPKIN SOUP

Ingredients

The flesh of one recently hollowed out Halloween pumpkin
2 potatoes diced
2 onions, finely chopped
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
5cm/1.5 inches fresh stem ginger, grated
2 handfuls of coriander leaves
1 pint coconut milk
500g of crème fraîche
1/2 Scotch bonnet chilli, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated cheese to garnish

Method

Heat a few glugs of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and throw in the onions.

Add the garlic, ginger and Scotch bonnet and sweat for a further 2 or 3 minutes. Add the pumpkin and potatoes.

Get your chops round some baked pumpkin
Cook on a relatively high heat until the potatoes start to crisp at the edges.

Add the coconut milk, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Now add half the fresh coriander and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Check to see that the potatoes and pumpkin are cooked.

Once cooked, add the remainder of the coriander.

Transfer the soup into a blender and whizz it up. You may have to do this in stages.

If you don't have a food processor, mash it up with a potato masher.

Once the soup has been liquidized, stir in the crème fraîche. Heat gently.

Serve with warm crusty bread to the side and grated cheese on top.

BAKED PUMPKIN SLICES

Ingredients

Sliced pumpkin
2 tsp brown sugar
salt
pepper
cream

Method

1. Slice pumpkin into 2.5cm/1in wide.

3. Bake at 180C/350F/Gas 4 for 40 minutes or microwave for 10 minutes.

PUMPKIN PIE

Ingredients

one 10-inch pie shell, unbaked
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 1/2 cups pumpkin, cooked
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 to 2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 ounces dark molasses
1 cup milk, scaled
1 small can evaporated milk
3 eggs, beaten

Follow the method to create the perfect pumpkin pie!

Method

Brush the pie shell with melted butter then refrigerate.

Stir in the two kinds of milk and the eggs, and cook over low heat for another 5 minutes.

Pour into a pie shell, and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F, and then at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

SCARY SPIDER PORRIDGE!

Ingredients

30g porridge oats
230ml milk
1 to 2 tbsp honey or strawberry jam
8 liquorice Catherine wheels for decoration

Method

Mix the porridge oats with the milk in a saucepan.

Stir in the honey or strawberry jam to taste.

Then decorate with liquorice Catherine wheels for the eyes and unwind the strands of the other wheels to form the eight legs.

Makes two bowls

Deadman's Finger Sandwiches

SPOOKY HALLOWEEN FINGERS

Ingredients

Thin sliced white bread, crusts removed
Soft margarine
Cream cheese or peanut butter
Almonds
Strawberry jam or tomato ketchup

Method

Gently flatten the slices of bread with a rolling pin to make them more pliable.

Spread with a little margarine and either some cream cheese or peanut butter.

Roll up the sandwiches and make three indentations with a blunt knife to form the finger joints.

Stick an almond on to each tip with a little cream cheese or peanut butter to form the nails and add some tomato ketchup or strawberry jam for the blood!

(recipe from Annabel Karmel's Complete Party Planner, published by Ebury Press)

The recipes above have been supplied by members of the public and have not been individually tested by the BBC. The BBC does not accept any liability in relation to publication of this recipe.