Halloween is a "spooky" celebration, with a long history, tradition, customs, and habits that we have gradually adopted.

However, a celebration that respects itself has a strong connection with food.

Pumpkins, apples, vampire fangs, ghost cookies, monster cupcakes, and other spooky-licious Halloween recipes for your own mystery party!

So, the question is, trick or treat?

Pumpkin Soup, a Halloween classic

Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes

Materials you will need:

1½ kg yellow pumpkin

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large finely chopped onion

800 ml water or chicken or meat broth

500 ml fresh milk or light cream

1 tbsp butter

1 pinch nutmeg

Salt, pepper

1 sprig fresh thyme

200 g gruyere cheese (half grated, half cut into cubes)

300 g strained yogurt

Execution:

- Start by gathering the ingredients on your countertop.

- For the soup, first clean the pumpkin.

- Cut the yellow pumpkin in half with a large spoon, scraping and scooping out the fibers and seeds from the inside of the pumpkin.

- Slice the pumpkin into slices (like a melon).

- Place parchment paper on a large baking tray, and place the pumpkin slices inside.

- Brush the entire surface of the pumpkin with olive oil.

- Add salt and pepper and sprinkle with a little fresh thyme.

- Bake the pumpkin in a preheated oven at 200°C in air mode for 40 minutes until caramelized.

- In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and sauté the finely chopped onion for 5 minutes to soften (without browning).

- Add the water (or broth) and the milk and bring to a boil.

- Using a spoon, remove the baked pumpkin from the skin, add the pieces to the boiling liquids, and simmer for 15 minutes.

- Add salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg.

- At this stage, you can add fresh ginger, it goes incredibly well.

- Puree the soup with a hand blender (and if you want a perfect texture, strain it through a sieve or fine mesh).

- Turn off the heat and add the cubes of gruyere cheese.

- Let it sit for 1 minute, then stir, transfer it to a soup bowl, or serve it in warm bowls.

- Place yogurt in the center of each bowl, sprinkle with grated gruyere cheese and a little cayenne pepper (optional).

* If you are vegan, you can make a fasting pumpkin velouté soup by replacing the liquids with vegetable broth or water and replacing the milk with plant-based milk. It has few calories and is delicious.

Ghost cupcakes, creepy? Maybe not

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Materials you will need:

60 gr. couverture chocolate

120 gr. boiling water

40 gr. cocoa

1 tbsp. instant coffee powder

120 gr. 35% cream

120 gr. vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

150 gr. granulated sugar

140 gr. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. Salt

For the buttercream

250 gr. butter, at room temperature

500 gr. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. whole milk

For the composition

250 gr. white fondant

1/2 tsp. black food coloring in paste form

Execution:

For the cupcakes

- Preheat the oven to 160°C in air mode.

- Finely chop the chocolate and put it in a bowl with hot water. Stir until the chocolate melts and add the cocoa and coffee. Continue stirring well.

- Add the cream and vegetable oil. Add the eggs, vanilla, and mix until the ingredients are well combined.

- Add the sugar and continue mixing.

- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well until homogeneous.

- Divide the mixture into cupcake liners, filling them up to 2/3 of their height.

- Bake for 20-25 minutes.

- Let the cupcakes cool in the liners for ten minutes.

We remove them from the molds and let them cool for 1 hour.

For the buttercream

- In a mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed until fluffy, for about 15 minutes.

- Then, reduce the speed slightly and add the milk.

- Continue beating for another 10 minutes.

- Transfer the buttercream to a pastry bag.

For the composition

- Roll out the fondant to a thickness of 2-3 millimeters and cut out 12 disks with a diameter of 11 cm using a round cutter.

- Place a little buttercream in the center of each cupcake, giving it height.

- Cover with the fondant and gently press from top to bottom, creating pleats and making it look like a ghost.

- Using a toothpick dipped in black color, draw the eyes on the ghosts.

Pumpkin Martini, easy as (pumpkin) pie...

Materials you will need:

60 ml vodka

15 ml cream

15 ml quince syrup

2 tbsp pumpkin puree

¼ tsp pumpkin spice

¼ tsp vanilla

pti ber for the rim of the glass

Instructions: 

- Break the pti ber and place them on a plate. 

- In another plate, add the quince syrup. 

- Dip the rim of a martini glass in the quince syrup. 

- Rotate the glass so that the rim is evenly coated. 

- Then, add the crushed cookies. 

- Put all the remaining ingredients in a cocktail shaker.

- Add a handful of ice and shake. 

- Strain the mixture into the prepared martini glass.