Happy Halloween !!!!

Happy Halloween everyone !!!

These spider cookies are easy to make. All you need are some round shape biscuits, fizzy cola lances, Nutella and M&M for the eyes.

Take the biscuits and spread it with Nutella as a glue, then top with 8 cust off fizzt cola lances as legs. Spread the other half the biscuits with more Nutella, glue it together.

Take one M&M , dip with some Nutella and glue it on top of the biscuits as eye, finish the other eye.

Pavlova

Ingredients:

For the meringue:

• 5 egg whites
• pinch salt
• 225g caster sugar
• 1tsp cornflour
• 1tsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2tsp red food colouring (optional)

For the filling:

• 290ml pot double cream
• 2tbsp icing sugar
• 1tbsp rosewater
• 450g summer berries
• rose petals to decorate (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 140C.

Draw a 23cm circle on a large sheet of baking parchment and place, pencil side down, on a baking sheet (if you lay it pencil side up, the line will come off on the meringue).

Put the egg whites in a large bowl, add the salt and whisk until stiff. Add a couple of tablespoons of the sugar and whisk thoroughly. Add another couple of tablespoons of sugar and whisk again. Continue until all the sugar has been used and the mixture is stiff and glossy.

Whisk in the cornflour and white wine vinegar. Stir in the food colouring, lightly swirling until the mixture is marbled with colour. Spoon the meringue on to the parchment and spread out to fill the circle. Build up the sides into peaks to hold the filling.

Bake for 1 hr until a pale biscuit colour. Remove from the baking parchment and transfer to a wire rack. Leave to cool completely.

Assemble the Pavlova.

Whisk the cream until lightly thickened. Add the icing sugar and rosewater, and continue to whisk until thickened. Just before serving, spoon the cream mixture into the meringue case and pile the berries on top. Scatter over the rose petals.

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 200g castor sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 280g plain flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 250ml low fat greek yoghurt
• 120ml oil
• zest from 1 lemon, finely grated
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• icing sugar for dusting

Method:
Whisk egg and sugar until pale, thick and creamy (5-6 minutes).
Add lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Beat for a further 1 minute.
In another bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Fold into the above mixture. Mix in the yoghurt and then the oil. Pour batter into a lined and greased 8"cake tin.
Bake at 180C in a preheated oven for 35-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave cake in tin to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a cake rack to cool.
Dust with icing sugar.