This month, in celebration of Halloween, we’ve made two recipes to share with your friends. No tricks, just treats! A delicious alternative for when you’ve just slightly grown out of wandering your neighbourhood collecting sweets 👻🎃

Our first Halloween treat is Butternut Squash Soup, made with seasonal vegetables. It will keep you warm this Autumn 🍂🍁 and is perfect to make in big batches and freeze. Our second is a sweet treat, Malteaser Halloween Spider Cookies, which are great fun to make with young kids, or for sharing with friends at a party. Enjoy!

What’s in Season in October?

Apples, Bilberries, Blackberries, Elderberries, Figs, Grapes, Pears

Artichoke, Beetroot, Broccoli, Butternut Squash, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Chillies, Fennel, Garlic, Horseradish, Jerusalem artichokes, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Marrow, Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radishes, Rocket, Runner beans, Shallots, Swede, Sweetcorn, Tomatoes, Truffles, Watercress, Wild mushrooms

Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Chestnuts, Chives, Hazelnuts,

Parsley (curly), Rosemary, Sage, Sorrel, Thyme, Walnuts, Meat, Beef, Duck, Goose, Lamb, Turkey,

Clams, Cod, Crab, Dover, Sole, Haddock, Halibut, Hake, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mackerel, Monkfish, Mussels, Plaice, Prawns, Red Mullet, Sea Bass, Sea Bream, Squid, Turbot

Butternut Squash Soup

This soup is a great staple to make as we head into the cold winter months, as it’s really comforting and packed full of nutrients. Butternut squash is a great source of beta-carotene and prevents high blood pressure, due to high amounts of potassium. It can also contribute to stronger bones and reduce inflammation, due to its high antioxidant content.

Cooking time: 1.5hrs to 2hrs.

Ingredients

Large butternut squash

1 large onion

1 large garlic bulb

3 tbsp. nutritional yeast

2 tbsp. avocado oil

Mixed herbs, salt and pepper

200 ml full fat coconut milk

3 cups vegetable stock (3 ½ depending on size of butternut)

Method

1. Cut butternut squash in half and scoop out all the seeds
2. Cut the garlic bulb in half and rub over both sides of the butternut flesh
3. Place each half of the garlic bulb in the hole of each butternut half
4. Season the squash with salt, pepper and mixed herbs, then rub it in with the oil
5. Roast in oven for 1hr at 180 degrees, or until soft all the way through
6. Put aside the roasted garlic. Let the butternut cool for a while, then scoop it out of the skin whilst still warm
7. Chop the onion and heat in a large saucepan or wok with 3-4 cloves of roasted garlic
8. Add the butternut squash and heat for 2 minutes
9. Sprinkle in the nutritional yeast and mix in thoroughly
10. Pour in the vegetable stock, give it a good mix, and simmer for 15 minutes on a low heat.
11. Add the coconut milk and simmer for another 5 minutes (it will go significantly lighter in colour – don’t panic).
12. Remove from the heat and blend in several stages to breakdown the food easier. (it will be piping hot so be careful not to burn yourself!)
13. Serve hot or keep in thefridge ready for meals throughout the week.

Malteaser Halloween Spider Cookies

Ingredients

400g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

150g chocolate chips (or any dairy free)

150g margarine

150g caster sugar

170g brown sugar

1 tbs vanilla

3 eggs (or 3 tsp egg replacer with 3 tbs lukewarm water for vegan option)

Decorations

Malteasers

Mini marshmallows

Black food dye

Chocolate icing / chocolate writing pen

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350° F and grease 2 large baking sheets
2. In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and bicarb of soda. Sift in the chocolate chips and set aside. In a separate bowl mix the margarine, vegetable fat, caster sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Set aside.
3. In a third bowl whisk the egg and pour into the flour mixture. Then add the margarine mixture and combine with a spoon, or your hands.
4. Divide mixture into 12 balls.
5. Bake between 8-10 minutes, in which the cookies should have gone golden in colour and be soft to touch. The darker they go, the crunchier they will be once cooled.
6. Remove from the tray and leave to cool down on a wire rack.
7. To decorate, glue the Malteasers on top of the cookie with the chocolate writing pen.
8. Use the pen to create legs for the spider. This doesn’t have to be perfect, in fact, the messier the better!
9. To create the googly eyes, cut a mini marshmallow in half and then dot each half with black food dye.