5 Halloween Party Treats {using SKIPPY peanut butter}

 

Autumn is well and truly upon us, and Halloween is fast approaching. Over the past decade or so Halloween in the UK has become a much bigger deal, but I'm not sure we'll ever catch up with America, who manage to celebrate the Halloween/Fall season so much bigger and better.

Another thing that seems to be a lot more popular in America is peanut butter. Whether it's peanut butter cups, peanut butter crackers, or pb & j sandwiches (peanut butter & jelly [jam] for those that were wondering), there's no escaping the peanut butter in America. I absolutely love peanut butter, as do all 3 children, and I'll add it to my cooking at every given chance (TIP: stir a spoonful of smooth peanut butter into a curry to thicken the sauce).

SKIPPY is an authentic American peanut butter that's widely available in the UK, in both smooth and crunchy varieties, including a whopping 1.1kg jar that I recently spotted on a trip to London. 

These Halloween treats all use SKIPPY smooth peanut butter, and they can be made quickly, as well as being prepared in advance, leaving plenty of time for trick or treating.

Spider Cookies - makes approx 18

240g smooth SKIPPY peanut butter

160g caster sugar

1 medium egg

mini peanut butter cups

edible googly eyes

black icing

• beat the peanut butter, caster sugar & egg together until combined
• roll into balls and place onto a baking sheet, spaced well apart
• press down gently with the back of a fork to flatten a little
• bake in a preheated 180C oven for approx 12-15 minutes
• cool on a wire rack
• decorate by sticking the eyes to the peanut butter cup with icing, and sticking to the centre of each cookie
• ice the legs on either side of the body

False Teeth

slices of red apple

smooth SKIPPY peanut butter

mini marshmallows

• spread one side of each pair of apple slices with peanut butter
• stick marshmallows onto half of the slices, and top with the other apple slice

Graveyards - makes 6

2 tbsp smooth SKIPPY peanut butter

4 tbsp double cream

2 tbsp cream cheese

1 tbsp caster sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Oreo cookie, roughly crushed

3 Lotus Biscoff (or similar shaped biscuit)

black icing

• beat the peanut butter, cream, cream cheese, sugar & vanilla together until smooth
• divide the mixture between 6 shot glasses
• top with dirt (Oreo cookie crumbs) and a gravestone (half a Biscoff with 'RIP' iced on)

Bloodied Mummies - makes 8

ready rolled puff pastry sheet

smooth SKIPPY peanut butter

raspberry or strawberry jam

caster sugar

edible googly eyes

• cut 8 rectangles from approx 2/3 of the pastry sheet
• slice the remaining pastry into thin strips, approximately the same length as the width of the rectangles
• spread each rectangle with peanut butter, and top with jam
• lay the strips of pastry onto each rectangle to look like Mummies bandages
• sprinkle with caster sugar & place onto a baking sheet
• bake in a preheated 200C oven for approx 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden
• whilst still warm, press the eyes into the sticky jam

Ghastly Ghosts - makes 6

3 small bananas
1 tbsp smooth SKIPPY peanut butter
1 tbsp coconut oil
desiccated coconut
edible googly eyes

• slice the bananas in half, making sure that they stand up
• warm the peanut butter and coconut oil in the microwave for a few seconds, and stir until smooth
• spoon the peanut butter sauce over the bananas and coat with coconut
• stick the eyes onto the ghosts and place in the fridge to set

For more Halloween inspiration, take a look at my Halloween Pinterest board and follow the #SPOOKYSKIPPY hashtag on social media

this is a commissioned post for SKIPPY

Quick & Easy Fruity Chicken Biryani

This week marks the 19th National Curry week (10th-16th October), and to celebrate I'm sharing my recipe for a quick and easy Fruity Chicken Biryani. Whilst a Biryani isn't exactly a curry, it does use spices found in many curries that we eat here in the UK, such as Korma, Tikka Masala and Madras, and is popular in Indian restaurants and takeaways - why get a takeaway when you can make a fakeaway in just 15 minutes!

Friday night is our usual night for a curry, and I will admit that the sauce usually comes from a jar, due to time constraints. This dish was loved by all of the family and, despite using whole spices, was cooked in less time than it usually takes to cook a curry from a jar, and tasted so much fresher too.

Microwaveable rice is an absolute godsend when you're making meals in a hurry, as you can have perfectly cooked, tasty rice in just 2 minutes. Veetee have a wide range of microwaveable rice including Chinese style, Mexican style and plain long grain rice. I decided to use Pilau rice in this dish as it's not only infused with cumin and spices, but it's a great colour too.

Quick & Easy Fruity Chicken Biryani - serves 4

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

handful of cashew nuts

handful jumbo raisins/golden sultanas

seeds from 4 cardamom pods

tsp cumin seeds

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2cm fresh ginger, peeled & grated

2 tbsp mango chutney

3 roast chicken breasts, skin removed & shredded

2 packs of Veetee Pilau rice

handful of fresh coriander, chopped

• heat the oil in a large pan
• add the onion and fry over a high heat until the edges start to brown
• add the cashews and continue to cook until onions and cashews are browned 
• turn the heat down and stir in the raisins/sultanas
• crush the cardamom & cumin seeds and add to the pan along with the garlic and ginger
• fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly
• stir in the mango chutney and shredded chicken 
• place the lid on whilst heating the rice in the microwave (as per directions on the pack)
• stir the rice into the pan along with the chopped coriander
• serve immediately

Lots of lovely juicy fruit bits from the sultanas, raisins and mango chutney, along with crunchy nuts and moist chicken.

This recipe has been commissioned for Veetee