TERRORIFIC TREATS!

If you’re entertaining the little ones, Halloween snacks are spookily easy this year!

JACK-O’-MELTS MAKES 12 PREP + COOK 15 MINS

Preheat an oven grill to high. Toast 12 slices of white bread. Trim crusts. Place on an oven tray. Using ½ cup pizza sauce, spread a little over each slice of bread. Place 12 cheese slices on a chopping board. Using a small, sharp knife, cut eyes, a nose and mouth out of each cheese slice to create a face. Top toast with cheese faces. Grill 2 mins until melted.

CREEPY CANDY BARK SERVES 8 PREP + COOK 15 MINS

Place 375g white chocolate melts in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on High (100%) in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until melted. Spoon approximately a third of the melted white chocolate from the large bowl into 2 smaller bowls. Tint one portion of chocolate green and tint remaining portion orange. Spread white chocolate over a tray lined with baking paper (into a 20cm x 30cm rectangle). Spoon dollops of orange and green-coloured chocolate on top. Run a small spatula through mixture to create a swirled effect. Working quickly, sprinkle with ¼ cup green and orange Skittles, ¹/ cup sour worms and rainbow crackling candy. Allow to set. Break into pieces to serve.

ICY BANANA GHOSTS MAKES 16 PREP 20 MINS (+ FREEZING)

Line an oven tray with baking paper. Cut 4 bananas in half crossways. Carefully insert a wooden stick into the base (cut end) of each piece of banana. Place banana pieces on prepared tray. Freeze 1 hour until firm. Combine 290g white chocolate melts and 30g Copha in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on High (100%) in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Working with 1 banana piece at a time, holding wooden stick, dip into melted chocolate, to coat evenly. Allow any excess chocolate to run off. Return to tray. Position 2 brown chocolate buttons to create eyes and 1 black jelly bean to create a mouth on each banana. Freeze 1 hour until set.

FRANKENSTEIN GOES CRACKERS MAKES 12 PREP 15 MINS

Spread ½ cup of avocado dip over 12 savoury crackers. Break 25g blue tortilla chips into small triangular pieces. Position on dip to create hair. Position black olive slices to create eyes. Break ¼ cup fried noodles into smaller pieces. Position to create noses and mouths. Decorate with red food colouring gel to create “scares”.

GRAVEYARD GUAC MAKES 8 PREP 15 MINS

Mash 2 avocados and 2 tbsp lime juice in a bowl. Divide between 8 x ¾-cup black ramekins or plastic cups. Top each with 2 tbsp tomato salsa. Divide ¾ cup grated cheese between each ramekin and top with a little chopped coriander. Cut 1 carrot lengthwise into thin slices. Using picture as a guide, cut gravestone shapes from carrot slices. Insert carrot and celery leaves into guacamole. Serve with tortilla chips.

TRIPLE-CHOC BATS MAKES 8 PREP 20 MINS

Spread 8 mini chocolate muffins with ¹⁄ cup chocolate frosting. Cut 8 Oreo biscuits in half crossways. Using picture as a guide, arrange biscuits into frosting to create wings. Position round white peppermints for eyes, then pipe a dot of black writing icing in the centre of each one.

MUMMY MUNCHIES NCHIES MAKES 20 PREP 15 MINS

Cut 10 mini cucumbers in half lengthways. Using a teaspoon, scoop out seeds. Spread a little tzatziki dip into cucumbers, then top each with a 6cm twiggy salami stick. Cut 2 pieces of mountain bread into 1cm-thick strips. Wrap bread strips around each cucumber half, leaving a space at one end for eyes. Spoon 1 tbsp American mustard into a small resealable food storage bag. Snip off one small corner from bag. Pipe 2 dots of mustard onto each salami stick to create eyes.

CRUNCHY-BAKED EYEBALLS BALLS MAKES 16 PREP + COOK 25 MINS

Preheat oven to 180°C fan. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Trim ends of 3 kransky sausages. Cut 1 sheet of thawed frozen puff pastry in half. Place 1½ sausages along one long edge of each piece of pastry. Brush opposite edge with beaten egg. Roll up pastry to enclose sausages and form a log. Brush tops with any remaining egg. Using a large, sharp knife, cut each pastry log into 2cm-thick slices. Place on prepared trays. Bake 15 mins until pastry is golden. Top with a little tomato sauce. Thinly slice 6 stuffed olives and place on sauce as eyes. Serve with extra tomato sauce.