Don’t miss a trick this Halloween with these spicy Halloween treats

Rather than handing out shop bought sweets, why not make these Spicy Halloween Heart Cookies to offer trick or treaters a traditional, tasty treat.

Spicy Halloween heart cookies.

Ingredients makes 12 large cookies:

85g butter

110g caster sugar

1 large egg, beaten

170g self-raising flour

2 teaspoons ground mixed spice

Icing sugar for dusting

Heart cookie cutter

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5 190C, 375F.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and beat in the egg. Sift in the flour and spice. Mix gently with a spoon until the mixture comes together and forms a soft dough.

3. Tip out onto a lightly floured table top and gently pat into a thick, flat disc and chill for 20 minutes or until film. On a well dusted floured table -top roll out the cookie dough into a thickness of ½ cm. Using a large heart cutter, cut into 12 cookies. You may have to carefully bring the excess dough together and roll out again, place on a parchment paper lined baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes. Leave to cool on the tray for 2 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Dust with icing sugar or decorate with fondant icing, sprinkles or mini marshmallows.

4. Allow to cool slightly before transferring onto a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar or get your children involved in decorating them with Halloween themed toppings.

Lesley has created this flavoursome recipe in support of international children’s charity, World Vision, who are looking to transform a night of fear into a night of hope for children across the world this Halloween.

World Vision are asking people to carve a heart into their pumpkin this year, display them in their windows and offer a lantern of hope for all those children across the world living in fear every night.

For more of Lesley Water’s Halloween themed recipes, win a cookery lesson with her and to download your free Pumpkin Pack, please visit www.worldvision.org.uk/pumpkins