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These spicy, gingery biscuits are guaranteed to creep children out at Halloween tea – in a fun way of course! You can serve them on a plate or, like in our picture, bake them with a hole at the top and string them up to dangle at the window for passing trick-or-treaters to see.

You'll need Halloween cookie cutters, which you can usually pick up for about £5 (like these ones, £5.99 for 7 shapes, including a bat and a ghost). The ingredients also include egg white powder, which you should be able to find in packets at all good supermarkets

For the biscuits

  • 225g plain flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp mixed spice
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 100g dark brown sugar
  • 100g golden syrup
  • 1 tbsp milk

For the icing

  • 8g dried egg white
  • 250g icing sugar
    sifted
  • black food colouring
  • black and red writing icing
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    Method

    • step 1

      Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and spices.

    • step 2

      Heat the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a small pan until dissolved, stirring frequently, then allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir the syrup mixture and the milk into the dry ingredients and form into a dough. Cover with plastic film and chill for 30 minutes

    • step 3

      Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4/Fan 160°C. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

    • step 4

      Roll out the dough to about 3mm thick. Cut out Halloween shapes with cookie cutters. Use a straw to make a hole, if you want to string them up as decorations

    • step 5

      Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned, and then cool on a wire rack

    • step 6

      For the icing, mix the egg white to a smooth paste with a little warm water according to the packet instructions. Gradually whisk in the sifted icing sugar. Divide the icing into 2 bowls and use the black food colouring to colour 1 bowl of icing black. Spoon the icing onto 1 side of every biscuit– making some white and some black. You may need to thin the icing out a little with water

    • step 7

      Once the icing has hardened, draw on decorative features with the black and red writing icing

    Pic: Annabel Karmel

    Annabel Karmel's #1 rated recipe app has over 650 simple and delicious ideas – and new recipes every week. It also gives you exclusive access to meal planners, shopping lists, an allergy tracker, and a listen-along weaning guide. Download it from the App Store or Google Play and start your FREE TRIAL.

    Authors

    Annabel Karmel
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