Keeping children entertained during the school break can be a daunting task for parents.
Fortunately, baker Eloise Head, widely recognized as the creator behind the TikTok sensation Fitwaffle, offers a solution.
The 32-year-old former personal trainer from Surrey started sharing baking tutorials on social media during lockdown and now boasts over five million followers.
Certain videos have accumulated more than 13 million views.
She attributes her popularity to keeping instructions very straightforward.
Eloise states, "One of my most common requests is: 'What is a fun and easy recipe I can make with the kids?'"
She adds, "These ones are great for half-term family baking."
Here Eloise presents Laura Armstrong with six Halloween-inspired treats that are simple to prepare alongside young assistants.
Nutella-Stuffed Pumpkin Cookies (Makes 5-6)
You need:
- For the shortbread:
- 110g softened salted butter
- 60g granulated sugar
- 165g plain flour
- For the topping:
- 10g melted butter
- 2tbsp granulated sugar
- 1tsp cinnamon
- For the filling:
- 1tsp Nutella per cookie
Method: Combine all the butter and sugar, then mix in the plain flour to create a soft dough. Roll the dough into tiny balls and use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter or round cutter to produce an even number of cookies. Form faces into half of them. Bake at 170C (150C fan) for 8 to 9 minutes. Let them cool, brush with melted butter, and coat in the sugar and cinnamon blend. Enjoy them individually or pair two together with a teaspoon of Nutella in the middle.
Boo Biscuits (Makes 10-12)
You need:
- 110g softened salted butter
- 60g granulated sugar
- 165g plain flour
- To decorate:
- 130g icing sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons warm water or milk
- Black and red/dark icing pens
Method: Blend the butter and sugar together, then incorporate the plain flour to form a soft dough. Roll the dough flat on a floured surface. Cut out heart shapes using a cutter, slice each heart in half vertically, and gently curve the pointed tail of each half to one side to form a ghost shape. Bake at 170C (150C fan) for 8 to 9 minutes. After cooling, combine the icing sugar with water or milk, pipe it over the biscuits, allow it to dry, and use an icing pen to sketch tiny ghost faces.
Spider Web Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart (Serves 10-12)
You need:
- 350g Oreos
- 125g melted unsalted butter
- 250g thick salted caramel sauce
- 230g dark chocolate
- Approx 300ml double cream
- 40g white chocolate
Method: Crush the Oreos and press them into a 9in pie dish to form the crust. Pour in the caramel sauce and place in the refrigerator. Melt 230g of dark chocolate and 280ml of double cream in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Spread this over the caramel layer. Melt 40g of white chocolate with a tablespoon of double cream in the microwave and stir until smooth. Pipe a spiral onto the tart and drag a skewer through it to design the web.
Oreo Truffles (Makes 10)
You need:
- 10 Oreos
- 50g cream cheese at room temperature
- 200g white chocolate
- 20 edible eyes
Method: Crush the Oreos and blend them with cream cheese to shape truffle balls. Dip them in melted white chocolate and drizzle additional white chocolate across each truffle. Attach googly eyes to construct mummies.
Ghostly Chocolate Bark (Serves 10-12)
You need:
- 300g dark or milk melted chocolate
- 1-2 tsp of melted white chocolate per ghost
- Edible stars or sprinkles
Method: Melt or temper the chocolate, spread it onto a baking tray lined with paper, and prepare for decoration. Form small ghosts out of white chocolate by dropping 1 to 2 teaspoons onto the milk chocolate and pulling a skewer through to shape the tail. Add eyes using extra chocolate, then scatter Halloween sprinkles. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours until firm.
Biscoff Puff Pastry Pumpkins (Makes 6-8)
You need:
- 1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
- Biscoff spread (or alternative spreads like Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread)
- Egg wash:
- 1 small egg mixed with 1 tsp of milk
Method: Cut pumpkin silhouettes out of the puff pastry sheet. Slice a small jack-o'-lantern face into half of the pumpkin shapes and discard the extra pastry. Place the solid pumpkin bases onto a baking sheet. Spoon Biscoff spread into the center, leaving a small margin around the borders. Set the face-cut pastry top over the filling. Crimp or press the borders down with a fork to secure. Brush the egg and milk mixture uniformly over the pastries. Bake in the oven at 200C (180C fan) for approximately 8 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.
