By Ella Walker
“I’m wasted now,” shrieks Helena Garcia. “I’m wasted here!” The former Great British Bake Off contestant is lamenting the fact all the children on her street have had the gall to grow up and become teenagers – they no longer care for her spectacular Halloween endeavours. “Last year I made a real effort, and not one knocked on my door,” she says, mock despairing.
Unfortunately this year, thanks to the spectre of Covid-19, trick or treating looks to be a total no-go. That doesn’t mean you must forgo the magic of All Hallows’ Eve entirely though. Carve that pumpkin – and then pick up Garcia’s debut cookbook, The Wicked Baker.
It offers many a ghoulish – but tasty – way to celebrate, and features bakes that, without exception, have a “spooky twist”. There’s a haunted Yule log (a tree stump appearing to howl), truffles masquerading as eyeballs, eclairs iced with entombed mummies, and lemon and thyme cupcakes that writhe with (modelling chocolate) sand worms.
Born in Spain, Garcia went to high school in Las Vegas, ostensibly to learn English, but it was there, surrounded by desert and high rollers, that she picked up her penchant for baking, and for “flavours like cinnamon and maple, pecan and pumpkin puree. I love them.”
Her interest in Halloween, however, is less the gaudiness of America’s traditional, plasticky blowout and more to do with the history, tradition and aesthetic of “Celtic festivals and paganism, magical plants and anything witchy.”
And while she might like the gothic, slightly macabre side of things, fun and wit run just as strong in her. “I just want to be able to have the best time possible,” says Garcia. “Humour is very important in my life. It’s in my bakes and everything else.”
She hopes Halloween will be an opportunity for people to get creative, but is adamant there’s no need to restrict spooky baking just to October 31. “Horror movies or mystery movies don’t just come out at Halloween!” she points out.
Gingerdead twins
Makes 12
450g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2tsp salt
1tbsp ground ginger
1 and a 3/4tsp ground cinnamon
1/4tsp ground cloves
80g unsalted butter, at room temperature
165g dark brown sugar
1 large egg
230g golden syrup, maple syrup or molasses
2tsp vanilla extract
For the royal icing:
3 egg whites
1tsp vanilla extract
600g icing sugar, sifted
To decorate:
Blue food colour
Pink food colour
Cocoa powder
Black edible ink pen
Red edible ink pen
Green edible ink pen
Red powder food colour
Sift the flour, salt and spices into a large bowl. Set aside.
Mix the butter, brown sugar and egg together in another bowl. Add the syrup and vanilla and continue to mix. Mix in the dry ingredients and combine until smooth.
Divide the dough in half and wrap in cling-film, pressing down to create two discs. Refrigerate for three hours, or up to three days.
Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Roll out the first disc of dough on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick. Cut out six cookies by cutting around your template with a small sharp knife and place on a lined baking tray. Bake for seven to 10 minutes. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack before icing. Repeat with the second disc of dough to make six more cookies or alternatively, freeze for another time.
For the royal icing, whisk the egg whites until frothy, then stir in the vanilla extract. Slowly add the icing sugar, mixing until fully incorporated.
Dye small amounts of the icing pink and blue with food colouring, and a third amount brown with the cocoa powder. Decorate each twin by outlining the dress with piped blue royal icing, then filling in the outline and other details.
Moon witch blackberry pie
Serves 6-8
300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2tsp salt
1tsp icing sugar
225g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
4-5tbsp ice-cold water
1 egg yolk, for brushing
For the filling:
800g fresh blackberries
100g caster sugar, plus extra if needed
1tbsp cornflour
1tsp lemon juice
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tbsp ground almonds
Pulse the flour, salt and icing sugar together in a food processor a couple of times to mix together. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (alternatively, do this with your hands).
Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture forms large clumps and holds together when you press it.
Dust your work surface with flour and tip the dough out onto it. Knead it a couple of times to bring it together. Form into a ball, flatten it, cover in cling-film and refrigerate while you make the filling.
For the filling, combine the blackberries, sugar, cornflour, lemon juice and cinnamon and leave for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 170C. You will need a 23cm pie dish.
Divide the pastry into two portions, one slightly bigger for the base of the dish. Roll out the larger piece on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm thickness and use it to line the pie dish. Cover with cling-film and refrigerate while you make the top. Roll out the remaining pastry and cut out a flying witch silhouette, a crescent moon and some little stars using a paper template.
Sprinkle the ground almonds over the base of the pie and top with the blackberry mixture. Top with the cut-out shapes and brush them with the egg yolk. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot.
The Wicked Baker: Cakes And Treats To Die For by Helena Garcia is available now
