Halloween Rocky Roooooad

Halloween has crept up fast this year, and as I've been pretty busy this week any attempts at difficult, impressive or bonkers themed bakes has unfortunately had to go out of the window. However, I wasn't willing to let the day pass unnoticed, so I had a rummage around in my hampers of ingredients and came up with this deliciously simple and insanely quick to make variation of a family favourite, Rocky Road.

These chocolatey-marshmallowy bites are significantly more treat than trick, and are the perfect homemade addition to any Halloween celebrations (particularly if you're strapped for time tomorrow!).

Beetroot and Chocolate Cupcakes

This recipe was a bit of an experiment.

I've never used beetroot before - mainly because the smell of it repulses me - but it seemed to keep cropping up all over the place in Halloween-themed recipes so I thought now was as good a time as ever to try it out.

It turns out even though it plays a large part in the recipe, you can't really taste it at all, and these cupcakes are perfect for Halloween.

Spiderweb Cheesecake

Confession time: I'm not the biggest fan of Halloween.

I hate horror films with a passion, I'm a complete arachnophobe and growing up in the middle of nowhere meant I never got involved in Trick or Treating as a child. As a result it's an event that largely passes me by each year. However, I'm a sucker for thematic baking so knew I'd have to give in to all of the Halloween paraphernalia in the shops and make something appropriate for the 31st.

The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook - Cake Days - has an excellent section on Halloween and Bonfire bakes, and I was immediately determined to try out the Spiderweb Cheesecake.