Halloween Season Recipes from Around the World

Celebrate Halloween with these tasty traditional recipes from different parts of the globe. 
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SAMHAIN, IRELAND

Most people believe that the modern day traditions of Halloween stem from the pagan and Celtic celebration of Samhain (meaning the end of the light half of the year). Today in Ireland and Scotland, Halloween is celebrated with bonfires, games, and traditional foods like barmbrack, an Irish fruitcake that contains coins, buttons, and rings for fortunetelling. The name comes from the Gaelic bairin breac meaning speckled bread. It is spiced and richly fruited to comfort you on a cold night. 

Barmbrack
Ingredients

• 200g currants
• 200g sultanas
• 300ml strong tea
• 50ml whiskey (or another 50ml tea)
• 25g mixed peel, roughly chopped
• 25g glace cherries, quartered
• 25g blanched almonds, roughly chopped
• 150g light muscovado sugar
• 210g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg 
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp sugar syrup (optional)

Method

1. Put the currants and sultanas in a large heatproof bowl, pour over the tea and whiskey (if using) then leave to soak overnight (or at least 6 hours).
2. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4, and grease and line a 13cm x 20cm loaf tin. Stir the peel, cherries and almonds into the soaked fruit.
3. In a second bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, spices and salt, making sure you break up any lumps in the sugar, then stir into the fruit with the beaten egg.
4. Tip the loaf mix into the tin, smooth the top and bake for 90 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. If the top looks to be going too dark or burning on top towards the end, cover with foil.

If you are going to add coins, buttons or rings, do make sure the consumer knows! 

DIA DE LOS MEURTOS, MEXICO

Pan de Muerto, or “bread of the dead”, is a sweet bread baked during the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). This day is celebrated in Mexico on the first 2 days of November. It is a light sweet bread shaped either as one round loaf or many smaller round rolls. Both loaves and rolls are decorated with bone-shaped strips of dough to honour the dearly departed.

Pan de Muerto
Ingredients

• 500 grams Self Raising flour
• 2 tablespoons dried yeast
• 100 grams sugar 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 80 grams butter at room temperature + 30 grams to brush the bread after baking.
• 80 grams unsalted margarine room temperature plus more to grease bowl and pans.
• 4 large eggs 
• Orange zest 
• 60 ml. warm water 
• 1 tsp orange blossom water or orange essence - or 1 1/2 tsp of ground aniseed
• Sugar to decorate the bread at the end.

For the Glaze and Topping

• 1 tbsp Milk
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 orange, zested and juiced

Method

1. Place 4 eggs, margarine, salt and half of the sugar in the mixer bowl. Using the Hook attachment start working the dough for about 2 minutes. Add the flour in small amounts alternating with the water. Add the yeast and mix until well combined.
2. Add the butter, the orange zest, the rest of the sugar and the orange blossom essence (or aniseed if preferred), mixing well after each addition until soft dough forms.
3. Get the dough out of the mixer bowl and place onto work surface; knead until smooth, dusting work surface lightly with flour as needed if dough begins to stick. Knead for a couple more minutes. Coat the interior of a large bowl with margarine; transfer dough to bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Once the dough has risen, turn it onto the counter and knead it a few times to deflate it. Cut 6, 1 oz, pieces (roughly the size of a golf ball) from the dough. Shape the larger portion of dough into a round loaf and place it on a lightly floured baking sheet. Shape each of the 6 smaller portions into a bone, by rolling them in the center to create two larger sections on each end of a smaller connecting strip. Arrange the bones on top of the round loaf. Cover the shaped loaf with a damp tea towel and let rise until doubled, roughly 30 min.
5. Prepare 2 greased baking sheets, set aside.
6. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.
7. Brush the dough lightly with 1 Tbsp milk and place it in the oven. Bake the bread for 25-30 minutes, until it sounds hollow when tapped.
8. While the bread is baking, make the glaze: Heat ¼ c sugar together with the zest and juice of one orange. Bring the mixture to a simmer and simmer for 2-3 minutes. If necessary, strain the glaze of any orange pulp and set the strained glaze aside.
9. When the bread is done, brush the warm loaf with the glaze and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp of sugar. Let the bread cool slightly before slicing.

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HUNGRY GHOST FESTIVAL, CHINA & SOUTH EAST ASIA

Although not celebrated at the same time as Halloween or the other festivals surrounding All Souls Day, we have included the Hungry Ghost Festival as it is rooted in the beliefs of restless spirits of the dead. The Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, which falls in July or August. 
 
The spirits are 'fed' during the month long celebration with offerings of food and money (burning paper). The living are fed with many delicacies, including Teochew braised duck and these amazing rice patties.
 
Peng Kueh
Ingredients

• 500g rice flour
• 150g tapioca flour
• 750ml hot water mixed with ½ tsp red or pink food colouring
• 4 shiitake mushrooms (if using dried variety, rehydrate), diced
• 3 chinese sausage, diced
• 300g pork rashers, diced
• 25g dried shrimp
• 500g glutinous rice
• 5 spring onion stems, finely chopped
• 3 tbs vegetable oil
• 4 tbs oyster sauce
• 2 tbs sesame oil
• 1 tbs dark soy sauce
• 2 tbs light soy sauce

Method

1. Put the glutinous rice in a large pot filled with cold water and soak overnight.
   The next day, steam the glutinous rice for 20 minutes, stirring half way. Keep it covered and warm until you need it.
2. Combine the rice flour and tapioca flour. With a wooden spoon, gradually stir in the hot water.
3. While still hot, knead the mixture until smooth, adding the tiniest amount of rice flour if it’s too sticky, or drops of hot water if it is too dry. Place the dough in a plastic bag to ensure it doesn’t dry out while you work on the filling. It is crucial you set the dough aside to rest after kneading. Allow half to one hour which is generally enough time to prepare the glutinous rice.
4. Heat the oil in a wok or pan and fry the pork. mushrooms, Chinese sausage and dried shrimps until fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients (spring onions and seasoning) and steamed glutinous rice and fry until mixed well.
5. Divide dough into twenty small portions. Flatten with a rolling pin and place in the kueh mould. Add spoonfuls of the filling then fold in the edges, sealing the top of the mould and removing any excess dough as you go. Knock out the kueh from the mould and place on a lined steamer tray. Continue until you have enough to fill the tray. You will need to work in batches. NB if you don't have a kueh mould then any type of bun or macaroon tin will do - it just won't be as decorative. 
6. Steam for 8 minutes and lightly brush with oil.
7. Serve steamed or pan-fried.
   Once cooled, the steamed kueh can be stored in the fridge or freezer.

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OGNISSANTI, ITALY

All Saints Day on 1st November is known as Ognissanti in Italy. Chrysanthemums or other flowers are left on the graves of loved ones as well as strangers, bringing graveyards ablaze with colour. Red candles are also left in house windows at sunset and a place is laid at the table in the hope that the departed will visit. 
Traditional food varies around the regions but most are a variation of bread or biscuits. Here's a recipe from Lombardy for Oss da mort meaning “bones to bite”. They are lightly spiced, crunchy almond biscuits which they should resemble dry bones and are meant to honour the deceased. 

Oss da Mort
Ingredients

• 200g ground almonds
• Pinch of salt
• 3 cloves
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 150g plain flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 8 tbsp (approx) dry Marsala or dry Vermouth

Method

1. Grind the cloves with one tablespoon of the sugar 
2. Mix the ground almonds, spices, salt and the remaining sugar in a bowl
3. Add the Marsala or Vermouth until you reach a medium dough. This may take less liquid than the 8 tbsp so add the liquid gradually and work using your hands.
4. Roll the dough into short cylinders, about 7 cm long and a couple of centimetres thick.
5. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.

The biscuits will be still a little soft when you take them out of the oven but they will crisp up once cool. If still not as crunchy as you would like them when cool then you can put them back in the oven for 10-15 minutes more.
Oss de mord are really excellent dipped in Marsala or with morning caffelatte.
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DZIEŃ ZADUSZNY, POLAND

In Poland, All Saints Day and All Souls Day on the 1st and 2nd November respectively, is the time to visit the graves of family members. The holiday is celebrated with candles, flowers, and an offering of prayers for departed relatives at the cemetaries. From pagan times, women would traditionally bake special bread and kutia (wheat berry pudding) for souls on the Zaduszki holiday. The food was brought to the cemetery and given to the poor, children, clerics, or simply left on the graves, believing that this would help to bring wealth and prosperity. Nowadays the special bread and sweets are still made. Here is a recipe for one of them.
Miodek turecki

Ingredients

• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 cup of crushed walnuts
• a flat teaspoon of vanilla sugar
• half a flat teaspoon of soda
• 2 tablespoons of honey

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Method

1. Heat sugar in a heavy based pan until it is melted. 
2. Add vanilla sugar and cook for a few minutes.
3. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda and cook for a minute. 
4. Add crushed nuts and honey to the pan. Everything should be mixed thoroughly.
5. Take off the heat and pour onto a plate, where the mass will harden. 
6. Once cooled split into pieces and serve.

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There are many more traditions and delicacies associated with the season of Halloween, All Hallows Eve and All Souls Day but its nearly time to go trick or treating! Have a wonderful time remembering the dead and enjoy the recipes.