Drink, Eat and be scary

Halloween fun should go way beyond just candy and some spooky appetisers for kids. Make this year's All Hallows' Evening more special if you want to host adults-only Halloween bash at home. Put some big smile of a lot of faces with these coffee recipes that are brought to you from the lanes of Italy by Abdul Sahid Khan, Head Trainer at Lavazza India and they surely taste bewitchingly delicious. Make a big batch to serve at the party or a single serve to sip while you hand out Pumpkin Sandwich instead of a candy to trick or treat, for these coffees will do the trick.

SALTED CARAMEL PUMPKIN LATTE

Adding pumpkin and caramel to hot coffee makes a fall drink that tastes amazing. Don’t forget to finish it off with some whipped cream and caramel drizzles.

Ingredients:

300ml free milk

2tbsp canned pumpkin puree

20ml caramel sauce

20ml vanilla extract

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 cup strong brewed coffee

1/2 cup Cool Whip

coarse ground sea salt

Directions:

In a small saucepan, combine milk, pumpkin, caramel, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until the mixture comes to a very slight boil.

Remove from the heat immediately and pour the mixture into a blender. Pulse for about 2 minutes or until very frothy.

Divide the milk into 2 large mugs. Pour 1/2 cup coffee into each mug.

Top with Cool Whip, extra caramel, and sea salt. Makes 2 servings.

Pumpkin Sandwich Biscuits

These biscuits are filled with a naughty-but-nice chocolate ganache mixed with chesnut — your guests will never know the sorcery behind this secret ingredient!

Ingredients:

For the almond shortbread

300g butter

200g sugar

75g egg yolk

250g plain flour

100g cornflour

100g almond flour

0.5g vanilla (or use equivalent in vanilla extract)

10g ground Qualità Oro or Qualità Rossa coffee

For the chestnut ganache:

250g milk chocolate

200g fresh cream

65g boiled sweet chestnuts (peeled)

1g salt

Directions:

Start by making the biscuits. In the mixer, use the paddle to work the soft butter with the sugar and vanilla and then add the egg yolks and lastly the flours sieved with the vanilla and ground coffee. Work fast and pour the mix into a pastry bag and fill the mould. Cook at 170° C for around 10 minutes.

To make the ganache, heat the cream and pour it over the chocolate. Leave for a couple of minutes. Add the chestnuts and work with a hand blender for 3 minutes or until the cream is silky smooth. Leave for at least 12 hours.

To assemble, sandwich the ganache between two pieces of shortbread.

ICED PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE

Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte is the taste of fall poured over ice, making this unusual mix a refreshing and cozy one to sip over.

Ingredients:

250ml milk

2 tsp canned pumpkin puree

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1-2 shots espresso (about 1/4 cup of espresso or 1/2 cup of strong brewed coffee if you don’t have an espresso machine.)

Directions:

Brew your coffee or espresso and let it sit for a few minutes until it reaches room temperature. You could also put it in the fridge or freezer to speed up the cooling process.

In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on low heat, stirring, just until the sugar and pumpkin are dissolved. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice, transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds until foamy. If you don't have a blender, don't worry about it — just whisk the mixture really well with a wire whisk.

Pour into a cup filled with ice. Add the espresso or coffee on top.

Top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top.