Samhain Recipes

Samhain – First Day of Winter

Samhain, the festival of the Ancestors and the dead that marks the end of autumn and the beginning of winter, honours the Wheel of the Year as it turns towards the barrenness of the coldest season, in nature and in our lives, and is a time of withdrawal and withering. It is the third and last harvest festival of the year, when anything left in the fields, from wheat and oats to turnips, apples and pumpkins, would be gathered in and stored for the desolate months ahead. Pumpkin pies, apple fritters, roasted turnips, butternut pumpkin casseroles, grainy breads and muffins, nut dishes and other comfort foods align with the earth’s energies at this time, along with mulled wine, cider and warming herbal teas. Herbs of the season include nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, mugwort and wormwood (both good scrying herbs), sage, mint, chrysanthemum, mullein and thistle, and spicy drinks are popular.

This cross-quarter day is also the time when the veils between the worlds are thinnest, when some believe our Ancestors walk freely among us, along with restless spirits, so many Witches leave out offerings of food. Set an extra place at the table for your loved ones who are no longer with you, and honour their memory by telling stories about them and reminiscing about their life. This aspect of the Sabbat led to the images of ghosts and ghouls, Witches on broomsticks, sugar skulls, hollowed out gourds and jack-o-lanterns that are so closely associated with today’s Halloween celebrations.

Pumpkin Fritters

Ingredients:
2 cups mashed pumpkin
½ cup self-raising flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Pinch of salt
Pepper, curry powder, chilli flakes or any herb or spice you like
Oil or butter for cooking

What to do:
Combine all ingredients thoroughly, and shape into small round balls, around a tablespoon full in size.
Spoon the mixture into a heated, oiled frying pan and cook for two minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Apple Cinnamon Fritters

Ingredients:
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup water
1 tblsp macadamia oil, plus extra for frying
2 eggs, separated
2 green apples

What to do:
Mix together the flour and cinnamon, then slowly stir in the water and oil. Add the lightly beaten egg yolks and stir well. If you prefer a sweeter taste, add some brown sugar to the batter.
Peel, core and thinly slice the apples.
Whisk the egg whites until peaks form, fold them into the batter.
Dip the apple slices in the batter, then fry until they are golden brown on each side. Serve with lemon juice and brown sugar.

Magical Apples

One Halloween tradition is apple bobbing. Apples are placed in a tub of water, and those who are single have their hands tied behind their backs and take it in turns to bob for apples – the first to catch one with their teeth and lift it out of the water will apparently be next to marry. A modern variation has the apples suspended from string, to avoid the head-in-water aspect. Another form of apple divination is to remove the peel in a single long strand. Then, using your dominant hand (the one you write with), toss the peel over the opposite shoulder. According to folklore, it will form into a letter of the alphabet – believed to be the initial of your future husband.

Screaming Ghost Cookies

Ingredients:
125g butter
0.5 cup raw sugar
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla essence
2 cups plain flour

What to do:
Lightly beat the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla together. (It takes a bit longer to do this with a fork and a spoon, but it does work!)
Add the sifted flour and mix well. Knead the dough on a floured surface then refrigerate for at least half an hour, which will help the cookies better hold their size and shape as they cook.
Roll out the dough until it’s about half a centimetre thick. Shape into ovals. (If you are in a rush, you can also make these using arrowroot biscuits, which are the same oval shape.)
Place on lightly greased baking trays and bake in a preheated 180C oven for around 15 minutes, or until crisp and golden.

To decorate:
1 egg white
1.5 cups icing sugar
2 tsps lemon juice
Jelly beans, halved lengthwise
Smarties
Whisk egg white in a small bowl. Slowly add icing sugar, in three batches, still stirring vigorously, and add enough lemon juice to make it a good spreading consistency.
Spread over cooled cookies. Add two Smarties to the top of each cookie for eyes, and a halved jelly bean for a mouth. So cute.

Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Capsicums

Ingredients:
4 orange capsicums
1 tblsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
0.5 cup diced carrot
1 garlic clove
0.5 cup chopped zucchini
0.5 cup chopped mushrooms
0.5 cup corn kernels (fresh, sliced off the cob, or canned)
0.5 cup chopped broccoli
Freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt to taste
Fresh basil, parsley or other herbs
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup grated cheese

What to do:
Slice the tops of the capsicums off, and scoop out the seeds. Carefully cut out the eyes and mouths of your jack-o-lanterns.
Heat the oil in a large pot and start cooking the onions. Add the carrots and the garlic, then the rest of the vegies and the seasoning. When they are all soft, remove from heat and stir the cooked brown rice and the grated cheese into your mixture.
Stuff the filling into the capsicum shells, place the lids on top, and bake in a preheated 180C oven for around 20 minutes.
You can use anything you like to stuff your capsicums – swap any vegies you don’t like, add any you do (tomato would work well, but I’m allergic…). Choose brightly coloured vegies to add to the aesthetics. You can use quinoa instead of rice, or half and half of each, and whatever kind of cheese you like – goats cheese, feta and mozzarella add a nice flavour, so choose whatever you like best.

These are some of the recipes I created for the book Witchy Magic.