Halloween isn’t that far away (31^st October for the initiated) so here’s a recipe to save you money on all those candy bars and ghoulish sweets you may feel obliged to buy, to satisfy the little darlings who come knocking on your door, trick or treating. One witty parent referred to it as “Trick or Drink?” last year, as he wearily did the rounds. I felt like a stiff drink by the end of it too. Offer the children a cookie instead of sweets, perhaps wrapped in cellophane packets if you’re really getting fancy (or trying to impress the other mums and dads). 

Halloween Choc Cookies (makes 112! Recipe may be halved as this makes tonnes)
Ingredients:
1.25kg rolled oats
500g butter (2 packs) at room temperature

500g white sugar
500g brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1kg plain flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
680g chocolate chips
500g grated Cadbury’s milk chocolate
375g chopped nuts (optional)
Method: Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Add chocolate chips, grated Chocolate and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Eat warm or cool COMPLETELY and keep in sealable containers.

Bulk freezing tip: Take all the mixture you don’t need for one batch and roll it into log-shapes about 5cm thick. Wrap in cling film and freeze. Then, when you’re ready to bake more cookies, partially defrost a log and slice it into 1cm rounds. Place on a baking sheet, well apart to allow for spreading, and bake as before.  

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