GHOSTFACE TREACLE TART

As a huge horror fan, Scream is probably my favourite scary movie. I rewatch the franchise the most out of the horror movies and I never get bored. I find them comforting which sounds strange but I think it brings me back to the late 90s/ early 2000s where pop culture really had a hold on me, a simpler time.

Scream had everything I needed. A coming of age horror that wreaked of 90s iconography which toyed with the cliches of a typical slasher film. It also had iconic 90’s actresses throughout the franchise who I idolised, especially Sarah Michelle Gellar and Courteney Cox which made them extra special.

Ghostface is a legend in horror movies which ironically is what half of the Ghostface’s wanted… to be famous. Ghostface is a melodramatic narcissistic who comically taunts his victims on the phone before gifting them with their demise. Ghostface loves the drama and I feel that's why they are one of the most iconic serial killers in any franchise. Compared to Michael Myers, Jason and Leatherface, Ghostface is loud, quick on their feet and creative with all their killings.

For Halloween this year, I wanted to pay homage to my favourite horror villain, Ghostface. This recipe is just a guideline. Have fun with it.

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GHOSTFACE TREACLE TART

MAKES: 8-10 SLICES/ BAKED IN 1 HOUR + DECORATION TIME- /DIFFICULTY:MEDIUM/ VEGGIE

INGREDIENTS

• 60g unsalted butter

• 435g golden syrup

• 1 tsp dried ginger

• 1 egg and 1 yolk

• 2 tbsp double cream

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 140g breadcrumbs ( I used day old wholemeal)

• 3x 500g shortcrust pastry blocks

• Red, white and black food colouring

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c.

2. To create your Ghostface pie, find an image of Ghostface you would like to recreate.

3. I rolled out one of the pastry blocks til it was 0.5cm in thickness. Place the base of the pie dish in the centre and carefully cut out a circle. In the circle I created my body for Ghostface and using the excess pastry, I created the face, hood, hands and knife. This is the perfect time to flex your creative skills and have fun to make Ghostface 3D looking. Roll out your second pastry block to the thickness of a 2 pence piece and use this sheet to create letters, branches and telephone cords or whatever you would like to use to decorate the pie.

4. Paint with red, white and black food colouring and chill until solid.

5. Place the pie topper on a parchment paper and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Allow to cool.

6. On a floured surface, roll out one of the shortcrust pastry blocks out enough to fill a 23cm x 3.5cm deep flan dish. Roll the pastry over the dish and carefully line the inside.carefully remove any excess pastry and prick the base of the pastry. Place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place a large baking sheet in the oven to heat up.

7. Scrunch up a large piece of parchment paper and place it over the pastry case. Fill with a layer of baking beans or uncooked rice. Put the case on the hot baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden and the base has no grey patches.

8. Remove the beans and parchment and place the pastry case back in the oven for 5 minutes until the case is golden brown. Remove and lower the temp to 150c

9. To make the filling, melt the butter in a large saucepan on a low-medium heat. Pour in the golden syrup, eggs and ginger and mix well until well combined.

10. Stir in the breadcrumbs, lemon juice and double cream and season with salt.

11. Pour the filling into the cooled pastry case and bake for 35-45 minutes until the filling is set but has a slight wobble in the centre. Allow to cool.

12. Place your baked Ghostface centrepiece and decoration on top of the tart and enjoy.