Keep small sorts shtum while they sink their teeth into this sugary fix from confectioner extraordinaire Miss Hope, of Hope & Greenwood fame…

I am a real stickler for traditional Hallowe’en fayre, such as these sticky toffee apples with liquorice root ‘stalks’. A walk in The Oak Wood is not complete without a warm pocket of buttery bonfire toffee, ginger beer and the odd soul cake. The word Hallowe’en is short for All Hallows’ Eve and if you spell Hallowe’en without the apostrophe I will get really quite cross with you.

For the Toffee:

7 oz. (200g) Granulated sugar

1 tsp White wine vinegar

4 ½ fl oz. (120ml) Golden syrup

1 oz. (25g) butter

6 small English knobbly apples

You will need:

6 liquorice root sticks. (6 wooden lolly sticks or indeed get out in the garden and acquire 6 reasonably sturdy twigs, (not poisonous ones) complete with the odd leaf or two).

39 x 35cm (15¼” x 13¾”) Baking tray oiled with a little butter.

1. Wash the apples and pop them into the fridge for a couple of hours, this will help the toffee stick to the apple.

2. Put the sugar into a large, heavy-based pan with 4 fl oz. (100ml) of cold water. Warm gently. Heat gently for 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Stir with a wooden spoon occasionally and check for any remaining sugar crystals with the back of a metal spoon.

3. Add the vinegar, golden syrup and butter. Bring to a gentle boil on a medium heat. Bubble away until your sugar thermometer is at 260°F (127°C). This may take up to 30 minutes, don’t be tempted to whack the heat up or the toffee will burn in an instant, your smoke alarm will go off and you will have to flap about with a T- towel.

4. While you waiting for the caramel to reach the correct temperature whittle the end of your stick to a point. Push the stick into the stalk of your apple; push it in hard as it needs to be firm and sturdy. I know you know how.

5. Remove the caramel from the heat. Pick up the first apple by its stick and dip into the caramel to coat completely turning it round and round, humming a little tune about elves and bonfires.

6. Place the apple bum side down onto the parchment and leave to cool.

Even more indulgent sticky variations:

S’more Toffee Apples

Scatter a handful of miniature marshmallows and 3 crumbled chocolate digestives into the toffee just before you dip the apple.

Nutty Toffee Apples

Add a handful of chopped nuts to the toffee before dipping the apple in it.

Why not grab some sweeties from Hope & Greenwood with your points? Trick or treat? Treat!

Blackberry picking – a nostalgic escapade of purple-stained fingers, thorny prickles and sweet, juicy berries by the dozen. And what scrummy goods we can create with our pickings! Today’s recipe comes from Weekend Baker extraordinaire Louise Holme and we think it sounds berry tasty indeed…

We’re approaching season’s end for these delectable treats but if you manage to spot a few unpicked and ripe for eating, a few things to remember; 1. Don’t pick too close to roads – the exhaust fumes may have polluted the fruits.  2. If you dare to pick below knee height make sure you wash them thoroughly, they are likely to be the target of sprinkles from many a pet pooch. Finally 3. The best berries are the juiciest ones, but don’t forget that the juice stains, both skin and clothes.  Save that new Boden coat for less messy adventures.

These cupcakes are my tea-time alternative (and by no means a replacement for) the classic crumble.  Apple chips can be bought in health food shops or you can make your own.  Any leftovers will make a tasty snack for adults and children alike.

For the apple chips:

1 Granny Smith apple

Juice of 1 lemon

100g caster sugar

250ml water

• Wash and dry the apple.  Slice as thinly as possible (without peeling or coring), discarding the ends.
• Lay the slices on a plate as you go, and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning.  Discard any pips.
• Place the sugar and water in a pan over a low heat.  Dissolve the sugar and bring to the boil.
• Pour the sugar syrup into a bowl and plunge the apple slices ensuring all slices have had a coating.  Leave overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 100°C.  Drain the apple slices and dry both sides using kitchen paper. Lay out on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.
• Dry out the slices in the oven for 1 hour, turning them over half way through.
• Store in an air-tight container.

For the cupcakes (makes 12):

200g blackberries (frozen blackberries will also work)

1 Bramley apple (large)

1 tsp cinnamon

1tsp soft brown sugar

6 cloves

225g unsalted butter

215g caster sugar

225g self-raising flour

4 medium eggs (beaten)

For the frosting:

250g icing sugar

80g unsalted butter (room temperature)

Handful of porridge oats (toasted on a baking sheet in a low-heat oven)

12 apple chips

12 blackberries

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Peel the apple (discarding the peel) and continue peeling thin slices into a pan.  Once all of the apple has been peeled down to the core, add a splash of water, the cinnamon, soft brown sugar and cloves to the pan and place over a low heat.
• Place the berries in another pan with a splash of water and place over a low heat. Add sugar to taste if the berries are bitter.
• Once both fruits have softened to a lumpy puree consistency, remove from the heat.  Remove the cloves from the apple and drain any liquid from the berries into a jug – you’ll need this later.
• Make the basic sponge mix by creaming the butter with the caster sugar, add the eggs and fold in the flour.
• Separate half the mixture into another bowl and fold in the cooked apple to one mix and the berries to the other.  (It should be approximately one part fruit to two parts cake mix.)
• Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin cases and spoon both mixtures into the cases, alternating flavours to create a marbled effect until the cases are two thirds full.
• Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes or until springy and golden.
• Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.
• Combine the icing sugar with the butter.  Add the blackberry juice leftover form earlier a little at a time until you reach a fluffy, creamy consistency and a fabulous pink colour.
• Once the muffins are cool, add the blackberry frosting.  You can use a table-knife heated in a bowl of hot water to smooth the edges.
• Dunk the iced cupcakes into a bowl of toasted porridge oats and shake off any extras.
• Finish with a blackberry and an apple chip.

Why not use any leftover cooked apple and blackberry fruit and porridge oats to make a delicious fruit crumble?

Try more of Louise’s recipes on her blog of follow her tweets