Southampton chef Jay Geddes has cooked for celebrities like Beyoncé, Rihanna and the Kings of Leon – not to mention our Royal Family. Here, he shares some terrible treats for Hallowe’en

Oreo Owls (makes around 24 cupcakes)

  • 250g flour
  • 400g caster sugar
  • 110g unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
  • Half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
  • 270ml buttermilk
  • 100ml of vegetable oil
  • 250ml hot water

For the icing:

  • 200ml double cream
  • 150g mascarpone cheese
  • 60g caster sugar
  • 60g cocoa powder

To decorate:

  • 48 Oreo cookies
  • 48 Smarties or M&Ms (I used chocolate drops as I had some left over)
  • 24 any colour of Smarties or M&Ms

Pre-heat oven to 180C/gas mark 4 and line the tins with paper cases. In a bowl mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.

In a second bowl whisk the eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and vegetable oil together.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients then mix in the hot water. Divide the mixture evenly between the cases then bake for 12-14 minutes.

Let the cupcakes cool down and prepare the icing, whip the cream, add the mascarpone, caster sugar and cocoa powder and ice each cupcake with one tablespoon of icing.

Prepare the owls, open Oreos keeping the white icing on all of one side. Use the iced sides on each cupcake using them as eyes.

Stick a brown Smartie or M&M or a chocolate drop as the pupil. Add any other colour as the beak, break the other half of the Oreo (the plain side) in half and use as the eyebrows and there you have it. I did have the eyes closer in together but it scared my nephews so I changed them to not look so evil (this is true).