Halloween mint chocolate squares

For the shortbread: heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Mix the flour and sugar together and then rub in the butter with your fingertips – or blitz in food processor if you have one.

Bring together into a dough and then press into a prepared 22cm x 30cm swiss roll tin. Prick all over with a fork. Bake in the oven for 20 mins until golden. Leave to cool.

For the mint layer: beat the butter with an electric hand mixer until smooth, then beat in the remaining ingredients, gradually adding the food colouring with a cocktail stick to build up the desired shade of green.

Use a palette knife to evenly spread the minty icing over the top of the shortbread. Pop in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow to set.

For the topping: melt the chocolate in a bowl in short bursts in the microwave, or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Pour over the mint layer and gently spread out with a palette knife to form an even layer. Allow to set but don’t put it in the fridge.

Measure the surface of the chocolate to work out 16 even slices, then score the surface gently with a knife to mark them out.

Melt the white chocolate and then pour into a disposable piping bag, snip off the end and then pipe small spirals onto each slice.

Draw a toothpick out from the centre of each spiral at angles all the way around to create the cobweb effect. Again, allow the chocolate to set and then slice and serve.

For more spooky ideas, take a look at our Halloween recipe collection