Bakers have been scaring up some ghoulish delights for the spooky season.
Biscuits, cupcakes, doughnuts, and even steamed buns have been Halloween makeovers, while flavours such as pumpkin spice and toffee apple are sure to give party-goers and trick-or-treaters something to sink their teeth into.
We looked at a host of new products in our Halloween NPD round-up a few weeks ago, but horror movies often get a sequel, we thought we’d release a follow-up of our own:
Halloween empire biscuits, McGhee’s
Glasgow-based McGhee’s has launched its limited-edition Halloween empire biscuits, featuring two buttery shortcrust layers sandwiched with raspberry conserve, topped with smooth fondant icing and a chocolate skeleton and cobweb design. McGhee’s said the biscuits have been a hit since their 2021 debut, with volumes almost doubling year on year as new stockists come on board.
“Our Halloween empires have become a bit of a tradition for families across Scotland, and it’s something we really look forward to baking each year,” added McGhee’s commercial director Aisling McGhee. “Empire biscuits have always been part of what we do, but their popularity has really taken off in recent years. In 2005 we were only producing around 2,000 a day, and there has been an extraordinary scale-up in production capacity since then.”
McGhee’s Halloween empire biscuits are listed in selected Scotmid, Iceland, Spar, Morrisons (Glasgow area) One-O-One Convenience, Sainsbury’s and local independent stores across Scotland.
Halloween range, Birds Bakery
Birds has unveiled a limited-edition selection of handmade treats ranging from chocolate frogs to gingerbread monsters. Prices for the products, which are all freshly made in Birds’ Derby bakery, start at £1.20. The line-up includes:
- White Chocolate Ghost Lolly
- Chunky Milk Chocolate Halloween Lolly
- Milk Chocolate Frog
- Gingerbread Monster
- Belgian Chocolate Mice (milk, white and strawberry chocolate)
- Halloween Cupcake
Alongside the new range, Birds’ popular Chocolate Orange Brownie is making its return.
Rumi Bun, Bun House
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Cantonese-style steamed bun specialists Bun House have been inspired by one of the characters from smash-hit Netflix movie K-Pop Demon Hunters to create a limited-edition bun for Halloween.
The Rumi bun features the character’s signature purple braid and is filled with velvety purple yam.
“I have lost count of the number of times I watched this movie with my children over the summer,” said Bun House co-founder Z He. “After falling in love with all the characters, especially Rumi, I just knew we had to recreate her signature look for this year’s Halloween bun.”
The Rumi Bun will be available in-store, priced £5.80, at London’s Bun House and Bun House Disco.
Halloween doughnuts, Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme is giving consumers the chance to sink their teeth into pumpkin spice this season with its Halloween doughnut range. The line-up comprises:
- Howl-o-ween (from £2.85) – Original Glazed doughnut topped with chocolatey icing, frosting and a werewolf face
- Cookies & Skreme (from £2.85 – Filled with Cookie Kreme and rolled in silver sugar cookie crumble, and topped with a haunted house plaque
- Spellbound Sprinkles (from £2.45) – Original Glazed doughnut topped with apple and blackcurrant-flavoured icing and rolled in sprinkles
- Pumpkin Spicemare (from £3.99) – Spiced Pumpkin Kreme-filled doughnut dipped in orange icing and decorated with a spooky face plaque.
“With four new doughnuts that deliver the iconic Krispy Kreme texture, but with a spooky twist, this new Halloween collection will be hard to resist,” said Krispy Kreme UK president Guy Meakin.
Halloween line-up, Bombolone
London-based Bombolone has unveiled six hand-decorated and ‘devilishly indulgent’ brioche-style doughnuts. They are available in two styles of ‘scare’ package: 12 mini doughnuts for £29.90 and six full-size doughnuts for £24. The line-up comprises:
- Ripple Pie – Spiced apple pie, buttery crumble and warm cinnamon
- Eye Love Hazel – Chocolate hazelnut filling under a dark glaze
- Caramel Curse – A ‘dark delight’ with a salted caramel inside
- Strawberry Scream – Strawberries and white chocolate
- Pumpkin Spell – Creamy and spiced
- Mummy Mia! – A creamy cheesecake filling wrapped in white chocolate.
Toffee Apple Crumble Sharing Cheesecake, The English Cheesecake Company
While not strictly a Halloween treat, this launch from The English Cheesecake Company is perfectly pitched for the autumn season. The London-based business has paired sweet apples with notes of creamy custard, toffee sauce, and a crunchy crumble topping.
“This is the most perfect autumnal dessert, taking the hallmark flavours of the season and combining them in one delicious cheesecake, ideal for sharing,” said the supplier.
It is available now (rsp £5.99) in store and online at Morrisons and online via Ocado.
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