Bonfire Night is on the horizon, with the festival of gunpowder, treason and plot coming on Thursday November 5.
And what better way to celebrate than by wrapping up warm and watching some stunning fireworks and bonfires with loads of tasty food?
Here are some comforting recipes for you to try out this year:
Tesco: Toffee apples with chocolate, hazelnuts and sesame seeds (makes 12)
Ingredients
12 small red-skinned apples
12 lollipop sticks
For sesame seed toffee apples
200g (7oz) demerara sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp golden syrup
20g (¾oz) butter
30g (1oz) sesame seeds
For chocolate-coated apples
200g (7oz) plain chocolate (50% cocoa for best results)
2 tsp (per apple) roasted chopped hazelnuts
Method
1) Push a stick into each apple.
2) For the sesame seed apples, combine the sugar with 50ml (2fl oz) of water over a low heat and allow the sugar to dissolve. Add the vinegar, golden syrup and butter into a pan. Stir with a wooden spoon on a medium heat to melt, then bring to the boil. Boil for 5-6 minutes. To test if the toffee is ready, put a drop of the mixture into water to see if it hardens. Remove from the heat, add the sesame seeds (or, for a classic toffee apple, you can leave these out) and swirl the pan. Dip into the toffee to coat. Let any excess drip off. Put on an oiled baking tray to cool for 10 minutes.
3) For the chocolate-coated apples, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Dip each apple into the chocolate to coat, and sprinkle with nuts. Put on a tray in the fridge to set.
If you're tempted by this recipe, you can buy the ingredients here.
Tesco: Sticky maple and mustard pulled pork wraps (serves 6)
Ingredients
1.8kg (3 1/2lb) boned pork shoulder
200ml (1/3pt) stout
Flour tortillas, warmed
For the marinade
2 red chillies, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
4 tbsp maple syrup
3cm (1 1/4in) ginger, chopped
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Handful thyme sprigs, leaves picked
2 tbsp light olive oil
Method
1) Score the skin of the pork, leaving 5mm (1/4in) gaps. Pat dry with kitchen paper and transfer to a roasting tin.
2) For the marinade, whizz the chillies, garlic, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, mustard, thyme, oil and seasoning until smooth. Coat the pork with the marinade. Cover and chill for 2 hours, or overnight, if possible. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
3) Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Season the pork. Cook for 20 minutes, then pour in the stout around the meat, cover with foil, and reduce the temperature to gas 1, 140°C, fan 120°C. Roast for 5 hours, basting occasionally with the meat juices.
4) Remove the foil and turn up the heat to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Cook for 20 minutes; remove from the oven and leave to rest, covered, for 20 minutes.
5) Meanwhile, make a gravy. Pour the meat juices into a pan. Skim the fat from the surface, and then boil for 5 minutes, until thickened slightly. Transfer to a serving jug.
6) Using 2 forks, shred the pork onto a serving plate and drizzle over a little of the gravy. Serve with warm tortillas and the remaining gravy.
If this recipe tickles your tastebuds, you can buy the ingredients here.
Aldi: Butternut Squash and Bean Chilli (serves 4-6)
Ingredients
1 Butternut Squash
1 Large Onion
2 Sticks of Celery
3 Fresh Chillies
2 Cloves Garlic
1 tsp Stonemill Paprika
400g tin Sweet Harvest Chickpeas
400g tin Sweet Harvest Red Kidney Beans
2 x 400g tins Sweet Harvest Chunky Chopped Tomatoes with Herbs
1 Quixo Vegetable Stock Cube
300ml Boiling Water
Salt and Black Pepper
A little Solesta Olive Oil
Method
1) Peel the butternut squash and cut in half lengthways, remove the seeds and pith, then chop into small chunks.
2) Peel and finely chop the onion.
3) Peel and finely chop the garlic.
4) Wash and chop the celery into small chunks.
5) Dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water.
6) Cut the chillies in half lengthways, remove the seeds (if you like very hot chilli leave some seeds) and then chop finely.
7) Sauté the onion with a little oil in the saucepan for 2-3 minutes, then add the chopped chilli, garlic, celery and butternut squash and stir well.
8) Add the tomatoes and vegetable stock. Sprinkle over the paprika and season with some black pepper and salt, then cover and cook for 20 minutes.
9) Meanwhile, drain the chickpeas and the red kidney beans. Add these to the chilli and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Asda: American pecan pie (serves 8)
Ingredients
500g Asda Ready To Roll Shortcrust Pastry
Flour, for rolling out
300g Asda Pecans
3 large free-range eggs
100g light soft brown sugar
150g golden syrup
4 tbsp maple syrup
50g butter melted
1 level tsp cornflour
Method
1) Roll out the shortcrust pastry and use to line a 23cm flan tin. Prick the base and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
2) Lay a piece of baking paper in the flan case and weigh it down with baking beans, dried beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans or rice and return it to the oven for a further 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3.
3) Meanwhile, pick out enough perfect pecans to arrange on top – it will be just under half of them. Set aside. Finely chop the rest and put in a pastry case.
4) Lightly whisk the eggs. Add the soft brown sugar, golden syrup, maple syrup and melted butter, and whisk until evenly blended. Mix the cornflour with 2 tsp water until smooth and stir in. (For a special occasion, add 2 tbsp Asda Deep South Whiskey.) Pour the mixture into the flan tin.
5) Arrange the reserved pecans neatly on top of the mixture and bake in the oven for about 35 minutes. Cool slightly before serving warm, or leave to cool and serve cold.
Aldi: Pumpkin muffins (makes 12-18)
Ingredients
400g pumpkin flesh
200ml Del Rivo orange juice with bits
125g sweetvine sultanas
300g The Pantry plain flour
250g The Pantry caster sugar
1 tsp stonemill salt
1 tsp The Pantry bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp The Pantry baking powder
1 tsp stonemill ground cinnamon
50g The Pantry walnut pieces
270g jar Bramwells apple sauce
3 large eggs
Method
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4.
2) Chop the pumpkin flesh up into pieces and cook in a saucepan with the orange juice for about 10 minutes - until soft. Then puree in a food processor or with a stick blender.
3) In a mixing bowl add the pumpkin puree, the apple sauce, walnuts and sultanas and mix well.
4) In another bowl add all the dry ingredients - flour, caster sugar, baking powder, salt, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon - mix well.
5) Then whisk the eggs together and add to the pumpkin mix.
6) Then add this mix to the dry ingredients, mixing well.
7) Line a 12 hole muffin case with paper cases - divide the mixture between the cases - you may have enough to make another 6 more depending on the size of the tray.
8) Bake for 30 minutes - until risen and when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
