As Halloween nearing, I have been inspired by Nuts.com to share a healthy snack to enjoy rather than a candy. I wanted to make something healthy for everyone, also should suit Halloween and most of all should be loved by kids. I was hunting for recipe but nothing satisfied me, finally took on my very creation and created a fabulous, fantastic, healthy, delicious and a nutty dish, named it as “Spooky Nut Monster”, which goes out well for both breakfast and snack.

A very simple, easy, delicious and less time consuming snack to prepare. Everyone in my family including my kids loved it. Not only for Halloween, it goes out well for breakfast and also consuming for breakfast would be the better as it’s full and full of nuts.

Wish you all a Happy Halloween and stay tuned for upcoming Halloween recipes. Let us move on to the recipe …

Taking this to Fiesta Friday #92 hosted by Angie@thenovicegarderner. Do check out my other Halloween Recipes in this link: http://wp.me/p3UwPt-2CH, also stay tuned for more recipes in another 4 to 5 hrs.

Ingredients:

• Pie dough – 4 balls (a big lemon size)
• Walnuts – ¼ cup
• Cashew nuts – ¼ cup
• Almonds / Badam – ¼ cup
• Black raisins – 15 nos
• Oats – 2 tbsp
• Cornflakes – ½ cup
• Cherries – 10 nos
• Mixed fruit jam – 2 tbsp
• Milk – 3 cups
• Butter – 1 tbsp
• Sugar or Brown sugar – 1 tsp
• Salt – a pinch
• Tart pan or a Muffin Tray

Preparation:

• Prepare the Pie dough or use a ready Pie dough and divide them 5 lemon size portion and roll them to balls. ( I used home-made pie dough).
• Coarsely crush or pound all the dry fruits except raisins and cherried one by one using mortar and pestle or blender (make sure that it should be coarsely pound).
• Mix all the pounded dry fruits with sugar or brown sugar, butter and a pinch of salt. Keep it aside.
• Grease the tart pan and preheat the oven to 180 degree C.
• Roll out the dough balls and place gently in the Tart pan. Bake it for 6 mins or until it starts turning golden brown.
• Remove from the over, fill it with the dry fruit mixture and bake for 3 mins.
• Remove from the oven, let it cool down, and carefully remove the cup of nuts. Keep it aside.
• Take the mixed fruit jam in a mixing bowl, pour in a tbsp. of milk and beat continuously with a spoon for 5 to 6 mins or until it reaches thick syrup consistency.
• Place the Black raisins to form the eyes of a monster, and halve (lengthwise) the cherry and place it gently on the cup of nuts to form the mouth.
• Pour in ½ cup or your desired quantity of milk over the nuts.
• Drop the jam (syrup consistency) here and there all over the cup of nuts, to resemble the flow of blood.

Serve it a bowl. I have decorated it with a paper bat, sticked to the tooth pick

Shell life: Stays fresh for almost 2 weeks when stored in an air-tight container before adding milk. Stays only for a day when milk is added.

Do check out my home-made pie dough recipe in this link: https://madraasi.com/2015/10/25/pie-crust/.