Tastefully decorate your home this Halloween

The cultural melting pot of the GCC has surely brought shared celebrations, one of them being Halloween which is definitely here to stay. Celebrating Halloween doesn’t have to be over the top, distasteful or only solely exclusive to children – quite the contrary! It can be orchestrated in an elegant and simple manner bringing family and friends together whilst also having fun. The main thing is to keep it small scale, in line with your home décor whilst also keeping it centralized and focused.

Here are 5 Halloween Tricks to get your party started:

Trick Number 1: Alternative pumpkins

Instead of opting for the traditional pumpkin carving, why not opt for pumpkins in black, white or gold to match your home décor. You can definitely put down your carving knife and instead pick up spray paint to paint the pumpkin and you can use acrylic paint for any touch ups. Use painters tape to section off areas for the color blocking which can be found in any decorating and craft store. Finish up using any studs and push pins, also found at any craft shop using small finishing accessories suited to your style.

Trick Number 2: Create a focal point

Halloween doesn’t have to be throughout your whole home – you can use your mantelpiece or a coffee table and dedicate this area to Halloween. Pumpkins can be painted in neutral colours like silver, black and white fitting in with most home decors.

Trick Number 3: It’s all about the lighting

Candles and lanterns. Halloween is all about creating a sense of mystery and spookiness but we can do this in a nice simple way. Team up black and white candles, or how about buying some black lace and putting it around clear glasses to great a ‘spider web’ type look while making it look tasteful.

Browse our range of Baci Milano candles with unique fragrances including white musk, spices wood to give that sense of atmosphere to your Halloween evening. They come in both large and smaller sizes in both black & white to make the perfect mix ‘n’ match. If you’re looking to upscale Halloween look no further than our Moon candles that come in a range of colours including red, grey, amber, orange and black perfect for Halloween.

Trick Number 4: Create a tableau

Create a tableau dedicated to Halloween to bridge the balance between fun and simplicity. Fill tall Baci jars and bowls with different assortments of chocolate and candy to get ready for the trick or treaters.

Trick Number 5: Bake the perfect treat

Treating can be in the form of brownies, cupcakes or pumpkin pie – the smell of cinnamon creating a sense of Halloween warmth throughout the home. Here is a Pumpkin pie recipe to help you on your way. Why not browse our range of bakeware that will surely set you on the right road to the perfect Halloween treat from Pentole Agnelli.

Halloween Pumpkin Pie

The pumpkin pie has an intense flavor and very sweet; to prepare it is advisable to use a pumpkin from the pulp very compact, so that it does not release the watery part during cooking.

Ingredients

200 g icing sugar

Butter 250 g

500 g all-purpose flour

4 egg yolks

Fine salt to taste

Vanilla essence to taste

Filling

Brown sugar 70 g

1 Large egg

Fresh liquid cream 180 ml

Powdered cinnamon to taste

Nutmeg to taste

Grated fresh ginger to taste

Pumpkin (already cleaned) 800 g

Pastry: Mix the flour, butter and a pinch of salt, then blend everything until the result has a dry sandy consistency. Transfer the mix onto a work surface, forming the classic "Fountain", then add the icing sugar, vanilla extract (the tip of teaspoon will be enough) and the yolks.

Knead with your hands for a few minutes, until you have a soft and compact dough. Now form a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and put to rest in the refrigerator for at least half an hour. Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds, then cut it into small pieces and cook in a preheated oven at 200° c, covered with aluminum foil for 45 minutes, or until it is softened. Transfer the pumpkin into a bowl and mash well with a spoon or fork, add the brown sugar and a little grated fresh ginger plus all the remaining ingredients. Mix carefully, then put the cream in a saucepan and thicken the mixture on low heat for approximately 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, transfer it onto a floured surface and roll it out with the help of a rolling pin, until you reach a layer thickness of about 5 mm. Roll it out into a loaf pan 26 cm, buttered and floured. Prick the bottom of the pastry with prongs or a fork then pour the pumpkin filling. The remaining pastry dough can be used to decorate the pie by creating spiders or spider web designs on the pie.

Bake the cake in the oven, preheated to 200 degrees for the first 20 minutes and then at 180° for another 30 min. As soon as it's cooked remove from oven and cool it completely.

From all of us here at Apartment51, Happy Hallooweeening!