Witch’s cauldron with glow-in-the-dark goo

Give your spicy tomato dip a spooky touch by hollowing out a bread loaf to create a poppy seed cauldron

  • Prep:35 mins
    Cook:25 mins
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 157
  • fat 7g
  • saturates 1g
  • carbs 28g
  • sugars 7g
  • fibre 4g
  • protein 7g
  • salt 1.1g

Ingredients

  • 1 large round loaf of bread
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 100g bag poppy seeds
  • 1kg butternut squash chunks
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 400g can cream of tomato soup
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tbsp chilli sauce, we used Lingham's
  • extra toasted pitta bread, Sausage mummies (see goes well with) and cucumber sticks, to dip

Method

  1. Slice the top off the loaf, then scoop out the soft bread from the middle of the base, leaving the crust about 2.5cm thick all the way round. Slice the bread out in chunks for toasting to serve, or simply get the kids to pull it out with their fingers.

  2. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush the outside of the large ‘cauldron’ and lid all over with beaten egg, then roll the crust of the cauldron and lid in poppy seeds to coat – tipping them onto a big dinner plate first makes this easier. Sit on baking sheets, poppy seed-sides up, and bake for 10 mins. Set aside until you are ready to party.

  3. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the butternut squash, onion and garlic, then simmer until the squash and onion are tender. Drain really well, then tip into a food processor or blender with the soup, spices, chilli sauce and some seasoning and whizz to a smooth purée (or put back in the saucepan and whizz with a stick-blender). Set aside.

  4. Just before the guests are due to arrive, heat the dip in a microwave or saucepan – it should be nice and hot. Spoon into the bread cauldron, pop on the lid and carry to the party table, ready for dunking in the Sausage mummies (see goes well with), cucumber sticks and more toasted bread. And as the dip disappears, you can start to eat the cauldron, too!

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