Halloween is a very American holiday but, in these days of global integration, it's spreading far beyond those shores. Pauline D. Loh shares some not-so-scary recipes.

They would come in gigantic packs. Those famous M&M chocolate beans, Tootsie Rolls, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups all these classic American childhood candies beloved by all ages would fill the aisles in supermarkets and hypermarkets around this time. For all I know, the shelves are still groaning under their weight and the tooth fairy still chuckling in delight.

It's Halloween in a couple of days, and while the kids don't come trick-or-treating in China often, all the pubs and restaurants we've passed are dusting off their pumpkins, artificial cobwebs and plastic glow-in-the-dark skeletons and offering free grub, candies or even beer to entice customers to a scary evening of uninhibited spending.

To those not familiar with the term, Halloween may be more recognizable as the name of a series of horror movies than a traditional holiday.

Despite its popularity in the United States, the origins of Halloween are very Old World. In fact, its roots rise from the Celts, the mystic tribe from the British Isles. It is celebrated on Oct 31, the last day of the Celtic calendar. Pre-Christian era druids honored the dead on this day, and that's why you also know it as All Hallow's Eve.

Wiccans, as the modern day witches call themselves, also celebrate Samhain or "summer's end" on Oct 31, as a day to mark the end of one season and the beginning of another.

So why the treat or tricks tradition? It's a little like the Hungry Ghost Festival celebrated in the lunar calendar's seventh month is southern China. You put out sweet treats to appease the roaming spirits or ghosts that may do mischief if they are not properly acknowledged.

But whatever its origins, I think only children and partygoers now anticipate Halloween with any excitement at all. For most of us, it provides an excuse to take a break, gather with a few friends and maybe have an evening together drinking mulled wine to chase away the chills of early winter.

After dinner as the evening darkens, bring out the pumpkin seed cupcakes with their gingery bouquet, and share a platter of pumpkin and sesame seeds brittle. You may also want to acknowledge the traditional icons with spider-web cookies that are simple sugar cookies iced with white icing and chocolate.

And while you're at it, buy a pile of pumpkins and start having fun making some jack o' lanterns that you can place tea lights in. It will add warmth and atmosphere!

How to make miniature Jack O' Lanterns

1. Choose the little pumpkins that are about the size of a small soup bowl.

2. Cut off the tops of the pumpkins and hollow out the insides. Throw away the seeds.

3. Use a metal spoon and scrape the cavity clean. Give the bottom an extra scrape so the candle or tea-light can sit securely in the pumpkin.

4. Take out a pencil and draw a face on the side of the pumpkin. Make it simple, and consider that these are the "windows" that will let the light shine out.

5. Use the tip of a sharp knife to cut out the shapes of eyes, nose and mouth.

6. Place a tea light in the pumpkin and light up and enjoy!

Recipe: Pumpkin seed & Sesame brittle

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

Method:

1. Combine sugar and water and cook over low heat until sugar has completely dissolved.

2. Continue cooking the sugar mixture until it turns a light golden brown.

3. Add pumpkin and sesame seeds and immediately pour out to a well-oiled foil-lined tray. Quickly spread out the mixture with an oiled spatula or spoon. Be careful as the mixture may burn.

4. Cool completely and break into chunks.

Recipe: Pumpkin seed cupcakes

Ingredients (makes 12):

200 g all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

200 g butter, room temperature

200 g soft brown sugar

4 eggs

2 tbsp ground or powdered ginger

1/3 cup sour cream

1 packet cream cheese

1 cup icing sugar

Toasted pumpkin seeds

Silver or gold sugar balls

Yellow and red coloring

Method:

1. Line muffin pans with 12 paper cases. Heat oven to 180 C.

2. Sift flour, powdered ginger and baking powder together.

3. Cream butter and brown sugar together. Add eggs one at a time. Once mixture is well blended, fold in sifted flour mixture.

4. Divide among cupcake cases. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool cakes completely.

5. Place cream cheese and icing sugar together and blend until smooth. Color one half of the icing orange.

6. Decorate with pumpkin seeds and silver and gold sugar balls.

Recipe: Spider web cookies

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

120 g butter, room temperature

100 g soft brown sugar

1 large egg

160 ml honey

Icing: Lemon juice

Icing sugar

Melted chocolate

Silver or gold sugar balls

Method:

1. Sift dry ingredients together.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and honey and beat until well combined. Gradually beat in dry ingredients.

3. Divide dough into two batches. Wrap in plastic and chill until dough is firm.

4. Preheat oven to 175 C. Line baking sheets.

5. Roll out dough between two large sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper. The dough will stick to the rolling pin if you roll on it directly.

6. Cut out round cookies and transfer to lined baking sheets.

7. Bake cookies for about 15 minutes. Cool cookies down on rack before icing.

8. Sift icing sugar into bowl and slowly add just enough lemon juice to form a spreadable icing. Spread the cooled cookies with icing.

9. Place melted chocolate in icing bag and draw concentric circles on the icing. Using a cocktail stick, draw lines out towards the edges to create a spider web. If you have nimble fingers, drop a gold or silver sugar balls on top and create an eight-legged spider.

10. Allow the iced cookies to dry and keep in air-tight container.