This is such a fun Halloween treat to make and so devilishly yummy. It will keep everyone entertained as they scoop up delicious mouthfuls of soft vanilla cheesecake, crunchy chocolate cookie crumbs, and pops of fresh raspberry with their chosen biscuit gravestone. The chocolate ‘soil’ has some lovely added salt and nut textures and surprise white chocolate bones to hunt for - I'm partial to a femur, though a skull has a good mouthful of chocolate. 

Finished with a grind of black salt to complete this festival of flavours. 

Kitchen tools needed:

• 1 large shallow sided dish for the graveyard – approx. 28cm diameter 
  
• Baking paper 
  
• Rolling pin
  
• Baking trays 
  
• Small Ziplock bags or additional baking paper to make a piping bag
  
• Food processor
  
• Silicon skull chocolate moulds (optional)
  
• Derwent Salt & Pepper Mill
  

Ingredients: 

Vanilla cheesecake dip:

• 750g Philadelphia cream cheese (full fat)
  
• 100g icing sugar
  
• 400ml sour cream (full fat)
  
• 3 tsp vanilla essence

Butter cookie gravestones:

• 185g unsalted butter
  
• 225g raw caster sugar
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
  
• ¼ tsp salt
  
• 380g plain flour
  
• 1 egg (large)
  
• ¼ tsp salt

Chocolate soil crumble:

• 170g plain flour
  
• 100g raw sugar
  
• 120g butter - cubed
  
• 35g cocoa – Dutch process
  
• 2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and peeled- crushed
  
• 1 tablespoons cocoa nibs
  
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  
• 1 teaspoon Black salt – or to taste

Raspberry Coulis:

• 250g raspberries (fresh or frozen)
  
• 110g icing sugar
  
• 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 200g white chocolate callets
• 150g dark chocolate callets
• Extra cocoa for dusting 

Method: 

For the cheesecake dip:

1. Beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer until smooth and creamy. 
   
2. Add the icing sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy. 
   
3. Add the sour cream and beat until just whipped being careful not to overwhip. 
   
4. Spoon the dip onto the serving dish and create a series of mounds to resemble graves. 
   
5. Cover and chill for 2-3 hours or overnight to allow it to set. 

For the butter cookie gravestones:

1. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla and salt until smooth and combined using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. 
   
2. Add the flour and beat at low speed until incorporated then add the beaten egg and mix at low speed until it starts to form a ball. 
   
3. Knead briefly until smooth by hand.
   
4. Flatten, wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
   
5. Work with ¼ of the dough at a time and keep the remainder and any off cuts chilled. 
   
6. Roll out to 5mm on a piece of baking paper and cut out gravestone shapes using a sharp knife. Add extra length at the base to insert into the dip. 
   
7. Use a letter stamp for writing, and the back of a knife or modelling tools to create designs and patterns.
   
8. Chill the shapes for 15 minutes to firm up.
   
9. Bake on trays at 170 deg FF for 10-12 minutes or until browned around the edges and starting to colour.

For the chocolate soil:

1. Pulse flour, sugar, cocoa and butter in a food processor until the ingredients are evenly combined and have formed a crumbly mixture. 
   
2. Transfer onto a sided baking tray crumble with your fingers as you spread the mix over the tray. 
   
3. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 10-15 minutes until crisp
   
4. Cool and crush the crumble to create a soil texture. 
   
5. Mix in the cocoa, cocoa nibs, salt and hazelnuts and set aside until ready to use.

For the raspberry coulis:

1. Place fresh or thawed raspberries, icing sugar and lemon juice in a small food processor or blender and process until smooth and thick. 
   
2. Strain through a sieve and chill the coulis until ready to assemble. 

Chocolate decorations:
 

1. Temper the white chocolate using your preferred method. Candy melts can also be used and only need to be melted then used, though they do set very quickly. 
   
2. Make a piping cone out of baking paper and snip a small hole at the tip or snip a small hole in the corner of a Ziplock bag and fill with melted chocolate to pipe the shapes.
   
3. Pipe bone shapes onto a piece of baking paper and allow to set. 
   
4. Fill the skull moulds if you have them with chocolate and set in the fridge prior to unmoulding. 
   
5. Dirty up the bones with a dusting of cocoa powder. 

For the gates and trees:

1. Temper the dark chocolate (or use candy melts) and fill a piping or Ziplock bag, snipping a small hole for piping.
   
2. Pipe gates, fences and spooky trees to insert into the dip. 

To assemble:

1. Remove the cheesecake dip from the fridge when ready to serve. 
   
2. Randomly squirt raspberry coulis into the dip (a food safe syringe works well). Alternatively use a teaspoon to spoon the raspberry into the dip and cover over. Transfer any extra into a jug for serving. 
   
3. Cover generously with mounds of chocolate soil.
   
4. Insert gravestones, gates, gates and trees using any clumps of soil to prop them up. 
   
5. Scatter and bury the bones and skulls
   

Enjoy the spooky feast!

Tips: 

• To save time, prepare the fiddlier decorations the day before. Chocolate decorations can be prepared well in advance and stored until ready to use. 
  
• Making your bones nice and thick works well for additional scooping
  
• Any extra butter cookies, soil and raspberry can be served on the side or makes excellent toppings for ice-cream.
  
• Make sure any leftovers are kept chilled.