Ghostly Pumpkin Pudding Food

GHOSTLY PUMPKIN PUDDING

Steps:

• For pudding: Put 1 tablespoon of cold water in a large bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over the surface, do not stir, and set aside until gelatins softens and blooms
• Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a stand mixer's bowl above the water. Whisk milk, sugar, yolks, cinnamon and salt in a heat-proof bowl. Set the bowl above the boiling water and cook, stirring constantly with a heat-proof spatula, until mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon and almost boils, 10 to 12 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and pour over the gelatin, whisking constantly until gelatin is completely dissolved and evenly distributed. Whisk in pumpkin until combined and completely smooth.
• Evenly divide mixture into 12 small 3-ounce cups (paper works fine) and refrigerate until set, about 4 to 8 hours.
• For topping: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a stand mixer's bowl above the water. Whisk the 2 egg whites, sugar, cream of tarter, and salt in the bowl by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer bowl to mixer and beat with the whisk attachment at medium-high speed until eggs hold a stiff peak, about 5 minutes.
• Spoon topping onto puddings in the shape of a ghost. Decorate with candy eyes and refrigerate until ready to serve.

MEATBALL MUMMIES

Steps:

• Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray and set aside.
• Combine the beef, sausage, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, milk, oregano, chile flakes, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix well with your hands. Add the oil and egg and continue mixing with your hands until all the ingredients are combined. Use a small ice cream scoop to pop chunks out into your hand, then roll into meatballs. (This will ensure that the meatballs are all the same size.)
• Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheets and freeze for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with nonstick parchment paper.
• Lay out one of the sheets of puff pastry on a work surface, then use a knife to cut 18 thin strips, each strip measuring 1/2 inch wide by 9 inches long. Cut each strip in half crosswise. Repeat with the other sheet of puff pastry.
• Wrap 2 strips of dough around each meatball like bandages, stretching the dough as necessary. Separate the "bandages" near one side of each to show the meatball "face." Place the meatballs on the lined baking sheets.
• Bake until the pastry is golden brown and the meatballs are cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly. Put ketchup and mustard in squeeze bottles and use them to make little eyes. Serve.

GHOSTLY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low; beat in half of the flour mixture, then all of the milk, then the remaining flour mixture until just combined.
• Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to the rack to cool completely. Using a serrated knife, trim off the tops of the cupcakes so that they are flat.
• Place the dark chocolate and white chocolate chips in two separate bowls. Add 4 teaspoons coconut oil to the dark chocolate and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut oil to the white chocolate. Melt each bowl of chocolate in the microwave at medium power, stirring every 30 seconds, until just liquid and smooth.
• Working with one cupcake a time, spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of the dark chocolate on top, spreading it evenly over the top with the back of the spoon. While the dark chocolate is still liquid, spoon 1 teaspoon of the white chocolate in the center of the cupcake. Drag a toothpick or skewer through the center of the white chocolate outward to form a "tail." Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
• Rewarm the dark chocolate until liquid again, if necessary. Scrape the chocolate into a resealable plastic bag, snip off one corner and pipe small dots of dark chocolate on the white chocolate ghosts to form 2 eyes. Pipe a third dot twice as big to form a mouth. Let the chocolate set for 10 minutes before serving.