Halloween Pie Food

HALLOWEEN PIE

Steps:

• Either purchase a prepared chocolate wafer pie crust, or make one: Crush one package chocolate wafer cookies into fine crumbs, mix with 1/3 cup melted margarine, and press all but three tablespoons of the crumb mixture into a ten-inch pie plate.
• To make the filling: Combine the orange jello, boiling water, sugar, orange juice and orange rind (freshly grated, not dried), stirring until the sugar crystals are dissolved.
• Chill in a bowl until this reaches a soft jelly-like consistency.
• Whip the chilled evaporated milk (a small tin, 160 mL in size, not the big one) until it becomes light and frothy.
• Fold this into the jello mixture along with the liqueur.
• Pour into the pie shell, and sprinkle with reserved crumbs, if available.
• Chill for one to two hours before serving.
• This lets the pie set and you'll be able to cut it into slices.

HALLOWEEN WHOOPIE PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until smooth. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and applesauce, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until smooth (do not overmix).
• Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto two baking sheets. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cookie comes out clean, 10 to 14 minutes. With a thin metal spatula, immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners sugar, beating until smooth.
• Spread bottom of half the cookies with 1 tablespoon filling each; sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing gently so filling oozes out slightly. Sprinkle exposed filling with nonpareils. Let rest 15 minutes to set.

HALLOWEEN APPLE & STRAWBERRY PIE

Steps:

• Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Roll out the puff pastry to a 30 x 45cm rectangle, then put it on a large baking sheet lined with baking parchment.
• Put the pastry in front of you with a short edge nearest to you. Spread the jam in a line down the centre, about 12cm wide, leaving 2cm of pastry at the top and bottom. Arrange the apple slices on top in a thin layer.
• To make the bandage pattern, lightly mark a 1cm-border around the jam. Cut the pastry edges into 1cm wide strips from the line outwards.
• Fold the strips of pastry over inwards on both sides, starting from the top until you reach the bottom, making some of them straight and some of them diagonal, so every now and then you can see some jam and apple. Don't worry if they don't look neat - this should look like a mummy. Every now and then you can break off a strip so you can see more filling. Chill for 20 mins. Can be wrapped in cling film and frozen for up to 1 month.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and put in a baking sheet to heat up. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the sugar. Slide the tart on its parchment onto the hot baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 mins or until golden brown on top. Cool for a few mins, then push pairs of icing eyes into the pastry gaps so they look like they're looking out.