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.

MUMMY HAND PIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add the pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and a pinch of salt to a medium bowl and stir to combine.
• Roll out 1 pie crust on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin to form a rectangle about 9 inches by 12 inches. Square off the crust with a knife, reserving the scraps for decorating. Cut the pie crust into 6 equal rectangles, each about 3 inches by 6 inches. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Roll out the other pie crust to the same thickness as the first. Cut into thin strips about 1/4 inch wide and 7 inches long. Repeat with the reserved dough scraps. Transfer the strips to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Add 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling to the center of each rectangular crust. Use the back of a spoon to spread out the filling, leaving about a 1/2-inch border around the edges.
• Lightly beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush the edges of the pies with the egg wash. Layer the strips of dough, varying the angle of each strip to create a "mummy" look. Seal the edges with a fork and use a paring knife to trim the overhang. Lightly brush the tops of the hand pies with the egg wash. Add 2 raisins to each hand pie for the eyes.
• Bake, rotating the pan halfway through for even color, until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a baking rack slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Serve as is or decorate with a simple icing. Combine the confectioners' sugar in a small bowl with 1/2 teaspoon water. Stir until smooth and glossy. Transfer the icing to a resealable plastic bag and snip off the corner. Pipe the icing onto the hand pies using the stripes of pie crust as a guide. Serve.

LAYERED CANDY CORN PIE

Steps:

• For the cookie crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Stir the cookie crumbs, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl until combined. Stir in the butter and continue to mix until the mixture looks like wet sand and holds together when pinched.
• Firmly press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Bake until the crust is set and lightly toasted, 12 to 15 minutes. If the crust puffs while baking, use the bottom of measuring cup to gently press the crust back down while it's still warm. Cool completely.
• For the lemon filling: Once the crust is cool, combine the lemon juice and gelatin in a small microwave-safe bowl and set aside to let gelatin soften, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add the coconut milk, sugar, turmeric and salt to a blender and blend on medium speed until combined. Microwave the juice-gelatin mixture until just hot and liquefied, about 30 seconds. Stir to make sure the gelatin is dissolved, then add to the coconut-milk mixture in the blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into the cooled crust, then refrigerate until set, about 45 minutes.
• For the mango filling: Combine 1/4 cup of the orange juice and the gelatin in a small microwave-safe bowl and set aside to let gelatin soften, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add the mango, raspberries, sugar, salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon orange juice to a blender and blend on medium speed until smooth and combined, scraping down the sides of the jar with a rubber spatula as needed. Microwave the juice-gelatin mixture until just hot and liquefied, about 30 seconds. Stir to make sure the gelatin is dissolved, then add to the mango mixture in the blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve directly on top of the set lemon layer, pressing on the solids in the sieve with a rubber spatula to extract as much filling as possible. Spread into a smooth and even layer using an offset spatula, then refrigerate until set, about 45 minutes.
• For the coconut filling: Combine 1/4 cup of the coconut milk and the gelatin in a small microwave-safe bowl and set aside to let gelatin soften, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add the remaining 3/4 cup coconut milk, sugar, coconut extract and salt to a blender and blend on medium speed until combined. Microwave the coconut milk-gelatin mixture until just hot and liquefied, about 30 seconds. Stir to make sure the gelatin is dissolved, then add to the coconut mixture in the blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve directly on top of the set mango layer, then refrigerate until the filling is firmly set and with only the slightest jiggle when moved, at least 2 hours or up to overnight (wrap tightly in plastic wrap).
• For the toasted meringue topping: Combine the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and cornstarch in a large heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a medium saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the egg whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy and stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Beat in the coconut extract, then transfer to a piping bag fitting with a round pastry tip.
• Pipe 1-inch dollops of meringue on top of the pie, layering upward as you go, until all the meringue is used. Use a small kitchen torch to toast the meringue until deep golden brown. Nestle candy corn throughout the toasted meringue, then cut into wedges to serve.

HALLOWEEN MUDPIE

Steps:

• Put cookies in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Empty into a bowl and stir in the melted butter. Press the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate to form a shell and freeze for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, soften the ice cream slightly. Drop in a few gummy worms (that's the Halloween part) and spoon into the pie shell. Top with a thick layer of fudge sauce and freeze for at least 1 hour before serving with optional whipped cream. Makes 8 servings.