Skull Food

PIZZA SKULLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray skull mold with nonstick spray; set aside.
• Unroll pizza dough and stretch or roll into a 21x 8-inch rectangle with the long edge closest to you. Cut into six 3 1/2-inch wide strips.
• Working one at a time if necessary, lay dough into skull cavities. Add to the center a tablespoon shredded mozzarella, a tablespoon of grated parmesan, 1 tablespoon marinara sauce, a spoonful sausage, 3 pepperoni, another tablespoon sauce, one more tablespoon mozzarella and a sprinkle Italian seasoning. Fold dough over fillings and pinch dough together to seal. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• Bake for 20 minutes, remove from molds, place on a platter and garnish with parsley sprigs. Serve with extra warm pizza sauce for dipping.
• Buy Now: Skull Pan - $30.06.
• https://amzn.to/2A3hHYJ.
• Disclaimer: the above is an affiliate link, from which Genius Kitchen may earn a commission. The presence of these links does not imply an endorsement of any product or service. Price and stock may change after publication date (10/1/18).

SUGAR SKULL

Steps:

• For the skull: Combine the granulated sugar and meringue powder in a bowl, then add 2 teaspoons water and mix by hand until it feels like moist sand. Check if there is enough moisture by squeezing some sugar paste in your hand; if it maintains its shape, it's ready to mold. If it falls apart, add more water until you reach the desired consistency.
• Continue to stir the sugar mixture as you mold the skull, to keep the moisture evenly distributed. Press the sugar paste into the front skull mold. Scrape off and clean the back of the mold with a bench scraper, then unmold the skull onto a piece of cardboard. Repeat with the back skull mold. Let the skull halves dry 8 hours or overnight.
• For the icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and 3/4 cup water in a large bowl. Mix slowly with an electric mixer until it forms stiff peaks; the icing should be pure white and thick, but not fluffy and bubbly. Apply a thin layer of icing to the flat side of one of the skull halves, then use it to "glue" the two halves together. Let sit until dry, about 1 hour.
• Add food coloring to the icing (divide into several colors, if desired) and mix with a rubber spatula until the color is uniform. Transfer icings to small piping bags fitted with decorating tips and decorate the skulls as desired. Let sit until dry, 3 to 4 hours.

SUGAR SKULLS

Steps:

• Note: you will also need to purchase: metal sequins for decorating eyes [the zaar computer about had a stroke with that in the ingredients].
• Whisk powdered egg whites and water together until foamy. Add vanilla extract and corn syrup. Whisk until blended. Add powdered sugar. With a spoon, and then by hand, mix until a firm paste forms.
• Dust a jelly-roll pan with 1 cup of the cornstarch. Knead sugar paste in cornstarch for a few minutes until it becomes smooth and pliable. Roll the dough into a ball. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it until chilled.
• Begin by forming dough into round balls, each about the size of a small fist. Use more cornstarch to prevent sticking, if needed.
• Use your hands to sculpt the ball into a skull shape. Sculpt eye and nose hollows with your thumbs or a blunt knife.
• To prepare the icing, whisk powdered egg white and water together until foamy. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Divide mixture into two small bowls. Add red food coloring and cinnamon extract to one and blue food coloring and peppermint extract to the other. Mix to blend the colors in each bowl.
• Fill two pastry bags with icing mixtures. Decorate skulls with icing. Allow objects to dry. Weather conditions affect drying times. Skulls may take anywhere from several hours to 48 hours to fully dry.
• If you have bought your alfeniques [candy skulls] and would like to add chocolate candy, the directions are simple.
• Melt your favorite chocolate in a double boiler. White chocolate looks best with the skulls.
• Use a funnel with a rounded stopper to pour your chocolate (or use a spoon, messier but less expensive) into shaped molds. Wipe any drips off the edges of your molds and place in the freezer until the mold appears frosted and the candies hard. More time is better than less. Flip the mold over and tap lightly over a towel. Any candies that do not drop out easily should be placed in the freezer a little longer.

MUSHROOM SKULLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Using a melon baller, scoop out 2 cavities in each mushroom cap for the skull's eye sockets. Use a paring knife to cut a triangle for the nose area and to cut away lines in the stem for teeth. Place each mushroom upside-down (cap-side down) on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake 15 minutes for the medium mushrooms and 20 minutes for the large. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Allow to sit and come to room temperature (the mushrooms will expel a lot of water at this point; use the paper towel to absorb the moisture).
• Heat the balsamic vinegar in a small pot over medium-high heat until reduced by half. Cool to room temperature and drizzle over top of the mushroom skulls before serving.

CHEESY BUFFALO CHICKEN SKULLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the onion, garlic, celery and carrots and cook until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and buffalo wing sauce and stir to coat.
• In a medium bowl, combine the cheddar and monterey jack cheeses. Unroll the pizza dough placing the long edge closest to you. Cut into six equal strips.
• Working one at a time, lay dough into skull cavities and press gently into the bottom and half way up the sides. Fill with the chicken mixture, shredded cheeses and a spoonful of blue cheese crumbles. Fold dough over filling and pinch edges together to seal.
• Bake for 18 minutes, remove from molds and place on a platter. Serve with carrot sticks, celery sticks and blue cheese dressing for dipping.
• Buy Now: Skull Pan - $30.06.
• https://amzn.to/2A3hHYJ.
• Disclaimer: the above is an affiliate link, from which Genius Kitchen may earn a commission. The presence of these links does not imply an endorsement of any product or service. Price and stock may change after publication date (10/1/18).