Jack Olantern Art Recipes

JACK-O'-LANTERN CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cakes according to package directions using two 10-in. fluted tube pans. Invert cakes onto wire racks; cool completely. Meanwhile, tint frosting orange using red and yellow food coloring., Cut thin slice off bottom of each cake. Spread one cake bottom with frosting; press flat sides together to make a pumpkin shape. Place a foil ball in the center to support the "stem"; top with an ice cream cake cone. Frost cake with remaining frosting. , To decorate face, roll out fondant to 1/8-in. thickness; cut into desired shapes for mouth and nose. Remove tops from two Oreo cookies; cut half-circles in filling for eyes. Press cookies and fondant into frosting to make the face.

JACK-O'-LANTERN TARTS

Steps:

• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disk of dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out six 6-inch circles. Fit pastry in bottoms of six 3 3/4-inch fluted tart tins. Trim overhanging edges. Place tins on an ungreased baking sheet, and transfer sheet to refrigerator; chill shells until firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat with second disk of dough, lining six more tins.
• Roll out third disk of dough to an 1/8-inch thickness, and cut out twelve 3-inch circles. Place circles on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and transfer to refrigerator. Chill until very firm, about 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, eggs, honey, sugar, 1 cup heavy cream, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. In a small bowl, lightly beat together egg yolk and remaining 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Remove the tart tins from refrigerator, and brush crusts with egg glaze. Divide filling among shells.
• Transfer baking sheet to oven, and bake tarts until edges are golden brown and filling has set, about 30 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks to cool.
• Remove chilled pastry circles from refrigerator. Using a clean utility knife or a sharp paring knife, cut a jack-o-lantern face into each circle. Chill faces in freezer 15 minutes. Brush faces with remaining egg glaze.
• Transfer baking sheet to oven, and bake faces until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• When pies and faces have cooled, place one face on each tart.

JACK O'LANTERN STEW

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the top off the pumpkin and scoop out the insides. Rinse well. Carve a spooky face onto the pumpkin, without going all the way through the flesh. Rinse well, oil outside of pumpkin. Bake the pumpkin shell for 30 minutes.
• While shell is baking: saute the onion, green and red peppers, carrots, celery, and garlic until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Brown ground beef and chicken. Add the veggies and cooked rice and cook over low heat, stirring often, for 10 to 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.
• Remove pumpkin from oven and let stand 15 minutes. Stir the tomatoes and soup into the meat mixture. Place meat mixture into pumpkin. Put back in oven for 20 minutes. Serve on a platter with cheesy biscuits- -very yummy.

STUFFED JACK-O-LANTERN BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
• Lightly mix together the ground beef, egg, bread cubes, onion, tomato, garlic, chili sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
• Wash the peppers, and cut jack-o'-lantern faces into the peppers with a sharp paring knife, making triangle eyes and noses, and pointy-teeth smiles. Slice off the tops of the peppers, and scoop out the seeds and cores. Stuff the peppers lightly with the beef stuffing, and place them into the prepared baking dish so they lean against each other.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the peppers are tender and the stuffing is cooked through and juicy, about 1 hour.