Food/Recipes

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Now that October is here, it's time to start thinking about Halloween and here's a few recipes to make your holiday an enjoyable one!

Finger Pizza
Halloween Spider Web Cookies
Decorating Icing
Sugar Cookies

Finger Pizza

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 Red Pepper
3 Mozzarella Sticks
1 cooked pizza crust
Jar of Pizza sauce

Directions

1. Spread Pizza sauce on the warm cooked pizza crust.

2. Make fingers: Slice each mozzarella stick in half lengthwise, then in half width wise. Put a notch in the rounded end.

3. Cut pepper slices so they look like finger nails. Place the strips of mozzarella on top of the pizza and press fingernails into each notch.

4. Place pizza under the broiler and heat just until the cheese starts to melt.

Halloween Spider Web Cookies

Ingredients

1 Batch Sugar Cookie Dough
2 batches Icing
Black Food Coloring

3 Pastry Bags
2 medium nozzles
1 small nozzle
Toothpicks
Offset spatula

Directions

1. Make thin icing: Stir together 1 batch icing and 2 tablespoons water in large bowl. Pour Icing into pastry bag fitted with medium nozzle

2. Divide second batch icing between 2 bowls. Gradually mix in black food coloring into one batch until icing is black. Pour this icing into the other pastry bag fitted with the medium nozzle.

3. Pour the remaining icing into the pastry bag fitted with the small nozzle.

4. Pipe border: Using pastry bag with small nozzle and thicker white icing, pipe around outer edge of 1 cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and let set 2 minutes.

5. Fill the centers: Using pastry bag with medium nozzle and thinner white icing, squirt pool of icing into center of 1 cookie, then spread to edge with small offset spatula. Repeat with second cookie, giving first time to set.

6. Pipe Web: Returning to first cookie, using pastry bag with black icing, pipe concentric circles over white icing, beginning in center and ending almost at edge. Repeat with second cookie, giving first time to set.

6. Form spider web pattern: Returning to first cookie, position tip of toothpick in center and drag through icing out to edge. Wipe tip and repeat 7 more times to make 8 evenly spaced, radiating lines like spokes of wheel.

7. Next, position tip at edge, halfway between 2 lines, and drag inward to center to create another line. Wipe tip and repeat 7 more times to make 8 more lines between first 8.

8. Repeat process with second iced cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies, working in batches of 2 to allow icing to partially set, but not harden, between steps. Let cookies dry, uncovered, at room temperature 10 hours or overnight.

Decorating Icing

Ingredients

1 (1-lb) box confectioners sugar
4 teaspoons powdered egg whites (not reconstituted) such as Just Whites
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Beat together all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed until just combined, about 1 minute.

2. Increase speed to high and continue to beat until icing holds stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. If not using icing immediately, cover surface with a dampened paper towel, then cover bowl with plastic wrap.

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 t salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
1 large egg
1 t vanilla

Directions

1. Beat the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer at medium-high until pale and fluffy; about 3 minutes in a stand mixer beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour and salt, mix until just combined.

2. Form dough into 2 balls and flatten each into a disk. Chill disks, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out 1 disk of dough (keep remaining dough chilled) to an about 1/4 inch thick, on a well-floured surface with a well-floured rolling pin. , Cut out as many cookies as possible from dough with cutters and transfer to 2 large baking sheets, arranging cookies about 1 inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough.

4. Bake cookies, until edges are golden, about 10 to 12 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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