Joe and Petal's Recipes

Here are some luscious Halloween recipes to tempt your trick or treat palate from Joe and Petal.

• Pumpkin Mousse
      
• Pumpkin Cream Pie
     
• Easy Halloween Kiss Cookies

Pumpkin Mousse

Ingredients:

• 1 medium pie pumpkin (round 2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/3 cup vanilla or white chips
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

Directions

• Cut top off pumpkin; scoop out and discard seeds. In small bowl, combine sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle inside of pumpkin. Replace pumpkin top. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until crisp-tender. Cool on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, microwave vanilla chips with milk at 50% power; stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
• In a bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in the pumpkin, orange peel, melted chips and remaining cinnamon. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into pumpkin.

Pumpkin Cream Pie

Preheat oven to 350F (or 180C)

Ingredients for the crust:

• 7 1/2 ounces gingersnap cookies,around 30 small
• 3 tablespoons raisins
• 2 tablespoons canola oil

To make the crust:
In a food processor, combine gingersnaps and raisins - pulse until finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in oil and mix just until blended. Add oil and pulse until blended. Scoop the mixture into a 9" springform pan lightly coated with nonstick spray - evenly press the crumbs over the bottom and up the sides. Bake until golden and set, about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1 cup mashed pumpkin
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 4 cups vanilla bean ice cream, soften

To make the filling:
In a large bowl, stir together pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cardamom until combined. Add ice cream and stir until well blended. Scoop the mixture into the cooled crust and smooth the top. Cover and place in the freezer until firm, at least 2 hours. It will be easier to cut if you let it slightly soften in the refrigerator for about 10 to 20 minutes before serving.

Easy Halloween Kiss Cookies

This month from Petal for all you novice bakers
These Halloween cookies are simple to make because they start with a cake mix. Be sure to use a white cake mix for these easy Halloween cookies; it will make it easier to tint the cookies the perfect shade of orange or green or even purple for Halloween.

Ingredients:

• 1 18.25 oz. white cake mix
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 Tbsp. water
• food coloring of choice
• sugar for rolling cookies in( you can use tinted sugar)
• 36 Hershey kisses, unwrapped

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silpat mat (compare prices).
2. Beat cake mix, eggs, shortening and water until mixture starts to come together. Add food coloring to cookie dough and mix, adjusting the color until it looks right Tip start light.
3. Spread sugar out on a plate. Roll dough into 1/2-inch balls, then roll cookies in sugar, and place on prepared cookie sheets.
4. Bake 10-14 minutes until firm to the touch. As soon as cookies come out of the oven press a Hershey kiss in the center. Let cookies cool completely. Makes 36 Halloween cookies.

Joe and Petal are looking for new recipes. Do you have a recipe you would like to share with our readers? Just mail your recipe to the Yellow Gazette, care of Joe. If you have a nice picture of the finished recipe, send us that too.