Countdown to Halloween 2013 - Pumpkin Theme

For the tenth day in the Countdown to Halloween, we focused on pumpkins. We chose to make three recipes - two of which were healthy and one was a dessert. The girls already received pumpkins when we went to a Falloween (yes, it has an "F" and not an "H") party about a week ago. Each child received a free pumpkin which was nice.

Pumpkin Deviled Eggs

There was a pin on Pinterest for Thai-spiced Deviled Eggs that led to Foodista. Although Sophia and I probably would have liked them, we didn't have the majority of ingredients on hand.

Olivia peeling the eggs.

So, I ended up just making regular deviled eggs and adding a few drops of yellow and red food coloring to make the center of the egg - the "pumpkin" in this case - bright orange.

For the pumpkin stem, I used the tips of pickled green beans that we received from Pam of Salt-n-Pepper Farm. These worked out perfectly and added just the right touch - and flavor - to the deviled eggs. (The original recipe calls for parts of a green onion to represent the stem.)

Deviled eggs made to look like pumpkins.

A bit of trivia from Pumpkin Nook; "The stem often is referred to as the pumpkin's 'handle.' Located on the very top of the pumpkin, the stem is green, when the pumpkin is still growing. As the fruit ripens, it turns brown to brownish green, and slightly curved. During the growing season, the stem is attached to the vine. It is the umbilical cord, bringing nutrients to grow the fruit.

"For the Fall and Halloween season, the stem gives the pumpkin character. Be careful not to lift a pumpkin by its handle, as it can easily break off of the fruit."

Pumpkin Oranges

The next thing we had for dinner were pumpkin oranges. The idea comes from a pin that led to Themeta Picture. The oranges were tiny clementines that were peeled.

Clementine oranges with 

green Mike & Ike candies for the stems.

In the image that I saw, the oranges had tiny celery pieces in them for the stems. I had green Mike & Ike candies on hand from when we did the bat cupcakes the other day. Ended up using them instead because they were easier.

Half Moon Pie Pockets

For dessert we had Half Moon Pie Pockets. It's from a recipe that I read in the Star Tribune in 2005. I've held onto the recipe for eight years and am finally getting around to trying it. It comes from the book The Weekend Baker by Abigail Johnson Dodge.

This easy recipe was well-received by everyone. They tasted like little hand-held pumpkin pies.

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, each 91/2 inches square
Flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Filling:

1 c. plus 2 tbsp. canned unsweetened pumpkin
3 tbsp. firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp. flour
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg, or less to taste

Directions:

Remove sheets of puff pastry from the box and set them, still folded, on a lightly floured surface. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until thawed, about 20 minutes.

To make filling: Combine pumpkin, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a medium bowl, and stir until well-blended.

To assemble: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Unfold each pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface, dust with flour and roll out into a 12-inch square. Using a 4-inch cookie cutter (or the bottom of a 28-ounce tomato can as a guide), cut out 18 circles. (Note: I believe I used a much smaller cookie cutter now that I re-read the recipe. It was probably no more than a couple inches wide.)

Place about 1 tablespoon filling in the center of each round.

Pumpkin filling on the pastries.

Brush the edges with the beaten egg. Fold half of dough over the filling to form a half-moon. Using the tines of a fork, press the curved edge to seal tightly. Repeat with the remaining rounds.

Arrange the pockets 2 inches apart on sheet pans covered with parchment paper or other nonstick liner. Brush with remaining egg and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake on the middle rack of oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and browned.

Half Moon Pie Pockets ready to eat.

These were very good. They tasted like pumpkin pie in the center surrounded by a flaky crust on the outside. We will definitely make these again!

Visit to Grandparents' Homes

The girls wanted to show their grandparents their costumes. This year, Olivia is Cleopatra and Sophia is the Snow Queen. So, they visited Dan first.

The girls with Dan.

Then they headed over to my Mom's home.

Sophia and Olivia with my Mom.

The girls and the grandparents enjoyed their time together.