Edible Halloween Torso đź’€
This creepy edible Halloween torso is the ultimate spooky party platter, complete with a prosciutto-covered skull, barbecue beef rib cage, salami hands, marinated “organs,” and chili-stuffed puff pastry intestines.
Makes: 1 large party platter
Ingredients
For the Torso
2 racks fully cooked beef ribs, coated in barbecue sauce and cut into sections
4–6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, for the skull
30 slices salami, for the neck, joints, hands, and torso
10 small firm salami logs, for the fingers
1 box long rectangular crackers, for the shoulders and arms
6 twisted cheese breadsticks, for the arm bones
1 variety pack sliced cheeses
2 cups marinated mushrooms, well drained
2 cups marinated kidney beans, well drained
2 cups marinated roasted red peppers, well drained, for the heart
For the Puff Pastry Intestines
1 box frozen Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (2 sheets), thawed
3–3½ cups canned chili, drained slightly if very saucy
All-purpose flour, for rolling
1 egg beaten with a splash of water, for egg wash
Instructions
1. Make One Long Puff Pastry Strip
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out both sheets of puff pastry slightly to make them larger and thinner.
Cut the pastry into long strips. Connect the strips end to end, slightly overlapping the short ends and pressing them firmly together to create one very long, continuous strip of puff pastry.
2. Fill and Seal the Intestine
If the canned chili is especially saucy, drain off some of the excess liquid first so it doesn’t make the pastry soggy.
Transfer the chili to a piping bag. Pipe the chili in a continuous line down the center of the entire long strip of puff pastry, leaving enough exposed pastry along both sides to seal it.
Bring the two long edges of the pastry up and over the chili. Pinch the edges together firmly along the entire length, completely enclosing the filling and creating one extra-long stuffed pastry tube.
Pinch both ends closed.
3. Shape the Intestines
Turn the long pastry tube seam-side down onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Starting at one end, gently wind the pastry back and forth into loose curves and S-shapes to create the appearance of tangled intestines.
Continue shaping until the entire single pastry tube has been arranged on the baking sheet.
Don’t make the curves too perfect. Uneven bends and folds will make the finished intestines look more realistic.
4. Egg Wash and Bake
Brush the entire surface of the pastry with the egg wash.
Bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes, or until the puff pastry is puffed and golden brown.
Allow the intestines to cool just enough to handle while you assemble the torso.
5. Make the Prosciutto Skull
Cover a food-safe skull form with food-safe plastic wrap.
Drape the thinly sliced prosciutto over the skull, gently pressing it into the facial contours while leaving the eye sockets, nose opening, and teeth visible.
Position the skull at the top of a large serving board. Arrange overlapping salami slices directly beneath it to create the neck.
6. Build the Shoulders and Arms
Arrange the long rectangular crackers outward from the neck to form the shoulders, then continue them down each side to create the arms.
Place salami slices at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints.
Lay the twisted cheese breadsticks over the crackers to resemble exposed arm bones.
7. Make the Salami Hands
Use salami slices to create the palms.
Arrange five small salami logs beneath each palm to create the fingers. Position them at slightly different angles and lengths, angling the outer finger on each hand outward to resemble a thumb.
8. Fill the Torso
Use overlapping salami slices to outline the upper and lower portions of the torso.
Cut or fold the sliced cheeses into smaller pieces and arrange them in stacks along both sides of the body and around the shoulders.
Fill the chest cavity with the well-drained marinated mushrooms and marinated kidney beans, allowing some to remain visible beneath the ribs.
Gather the drained roasted red peppers into a heart-like shape and position them on the torso’s left side (the viewer’s right).
9. Add the Rib Cage
Warm the cooked barbecue beef ribs if needed.
Arrange the rib sections over the mushroom and kidney bean mixture in two mirrored rows, angling them inward to resemble a rib cage.
Leave a narrow opening down the center so some of the mushrooms and kidney beans remain visible underneath.
10. Add the Puff Pastry Intestines
Keeping the baked intestines on the parchment for support, carefully transfer the entire pastry to the serving board directly beneath the rib cage.
Gently slide the parchment out from underneath, keeping the coiled intestine shape intact.
Serve immediately with extra barbecue sauce and your favorite dipping sauces.
Tip
Drain the chili, mushrooms, kidney beans, and roasted red peppers well before using. Excess liquid can make the puff pastry and crackers soggy.
This creepy edible Halloween torso is the ultimate spooky party platter, complete with a prosciutto-covered skull, barbecue beef rib cage, salami hands, marinated “organs,” and chili-stuffed puff pastry intestines.
Makes: 1 large party platter
Ingredients
For the Torso
2 racks fully cooked beef ribs, coated in barbecue sauce and cut into sections
4–6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, for the skull
30 slices salami, for the neck, joints, hands, and torso
10 small firm salami logs, for the fingers
1 box long rectangular crackers, for the shoulders and arms
6 twisted cheese breadsticks, for the arm bones
1 variety pack sliced cheeses
2 cups marinated mushrooms, well drained
2 cups marinated kidney beans, well drained
2 cups marinated roasted red peppers, well drained, for the heart
For the Puff Pastry Intestines
1 box frozen Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (2 sheets), thawed
3–3½ cups canned chili, drained slightly if very saucy
All-purpose flour, for rolling
1 egg beaten with a splash of water, for egg wash
Instructions
1. Make One Long Puff Pastry Strip
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out both sheets of puff pastry slightly to make them larger and thinner.
Cut the pastry into long strips. Connect the strips end to end, slightly overlapping the short ends and pressing them firmly together to create one very long, continuous strip of puff pastry.
2. Fill and Seal the Intestine
If the canned chili is especially saucy, drain off some of the excess liquid first so it doesn’t make the pastry soggy.
Transfer the chili to a piping bag. Pipe the chili in a continuous line down the center of the entire long strip of puff pastry, leaving enough exposed pastry along both sides to seal it.
Bring the two long edges of the pastry up and over the chili. Pinch the edges together firmly along the entire length, completely enclosing the filling and creating one extra-long stuffed pastry tube.
Pinch both ends closed.
3. Shape the Intestines
Turn the long pastry tube seam-side down onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Starting at one end, gently wind the pastry back and forth into loose curves and S-shapes to create the appearance of tangled intestines.
Continue shaping until the entire single pastry tube has been arranged on the baking sheet.
Don’t make the curves too perfect. Uneven bends and folds will make the finished intestines look more realistic.
4. Egg Wash and Bake
Brush the entire surface of the pastry with the egg wash.
Bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes, or until the puff pastry is puffed and golden brown.
Allow the intestines to cool just enough to handle while you assemble the torso.
5. Make the Prosciutto Skull
Cover a food-safe skull form with food-safe plastic wrap.
Drape the thinly sliced prosciutto over the skull, gently pressing it into the facial contours while leaving the eye sockets, nose opening, and teeth visible.
Position the skull at the top of a large serving board. Arrange overlapping salami slices directly beneath it to create the neck.
6. Build the Shoulders and Arms
Arrange the long rectangular crackers outward from the neck to form the shoulders, then continue them down each side to create the arms.
Place salami slices at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints.
Lay the twisted cheese breadsticks over the crackers to resemble exposed arm bones.
7. Make the Salami Hands
Use salami slices to create the palms.
Arrange five small salami logs beneath each palm to create the fingers. Position them at slightly different angles and lengths, angling the outer finger on each hand outward to resemble a thumb.
8. Fill the Torso
Use overlapping salami slices to outline the upper and lower portions of the torso.
Cut or fold the sliced cheeses into smaller pieces and arrange them in stacks along both sides of the body and around the shoulders.
Fill the chest cavity with the well-drained marinated mushrooms and marinated kidney beans, allowing some to remain visible beneath the ribs.
Gather the drained roasted red peppers into a heart-like shape and position them on the torso’s left side (the viewer’s right).
9. Add the Rib Cage
Warm the cooked barbecue beef ribs if needed.
Arrange the rib sections over the mushroom and kidney bean mixture in two mirrored rows, angling them inward to resemble a rib cage.
Leave a narrow opening down the center so some of the mushrooms and kidney beans remain visible underneath.
10. Add the Puff Pastry Intestines
Keeping the baked intestines on the parchment for support, carefully transfer the entire pastry to the serving board directly beneath the rib cage.
Gently slide the parchment out from underneath, keeping the coiled intestine shape intact.
Serve immediately with extra barbecue sauce and your favorite dipping sauces.
Tip
Drain the chili, mushrooms, kidney beans, and roasted red peppers well before using. Excess liquid can make the puff pastry and crackers soggy.