Anna is getting spooky – in this episode of The Chef’s Pantry she casts a spell on creative recipes for a Halloween soirée and beyond. She starts with a dip n’ rip spider crab dip concoction. These cuties are far from scarred, offering fun in every delicious bite. Anna makes the ghoulish spider out of pizza dough and mixes up her favorite crab dip recipe in the middle, perfect for ripping and dipping. Next up, she turns a boo-tiful sugar pumpkin into a stunning editable vessel for baked brie. Anna starts by cleaning out the pumpkin and tucks a wheel of brie inside, she adorns it with cranberry chutney, walnuts & pancetta. It heads into the oven to roast and when it comes out you are party ready. And… Which of you witches has a sweet tooth? Well, Anna’s got you – and has a simply magical apple pie ice cream sandwich that we all will be screaming for this year!
For the dip:
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese plus 1/3 cup, shredded and divided
- 1 tsp mustard powder, Coleman’s is nice
- 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Juice and zest from 1 lemon
- 1 lb lump crab meat, drained and rinsed under cold water
- 1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 pizza dough balls
- 1 egg
- ½ cup parmesan, grated
- Paprika and chopped parsley for garnish
PREPARATION
- Preheat the oven to 375*In a large bowl with a hand held mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Add the mayonnaise and sour cream and continue to mix.
- Add 1 cup cheddar cheese, mustard powder, old bay seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice and zest. Mix until smooth With a firm silicone spatula, gently fold in the lump and jumbo lump crab meat. Place in an oven safe baker and top with a thin layer of remaining cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese topping has melted and is golden brown. Serve warm with sliced bread, chips or veggies.
* Place the baked ramekin of crab dip in a spooky spider made out of pizza dough.
For the Spider:
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pizza dough ball
- 1 egg, whisked
- 2 TBSP parmesan, grated
PREPARATION:
- Preheat the oven to 375* and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough ball in half.
- To create the crab body, knead one half and form into a ball, set aside.
- Divide the remaining half into 5 balls, one slightly larger than the other 4.
- To create the head, knead and form a dough ball with the slightly larger ball. To create the spider legs, roll the 4 equal dough balls out into long ropes, about 10-12" long and 3/4" thick.
- To assemble, arrange the 4 ropes on the parchment lined baking sheet in the shape of rainbows. Place the body and the head on top of the center of the ropes so the "legs" are coming out from underneath the body area.
- Brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Once cool, use a small serrated knife to create a well for the dip on the spider's body.
