Ghost Crackers with Pumpkin Cheese Ball
These ghostly crackers are just the thing for Halloween gatherings and are guaranteed to fly off the platter. They’re a snap to make using pie dough—and to streamline prep, you can use store-bought dough instead of preparing it from scratch. To accompany the crackers, we created a clever cheese ball that resembles a pumpkin.
Ingredients:
For the cheese ball:
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1 lb. (500 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cups (8 oz./250 g) shredded yellow cheddar cheese
- Tabasco sauce
- Kosher salt
For the ghost crackers:
- 1 batch basic pie dough or store-bought pie dough
- 1 egg whisked with 1 Tbs. water
- Flaky sea salt
Nacho-flavored tortilla chips, finely crushed (about 1 cup crushed)
Directions:
To make the cheese ball, carefully remove the stem from the bell pepper; reserve the stem for decorating the cheese ball. Cut the pepper in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Mince enough of the pepper to yield 1/4 cup (1 1/4 oz./40 g). If desired, cut the remaining pepper into slices and set aside for serving with the cheese ball.
In a food processor, add the minced bell pepper and pulse until finely minced. Add the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and about 10 shakes of Tabasco sauce. Blend until smooth and combined. The texture should still be like a spreadable cream cheese, not a thicky, runny dressing. Season to taste with kosher salt.
Transfer the cheese to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a ball, then enclose the ball in the plastic and shape it into a tighter ball. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
To make the crackers, roll out the dough into a 13-inch (33-cm) square about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Using a pizza wheel, cut the dough into curvy strips, all of similar widths, to create ghostly shapes. Using the back of a pen or a straw, cut out the eyes and mouths.
Position 1 rack in the upper third and 1 rack in the lower third of an oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Arrange the dough strips in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the pastry strips with the egg wash, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake until the crackers are crisp and golden brown underneath, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheets between the racks halfway through to ensure even browning.
Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the crackers cool completely. The crackers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
When ready to serve, unwrap the cheese ball and shape it into a rounder ball if necessary. If desired, lightly wrap kitchen twine vertically around the cheese ball, spacing the twine about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, to create indents that resemble the crevices of a pumpkin, then remove the twine. Place the crushed tortilla chips on a plate and lightly roll the cheese ball in the chips. Place the reserved bell pepper stem on top of the cheese ball to resemble a pumpkin stem. Serve the ghost crackers and reserved bell pepper strips alongside. Serves 12.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
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