Halloween

HallowEats: Candy and Pumpkin Recipes from Barclay Prime, Osteria and Cochon

Homemade Candy Buttons from Barclay Prime's Frank Urso
Homemade Candy Buttons from Barclay Prime’s Frank Urso Photo: Kirsten Henri

Feeling ambitious this Halloween? Just carving that pumpkin or handing out that store-bought candy not enough for you? We talked to several local chefs to find pumpkin and candy recipes that take the season to the next level. Find out how to make homemade candy buttons from Barclay Prime pastry chef Frank Urso and whip up Cochon chef Gene Giuffi’s pumpkin-cheddar-beer soup (cooked with lard!), plus bonus recipes from Osteria chef Jeff Michaud, 10 Arts pastry chef Monica Glass and Pumpkin chef Ian Moroney, right this way.

Homemade Candy Buttons
Frank Urso, Barclay Prime

Edible rice paper (wafer)* 4-6 sheets
(Using edible wafer paper allows you to eat the whole candy, but if you’re a bit
nostalgic and enjoy the little bits of paper that stick to the candy, you can make
these on strips of non-toxic copy paper.)
2 cups confectioners sugar,sifted
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
Food coloring*
Assorted extracts/ candy flavoring*
Quart sized zipper bags/ disposable pastry bags

1. Cut wafer paper into 2 1/2” wide strips, lay out on dry baking trays
2. Whip together confectioners sugar, egg white and lemon juice on low
speed using a stand mixer for 1 minute, scrape bowl and continue to whip
for 10 minutes on high speed.
3. Divide “icing” into 3 or 4 small bowls. Flavor each bowl a different flavor to
taste, color desired colors (a small amount of lemon juice can be added if
you desire a sour flavor.
4. If icing is too thick, thin out with 1/2 tsp of water at a time, until the
consistency of sour cream (test by dropping a small amount on a plate,
drop should hold its shape and slowly spread a bit.)
5. Place each flavor in a zipper bag and seal. Cut a small corner off and
squeeze a drop at a time onto the wafer paper. Ideally you should have
even rows going down, one row of each flavor/ color
6. Continue until all icing is gone.
7. Place baking sheets in a cool dry place uncovered to dry overnight.
8. Candy will dry hard. Store in a zipper bag or airtight container. Keeps
several weeks.
9. Can be packaged as a gift or used to decorate a cookie tray.

* Items can be ordered online at www.sugarcraft.com or purchased at a
cake/candy supply store.

Download these additional candy recipes!
10 Arts pastry chef Monica Glass’s Homemade Snickers Bars
Osteria chef Jeff Michaud’s Hazelnut Brittle

Cochon’s Pumpkin Cheddar Bacon Soup
Gene Giuffi, Cochon
Serves 4

1 2 lb. pumpkin, skinned and seeds removed
2 onions, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
2 fuji apples, quartered
1 Smutty Nose Pumpkin Ale (or any Pumpkin Ale)
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 cup melted lard
Cream
Butter
Lardons
Pumpkin Seed Oil
Sharp cheddar, diced

Toss all the ingredients with the lard (enough to coat all of the ingredients). Put in a
roasting pan and roast at 500 degrees until very well caramelized (but not burnt).
Deglaze with the pumpkin ale. Puree all with cream and butter to bring to a soup
consistency. Strain and season with salt, pepper, Tabasco (optional). Garnish with
lardons, pumpkin seed oil and diced sharp cheddar.

Download this additional pumpkin recipe!
Pumpkin chef Ian Moroney’s Pumpkin Salad with Mint

Wondering what sort of candy chefs like to eat and give away for Halloween? Find out here.

HallowEats: Candy and Pumpkin Recipes from Barclay Prime, Osteria and Cochon