When parties like Halloween arrive, one of the kids’ pastimes is going around trick-or-treating. And the adults? Easy — their fun is in the kitchen. This is the day to unleash your imagination, preparing an aperitif with a chilling atmosphere. In this case I suggest mini pizzas with tomato, cheese and olives that, for the occasion, become mini pizzas with little spiders. Here’s how to make them.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall
Ingredients
- 1 roll shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée)
- 20 Gaeta olives (pitted)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 10 cherry tomatoes
Tools
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- Round cutters
- 1 Knife
Steps
You can make the mini pizzas with spiders starting from a ready-made base or by making the pizza dough at home. Since when you organize a Halloween party you’ll probably need to prepare more than one dish, I suggest lightening the workload by using ready-made bases.
Roll out the shortcrust pastry with a rolling pin and cut into rounds using a round cutter or a glass. Place a slice of tomato on top or, alternatively, a little seasoned tomato sauce with oil and salt.
Take processed cheese slices and cut them using a small cup or shot glass with a diameter smaller than the one you used to cut the mini pizzas. You could also use mozzarella, but with processed cheese the transparent spiderweb effect will be more realistic.
Place the cheese rounds on top of the tomato. Cut the olives in half and position them in the center to create the spider’s body. Finely slice the other half of the olive to create the little legs. Arrange them around the body. Repeat for all the mini pizzas with spiders.
Preheat the oven to 320 °F. Bake for 10–15 minutes, then check doneness and, if necessary, continue for a few more minutes.
Storage
You can prepare the mini pizzas with spiders the day before. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Remember to warm them in the oven for a few minutes before serving: not only will they taste better, but the cheese will become stringy again, creating the spiderweb effect.
My money-saving tip
If you want to cook the mini pizzas with spiders faster for Halloween, saving time and energy, you can use the microwave with the crisp function (called combi on some models) for 7–8 minutes. After 5 minutes check that baking is even both on top and bottom and, if not, extend by 2–3 more minutes.
You can also cook them in the air fryer set to 338 °F and cook for 6–8 minutes. Check doneness and, if the mini pizzas seem too pale and therefore undercooked, prolong by a few minutes. Times may vary depending on the power of your appliance.
