Black Diamond Pumpkin

My mom said that this pumpkin looks very Martha Stewart, and I have to agree. It is rather pretty isn't it? It's really easy to make too. Simply paint the pumpkin black, then top it with shiny gray-black and then gold diamonds.  You can also add dots around the edges with 3d fabric paint like I did, but that's just because I add it to everything.  Here are the details:

I used a silvery color by Ceramcoat (there is no name on the label) and Folkart's Sequin Black mixed together for the base (Hobby Lobby doesn't sell metallic dark gray, just silver and black). The silver I used is the best silver I have come across (most don't have good coverage) and I use it for everything silver. For the diamonds I used Folkart's Pure Gold.

I really like the fabric paint on the pumpkin. It finishes the edges and hides and painting mistakes on the edges.  Plus it looks pretty (which is always a plus). It is a dark metallic gray, to dark to be silver, and to light to be black (I just love metallic dark gray).

Pumpkin Meringues

I love meringues. They are one of my very favorite desserts. They are so light and airy, and are easy to make.  If you like the centers less chewy, you turn off the oven and leave them in overnight. I have made these pumkin meringues twice now. You could set some meringue aside, die it green, and pipe in the vines (the fondant vines don't stay on very well) but I thought, why waste my time when I have fondant?

Now, I set up an awesome Halloween style "set" to take pictures of these in, but the lighting was horrible, and I was to lazy to set it up again the next day.  Here is the recipe (adapted from Holly Wilkins on Allrecipes.com):

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup white sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. In a large glass or metal bowl, use an electric mixer to whip egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla. Continue whipping until the whites hold soft peaks. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar so that it does not sink to the bottom, and continue whipping until the mixture holds stiff shiny peaks.
3. Place a large star tip (the size you use to make swirls in cupcakes) into a pastry bag, and fill the bag half way with the meringue. To pipe the pumpkins, squeeze out large meringue stars onto one of the prepared cookie sheets.

     4.  Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the caps are dry enough to easily remove from the    cookie sheets.   Form a twisty vine and leaf for each pumpkin from green fondant.

Look! They're moldy now! (me and my brother had some fun with the halloween effects on Picnik.)

 

Have fun! Maddie