Shrunken Heads Halloween Apple Cranberry Walnut Tart Recipe

Directions

1. Slice the apples in half, remove the cores and peel. Carefully extract any seeds and tough bits, but try to retain as much apple flesh as possible.
2. In a medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon citric acid (or 1/2 cup lemon juice) with 2 cups water. Ensure the liquid is deep enough to fully submerge an apple half.
3. Carve a face into the flat side of each apple half, then place them in the acidic water bath. Take them out, give them a shake, and dry them gently with paper towels to prevent browning.
4. Set your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the apple halves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 3 hours, until they begin to shrivel. Then move them to a cooling rack placed on the same sheet and continue baking for another 2 to 3 hours, until the apple heads are shrunken, soft inside, but not completely hard.
5. Take the shrunken apple heads out of the oven and raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Press the pie crust into a tart pan, prick the bottom with a fork, trim the edges, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the crust but leave the oven on.
7. Place the shrunken apple heads in the tart shell, arranging them as desired. In a small bowl, mix together 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup dried cranberries, 1/4 cup honey, 1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice, and (if you like) 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Spoon this mixture into the spaces between the apple heads, then brush the apples with a little of the syrup from the mixture.
8. Bake the tart for 15 to 17 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it cool until safe to handle, then lift the tart out of the pan and transfer it to a serving plate.