Image and text from Beautiful Boards by Maegan Brown, photography by Jerrelle Guy, Rock Point Gift & Stationery, $24.99.
Serves: 10+
- 3 triangle-shaped cookie cutters, for the eyes and nose
- 2 large bunches black Concord grapes
- 1½ cups (225g) blackberries
- ¼ medium cucumber, thinly sliced
- 30 orange cheddar cheese cracker cuts
- 1½ cups (150g) cheese crackers
- 2 cups (120g) sweet potato crisps
- 1 bag (336g) baby carrots
- 2 orange capsicums, cut into strips
- 2 cups (32g) orange cheddar popcorn
- 1½ cups mini cheese balls
- 2 cups (60g) orange yogurt-covered pretzels
- 1 cup (30g) seeded sweet potato crackers
- 1 cup (130g) dried apricots
- 3 clementines, peeled and segments separated
- Ranch dressing and hummus, on the side, for dipping
Use a 51cm round board. Place the cookie cutters on the board for the pumpkin’s eyes and nose. Shape the black grapes into a grin. Fill the cookie cutters with blackberries.
Place the cucumber slices at the top of the board for the pumpkin’s stem.
Fan the cheese slices down the middle of the board. Line the cheese crackers, sweet potato crisps, carrots, capsicum slices, popcorn, cheese balls, pretzels, sweet potato crackers, apricots and clementine segments out on both sides of the cheese slices and around the black foods until the board is completely covered. Tightly pack the orange foods at the edges of the board, so they stay in place if you transfer the board to another location to serve.
Carefully, lift the cookie cutters from the board, shaping the blackberries back into triangle shapes, if necessary. You can always add more black and orange foods to fill in any gaps.
Serve bowls of ranch dressing and hummus on the side for dipping.
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