Freaky Fruit Platter Recipes

Steps:

• For the mummy bananas, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a small pan of simmering water or in the microwave in 20-second bursts. Cool to room temperature. Put the bananas on a tray lined with baking parchment and drizzle over the chocolate in a criss-cross pattern to make 'bandages'. Stick on the eyeball decorations or use black icing or an edible ink pen to draw the eyes on the bananas, then chill until set, about 30 mins (they will start to discolour after about 2 hrs).
• For the tangerine pumpkins, cut tiny 'stalks' from the celery piece and push these into the tops of the tangerines where the segments come together.
• For the apple fangs, cut a small wedge from the peel side of the apple wedges to make lips, then fill the 'mouth' with the nut butter. Push the raisins into the mouth to look like wonky teeth.
• For the lychee eyeballs, stuff each lychee with a blueberry. Stick the eyeball decorations onto the blueberry using some of the melted white chocolate from step 1, or skewer the fruit together. If you like, drop these into a punch bowl.
• For the grape snakes, thread alternating green and red grapes onto skewers, then stick on eyeball decorations with white chocolate as in step four.
• Arrange the freaky fruits on a large serving platter. Fill gaps with any leftover blueberries and decorate with spooky Halloween figures and decorations, if you like.

Steps:

• I like to begin the platter with a base of ripe, colorful, sliced melons and pineapple--for example, cantaloupe, honeydew, Galia, or Cavaillon melons, plus the new "golden" pineapples. Peel the outside of a whole melon, cut it in half through the stem end, and scoop out the seeds. Place the melon halves cut side down on a board, and slice them straight across into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Fan each half-melon out slightly and arrange it on the platter. Next, cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple, peel the outside, and use a sharp knife to remove the "eyes." Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise and remove the core by cutting a "V" down the center of each half. Again, place the pineapple halves, cut side down, on a board and slice them straight across into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Fan the slices out and arrange them next to the melon on the platter.
• Once the base is set, you can add any kind of fruit that's available. I like to have one thing that is taller than the rest, such as a large bunch of grapes or a decoratively cut papaya, to give the platter height. Then I add raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and fresh figs in casual but organized groups. The platter can look like a bowl of M&M's if there are too many colors scattered with no order. Visually, your eye needs to have a focal point and to be able to see each type of fruit. After all the fruit is arranged, I add flat green leaves around the outside of the fruit, to set off the colors. Use lemon and galax leaves from your florist, or fig leaves and grape leaves from your garden. Make sure they are pesticide-free and well washed.
• Any kind of fruit will work well on this platter. For special occasions, add persimmons, kiwi, passion fruit, Queen Anne cherries, fresh apricots, and mangos. Choose whatever is colorful and seasonal.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese. Add milk, lemon juice, sugar and salt; beat until smooth. transfer to a small serving bowl. On a large serving platter, arrange honeydew wedges in a spoke pattern. Place strawberries, watermelon, blueberries, banana, peaches and grapes between the wedges. Place dip in the center. Serve immediately.