I made a different version of these witch hat calzones for a Halloween party once, and they were a big hit! My favorite pesto recipe adds a little Technicolor flair, plus a fun flavor element, making these calzones the perfect entrée for this month’s menu. The recipe is remarkably kid-friendly, so if you have any little budding chefs in the household, I’d definitely enlist their help with this one!

Witch Hat Calzones with Melted Witch Pesto

“My world, my world… How can such a good little girl like you destroy all of my beautiful wickedness?”
— The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

INGREDIENTS:

 

• 2 packages crescent roll dough
• 1 package sliced pepperoni (3 1/2 oz.)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used a Parmesan-Romano mix, because I’m a crazy rebel)
• 1 package of cream cheese (8 oz.)
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp water
• 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup Parmesan (again, Parm-Romano Rebel)
• 3 tbsp pine nuts, unroasted
• 2 cloves peeled garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil, plus about 2 tbsp more to reach consistency
• Makes 8 calzones, 1 cup pesto
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Using kitchen scissors, snip pepperoni into small pieces.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine pepperoni, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and cream cheese. Stir until combined and set aside.
4. Unroll 1 crescent roll tube and separate the triangles. Place the triangles on greased cookie sheets. Bend the tips of the triangles to make them crooked, and push the dough around a bit until they look properly wicked:
   
5. Spoon 1 tbsp of cheese mix into the middle of each triangle.
6. Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl and brush the egg wash over the sides of each triangle.
7. Unroll and separate dough from remaining tube into triangles as well. Place these over the triangles on the cookie sheet.
8. Using a fork or your finger, press together the edges of the triangles to seal. Fold up the bottom edge to create a brim. When you’re all done, they should look just like little witch hats:
   
9. Brush each hat all over with egg wash and sprinkle with salt, pepper, Parmesan, and dried basil. Prick with a fork in a few places.
10. Place the hats in the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes.
11. While the hats are cooking, get out your food processor. Throw in the basil leaves, 1/2 cup Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper. Process on high for about 45 seconds, or until it looks like this:
    
12. Now turn it on again and add the 1/3 cup olive oil while it processes. If yours seems a bit thick (like mine did), add a couple tablespoons more. Just make sure to do it while the processor is running, otherwise the mixture won’t emulsify properly.
13. Yep, I said “emulsify.” Yay for cooking and science!
14. Take the hats out of the oven when they’re ready, and transfer the pesto to a bowl for dipping. Enjoy while reading all about the defeat of the Wicked Witch in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz! 🙂
    

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