Halloween Mushroom Skulls Pizza

Thick-cut mushrooms carved into skull shapes, roasted until golden, then scattered across a bubbling pizza. It sounds like a lot of effort for a novelty, but the result is genuinely impressive - the carved mushrooms hold their shape beautifully in the oven, and the roasting concentrates their flavour into something deeply savoury and satisfying.

This is a brilliant one to make with children. They can carve the mushroom skulls (with supervision), help top the pizza, and the whole thing is ready in minutes once your oven is hot. A wood-fired oven gives the mushrooms a slight char that makes them taste even better.

Ingredients

• 250g pizza dough
• 100ml tomato passata
• 100g mozzarella, torn
• 6-8 portobello or chestnut mushrooms
• Olive oil
• Fresh thyme
• Garlic butter (optional)
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Fire your pizza oven to around 450 degrees - you want it roaring hot.
2. Slice the mushrooms thickly and carve skull shapes into each one. Use a small sharp knife to cut eye sockets and a nose. A skull-shaped cookie cutter works well if you have one, or simply carve freehand for a more ghoulish effect.
3. Brush the mushroom skulls with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Roast briefly in the oven until golden and slightly charred.
4. Roll out your dough, spread the tomato passata over the base, and scatter the mozzarella.
5. Arrange your mushroom skulls across the top in a suitably spooky pattern.
6. Slide into the oven and cook for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, turning as needed.
7. Finish with a drizzle of garlic butter if you like. Serve immediately - while the skulls are still staring.