Mummy’s Scorpion Pie

We’ve officially begun the countdown to Halloween!  With less than 100 days to go, I’m starting to get that tingle of anticipation that comes with every glimpse of a slightly orange or red leaf clinging to the trees, or that hint of bonfire smoke on the hot summer wind. One way I really like to get into the mood is to fire up my copy of Hocus Pocus…(which just turned 25 this year!) and gorge myself on a fresh slice of Mummy’s Scorpion Pie.

Now I’ll be honest and say I’ve personally never met the Sanderson sisters…but I AM friends with a number of witches, so I turned to them for advice on how best to make Mummy’s Scorpion Pie.

Their advice???

Fresh scorpions…specifically those huge black crunchy kind!  For this recipe to be a truly authentic Mummy’s Scorpion Pie, you’ll need about 25 of the big black ones.

If you can’t find those, 100 of the smaller brown ones are an acceptable substitute.

You’ll have to start by first shelling and then juicing them, saving the shells to make the pie crust.  You’ll also need to add in 2 cups of spider silk as a binder to really give your custard some smooth texture and to help neutralize the bite of the scorpion sting.

While spiders are more than abundant in my neck of the underworld, scorpions are a bit harder to come by…especially in the quantity suggested, (not to mention the number of you who were absolutely horrified by my last real bug recipe…) so I figured I’d better look for some alternatives for us all.

I reached out to my good friend Ani the last time I needed scorpions in large supply (you remember him from our earlier Sand and Scorpion Pie recipe) and figured his solution of substituting pie crust and egg custard for this current dilemma would work just as well.

While you do miss out on the excitement of shelling and juicing the 50 large scorpions or 100 smaller scorpions the original recipe calls for, you make up for with sweet taste and a distinct lack of scorpion stings.

I call that a win-win.

So let’s get baking!

To make your own version of Mummy’s Scorpion Pie, you will need:

For the pie-

• 1 chocolate pastry shell
• 4 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Green food coloring

For your scorpions –

• 1 premade frozen pie crust (I like the rolled up ones that come 2 to a box at the store), thawed to room temperature
• Black food coloring
• Scorpion mold (full tutorial here!)

To decorate –

• Green sparkly icing gel

Preheat your oven to 400F/204C.

In a mixing bowl, whisk your eggs until light and frothy.

Slowly add in the rest of your ingredients.  Mix in your green food coloring until you’re happy with the toxic hue we’re trying to achieve.  To get a truly sickly green, I used neon green, but regular green with a few drops of yellow will also work (it just won’t be as bright.)

Place your empty chocolate pie shell onto a baking sheet and pour in your green custard filling, making sure to fill your shell all the way up, but not overfilling it (You’ll probably have about a cup or so of custard left over…we’ll definitely use that later, so set it aside for now.)

Let your pie sit for about 5-10 minutes to allow all the bubbles on the surface to pop.  This will guarantee you a smooth pie.  Putting it into the oven now can result in a bumpy surface.

VERY CAREFULLY transfer your pie to your oven, making sure to watch where you’re going and do your best to avoid any bumps or jostles.

This is what happens when you trip over a hellhound sitting at your feet while moving the pie!

Let your pie cook for 30-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool your pie for at least 1 hour on a wire rack at room temperature and then transfer to a fridge for at least 3 hours (overnight is best) before moving onto the final steps.  This ensures that the surface of your pie stays smooth and doesn’t crack and that your custard is fully firm and ready to go.

While you’re waiting for the pie to cool, let’s make our scorpions!

Raise the temperature of your oven up to 450F/232C.

Unroll your premade pie crust and give it a good squirt of black food coloring.  Knead the color into your crust until you end up with a ball of dough that is as black as my sense of humor.

The procedure we’re using to make these scorpions is exactly the same one we did in the Sand and Scorpion Pie recipe (which includes a full tutorial on how to not only make the scorpions but also the mold).  Because I’m lazy, I’m not going to repeat it all here, so this is the quick, down and dirty version.

Press your dough into your scorpion mold, making sure to really squish it into all the nooks and crannies.

Use a rolling pin to roll the back of your mold with the dough in it to help ensure it’s fully molded.

Carefully peel back your mold, revealing your scorpion.

Use a sharp knife to carefully trim away any excess dough and transfer your scorpion to a parchment paper or silicone pad lined baking sheet.

The Devil is in the Details:  When making these scorpions using the mold, I have to be honest and tell you the premade pie crusts are the absolute best way to do them.  I’ve tried making them using the box mix crust where you add water and it was too sticky, even with extra flour added in.  The same goes for homemade pie crust.  Whatever chemicals they add to the premade pie crusts that you just unroll are what make these things not only hold the scorpions together but pop out of the mold without too much trouble.  Seriously, get the premade stuff and save yourself the frustration of having to peel little leg bits out with a toothpick.

Depending on your mold, one pie crust should make about 12-15 scorpions.

Halfway through molding scorpions!

Once you’re done molding them, pop them into the oven to cook for about 6-8 minutes.  Make sure you watch them closely…because of their size, they can go from cooked to burned in a matter of minutes!

Once your scorpions and your pie are cooled completely, it’s time to decorate!

Use your green sparkle gel icing to give the edge of your pie a nice drippy pattern and then just carefully place your scorpions on top however your black little heart decides looks best!

Personally, I like arranging them around the edge so each slice gets one scorpion…but it’s up to you.

Once you’re happy with how your pie looks, feel free to grab your favorite booooooooooook (like the all new Hocus Pocus sequel!!!), light a few black flame candles (I don’t get it…why is it when I light it, the flame just stays orange?!) and cuddle up to a slice (or six!).

Mmm…look at that gorgeous green color!

So delicious!  And those scorpions!  Just the right amount of crunch!