Use pastry cutouts appropriate to the season or holiday if you wish; for example, try autumn leaves for Thanksgiving or shooting stars for Independence Day. To cut down on preparation time, use bottled caramel sauce instead of homemade.
Painting Cutouts
Cut out pastry apples and leaves, or other shapes, with small cutters or freehand with a knife. Brush the top crust with water and apply the cutouts. Mix egg yolk and water, then place in two small cups; add red food coloring to one batch and green food coloring to the other. With a clean paint brush, color the cutouts, then apply a second coat. If you can find it, paste food coloring will yield a more intense hue than liquid coloring. Look for it at better cookware stores and cake decorating supply stores.