Fall Flavors: Caramel Apples and Chocolate Haystacks

[Evo]

The frost is on the Pumpkin, it's that time of year.

When the girls were little, we would always make caramel apples in October. The REAL kind where you melt the caramels, stick the wooden popsicle stick into the apple and then dunk it into the hot caramel. No using those pre-made apple wrappers or the 50 pound candy coated, coma inducing attrocities they sell at the store. Just a simple apple with a little caramel.

I miss those days.

What goodies do you make/use to make for the fall holidays? I think some chocolate haystacks (poop) would be fun to make this weekend (see recipe in the food thread).

 

[Cyrus]

Baskin-Robbins pumpkin Ice cream. :!) :!) :!)

 

[turbo]

We've got a nice locally-raised turkey in the freezer, and I'm planning on hickory-smoking that rascal in my trusty old Brinkman charcoal smoker. No Thanksgiving is complete without a smoked turkey, and it makes the tastiest turkey soup and sandwiches! We've got some fresh pumpkins and will have REAL pumpkin pie, not that canned squash filling they sell in stores. I'll probably grill a basket of my pepper-marinaded jumbo shrimp for appetizers and roast up a batch of cream-cheese and bacon jalapeno poppers with monterey jack topping, too. We'll have squash, turnip, potato, etc, too, but my "fun holiday food" revolves around the smoker and the grill. In fact, when the turkey is done, and is removed from the smoker, I may reload with more chips and hickory-smoke the poppers. I've never tried that, but writing this post, it just occurred to me that smoking them would add some more zing to the flavor.

Tickets for Thanksgiving dinner are only $50 each (transportation and lodging not included).

 

[Evo]

We've got a nice locally-raised turkey in the freezer, and I'm planning on hickory-smoking that rascal in my trusty old Brinkman charcoal smoker. No Thanksgiving is complete without a smoked turkey, and it makes the tastiest turkey soup and sandwiches! We've got some fresh pumpkins and will have REAL pumpkin pie, not that canned squash filling they sell in stores. I'll probably grill a basket of my pepper-marinaded jumbo shrimp for appetizers and roast up a batch of cream-cheese and bacon jalapeno poppers with monterey jack topping, too. We'll have squash, turnip, potato, etc, too, but my "fun holiday food" revolves around the smoker and the grill. In fact, when the turkey is done, and is removed from the smoker, I may reload with more chips and hickory-smoke the poppers. I've never tried that, but writing this post, it just occurred to me that smoking them would add some more zing to the flavor.

Tickets for Thanksgiving dinner are only $50 each (transportation and lodging not included).

I'd love to be there. I will probably spend another Thanksgiving alone at home eating tuna out of a can.

 

[brewnog]

You crazy yanks...

What you need is some PARKIN!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/sparklinparkin_14517.shtml


Ooh, and bonfire toffee.

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pagrosse/RecipeBonfireToffee.htm

 

[Ivan Seeking]

We have about thirteen wild turkeys this year and they are all getting BIG!

I love pumpkin pie and esp. egg-nog. When a kid I used to get mad when they took the egg-nog out of the stores, so I had mom teach me how to make my own. Funny thing: Not knowing this, my sister called and was telling me that she just went through the same thing with my nephew. There must be an egg-nog gene.

Oh yes, to add a little holiday spirit, add a little NyQuil to the nog. Mmmmmmm gooooooood!

 

[Evo]

We have about thirteen wild turkeys this year and they are all getting BIG!

I love pumpkin pie and esp. egg-nog. When a kid I used to get mad when they took the egg-nog out of the stores, so I had mom teach me how to make my own. Funny thing: Not knowing this, my sister called and was telling me that she just went through the same thing with my nephew. There must be an egg-nog gene.

Oh yes, to add a little holiday spirit, add a little NyQuil to the nog. Mmmmmmm gooooooood!

Both of my girls LOVE egg nog. The official start of the holiday season is when the egg nog appears in the stores.

 

[Moonbear]

And of course homemade egg nog is SOOOOOOO much better than the store bought stuff.

I love caramel apples, and you're right, Evo, they are so much better when you make them yourself. The store bought ones don't taste the same, and aren't nearly as chewy, though it's really not worth it for me to make caramel apples from scratch for just myself.

I just introduced one of my students and her boyfriend to hot, spiced apple cider last week. I couldn't believe they've never had that before, and it's so easy to make (just drop a cinnamon stick, along with a sprinkle of ground cloves and nutmeg into apple cider, bring it to a boil, and then let it simmer until you can't resist any longer; it's a great treat on a cold, rainy day).

Hot cocoa is of course another Fall favorite.

Homemade pumpkin pie is another favorite of mine, which reminds me that I need to get some pumpkins (it's not as good with canned pumpkin).

 

[rhuthwaite]

I have never heard of any of this stuff before

 

[wolram]

I have never heard of any of this stuff before

I have heard of them, and seen toffee apples, but what is this pumpkin pie
you all rave about?

 

[Evo]

I have heard of them, and seen toffee apples, but what is this pumpkin pie
you all rave about?

Surely you jest!

 

[hypatia]

I make pumpkin custard, baked right in the pumpkin, mmmmmm its so good!

 

[Evo]

I make pumpkin custard, baked right in the pumpkin, mmmmmm its so good!

I've seen pumpkin stew made in the pumpkin, do you use the little pumpkins?

 

[Moonbear]

Brits are always puzzled about pumpkin pie, because they eat pumpkin as a vegetable, not a dessert. Wollie, I promise that pumpkin pie is really quite delicious. The last time I went crazy making lots of homemade pumpkin pie, I had someone from France and a couple from Holland for dinner, along with some Americans who already knew what pumpkin pie was. They were all quite surprised at what a tasty dessert it is, because they too never envisioned that pumpkin could be made into a sweet pie. It's sort of like making a pumpkin-flavored custard, but with lots of spices, and baking it up in a pie. Most people only make it in Fall, when you can find pumpkins in all the stores. You can also get canned pumpkin, but it's not as good as fresh. And, if you're trying it for the first time, skip the store made, frozen ones. They are very disappointing in comparison and will not give you a good impression of a good pumpkin pie.

Oh, and Evo, I just saw king crab is in season! Though, the store here had it from Russia, not Alaska, but as far as I know, it all comes from the same sea. I just had some smothered in lots of butter! Yummy!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I have a pumpkin story.

As a kid I always had a vegetable garden, so one year I decided to try to grow pumpkins. Well, I had no idea what would happen, and it didn't take long before this thing took over half of the backyard. What was worse was that it only had ONE small pumpkin on it! We all had quite a few laughs about the pathetic sight of one small pumpkin in all of that vine, but a pumpkin is a pumpkin, and just before Thanksgiving it was time to harvest.

This turned out to be the strangest pumpkin that anyone had ever seen. It only had a few seeds and was nearly solid; more like an apple than a pumpkin - literally! Granny got two full pies which were quite excellent. To this day I have never seen another like it. I guess that for some reason it didn't get pollenated [no other pumpkin plants around?], so all of energy that would have gone into a dozen pumpkins went into one.

 

[Evo]

I LIKE Libby's canned pumpkin pie recipe.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/libbys-famous-pumpkin-pie/detail.aspx

Omit the cloves, cloves are evil.

INGREDIENTS
1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (Do not freeze as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.)

 

[scorpa]

We always made pumpkin seeds after we had finished carving our pumpkins on Halloween

 

[Evo]

I have a pumpkin story.

One *super* pumpkin. You should have planted the seeds the next year to see what grew. You could have had some new mutant breed of pumpkin and be a millionaire now.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

One *super* pumpkin. You should have planted the seeds the next year to see what grew. You could have had some new mutant breed of pumpkin and be a millionaire now.

 

[Astronuc]

Both of my girls LOVE egg nog. The official start of the holiday season is when the egg nog appears in the stores.

I'm looking forward to the egg nog. We have a couple of good suppliers.

And of course homemade egg nog is SOOOOOOO much better than the store bought stuff.

Recipe please.

 

[Moonbear]

I LIKE Libby's canned pumpkin pie recipe.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/libbys-famous-pumpkin-pie/detail.aspx

Omit the cloves, cloves are evil.

INGREDIENTS
1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (Do not freeze as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.)

You have to have a little cloves, but 1/8 tsp is MORE than enough. I also reduce the ginger to 1/8 tsp too. But what's that evaporated milk stuff doing in a pumpkin pie? It has to be cream!

 

[Moonbear]

Recipe please.

Unfortunately, I'm not the one with the recipe for it. I have made it homemade, but the recipe I had wasn't the best. Someone else made it for a party, and theirs was the good stuff! I knew I should have gotten the recipe.

 

[wolram]

You have to have a little cloves, but 1/8 tsp is MORE than enough. I also reduce the ginger to 1/8 tsp too. But what's that evaporated milk stuff doing in a pumpkin pie? It has to be cream!

I wish you and Evo would not constantly argue about the recipe one or tother gives i was just about to print Evos now i am not sure.

 

[Evo]

I wish you and Evo would not constantly argue about the recipe one or tother gives i was just about to print Evos now i am not sure.

The evaporated milk prevents it from curdling.

 

[Moonbear]

Curdling?!

Anyway, Wollie, go ahead and try Evo's recipe. It's probably easier to get all the ingredients than with mine (I've heard it's hard to get fresh pumpkin in Britain), and is a simple one to start with.

I suggest eating it while still just a teeny bit warm.

 

[rhuthwaite]

I think it is only americans who eat pumpkin as a sweet food. I have never tried or seen pumpkin pie or anything sweet with pumpkin. Its a vegetable to me roasted with a little bit of olive oil and some other vegetables and had with a roast chicken

 

[Moonbear]

I think it is only americans who eat pumpkin as a sweet food.

That's the impression I have as well. But, I've served pumpkin pie to many visitors to the country (usually as dessert with Thanksgiving dinner...since they don't usually celebrate the holiday, and there is NOTHING else to do on that day since everyone spends it with friends or relatives, I've invited quite a few foreign students to my home for Thanksgiving dinner over the years), and they've all been very pleasantly surprised (the last time I made it, I made two pies, expecting to serve one for the guests, and have one for myself over the next week or so...my guests discovered the second pie and all had seconds they enjoyed it so much!) If you visit the US in November, definitely ask for a piece of pumpkin pie to try.

 

[rhuthwaite]

I don't know if I could eat it... Is it honestly that nice? I'll have to go to america one day. How did thanksgiving come about? No where else has it

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Here is a brief history. There is a video link in the left column.
http://www.history.com/minisites/thanksgiving/

 

[turbo]

I don't know if I could eat it... Is it honestly that nice? I'll have to go to america one day. How did thanksgiving come about? No where else has it

My wife's pumpkin pie is wonderful! Not too sweet, with just the right amounts of spices, and she makes it with fresh pumpkin, so we only get this treat in the fall/early winter. Most pumpkin pies I have tried are too sweet, bland, and "custardy" in texture. A week ago, she made one using a fresh squash (the same kind that gets canned as One Pie "pumpkin" pie filling). It was OK, but nowhere near as good as the ones she makes with real pie pumpkins.