Pots and Pins

Donut Party 2019...

We did it again.  425 donuts home-made, raised and fried fresh, countless donut-holes, 2 1/2 gallons of oil, 2 vats of glaze, 350 napkins, 4 Advil, 6 Diet Cokes and about 250 people, who left with sticky fingers and big smiles.  It was fun and chaotic and possibly the best Halloween I've had in a very long time!

This year no tents were needed as it wasn't raining!  Only 5 times in the last 28 years have we not had rain on Halloween!  Note to self:  Using a cloth tablecloth was not a good idea, it was covered with donut debris!  We set up inside the garage this year and it seemed to work great...we had plenty of room to work and room for our guests/ghosts/ghouls.

Just part of the Donut Dream Team ...Megan and Joni helped make dough and rolled it all out - and then pitched in to help Allan fry.  Ashley, top left, manned the glazing station and she was a champ!  Julie and Linda, not pictured, were running back and forth bringing donuts out from the kitchen, cleaning up, doing everything that needed to be done...and that's yours truly, top right, fighting off a donut coma to the best of my ability!

Last year when we did the donuts for the first time, I posted the donut recipe, you can find it here.  This year, in an effort to stream-line things I decided there must be a way to make all of the dough in the morning, let it rise slowly in the refrigerator and then I could start to roll it out right before the party.  I talked to some "donut experts" and they didn't have the answer I needed so I read about 5 blogs online written by "donut experts" and they didn't have the answer either - then I went to King Arthur Flour online and clicked on their chat button.  It was awesome!  I went back and forth with a REAL donut expert and she told me I could make all the dough at once and refrigerate it...that I should check it after a few hours and punch it down if needed.  She also said I could punch down the dough twice before I needed to roll it out...any more than that and I would have pancakes!  

Workin' it!  In order to fry 425 donuts in 2 1/2 hours we were steppin' and fetchin' every minute!  We did pause just a bit to take this picture - now you can see cute Julie who came dressed as The French Chef and her darling daughter Ashley.  Couldn't have done it without them!

Back to the donuts...there was just one teensy thing the King Arthur person failed to mention...I needed to use regular yeast - not quick rise!!!  If only she would have said that!!!  She assumed I KNEW what I was doing...I did not!  I used quick rise yeast and didn't think anything about it until, after an hour, I opened the refrigerator door and discovered my 3 huge bowls with a double batch of dough in each, had risen up and out of the bowls!  I quickly punched them down and thought that would take care of things but 30 minutes later they were out of the bowls again...it was then that I realized I had used the wrong yeast.  That dough was unusable - made me so sad!!!  At 3:30 in the afternoon I started again...6 batches of dough, this time made with quick rise yeast because the party started at 5:30 and I was almost out of time!!!  Note to self:  Next time, make the dough in the morning but use regular yeast!  I purchased a 25 lb. bag of flour, had about 8 cups left after my dough mishap...

The boy outdid himself with his scary Halloween stuff...Some of it was almost too scary and there were a few little kids who cried!  I prefer my plastic witch, ghost and Frankenstein but the boy scoffed at them, ignored my pleas, and put up all of the horror...including the new addition of the Headless Horseman - which, I had to admit, was pretty cool.

Thanks to everyone who came and made our night so much fun.  At 8:00 we shut the garage doors and the 2019 Donut Party was done.  The boy hauled in his treasures, afraid someone would steal them, and thanks to a great clean-up crew, including the boy and Angela, we were all tucked into bed at the usual time!  By 10:00 the next morning Halloween was all boxed up and things had returned to normal.  Nothing left but the pictures and the added pounds eating a dozen, albeit small, donuts added to my already hefty girth!

 

Black Halloween Spaghetti...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After unusual October monsoons, we have had glorious sunny, albeit cold days and we are promised a rain-free Halloween!!  Things are hoppin' around The Slaughterhouse as we are getting ready for our donuts-on-the-driveway party (the plan is to fry 380 donuts...without having the fire department show up) and the boy is installing massive, horrifically skeeeeeery Halloween creatures outside on the lawn even though I forbid him.  When did he go to the dark side exactly?  I don't know but apparently he ain't never comin' back!  In Home Depot yesterday the boy spotted the "headless horseman" - a huge creepy thing that takes hours to assemble and when the boy was looking at the giant box a salesman appeared...now when have you ever been in Home Depot and had someone magically show up to help?!?!?  Usually we have to walk the entire store twice to find someone and then they are on their way to lunch or they work in lumber and know nothing about our electrical needs!!!  Anyway, the guy told the boy the headless horseman was 75% off and never have I seen the boy move so fast - that thing was rung up and in the back of the truck within 3 minutes!  

We have done so many fun things lately - I love this time of year and am especially happy I now get to share it with my grandkids!  Carving pumpkins with the mister was never allowed...I couldn't trust myself to be around him while wielding a knife!!!  And besides, he's not into Halloween...or fun.  But the kids??  They're all over it!  FYI:   Those little plastic pumpkin carving knives that all the party stores sell, really work!  The kids needed very little help from me and scooping pumpkin guts, which they used to hate, was their newest favorite thing!

 

 

No need to ask these kids to pose - just pick up a camera and they instantly Vogue.  While they were cutting and scooping, I was prepping the pumpkin seeds for roasting...I look forward to roasted pumpkin seeds every October, don't you?  Here's an easy way to make them:  Start with seeds from one pumpkin, rinsed and drained, and don't worry about any pieces of pumpkin sticking to them.  Pour seeds into a medium sized bowl and add 1/4 cup melted butter, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt.  Mix well and pour out onto ungreased, rimmed baking sheet.  Put in preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, then stir, and then return to oven until golden and crisp, about another 8 to 10 more minutes.  Remove from oven, taste, and if you're like me you'll add more salt, then enjoy!

Adding black food coloring to water will turn your spaghetti or whatever pasta you're cooking, a beautiful shade of black.  I used about 10 drops of gel black food coloring.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  I sauteed chopped red bell pepper and onion in a bit of butter and olive oil and then mixed it with the cooked spaghetti for a nice Halloween effect...

Adding sundried tomatoes or cherry tomatoes and meatballs would make this even more F*U*N to eat, unless you're a picky eater like my Max and then you only eat naked pasta!  Max was thrilled with the color though and thought it was super cool.  My dear friend Bev in MinneSNOWta sent me the idea - she is always on the look-out for fun things for The Slaughterhouse on Halloween!  Thank you Bev - it was a huge hit!

Not that appetizing in the above pic but that's what Max eats...plain pasta and meat...sometimes...mostly just pasta.  This pasta also looks very Halloween-ish in a nice red sauce...you get the idea - boil some up for your little ghouls today!

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice...

 Years ago, just as I was about to start a recipe that called for pumpkin pie spice, I realized I was fresh out.  Off to the local Safeway I went where I picked up a tiny little container of pumpkin pie spice and saw it was $5.99...for like TWO tablespoons of spice!  Right there in the spice aisle I almost had a full-blown-come-apart.  The nerve of McCormick Spices!  The nerve of Safeway!  Where did they get off charging that kind of moolah for something that is a necessity to my well-being!???  I wanted to start a spice revolution right then and there but alas, I needed to make pumpkin pie and I needed the pumpkin pie spice and I was the only one in the spice aisle and you can't start a revolution with just yourself, as that's called a meltdown. 

 

So I calmed myself, bought the tiny jar of spice and went home to make my pie.  But the very next day I did what I should have done to begin with and what you should do right now...I made my OWN pumpkin pie spice and I've never looked back!  It's not only easy, it's much, much more economical.  You can make a vat of pumpkin pie spice and still feel like you can retire at a decent age. 

Why would one want to make a large amount of pumpkin pie spice, you ask?  Because it makes for great party favors/gifts this time of year.  And if you're a baker then you know it won't go to waste...pumpkin spice season lasts for three full months so you'll use it!  We are lucky enough to live by an Indian grocery store (Apna Bazaar) where I bought ground nutmeg, ground ginger, cinnamon and ground cloves - super cheap!  (Asian markets also carry these spices for much less money than my local Safeway.)  The only thing I can't purchase at the Indian market is allspice, so I buy that at Fred Meyers.  (By the way, if you ask at the Indian market for allspice they will hand you garam masala - it's their all-spice!)

The little jars I used came from World Market - $.99 each.  This takes about 5 minutes to put together...add the spices to a zip-lock style bag, give it a couple of good shakes to combine, and then fill your jar(s). I usually make 9 times the recipe - which gives me about 2 1/4 cups of pumpkin pie spice...enough to take care of whatever pumpkin spice cravings I have and enough to share...if I'm so inclined...some years I don't share; hoarding pumpkin pie spice might just save my life when the zombie apocalypse begins, I'm told it will put a zombie in a trance...  

I ordered these cute chalkboard label stickers from Amazon.  They were under $8 and they came with two liquid chalk markers...arrived the day after I ordered them...so my love/hate relationship with Amazon continues, right now I'm loving them more than hating...I have mail order issues.  

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice - Pots and Pins

This recipes makes 1/4 cup of spice, enough to fill a small spice jar (2.5 oz.)  Double/quadruple as you see fit!

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

Mix altogether in a zip-lock style bag or a small bowl.  Keep in an airtight container/jar.  Enjoy!

Did you know you can sprinkle pumpkin pie spice over an unscented or vanilla candle for a delicious scent in your home?  You can also just add it to water in a small pan and put it on your stove top to simmer...just don't let the water simmer out of the pan!  You can even make sachets with it to put in your car or sock drawer so your dog will follow you around even more than normal.  But definitely bake with it...make something wonderful to serve at all of your fall parties...

 

We had a family painting party - sure to be an annual event!  Elsa and Catherine assembled haunted gingerbread houses - another annual event - Trader Joe's still has some houses left, so does Costco, but hurry, they won't last long!  I'll leave you with a throwback picture as I count down the days until I can don my cape once again...

 

Donuts...Party...Halloween...

I know the count down to T-day has started but I want to take a bit of a breather from recipe reading to tell you about our donut party.  We went big and then we went home...as in our first and last donut party!  350 donuts.  1 giant vat of glaze.  2 gallons of oil.  Our first Halloween donut party was a great success and a lot of fun AND the donuts were Ahhhhhhmazing.  Really, they were THE best donuts I've ever tasted, and I'm not over them in my dreams!  A donut party is not a one-gal-operation...nope, it requires a team!!  And luckily I know donut people and they came and made it all look so easy!  So humor me while I show you a few pictures from our big donut event! 

A donut party also requires a really great donut recipe...which you will find below...and as many trays as you can find!  And a big table to let them await their demise upon...and a garage, and 4 tents...if your garage is big enough and clean enough you can skip the tents but since ours was neither, we covered our driveway with them.  You might be wondering why we did this outside or even did it at all (I'm now wondering that!)  For years and years Tami Bean and her family hosted donut parties in their garage on Halloween night and it was a highlight for our community!  Hundreds of people would go; they feasted on her delicious donuts and left with happy faces smeared with glaze and the hopes of donuts again the next year.  Tami and her family moved away over the summer and I just felt like her donut tradition must continue!!!  Something so great as donut night just could not die!  So I tried to make Tami proud, I sent out Evites, put up decorations and I channeled her and used her recipe and she helped me by texting me tips and encouragement and while I might not have achieved Donut Master status, I do think our little party turned out okay, mainly because her donuts are just dang good.  5 dangs good!!  Thank you Tami!! 

Extra treats are certainly not necessary at a donut party...but I suffer from FOROOF, fear of running out of food, so I made a few things just in case...chocolate dipped pretzel rods, Rice-Krispies treat eyeballs, spider chocolate chip cookies, severed fingers, frosted sugar cookies, bowls of candy corn and gallons of apple cider to wash it all down.  More is more!  

Also not necessary are scary Halloween decorations but the boy insisted...so I insisted that he pose for a picture with me...I barely recognize him as he doesn't have black hair or a mustache...he was supposed to be Gomez Addams...close but no cigar!

Megan and Deb, two of the best donut makers this side of the Mississippi, were primed with Diet Coke and ready to work.  I think they might have had more fun IN the kitchen than outside!  Both of them are in costume...yes, they really are, can you guess who they are supposed to be??!

Joni and Deb kept watch over the vat of donut glaze...butter, vanilla, butter, powdered sugar, butter, cream, butter...that's why it was SO dang good!  I didn't think Joni came in costume, but she was wearing flip-flops on a rainy cold night, so maybe she was partially costumed??

The fry-master, otherwise known as Mr. T or Allan.  He brought his camp stove and Dutch ovens and fried all 350 donuts to perfection...I don't think there was a burnt one in the batch!  Behind Deb and Megan is Patty, who worked a miracle in my kitchen with her non-stop dish-washing!  It took a village people!  And on top of the village donut people, we had Trick or Treaters who stopped by and several of their parents jumped in to help!

This is the only shot of the reason for the season...hot, glazed donuts.  Oh my gosh, so dang good.  I think I had 5 of them!!!  FIVE!!!  I wish I'd been better about taking pictures - before, during and after - but I kept getting side-tracked (that's what it's called when I'm busy stuffing my face with donuts and licking my fingers.)

Best Homemade Donut Recipe - Adapted Slightly From Tami Bean, the Donut Master

1 1/2 cups milk

1/3 cup vegetable shortening

2 packages instant yeast (Note!!!  Only use instant/quick rise yest if you plan to make the donuts within an hour or so...otherwise use regular yeast.  You can make the dough 8 to 10 hours ahead if you use regular yeast and let it rise slowly in the refrigerator.  Let it rest and come to room temperature before rolling out, about 30 minutes.)

1/3 cup warm water (95 to 105 degrees F)

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

pinch of cinnamon

3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surface

peanut or vegetable oil for frying (I used vegetable oil)

Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to melt shortening.  Place the shortening in a bowl and pour warmed milk over.  Set aside. 

In a small bowl sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk and shortening mixture, first making sure the milk and shortening mixture has cooled to lukewarm.  Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and half of the flour.  Using the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined.  Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, then increase the speed to medium and beat well.  Change to the dough hook and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.  If the dough doesn't pull away from the bowl, add flour, a little at a time until it does.  Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, and if you plan to use the dough soon, cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. 

(Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough overnight so that it’s ready to make in the morning -- reread note above - do not use quick rise yeast if you don't plan to use the dough soon.  After mixing the dough, transfer to a well-oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.  Punch down the down as needed during this time - but you really shouldn't need to.  When ready to use, remove from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature, about 30 minutes, before rolling.)

On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch thick.  Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch donut cutter.  Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a tea towel, and let rise for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F.  Gently place the donuts into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time.  Cook for 1 minute per side.  Transfer to a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet.  Cool slightly, drop donuts one at a time into a bowl of glaze, turn over then remove and set out onto another rack with a baking sheet underneath to catch the glaze drips.  Makes approximately 40 donuts.

Creamy Glaze

1/3 cup butter

2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 to 6 tablespoons milk

Heat butter until melted, remove from heat.  Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Stir in milk 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. 

 Thank you Tami for being my Donut Guru!!  We miss you!  C'mon on back now! 

Pumpkin Bread with Salted Maple Butter...

Let's play true confessions...I'll go first...my house is already decorated for Christmas.  Has been for a week now.  Why yes, it's a bit early but the boy was here and he said he had time to help get out Christmas stuff and he wouldn't have time again until the week after Thanksgiving...and by then why bother?!?  So he got to work - bin after bin was carried in to its assigned room - Alexa played Christmas music for us and one by one I opened those bins and greeted my beloved decorations. It was all fun and giggles until the mister came home.  His bombastic voice rang out as he walked in the door, "Christmas crap already?!?"  When he turned the corner to go upstairs he was startled by Santa - as in he jumped a foot and his arm flew up in a Karate-chop (we've already established he doesn't know Karate) so the boy and I burst out laughing - we do love it when the mister gives us a reaction and we decided next year we might even put Christmas up before Halloween! Think how many Karate chops we could get then?!?  The mister has grumbled daily about the Christmas stuff, so everything is perking along just like always. 

But not to fear, we haven't bypassed Thanksgiving altogether!  I'm still trying new recipes, deciding which ones will make the cut this year, and this Pumpkin Bread has gone to the front of the line!  It's got it all going on...pumpkin seeds that get toasted while baking are on top for a nice little crunch, lightly spiced bread that tastes like every good thing this season has to offer, and then there's the salted maple butter...yep, it's got it all!

You can grate your own ginger so it's super fresh, or you can take the easy way and use the jar stuff - in this recipe it won't matter.  I buy my pumpkin seeds, or as they say south of the border, pepitas, at Trader Joe's or World Market.  Trader Joe's sells Spiced Pumpkin Seeds along with raw pepitas, and if you can find the spiced ones, use 'em!   

I doubled the recipe and made two loaves - it's always nice to have one to share and one to keep - although you might not want to give one away - it's that good.

Pumpkin Bread with Salted Maple Butter - Adapted From Bon Appetit

For the Bread:

nonstick vegetable oil spray

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 large eggs

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger (from about one 3-inch piece of fresh ginger)

1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 raw pumpkin seeds

For the Salted Maple Butter:

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, room temperature

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

3/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more for serving

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly coat a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick spray.  Line bottom of pan with parchment, leaving a generous overhang on both long sides.  Whisk flour, cinnamon, kosher salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and cloves in a medium bowl.  Whisk eggs, pumpkin puree, ginger, and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a large bowl or in the bowl of your electric mixer.  Stream in oil, whisking constantly until mixture is thoroughly combined.  Gently fold half of the dry ingredients into egg mixture until no dry spots remain.  Repeat with remaining dry ingredients, stirring to combine but being careful not to over-mix.

 

Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top with a spatula.  Scatter pumpkin seeds over batter, pressing lightly to adhere.  Sprinkle seeds with remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.  Bake bread, rotating pan once halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 80 to 90 minutes.  Let cool slightly, then run a knife around pan to help loosen bread.  Using parchment overhang, transfer bread to a wire rack and let cool.  Bread can be baked 4 days ahead, cover tightly with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature. 

 

Maple Butter:  Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter in a large bowl, scraping down sides until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add maple syrup and 3/4 teaspoon sea salt and beat, scraping down sides of bowl once more, just until incorporated.  Transfer maple butter to a small bowl, season with more sea salt, if desired.  Maple butter can be made 5 days ahead.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill.  Let come to room temperature before using.

 

Recipe makes one loaf of bread.

If you have a momentary lapse of judgment and decide not to make the bread - at least make the maple butter!!  It's great on plain toast, scones, biscuits, muffins, licked from the spoon...your T-Day breakfast demands you serve this in some way, and so do I!

This is a no-fail recipe.  I've made three batches of this already and each time the loaves bake up beautifully - c'mon kids, give this one a try!

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Caramels...

While the mister is lamenting the shorter days, having to give up his time sitting on the back porch staring into the trees, I am embracing everything good  about this time of year.  The leaves!  Sweaters!  Baking!  Chowder!  Corn Mazes!  Chili!  Halloween!  Pumpkin everything!  And I'm not really even a pumpkin kind of gal!  But this year, something changed and I found myself baking Pumpkin Bread (recipe coming) and making Pumpkin Soup and even ordering a Pumpkin Spice Steamer at Starbucks!!!  (Just steamed milk with spices...mmmmm, hits the spot!)  The mister has wondered about my new found love/appreciation for pumpkin, "If one more pot of pumpkin in any form shows up for dinner then I'm going to order Chinese."  As if he knows how to do that!

FYI for you Western Washington readers, there is a great corn maze in Duvall, Muddy Boots...I whined about having to drive out there, we have a corn maze 2 miles from the house and we passed a half dozen on the way to Duvall but it was worth it so if you get a chance, GO!  Now, let's talk caramels, shall we?  Toasted pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds) on one side of the lightly pumpkin-pie-spiced caramels and sea salt on the other...where's the harm in that?!?

The toasted pepitas add a crunchy nuttiness to the caramel and the salt just sets it all in motion in your mouth.  Like any homemade caramel, this takes about 30 to 40 minutes to make and then you have to let them cool.  Caramel patience is not something I possess but if you try to eat one too soon you will end up with a burned tongue.  Trust me.  One batch makes about 80 one-inch caramels...enough for you and your fiends/friends to enjoy.

Don't skimp on the salt!  One teaspoon may seem like a lot but some of it falls off before you can bite into it.  The first batch I made I used 1/2 teaspoon salt, it wasn't nearly enough (pictured above.)  The second batch I used a full teaspoon and it was perfect...and maybe next time I might even use a pinch more!  If I had a salt-lick in my kitchen I'd use it!

 

They are pretty, yes?  And they are really good...chewy, sweet, nutty, salty, pumpkin-y.  They are a bite of Autumn for sure.  While I don't like to be stingy, I have to warn you, IF you decide to share, make sure you give these to Pumpkin Caramel Worthy People...not your average unidentifiable Trick or Treater!

Pumpkin Caramels - Adapted from Food52

2/3 cup raw pepitas

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup good maple syrup

1/4 cup of water

4 tablespoons butter, cut in chunks

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt (Fleur de sel)

Dry toast the pepitas in a skillet over medium high heat until they start to pop.  Remove and set aside.  Line the bottom and the sides of an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment, allowing the parchment to hang over the sides to you can lift the caramel out once it has set.  Evenly spread the toasted pepitas in the bottom of the pan on top of the parchment.

In a saucepan, combine heavy cream, pumpkin puree and spices.  Get this mixture quite warm, but not boiling.  Set aside.  In a second heavy bottomed pan, with sides at least 4-inches high, combine the sugar, both syrups and water.  Stir until the sugars are melted, then let it boil until it reaches 220 degrees.  Very carefully add the cream and pumpkin mixture, slowing bring this mixture up to 240 degrees as registered on a candy thermometer.  This might take about 15 minutes or so, be patient and stir frequently.  After the temperature reaches 230 degrees, stir constantly until it reaches 240 degrees to prevent burning.  (I like to do the cold water test to make sure the caramel is just the perfect consistency...put cold water and a few ice cubes in a small glass.  When the caramel reaches 240 degrees, add a half teaspoon or so of the caramel to the cold water and let it sit for about 5 seconds, then using your fingers or a spoon, remove the caramel and set it on the counter.  If it holds its shape but is still a bit soft, then it's done.  If you want a chewier caramel, let it cook a minute or so longer and then do the cold water test again until you have the desired texture...but don't allow to cook past 242 degrees or it will be rock hard!) 

As soon as the caramel reaches 240 degrees, pull off heat and stir in the butter and lemon juice and mix until fully incorporated.  Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.  Let cool 30 minutes then sprinkle the sea salt over the top.  Let the caramel fully set (at least 2 hours) before lifting the caramel out of the pan with the parchment.  Using a hot knife, cut them into 1-inch squares and then wrap them individually in waxed paper or cellophane.  Makes about 80 one-inch caramels.

There are 14 days until Halloween, I will be a witch again this year...the mister says it's when I'm my truest self...I hope you'll dress up and get your share of free candy...I intend to!  I'll end with a few pics of Max and  Elsa - I was with them for 8 glorious days without their parents!!  And let me say this, that's the best way to grandma!  Yes, I used it as a verb because I grandma-ed those kids to pieces and bought more pumpkins last week than I have in all the years I've been buying pumpkins combined!!

 

Harvest Brittle...

I am a creature of habit...every season I make the same foods, put out the same decorations, do the same activities...it's Fall by Numbers around here, let me give you an example:

1.  Halloween black and orange regurgitated all over the house and yard, I'm can feel my neighbors rolling their eyes...oy vey...

2.  Head to the pumpkin patch to buy cornstalks, gourds and pumpkins - where I can be sure to pay top dollar for the experience of walking in dirt

3.  Make Chili, Chowder, Licorice Caramels, and Pies...you'll have to scroll down and click on the PIE link - I probably make a pie a week this time of year, because it would just be rude not to, and because who doesn't like pie?!? 

4.  Dress up like a witch and make fool of myself.  Some things are just mandatory, apologies go out November 1st.

5.  Make Harvest Brittle.  This is the newest addition to my Fall by Numbers list...and all I can say is, why didn't I make this sooner?!? 

 

 

 

 

 

You've all had peanut brittle, right?  This is pretty much like that, only better because it has more than just peanuts and the brittle part is flavored with brown sugar, honey, a bit of butter and vanilla.  It will give you plenty of crunch, along with the cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, dried apricots and Craisins and sure, go ahead and toss in some peanuts just for the heckova it!

You can use regular white granulated sugar for a lighter colored brittle, which makes the orange apricot pieces and the green pumpkin seeds stand out a bit more, but I love that little hint of molasses the brown sugar gives...your choice, it's great either way.

We are celebrating today, not just Harvest Brittle and all of it's deliciouness, but it's BAD PICTURE day at Pots and Pins!  Again!  One would think that after TEN YEARS of blogging, yep, TEN, that one would know how to correctly load pictures...but one would be wrong!  October 2007 was my first post - for those of you who have read every post for the last ten years...I'd like to say Thanks Mom!  Mom was and continues to be my inspiration for everything I do and I started this blog as a way of showing her what I'm up to...she continues to be my biggest fan so Happy Blogaversary to us Mom!

iPhone photos...maybe that's why they're crooked?!?  I have no idea, nor do I care, because really, any way I post it you can see this is something you need to make, right?  There is a lot of goodness in every bite so you really don't have to feel guilty for eating it...and it's not too sticky-chewy so you won't have to worry about dental work falling out...but don't blame me if it does!

Harvest Brittle - Pots and Pins

1 cup almonds

1 cup cashews

1/2 cup peanuts

3/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup dried apricots

1/3 cup dried cranberries

2 1/2 cups brown sugar (light or dark, or you can use white granulated sugar - your choice)

1/2 cup honey

1 cup water

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a large pot (this mixture boils up and increases in size so use a pot larger than you think you would need) combine the sugar, honey, water and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.  Insert a candy thermometer and continue to cook and stir, occasionally, until the mixture reaches 310 degrees, which will take about 15 to 20 minutes. 

While the mixture is cooking, prepare the pan.  Place a sheet of parchment paper in a 9 x 13-inch pan and butter the parchment, sides and bottom.  Set aside.

After the sugar mixture reaches 310 degrees,  turn off the heat and allow to cool to 302 degrees, then immediately stir in the butter, vanilla, the nuts and the dried fruit and mix until everything is thoroughly coated. 

Immediately pour the mixture onto the parchment paper in the pan and using the back of a spatula, spread it out and smooth the top.  Allow the brittle to cool completely before cutting or breaking into pieces.  (You can put in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling.)  Store brittle in an air-tight container for up to one month...but it won't last that long!

 

 

Harvest Brittle makes an excellent thank you gift, too, like say you had knee surgery and your friends showered you with flowers, dinners and chocolate and you needed a yummy way to let them know how much you love and appreciated all they did...this is what you give them !! 

Caramel Apple Rosettes...

Need an easy and impressive dessert this holiday season?  Then this will be it!  Easy to make, super impressive, as in your guests will want to take pictures of these before taking a bite and will only eat if you insist because they are so pretty!  And they are good and tasty!  What more could you want...someone to make them for you?  Your kids would love making these, so gather up your slaves sweet children, and have them roll you some rosettes, they will love it!

 

 

 

You will need Puff Pastry (found in the freezer section of your grocery store).  One package of pastry has two sheets inside; each sheet is already divided into thirds but you will stretch them into fourths.  You will get 8 apple rosettes from one package of pastry.  Whew!  That's a lot of math for me!  As you know, I'm left brain deficient, definitely from lack of use, but as I have proven every day of my life, all you need is a working right brain and a sincere apology on your lips!

 

I have made these several times in the last few months - once with homemade caramel sauce, when I had time to make it.  The other times I used a good caramel sauce I purchased at the store...it worked great and is a huge time saver!  Feel free to use a different flavor of preserves or maybe even cream cheese instead of preserves - whatever jingles your ornaments!  In the pictures you can see I used cream cheese, spread thinly on the pastry then sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon...delish!

 

 

 

Caramel Apple Rosettes - Adapted From Cooking With Manuela

1 package Puff Pastry, thawed according to package directions

4 large apples, any kind, I used Gala

juice of half a lemon

1 tablespoon flour, to sprinkle on counter to prevent pastry from sticking

1/2 cup of apricot preserves or apple jelly  (if you can find apple jelly, use it, if not, apricot is delicious)  OR  if you want to use cream cheese, you will need one 8 oz. package, softened

Cinnamon for sprinkling

Sugar for sprinkling

Caramel sauce for topping

powdered sugar for decorating       

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.   Using a muffin tin with 12 holes, spray 8 of the holes with cooking spray and fill the remaining 4 half way up with hot water, set aside.  (Filling the empty holes with water will act as a "bath" for the apples and help steam them as they bake so they are nice and soft.) Fill a large bowl with warm water and add the lemon juice.  Cut the apples in half, remove core and then cut the apples into thin slices, as thin as you can get them.  (Leave the peel on.)  Place the sliced apples into the lemon water, which will keep them from turning brown.  Microwave the apples in the lemon water for about 3 to 5 minutes, just to make them softer and easy to bend/roll.  When you remove from microwave, test an apple slice, it should be able to bend slightly without breaking, if not, nuke it a few more seconds!

Unwrap the puff pastry over a clean and lightly floured counter (or if you have a pastry cloth, use that).  Roll one sheet of dough slightly with a rolling pin, then cut into 4 equal strips.  Place preserves/jelly in a small bowl and microwave until warm and easier to spread.  Spread one tablespoon of preserves/jelly/cream cheese onto each strip of dough.  (Use both pieces of pastry so you will have 8 strips.)

Drain the apples.  Arrange apple slices on the dough, overlapping each slice and only covering half of the strip of dough (the other side gets folded up and over.)  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar to taste.  Fold up the bottom part of the dough and starting at one end, carefully roll the dough, keeping the apple slices in place, with the apples sticking slightly beyond the dough. Place into a prepared regular muffin tin.  Sprinkle with additional cinnamon if desired. Carefully place muffin tin with the rosettes and hot water into oven and bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the apples are soft and the pastry is done all the way through and lightly browned.  (Check after 30 minutes to make sure the rosettes are not getting too brown on top, if they are, cover loosely with aluminum foil.)  Remove to cooling rack to cool to room temperature.  Drizzle with caramel sauce to taste then sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Makes 8 Apple Rosettes.

 

 

 

 

 

                          

Pumpkin Creme Brulee...

The mister and I have been married for as long as dirt has been on the Earth.  You would think, after all that time, the mister would know a few basic facts about me, like I don't eat eggs, I won't watch horror movies and most importantly, I have an irrational fear of sharks...which means I don't like water, bridges, boats, swimming pools with dark bottoms, get my drift?  I have been very vocal about this over the years so he KNOWS I will not ever go on a cruise...every week when we get the Viking Cruise brochure in the mail (everyone over a certain age must get those things!)  the mister knows to toss it immediately, ain't gonna happen.  When my parents and siblings/spouses went on a cruise I opted to babysit my nieces and nephews rather than go with them!  That's right, I volunteered to stay with 4 teenagers rather than go on a shark-bait-boat.   Boats + water = sharks, it's simple math.  So imagine my surprise this morning when the mister, in all seriousness, asked if I wanted to go on a whale watching cruise off the cost of Hawaii.  Time for more math...Boats + WARM water = Giant MAN-EATING GREAT WHITE SHARKS!  I just stared at him, mouth agape as he pleaded his case..."I know a guy who owns the whale watching tour company over there, he would show us a really great time, probably give us a personal tour and everything..."  translation:  we would be on a small vessel that would capsize us right into the mouths of hungry sharks never to be seen or heard from again.  Not wanting to sound like Regan in The Exorcist, I took a sip of my morning mocktail, composed myself and in my nicest take-your-next-wifey-on-an-open-water-whale-watching-tour-voice said, "What in the Sam Hill are you talking about?!  Go to work you crazy man and don't come home until that thought is banished from your head!"  Godfrey!  It's so tiresome being the ONLY normal one in this house!

 

 Several years ago I clipped a newspaper recipe and stuck it in my "to make" pile.  As Autumn would roll around each year, I looked at this recipe, trying to find a good enough reason to make it...it seemed too fancy to make for an every day dessert and it would be a waste to make for Thanksgiving because that's all about PIE!  Finally, hosting my book club gave me an excuse to make this wonderful, silky smooth, richly decadent, subtly-spiced dessert...it's a keeper and while it won't make our T-Day table, it will definitely make a couple of appearances before the Fat Lady sings!

Like I said above, this is subtly-spiced...don't think of this as another version of pumpkin pie, it's not.  It has just a hint of pumpkin, and a pinch of nutmeg, cloves, ginger and cinnamon, just enough to give you a taste of the season and it definitely allows for a few Mmmmmmms.  This can be made a day ahead, or if you want to make it and serve it the same day, make sure you allow for at least two hours of time in the fridge for the brulee to cool.  Don't be an idiot like me and wait years to make this - make it this holiday season, you'll thank me!

Pumpkin Creme Brulee - From The Seattle Times Newspaper, 1997

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

2 pinches nutmeg

1 pinch ginger

1 pinch ground cloves

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

Topping:  1/3 cup coarse sugar or raw sugar, but you can use regular ol' sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until it comes to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse at least 15 minutes.

 

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the granulated sugar. Whisking constantly, whisk in the pumpkin puree and then the hot cream mixture.   Pour the mixture into 4 ovenproof ramekins and arrange in a hot water bath.  (Put ramekins into a large baking dish with side, like a roaster or a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and pour hot water into the bottom of the pan until it comes about half way up the sides of the ramekins.)

 

Bake in the center of the oven until almost set but still a bit soft in the center, 30 to 40 minutes. The custard should "shimmy" a bit when you shake the pan; it will firm up more as it cools. Remove from the water bath and let cool 15 minutes. Tightly cover each ramekin with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic does not touch the surface of the custard. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, and up to 24 hours.

When ready to serve, preheat a broiler to very hot (or fire up your kitchen torch). Uncover the chilled custards. Pour as much coarse sugar as will fit onto the top of 1 of the custards. Pour off the remaining sugar onto the next custard. Repeat until all the custards are coated. Discard any remaining sugar. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan and broil until the sugar is melted and well browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool 1 minute before serving.  Top with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired and a ginger cookie.  This recipe makes 4 generous servings.

Our book club members go to great lengths to try to match the book with the food...the book we read was The Rent Collector, which is set in a dump in Cambodia.  (I loved this book and highly recommend it!)  I toyed with the idea of spreading garbage all over the driveway and the walkway up to our dump, but after the party was over, I'd have to pick up the trash...not really my forte.  While the characters in the book ate snails and rice and whatever else they could scavenge, I just couldn't bring myself to do that to people I care about...so I ignored the theme...It's Fall, Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so I went with that...I don't think they minded one bit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quilt Group Friday...

It's NOVEMBER!!!  How did this happen?!?  Wasn't it just Easter?!?  And not only is it November but it's my blogaversary...9 years of writing crap, recipes, quilts...that's the longest I've done anything except breathing and I've done that for a very, very long time!  So happy blogaversary to Pots and Pins!!

 

 

 

 

I was fortunate to host our quilt group meeting last week, three days before Halloween, so naturally we had to have a Halloween theme...I set the table with a mix of my old and some new Halloween plates I found at Home Goods (love that store) and I tried to make it festive...it was more like Uncle Fester I know but then it was Halloween!

Since I've hosted my quilting friends many times right before Halloween, I try to do some fun and interesting things for them...and I always try to have yummy food.  Alas, I didn't have much up my sleeve this year!  And when it came to the food, I thought I'd do something creative so I decided to give something new a try...and it didn't work!  I read a recipe for pumpkin soup and it sounded interesting...I made it and it was disgusting.  I threw the entire thing out!  The recipe called for pumpkin, cinnamon, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce and Soy Sauce!!!  Disgusting I tell you!!  I also made a chocolate pumpkin roll that looked good but was equally as disgusting...only this time I didn't throw it out but served it to my quilting friends!  Talk about horror!  I didn't taste the filling when I made it, so I was as surprised as everyone when I had one bite and realized it was a stinker!!  I told them they didn't have to eat it and they didn't!  I'm not sure what went wrong but I won't be making it again!  It was...what's the word...oh yeah, just too vomitous!

 

At least the salad was good and so was a tried and true recipe for Pumpkin Soup - and you can find that recipe here.  And the little sandwiches made with puff pastry, roasted turkey, brie cheese and cranberries...they were yummy so the lunch wasn't a total failure!

 

 

I served the soup in roasted pumpkins...they were a little on the big side but at least they didn't collapse!  All it all it was a good time and I don't think anyone left hungry!  Now, about the reason we met...quilt group!  It was a very small "show"...I suppose everyone had been busy working on their Halloween costume instead of quilts!

Denise brought in her latest quilt - and it wasn't paper pieced!  We all gasped when she told us that because she is the Queen of paper piecing!  This is perfect for Fall!

Helen brought another scrap-happy quilt in her "signature" colors!  Lest you think Helen is in a rut and can only make a quilt with bright colors, you would be wrong!  Helen, like the rest of us, works with colors that make her happy and her colors just happen to be bright and colorful!  My colors tend to me more swampy...muted...dull even...I need more color!!

Marsha brought in another adorable dress quilt.  This one she made for her niece and Marsha is hand-quilting it!  At our Christmas exchange last year I came home with one of those dress panels and when I saw Marsha's quilt it jogged my memory...so I dug out that panel (it has now aged for an appropriate amount of time) and I'm going to try to finish it for a Christmas gift...not necessarily THIS Christmas!

That's it folks...three quilts.  Perhaps the smallest showing we've ever had!!  But still a good one!

Hope you had a grand Halloween and are happily speeding ahead to Thanksgiving!  There are only 52 days until Christmas!!!  Somebody slow down Father Time!