Recipes

Makes about 30 truffles

Ingredients

½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon ground spiced pumpkin seeds
¼ cup pumpkin puree½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nut meg
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet  dark chocolate, chopped
cocoa powder mixed with a little pumpkin pie spice, for dusting

Directions

In a heavy bottom saucepan, heat the heavy cream, vanilla, pumpkin seeds, spices  and pumpkin puree to a simmer, about 3 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape the side of the pan where the cream builds up. In a separate metal bowl, place the chocolate. When cream is warm, pour it over the chocolate, let sit for about 1 minute, and then stir until smooth and chocolate is melted and incorporated evenly. Place the metal bowl in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Spoon small amount into hands, and roll into a little ball. Do not handle the chocolate ganache too much as the heat from your hands will melt the chocolate. Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in refrigerator overnight. Roll in cocoa powder/pumkin pie spice mixture..

*Spiced Pumpkin Seeds : mix 2 cups raw pumpkin seeds with ¼ cup melted butter,  ¼ cup turbinado sugar and 1 teaspoon of the following spices: black pepper,, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice.  Bake in a 400° oven for about 15-20 minutes or until browned and crisp.  Allow to cool before grinding.  Grind seeds as needed into a course grind like black pepper.

Ingredients

75 club crackers
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup milk
¹⁄₃ cup granulated sugar
²⁄₃ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup butterscotch chips

Directions

Line 9-by-13-inch rectangular baking pan with one later of Club crackers (you may need to break some to fit). Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add graham cracker crumbs, dark brown sugar, milk, and granulated sugar. Bring to a boil. Boil for five minutes, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat. Pour half of butter mixture over crackers in pan. Smooth surface with spatula. Arrange another layer of Club crackers over butter mixture. Pour remaining butter mixture over surface. Smooth surface with spatula. Arrange a third layer of crackers over top. Combine peanut butter, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips in small saucepan. Melt over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over crackers. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate two hours. Cut into 2-inch bars. Bars will keep for two weeks, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
½ cup water
¹⁄₈ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ cup raw green (hulled) pumpkin seeds (not toasted; 4 ounces)

Directions

Put a 24-by-12-inch sheet of parchment on a work surface and anchor corners with pieces of tape. Bring sugar, water, and sea salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cook mixture, without stirring, washing down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until syrup registers 238°F (soft-ball stage) on thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes (sugar syrup will be colorless). Remove from heat and stir in seeds with a wooden spoon, then continue stirring until syrup crystalizes, 3 to 4 minutes.

Return pan to moderate heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts completely (sugar will continue to dry and become grainy before melting) and turns a deep caramel color, 4 to 5 minutes more (seeds will be toasted). Carefully pour hot caramel mixture onto parchment and carefully cover with another sheet. Immediately roll out (between sheets of parchment) as thinly as possible with a rolling pin, pressing firmly. Remove top sheet of parchment and immediately cut brittle into pieces with a heavy knife or pizza wheel. Cool brittle completely, then peel paper from bottom. (Alternately, break brittle into pieces once cool.)

Makes about 10 cups

Ingredients

About 8 cups plain popcorn
1 cup pecans or any nuts on hand, coarsely chopped and toasted
¾ stick unsalted butter
1½ cups pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon salt

Directions

Toss popcorn and pecans in a large bowl. Line bottom of a 17-by-11-inch 4-sided sheet pan with foil, then lightly oil foil. Melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add maple syrup and salt and boil (still over medium heat), without stirring, until thermometer registers 300°F, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour syrup over pecans and popcorn, stirring briskly with a lightly oiled spoon or silicone spatula to coat, then immediately spread popcorn in pan in 1 layer. Cool completely, then break into bite-size pieces.

Yields about 2 dozen mini peanut butter cups and 4-6 large s’mores.

Ingredients

For the candy shells

Chocolate

For the peanut butter filling

1 cup peanut butter
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the s’mores filling

1 cup marshmallow fluff
2 graham crackers, broken in pieces

Directions

Temper the chocolate and pour into cupcake molds (either miniature or regular size) and let harden. Mix the two fillings and place in cups when chocolate is hard. Cover the top with remaining tempered chocolate. Use freezer to chill and harden if under time constraint and/or chocolate isn’t tempered correctly.

Ingredients

15 apples
2 cups white sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1½ cups water
8 drops red food coloring

Directions

Lightly grease cookie sheets. Insert craft sticks into whole, stemmed apples.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine sugar, corn syrup and water. Heat to 300 to 310 degrees F (149 to 154 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms hard, brittle threads. Remove from heat and stir in food coloring.
Holding apple by its stick, dip in syrup and remove and turn to coat evenly. Place on prepared sheets to harden.