Ozark Living

By Chef Erin Rowe What are some of your favorite sights, smells and sounds of autumn? e food is amazing and all of us hit up the drive-thru for a Pumpkin Spice Latte at least once in fall. But beyond that there's so much more in October for celebrating the new season. My favorite season! I'll usually hit up a corn maze, hay bale ride and the McGarrah Family Farm for pumpkin patch-picking. e weather is still warm enough to sit outside but temperatures start to drop some this month with an occasional return to summer heat, as is typical of Northwest Arkansas. inking of fall leaf-peeping drives down country roads makes me happy, rolling down windows, wearing sweaters and boots. e Hogs are in full force, so football and tailgates become a natural part of fall around these parts. You'll definitely want to partake in the fall foods - a pumpkin carving with the family at home (it's easy, I promise) and maybe something for Halloween too, if you're feeling in the mood. Here are some great ideas for foods that just taste like fall. And they're all sweet in bent - because, guess what? It's also National Dessert Month right now! Take it all in - October and fall just doesn't last long enough! Eats Dessert 2 oz pumpkin spice vodka (or vanilla or plain work well too) 1 oz dark rum 1/2 oz half and half 2 tbl pumpkin puree (fresh or canned) 1 oz maple syrup 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract 3 ice cubes Rim: Maple syrup to taste 1 whole graham cracker 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 tbl sugar Prepare garnish: crush graham in a ziplock bag or food processor til it resembles sand. Stir in cinnamon and sugar. Line rim of martini glass with maple syrup from a plate or thick napkin. Dip or roll glass now in graham mixture. Set aside. Prepare martini by combining in cocktail shaker: ice and all above liquid ingredients. Shake vigorously til well chilled. Strain into prepared martini glass and garnish with nutmeg and a cinnamon stick. Enjoy Fall ya'll! Cemetery Cake (the Halloween cake for your little ghouls & ghost-hunters) Serves 12 1 box chocolate cake mix 3 large eggs 1/2 cup vegetable oil 6 oz semisweet chocolate chopped (or chips) 3/4 cup heavy cream 4 rectangular cookies (such as Social Tea biscuits) 4 Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies (trim 1/2 inch from end of each cookie) 5 pumpkin candies (Jelly Belly makes some) Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with nonstick canola spray. Prepare cake mix with 1 1/4 cups water, the eggs, and oil as per package directions. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake for 31-33 minutes or per package instruction. Cool completely. Trim crowned area from top of cake; reserve scraps for later use. Invert cake onto serving platter. For Frosting: place chopped chocolate or chips in medium bowl. Heat cream in glass measuring cup in microwave 1 minute, pour over chocolate and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk til smooth. Let cool an additional 5 minutes. Pour frosting over cake, saving some in a piping bag or plastic ziplock, allowing some poured frosting to drip down cake sides. Pipe decorations and RIP onto cookies. Let dry. With knife, cut slits in cake to insert decorated cookies like gravestones. Crumble reserved cookie scraps and place on cake in front of cookies to look like fresh dirt. Scatter pumpkin candies over this easy and spooky cake for Halloween. Candied apples/ toffee apples Serves 8 8 large Granny Smith apples 3 cups caster superfine sugar 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup liquid glucose or light corn syrup 1 tsp white vinegar Red food coloring Line a large baking sheet with baking paper or waxed paper and set aside. Give apple a wash to remove all wax. Remove stems and push in a popsicle stick or thick skewer. Add the sugar, water, glucose and vinegar to a large heavy saucepan (stainless steel is best) over very low heat. Stir til sugar is completely dissolved. Bring syrup to a boil and sit a candy thermometer on side of pan. Boil until mixture reaches hard crack stage (302 degrees F or 150 degrees C). Use a pastry brush wet with a little water to brush down any sugar crystals that form the sides. Take the pan off heat and mix the food coloring thoroughly (only aer toffee has cooled to avoid seizing.) Let bubbles subside. Carefully, tip saucepan on an angle to dip apples, turning them a few times to coat well all over. *optional, can be rolled in crushed nuts while toffee is still so if desired. en allow to cool on baking paper. Delights pumpkin pie martini *Adults only! Autumn in a glass - Serves 1 16 • OctOber 2022 • OZArK LIVING

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