Treats for October

Fall means apple treats. This year we found an old favorite and stumbled on a new one. When we lived in Massachusetts, we would visit a pumpkin patch in Ipswich and they sold apple cider doughnuts. These are cake style doughnuts suffused with cidery warmth and flavor. Soooo good, especially when fresh. Strangely we had a hard time finding them in Oregon and Virginia. This weekend we found some at Fir Point Farms down I-5. If you can't find them yourself use this recipe. The link has the story on the doughnuts as well.

The farm was also selling fried apple pie. We were not sure about this one until we saw the line. It had to be good! Or we were all just sheep who follow the leader. Luckily it was the former. I've seen recipes where they make a pie and then fry it, but these are a bit different. Here you take a firm apple, like a granny smith, and cut it into wedges. You cover it in a wet pastry dough and fry it. Once done you cover with cinnamon sugar. The effect is like a doughnut with melting apple in the middle. It's rather good.

On the store bought front, look out for Hershey's Cocoa peanuts. They are chocolate covered peanuts with a dusting of cocoa. These have a nice subtle cocoa flavor that I found addictive. Super bonus is that you can get them at the convenience store.

And here is a great article on salted caramel, with recipes for those who dare.