The Taste of Fall

As the leaves turn their magnificent fall colors—brilliant gold, burnt orange, deep red—there’s nothing more warming than a hot cup of apple cider. Redolent with traditional spices of cinnamon and clove (with an occasional hint of ginger or cardamom), this distinctly fall beverage perfectly captures the apple harvest in our area.

 

But apple cider isn’t just for drinking. It also makes a delicious caramel that is easy, albeit a bit time consuming, to make. I happened across an Instagram post from the Smitten Kitchen blog with a drool-worthy picture of said caramels. What I liked about the recipe, aside from the flavor profile, is that it uses fresh, local apple cider. Right now…especially right now…we are trying to support our small local merchants and farmers, so what better way than to buy some fresh unfiltered apple cider and make these treats?

 

The process is simple and doesn’t require any fancy tools or pans, although a candy thermometer does help immensely. The time-consuming part of the recipe is boiling down the apple cider until it is almost syrupy. Going from 4 cups of cider to 1/2 cup takes 30-45 minutes. You don’t have to stand and watch it. Just stir now and then. As it gets close to the end, it’s wise to hover a bit, so it doesn’t burn. But once you have your concentrate, you add the main ingredients, stir and boil until it hits about 252 degrees. Really, it’s just that easy.

 

When you take it off the heat you hit the mixture with a bit of cinnamon and flaky sea salt, which really makes the caramel pop. (I’m sure you could eliminate both and they would still be out of this world, but why mess with perfection?) Pour into your prepared pan and refrigerate until hard. Then enjoy the goodness. And while you’re at it, why not double recipe and spread the wealth? I shared with all my neighbors, to help ease the pain of celebrating Thanksgiving in isolation. 

 

Note: If you don’t have access to fresh unfiltered apple cider from a local grower, most supermarkets carry unfiltered apple cider (NOT juice), which has been pasteurized and bottled and is shelf-stable.

 

Recipe after the jump…

Holiday Eggnog Bread

 My godmother is a good cook, when it comes to savory items. I’ve never really known her to do sweets. Partly because she and my godfather were not big fans of sugary treats and she rarely had time to put into baking.

One sweet treat she has been making for years—decades probably—is a delicious eggnog bread. It’s an easy semi-homemade loaf that is moist and full of flavor. The simple recipe is easily doubled (each batch makes two loaves), so that you can freeze some to have on hand for guests or to give away to friends and family. (It will be much more welcomed than the traditional fruit cake.) 

 

You can find the recipe for the eggnog after the jump and in my second cookbook, aptly named Eating Suburbia, available here.

 

NOTE: Last week I shared a cherished recipe for eggnog that was generously shared with me. It’s the perfect ingredient for this holiday eggnog bread, but if you don’t have the time or the inclination to make it, you can head to the store—COVID willing—and pick up some premade eggnog to use. 

 

Holiday Eggnog Bread

1 box yellow cake mix    

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 large eggs    

2 tablespoons rum

1 1/2 cups eggnog

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans.

 

Beat eggs first then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour into prepared loaf pans.

 

Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool, then remove from pans.

 

Yield: 2 loaves

 

 

Tis the Season…for Eggnog

Almost a decade ago, my two oldest children rented a house together on one of the best blocks in Redwood City. The day they moved in, neighbors came by to welcome them, drop off a list of everyone’s phone number, and tell them about the Facebook group that the neighborhood had. 

 

In the years since, we’ve become part of that neighborhood by extension. The annual Easter Eggstravaganza and fall Oktoberfest have been highlights, where the street is blocked off and everyone shares in food and drink, games and karaoke. Halloween is an event, where over 500 kids come through to see all the decorations. Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day are often celebrated at The Resort, a beautiful home where one couple has a pool and a tiki bar and doesn’t mind a neighborhood invasion. 

 

Spending time with these generous and friendly people was a highlight of our time in the suburbs and we do miss it now being in the mountains. While we have been back for events since we moved, those events have been a little less sparkly and joyful due to the death of the street’s matriarch. Bobby was a gregarious, and sometimes outrageous, woman…one I think I’d like to be when I grow up. She often had wildly colored hair, brightly decorated nails, loved her Four Roses bourbon, and had a great laugh. She also made the very best eggnog I’ve ever had, although I rarely got much of it, as Mr. B quickly drank copious amounts whenever she delivered it to our house. 

 

Last week, Bobby’s daughter kindly shared the recipe for her eggnog, which not surprisingly contains her beloved Four Roses. She told Brilliant Daughter and me that Bobby would want us to have it. And because it’s just so darn stinkin’ good, I wanted to share it as well. It’s the perfect time for it, with the holidays winging our way.

 

So, a big “Cheers” to Bobby, may she smile down upon us as we enjoy this delicious beverage. And “cheers” to all of you, hoping you have a happy and healthy holiday season.

 

Bobby’s Famous Eggnog 

12 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla

2 quarts half and half

¼ cup Meyers dark rum

¾ cup Four Roses bourbon

Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

 

Blend egg yolks, sugar and vanilla with a hand or stand mixer until light yellow. Add the half and half slowly and mix completely. Add in rum and bourbon, then stir in cinnamon and nutmeg. 

 

Refrigerate immediately. Good for up to two weeks. 

 

Side Notes:

And while it may be sacrilege to utilize this delicious eggnog into anything other than a beverage, you might want to use it to make eggnog bread, which is a simple treat that is easily frozen for later enjoyment and makes a nice gift to neighbors. I’ll share that recipe later this week.

 

And don’t throw out those egg whites either. They can be scrambled for a healthy breakfast or made into these delicious meringues, which are sweet and chocolate-y and will satisfy the biggest sweet tooth and the dieter alike—as they are only 30 calories apiece.

 

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

4 egg whites, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter

1 1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 1/3 cups mini chocolate chips

 

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. 

 

In a medium mixing bowl with whisk attachment bowl, beat egg whites on super high speed until soft peaks form. Add cream of tarter and vanilla and mix again for 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl and return to high speed and add sugar 2 tablespoons at a time. Beat on high until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

 

Drop mixture by rounded tablespoon 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet (a mini ice cream scoop makes even-sized domed cookies; a pastry bag yields cookies with a gentle swirl pattern). Bake the cookies in the oven for 25 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned. Turn oven off and let cookies finish cooking for 15 minutes. Remove and transfer cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool.