Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Acorns and Apples

 
**NOTE:  I’ve been enjoying a blogosphere full of Fall recipes since August and Halloween recipes since the beginning of September.  My blog is more of a stress-relief and venting sort of thing, much more of-the-moment. If you’re here for recipes chances are you took a wrong turn somewhere.  I don’t make pumpkin anything in August and I have a hard-and-fast rule, no Halloween until October 1st. What I’m making now are my family’s favorites, and this is when I’m making them. 


Acorns and Apples. It's Fall | www.BakingInATornado.com |  #MyGraphics

 Although I am truly a summer person, there are just some things about Fall that always end up on my “love it” list.  First is what my son and I call sleeping weather.  It’s cool enough to sleep comfortably but not so cold yet that getting out of bed results in frostbite.  Second is that it’s apple-picking season. 


There was an Apple Orchard in the next state over, about 45 minutes from here that I found out about when the kids were little.  There was a little hay wagon that would take you out to the orchard of your choice (they even had my favorite, Braeburn) and you were free to pick away.  Afterwards we’d stop in the homey little store and pick up some fresh cider (delish hot with Grand Marnier by the fire on a cold day) and candy apples for the kids.

The next year I decided to start a tradition that lasted for many years.  The day before, I make a huge pot of chili and a pan of cornbread.  The next day I’d get a bunch of families to go out apple picking together.  We’d come back to my house, where I had bought everyone pretty pie plates.  The kids would go and play, the men would expend a bunch of energy trying to figure out the apple-corer-peeler-thingy, then give up and go to the basement to watch football and play pool.  Whoever was left would get both of my ovens going with apple pies and both microwaves going with applesauce.  Late afternoon we’d all meet up in the kitchen for chili and cornbread.  Everyone got to bring home pies and applesauce.


One year my sister, niece and nephew flew out for the bake.  I’m not sure how I convinced her to do that since she neither baked nor cared to.  When we were standing in the “pass along the genes” line, she got the cooking one.  I got the baking one.  It wasn’t all about the baking, though. It was a trip to the apple orchards, riding in the hay wagon, picking your own apples, the whole experience.  Wouldn’t you just know it, that turned out to be the only year that apple season was appreciably early due to weather.  We all caravanned out to the apple orchard and although we ended up buying the apples in their little shop, there was no hay ride or picking our own. Can I plan an outing or what?


The orchard is now gone, my kids are teenagers but I still, every Fall, spend a day making apple pie and applesauce.  The smell that permeates the house, that IS Fall to me.  And an added bonus, that smell can entice even the parent-averse boys right into my kitchen.  Well worth the trouble.


Candy Acorns | www.BakingInATornado.com |  #recipe
Candy “Acorns”


 
*Bet you thought I was going to put up an Apple Pie recipe.  If you don’t already know how to make an Apple Pie, go ask your Mommy.


Baking In A Tornado signature| www.BakingInATornado.com |  #MyGraphics
Candy "Acorns"
                                             ©www.BakingInATornado.com


Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
Hershey’s Kisses
Mini vanilla wafers 
Very small amount of chocolate bark or chocolate chips, melted 
Butterscotch chips
Directions: 
*Dip the flat end of the Hershey’s kiss into the melted chocolate.  “Glue” it to the flat end of the cookie.  Let it set until the chocolate dries. 
*Dip the flat end of the butterscotch chip into the chocolate and “glue” to the top of the cookie.  Allow to set.

40 comments:

  1. Oh, that sounds like a wonderful time!
    I LOVE candy acorns. I made them for the first time last year. The kids gobbled them right up! LOL

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    1. Oh yeah, cookies with a candy glued on, kids gobble them up here too!

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  2. These are the cutest things I have ever seen. They look really tasty too.

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  3. I am so going to have to make those!

    x,
    Becca

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  4. Baking with apples is one of my favorite things about fall. Your little acorns are so cute. Great idea for a fall treat.

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    1. Baking with apples is how I acknowledge that Fall is here. The kids prefer the acorns though. A candy attached to a cookie, right up their alley.

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  5. Apple picking and smelling cooking apples with cinnamon means Fall to me. :)

    Will have to try this recipe, it looks so yummy! And I'm sure my daughter would be excited to eat acorns since I'm always telling her no they're not edible lol!

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    1. Oh, no, my bad. Hope she doesn't get confused and eat the wrong acorns!

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  6. lovely tradition!!! And, love that sweet, simple recipe!! :))

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    1. Thanks, I feel guilty calling it a recipe. It's chocolate gluing a candy to a cookie, LOL!

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  7. Those candy acorns are so cute-If I can ever get a bag of Hershey kisses open without eating them in their tin foil, I will make them! I love the traditions you were speaking of. I miss taking our youngest to the orchards in MIchigan. Who wouldn't like cider, donuts AND caramel apples? I would peel apples with my bare hands if it meant I got to have chili and cornbread. Oh, you know I roll like that.

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    1. Hahahaha! No need to peel apples with your bare hands when you've got teeth, LOL. Always look forward to your comments, I know I'm in for a laugh.

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  8. Hi! These are so darn cute!! I wonder if mine will looks that pretty?? : )

    Julie from Stlavonlady – Scatterbrained In St. Louis

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    1. Hint: It doesn't matter how they look, put a candy and a cookie together and kids will gobble them up!

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  9. Sounds like good times with the apple picking, chili, and cornbread. Sounds like you've created wonderful memories for your kids to remember.
    Will have to try the acorn recipe!

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    1. The apple picking and baking is absolutely something I hope my kids remember every Fall, especially when they have kids of their own.

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  10. Hello from The TT Diaries stopping in from Wonderful Food Weds. I had to click on your picture because I was enticed by the acorn aspect of it. I was curious I had to know if you was cooking acorns LOL I should have known better but that was my first thought. I love your story about the orchard, my son has his very first Kindergarten field trip on Friday and I am chaperoning. We are going to an apple orchard and he is super excited.

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    1. I hope you and your son have a great time at the apple orchard, that's such a great age for outings like that.

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  11. I would love for you to share this post and any other Fall related post you have, at this week's It's Fall Y'all ~ Linky Party. Hope to see you there!

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  12. Hope you don't mind that I pinned this! If you do mind, let me know and I'll take it down.

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    1. Sent you an email. No problem at all, I consider it a compliment.

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  13. I really have to make these for Halloween, I know hubby and Dino will eat them up...that is if I don't eat them all first. I do love the fall, the colors, the smells, the foods. It's my favorite season.

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    1. It's my Mom's favorite season too and although I'm a summer person myself, I get why people love fall.

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  14. Oooh these look delicious! Thanks for stopping by Little Loves, am now following you back :) xx

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  15. Stephanie from The Nerdy Organizer here! I'm so glad you decided to stop my blog so I could make my way over to yours. I would say more but I'm suddenly very hungry for chili and all things apple! I'll be sure to keep following though!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you here again.

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  16. I really need to look into apple orchards. This sounds like a fun tradition! I'm suddenly wanting chili to! LOL!

    Following from blog hop:
    http://homegrownlove101.blogspot.com/

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    1. Yes, it's getting close to chili weather. Soon I'll put on my first big vat of the season. Thanks for stopping by.

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  17. I have nominated you for the sunshine blogger award because you are great!

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    1. Thank you so much for the award, I'll add it to my award post. I'm honored that you thought of me.

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  18. Did you even GET apples there? I'm hearing there's an apple shortage here because of our weird weather. Might not be a lot of pies for my family this fall!

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    1. ALWAYS get apples, even if we are forced to resort to the grocery store!

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  19. These look really good, and fun and easy too!

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    1. The best part is that they take about a minute and a half to make!

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