Orts & Reports: It's Tricky

How to Stay Amped through the Holidays

Tasting Notes

Halfway through a foggy October morning on the island and I’m dealing with a 25-year-old washing machine that decided to retire for good mid-rinse cycle and editing an extremely rough draft of a future cookbook and recipe testing these Screamin’ Hot Peanuts, so spicy they’re making me sneeze each time I stir them and

Vicki Smith

’s apple cider donuts.

Apple Cider Donuts

If you’re not feeling fall yet, the first step of this donut recipe—simmering the cider for 20 minutes—will solve that problem nicely. And I’m happy to report they earned a double-thumbs up from the UPS delivery chick, whose impeccable timing earned her a donut for the road, hot out of the oven!

the cider donuts, baked in a muffin pan before I discovered donut baking pans

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Tricks & Treats

Here's a trick I used from Peg Bracken’s I Hate to Cook Book, which I found in my mom’s vintage cookbook collection on the kitchen’s barnboard shelves. Even 60 years later, Bracken’s acerbic wit and tips hold up.

• Household Hint #19: When you’re doing any sort of baking, you get better results if you remember to preheat your cookie sheet, muffin tins or cake pans.

  Experienced bakers may be shaking your collective heads over this tip, but be easy on me—I’m still a newbie in the kitchen.

Here’s a treat: The Screamin’ Hot Peanuts kick ass, especially when you mix them with candy corn—a sweet-and-salty delight.

And here’s a trick AND a treat: as we roll into the final frenzied months of 2023 otherwise known as the holiday baking season, whip up this protein smoothie I created to keep you going in the kitchen and beyond. It’s velvety, festive and good for you.

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Pumpkin Spice Latte smoothie

• Crushed ice

• ½ c. canned pumpkin (NOT canned pumpkin pie mix)

• 1 cup coffee, chilled

• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder

• 1 frozen banana

• Dash of each: nutmeg & pumpkin pie spice

Fill the Vitamix or heavy-duty blender with about an inch of crushed ice. Dump in the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Warning: It will be thick, but hey, it’s a smoothie.

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Pics or It Didn’t Happen

Earlier this month on a girls’ weekend in Downeast Maine, reader/BFF Julie F, whose grandmother, the former Lighthouse Keeper’s daughter with a blueberry cake to die for, was featured in a recent issue of Cook & Tell, made the world’s easiest Halloween snacks in under 5 minutes. Like most everything in her rustic lakefront camp kitchen—the graveyard where unwanted appliances draw their final breaths—the old beige microwave has seen better days, but it managed to do the trick with these one-bite treats.

Place a Rolo candy on top of a pretzel Snap square and microwave for 30-45 seconds, just long enough to soften the candy without fully melting. Top with a chunk of Granny Smith apple and drizzle with caramel sauce of your choice. Paper plate and vintage Bon Appetite magazine optional.

Happy Halloween from Your Pantry Pal,

Amie

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