Article by: Amy Elizer

FCS Agent

Madison County

Autumn quick fixes for the munchies

During October temperatures begin to fall along with the leaves. Churches, schools and neighbor hoods hold festivals and gather for tailgating. Munchies are always in order in this time of year. These recipes feature some fall favorites—pumpkin seeds and sweet potatoes, as well as the year-round favorites of popcorn and peanuts.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are available most of the year from health food stores. While you can purchase them from seed stores, these are often treated with herbicides and fungicides. Even though removing them from the pumpkin is messy, it is cost efficient.

1 cup fresh pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
Seasoned salt to taste, or other favorite ground herbs

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Rinse pumpkin seeds and pat dry. Spread seeds on a cookie tray. Drizzle with the butter and lightly sprinkle with salt. Bake for 1 hour or until seeds are brown and crisp. Turn seeds often. Makes 1 cup.

Sugar and Spice Peanuts

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 cups shelled raw peanuts
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Cook sugar and 1/2 cup water in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Stir in peanuts, and cook, stirring often, 7 minutes or until sugar thickens and caramelizes. Remove from heat, and stir in pumpkin pie spice until peanuts are coated. Quickly spread in a single layer on a lightly greased 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake at 300ºF for 30 minutes, stirring and breaking apart every 10 minutes. Cool on pan. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days. Makes 4 cups.

Spiced Popcorn

Older children tend to enjoy the spice of this recipe. Adjust the spices to suit your family.

2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
15 cups hot unsalted popcorn

In a small bowl, mix the seasonings. In an extra-large bowl, drizzle some olive oil over the popcorn and sprinkle with some of the spices. Mix with your hands; repeat until the popcorn is evenly coated. Makes 15 cups.

Trick or Treat Popcorn

To serve this snack in style, roll squares of brown craft paper into cones, staple, tie with raffia and fill with popcorn mix.

3 cups pecan halves
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (6 ounce) package sweetened dried cranberries
3 (4 ounce) packages caramel corn

Combine first six ingredients in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Spread mixture in a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan. Bake at 375ºF for 8-10 minutes, stirring once. Stir in cranberries and bake 5 more minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Toss pecan mixture with caramel corn. Store in airtight containers. Makes 19 cups.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

A mandolin set to 1/8 inch thickness makes the job or slicing the sweet potatoes easier, but is not necessary tool.

Heat oven to 350ºF. Peel a sweet potato or yam and slice thin, as if for a thick potato chip. Cover cookie sheet or baking pan with foil, sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Olive oil flavored is especially tasty. Lay sweet potato chips on foil, rubbing each one slightly in the cooking spray. Lightly spray tops with vegetable spray and sprinkle with garlic powder or other desired seasoning. Bake for 20 minutes, turn, sprinkle that side and bake another 10 minutes. Serves two for a side dish or four for a snack.