Candy Indian Corn “in the husk” — its not just for decorating!

    Edible Indian Corn “in the husk” is on our Halloween menu but it would be a fun treat for any fall gathering. I noticed this creative take on classic popcorn balls on a Facebook post from Emily Johnson DeSanto. Intrigued, I followed the link to a Martha Stewart generated video.
     However, I must warn you — the chef in charge of this project makes it look mess free. Well, the reality (at least in my kitchen) was that popcorn drifted out of the bowl. Counters, even my hands ended up coated in ooey, sticky marshmallow goo. It was definitely a mess!

     Of course, I made a few adjustments to the recipe. For one thing I made smaller sized Indian corn shapes simply because the original seemed like an oversized portion. I figured if one wasn’t enough, there would be plenty available for seconds. Second, I could not find natural (brown) parchment paper so I opted for brown wrapping paper (the stuff you wrap things in for shipping). In terms of ingredients, I had a 16 oz. bag of mini marshmallows instead of a 10 oz. bag so just adjusted the recipe proportionally (figured that the leftover 6 ounces would just set in the pantry until I discovered it in a petrified form a couple of months later). And, finally I actually considered using rice cereal instead of popcorn (a rice krispie treat in a husk) but finally opted out for a combination of both the cereal and popcorn.

Candy Indian Corn
6 tablespoons butter
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
16 oz. bag mini marshmallows
18 cups popcorn (sounds like a lot but it was basically a Whirley® popcorn popper full of popped corn)
3 to 4 cups+ rice cereal – enough to absorb all of the butter-marshallow goo
⅓ to ½ cup candy-coated sunflower seeds (I think Emily used M&M’s)
  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar; add marshmallows and continue to heat until mixture is smooth.

  2. Pour hot mixture over popped corn and mix, add enough rice cereal to create a cohesive mixture that is not overly sticky.
  3. Stir in candy-coated sunflower seeds.
  4. With buttered or sprayed hands, portion mixture and form into smaller-sized corn-on-the-cob shapes. I ended up with 17 portions. Note: If desired, add a few more candy-coated sunflower seeds to the surface of each corn shape.
  5. Place popcorn shapes on wax paper and allow to firm up, about 15 minutes.
  6. Wrap each in plastic wrap. (This was another step I added).
  7. Wrap in a paper husk and arrange in a serving dish.
Paper Husks
This is just a guide that can be adjusted according to the size of your corn. I just played around until I liked the end results. Basically, this is what I did . . . hope it makes sense — maybe the photos will help . . .
  1. Cut brown wrapping paper into lengths – about 10” high and 20” wide.
  2. Fold the paper, accordion style (I used about a 2 to 2 ½” wide fold), back and forth, starting with the short side of the paper.
  3. Using scissors, begin cutting the folded strip two-thirds of the way from the top, angling to the center of the strip. Repeat on the other side. Open it up and it should resemble a picket fence.
  4. Now, lay the Candy Indian Corn at one end of the “fence,” pointed top of the corn almost even with the pointed top of the “fence,” and roll.
  5. Twist the excess paper at the bottom to create a handle for your candy corn.
  6. Carefully pull down the points to expose Candy Indian Corn.

Recipe & instructions without photos . . .

Candy Indian Corn 
6 tablespoons butter
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
16 oz. bag mini marshmallows
18 cups popcorn (sounds like a lot but it was basically a Whirley® popcorn popper full of popped corn)
3 to 4 cups+ rice cereal – enough to absorb all of the butter-marshallow goo
⅓ to ½ cup candy-coated sunflower seeds (I think Emily used M&M’s)
  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar; add marshmallows and continue to heat until mixture is smooth.
  2. Pour hot mixture over popped corn and mix, add enough rice cereal to create a cohesive mixture that is not overly sticky.
  3. Stir in candy-coated sunflower seeds.
  4. With buttered or sprayed hands, portion mixture and form into smaller-sized corn-on-the-cob shapes. I ended up with 17 portions. Note: If desired, add a few more candy-coated sunflower seeds to the surface of each corn shape.
  5. Place popcorn shapes on wax paper and allow to firm up, about 15 minutes.
  6. Wrap each in plastic wrap. (This was another step I added).
  7. Wrap in a paper husk and arrange in a serving dish.
Paper Husks
This is just a guide that can be adjusted according to the size of your corn. I just played around until I liked the end results. Basically, this is what I did . . . hope it makes sense — maybe the photos will help . . .
  1. Cut brown wrapping paper into lengths – about 10” high and 20” wide.
  2. Fold the paper, accordion style (I used about a 2 to 2 ½” wide fold), back and forth, starting with the short side of the paper.
  3. Using scissors, begin cutting the folded strip two-thirds of the way from the top, angling to the center of the strip. Repeat on the other side. Open it up and it should resemble a picket fence.
  4. Now, lay the Candy Indian Corn at one end of the “fence,” pointed top of the corn almost even with the pointed top of the “fence,” and roll.
  5. Twist the excess paper at the bottom to create a handle for your candy corn.
  6. Carefully pull down the points to expose Candy Indian Corn.

Bloomin’ Baked Apples

     Thank you Glenda Rentz for posting the link to this delicious and creative recipe which originated at The Gunny Sack blog
     As usual, I made a few changes to the original recipe as noted below . . . trying to make it a little less sugary!

Bloomin’ Baked Apples
2 crisp apples
2 tablespoon soft butter
2 to 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar (original recipe calls for 3 Tbsp; I used 2 Tbsp.)
1 tablespoon oat flour —made by grinding old-fashioned oatmeal in our Nutrabullet® (original recipe called for regular flour)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 to 4 caramels (I used 1 1/2 caramels in each apple cavity)
Optional topping: Greek Gods® Greek Honey & Vanilla Yogurt (original recipe called for vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and cinnamon)
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
  2. Slice off the top fourth of the apples.
  3. Scoop out the core.

  4. Using a small, thin knife, make 2 deep circular cuts around the center of each apple.
  5. Turn each apple over and make vertical narrow cuts from the bottom side to the cut side. 
  6. Flip each back over and place in an oven safe dish; add 1 1/2 to 2 caramels to the center of each apple.
  7. Heat butter and brown sugar in the microwave for 30 second, stir and continue heating for an additional 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir in flour and cinnamon. Divide the mixture over the top of the two sliced apples.

  8. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. (Check apples after 25 minutes and continue cooking until tender. Some apples can take 45 minutes to 1 hour to soften.)
  9. Remove from the oven and use a large spoon to move the apples into bowls.
  10. Top with a spoonful of yogurt.

Recipe without photos . . .
Bloomin’ Baked Apples 
2 crisp apples 
2 tablespoon soft butter
2 to 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar (original recipe calls for 3 Tbsp; I used 2 Tbsp.)
1 tablespoon oat flour —made by grinding old-fashioned oatmeal in our Nutrabullet® (original recipe called for regular flour)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 to 4 caramels (I used 1 1/2 caramels in each apple cavity)
Optional topping: Greek Gods® Greek Honey & Vanilla Yogurt (original recipe called for vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and cinnamon)
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
  2. Slice off the top fourth of the apples.
  3. Scoop out the core.
  4. Using a small, thin knife, make 2 deep circular cuts around the center of each apple.
  5. Turn each apple over and make vertical narrow cuts from the bottom side to the cut side. 
  6. Flip each back over and place in an oven safe dish; add 1 1/2 to 2 caramels to the center of each apple.
  7. Heat butter and brown sugar in the microwave for 30 second, stir and continue heating for an additional 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir in flour and cinnamon. Divide the mixture over the top of the two sliced apples.
  8. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. (Check apples after 25 minutes and continue cooking until tender. Some apples can take 45 minutes to 1 hour to soften.)
  9. Remove from the oven and use a large spoon to move the apples into bowls.
  10. Top with a spoonful of yogurt.

White Bean & Sausage Soup


     In anticipation of soup weather, I've begun to experiment with some new soup recipes. 
     This one was inspired by ingredients we had on hand, including kale that is still growing in our garden.

White Bean & Sausage Soup
¾ to 1 lb. pork sausage
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 to 3 roasted red peppers, chopped
3 to 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Kosher salt & black pepper to taste
3 ½ to 4 cups chicken broth
2 russet potatoes, diced
½ to 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon paprika
1 can (15.5 oz.) cannellini (white kidney) beans, undrained
Garnish (if desired): sprigs of fresh thyme, paprika
  1. Sauté sausage in a hot skillet (oil could be added if needed); add onions and then garlic and continue to sauté until sausage is cooked through and onions are tender.
    I used a meat chopping tool to break up the sausage as it cooked.
  2. Add thyme leaves and chopped red pepper.
  3. Stir in flour, salt and pepper and cook for a couple of minutes.
  4. Stir in about 2 cups of the broth and let soup thicken.
  5. Add about another 1 cup of broth, potatoes, red pepper flakes, paprika and kale. Simmer until potatoes and kale are tender, then add beans and continue to cook until they are heated through.

  6. Garnish with springs of fresh thyme and a sprinkling of paprika if desired.
Recipe without photos . . .
White Bean & Sausage Soup
¾ to 1 lb. pork sausage
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 to 3 roasted red peppers, chopped
3 to 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Kosher salt & black pepper to taste
3 ½ to 4 cups chicken broth
2 russet potatoes, diced
½ to 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon paprika
1 can (15.5 oz.) cannellini (white kidney) beans, undrained
Garnish (if desired): sprigs of fresh thyme, paprika
  1. Sauté sausage in a hot skillet (oil could be added if needed); add onions and then garlic and continue to sauté until sausage is cooked through and onions are tender.
  2. Add thyme leaves and chopped red pepper.
  3. Stir in flour, salt and pepper and cook for a couple of minutes.
  4. Stir in about 2 cups of the broth and let soup thicken.
  5. Add about another 1 cup of broth, potatoes, red pepper flakes, paprika and kale. Simmer until potatoes and kale are tender, then add beans and continue to cook until they are heated through.
  6. Garnish with springs of fresh thyme and a sprinkling of paprika if desired.