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This is the type of weather that I enjoy. I love summer, but can be a sweaty mess, so these brisk fall days are the perfect remedy. I love getting out on Friday nights with the chill in the air, covering the local football teams.  I think it’s perfect watching football on Sunday with the windows open and the cool breeze coming in, and find myself loving fall more and more every year. Except that it just means we’re closer to those bitter winter months. Oh well, we just have to enjoy what we get while we get it!

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We’re going to start with a super easy one because appetizers are all about getting things done quick and fast so you have more time to work on the main dish. 

SMOKED CREAM CHEESE

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese

1 1/2 tbsp. of your favorite BBQ sweet rub

1 disposable aluminum pan

Prepare your grill or smoker for 200 degrees. Use your favorite pellet or add wood chips or chunks of choice.

Place unwrapped cream cheese into the pan, and season with BBQ rub.

Place the pan with cream cheese into the smoker, close the lid and let it go for two hours. If you'd like it a little smokier, let it go an extra half an hour.

Once the cream cheese has a golden color and has cracked at the top, it is done. Remove from the grill, let stand for 10 minutes and dig in.

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 I was looking for any themes from Alice Nelson’s early September columns, and this recipe came up and it sounded too good not to try, and sure enough, it was delicious. 

APPLESAUCE N’ BUTTERSCOTCH COOKIES

2 c. flour

1/2 t. each, salt, cinnamon,  nutmeg and allspice

1/4 t. cloves

1/2 c. shortening (not butter)

1 c. packed brown sugar

1 c. applesauce

1 t. baking soda

1 egg, well beaten

1 c. (6 oz. pkg.) butterscotch chips

1 c. chopped walnuts

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. In a small bowl, cream shortening and sugar; add to flour mixture.  In a small bowl, combine applesauce, baking soda and egg; stir into flour mixture. Stir in chips and nuts. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets or use parchment paper.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Makes about four dozen cookies.

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We’ll stick with the sweet apple treats here since the tart red and green fruit has started to populate grocery stores all over the state.

CINNAMON APPLE PIE BREAD

1/3 c. light brown sugar (not packed)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2/3 c. white sugar

1/2 c. salted butter, softened (or use unsalted and add 1/4 tsp. salt)

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. milk

1 apple, peeled and chopped (I used Granny Smith)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Beat white sugar and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated; add vanilla extract and stir until incorporated.

Combine flour and baking powder together in another bowl; stir into creamed butter mixture.

Mix milk into batter until smooth.

Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Next add half the apples and half the brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Lightly pat/push apple mixture into batter.

Pour the remaining batter over apple layer; top with remaining apples and add more brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Lightly pat/push apples into batter; swirl brown sugar mixture through apples using a finger or spoon,

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

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This next recipe will knock it out of the park for your tailgate parties. The taste is of course great, because you can’t go wrong with loaded tator tots, but the presentation is also top notch and will have people impressed by your skills.

LOADED TATOR TOTS

48-60 frozen tater tots (16-oz bag)

3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup sour cream

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 green onions, sliced (green part only)

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Spray muffin pan cups with cooking spray.

For mini-sized muffin pan: Place 2-3 tater tots in each muffin cup.

For regular sized muffin pan: Place 4-5 tater tots in each muffin cup.

Place tater tots muffin pan on bottom rack of the oven and and bake 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.

Spray bottom of shot glass or small juice glass with cooking spray. Use it (in a twisting motion) to press the tater tots in each muffin cup to make potato cup. Return to oven; bake additional 15 minutes or until deep golden brown.

Add 1 tablespoon of cheese to each potato cups. Bake for 4-5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Transfer to platter and let cool for 5 minutes.

Add sour cream, bacon, and green onion to each tater tot cup, and other garnishes. Serve warm.

CARAMEL APPLETINI

Caramel sauce, for the rim

Ice, for shaking

4 oz. apple cider

3 oz. vodka

2 oz. butterscotch schnaps

Sliced apple, for garnish

Place two martini glasses in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes before serving. 

Dip the rims of the martini glasses in caramel sauce.

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice. Add the apple cider, vodka, and butterscotch schnaps. Seal and shake vigorously for 30 seconds.

Divide the mixture between the prepared martini glasses; garnish with apple, if you like.

TFD: "The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will." - Vince Lombardi

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