You can buy sparkling cider, or you can make it by adding seltzer to regular cider, in this idea from Polar Seltzer. It dilutes the cider—the cider version of a wine spritzer—but you can make that up with rum.

It goes from mocktail to cocktail with a splash of rum—preferably, spiced rum for more complex flavors.

You can create the drink it in any glass, but we prefer a tall highball.

RECIPE: SPARKLING CIDER COCKTAIL

Ingredients

Variation: Ginger Cider

Mix ginger ale and apple cider in your preferred proportions. It can be a mocktail or a cocktail, with rum or tequila.

RECIPE: Halloween Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

Marshmallow hot chocolate, Peeps-style.
Photo courtesy Peeps.

1. PREPARE hot chocolate; add to cups. Stir in optional spices (if you’re making hot chocolate from scratch in a sauce pan, add them to the sauce pan).

2. Top with whipped cream.

3. INSERT marshmallow cat, ghost or pumpkin. If using the optional skewer, first place marshmallow on top.
 
SERVING SUGGESTION

Any solid color mug you have is just fine.

But if you like the idea of holiday mugs, look for markdowns on Halloween-theme mugs, or buy black or orange mugs that can be used year-round. We like these festive mugs in orange and black stripes and dots.

MORE WAYS TO SERVE HALLOWEEN PEEPS

 
See more ideas on MarshmallowPeeps.com.

Maple syrup has a life far beyond pancakes. You can pour it over hot or cold breakfast cereal, for starters.

There’s plenty of pure maple syrup around, from New York, New England, and Canada. Take a look at this starter list of suggestions, and decide how you’ll use it next.

A maple soufflé recipe is below.
 
 
WAYS TO USE MAPLE SYRUP

Appetizers & Sides

[1] Fig and maple syrup cocktail. Here’s the (photo © Chef Linnéa Johansson | NYC).

 
Beverages

[2] Drizzle maple syrup on sharp cheeses (photo © http://www.murrayscheese.com).

 
 
GRADES OF MAPLE SYRUP

More than a few people are confused by the various types of maple syrup: grade A or B, light, medium, or dark amber, etc. But once you see the explanation in print, it’s easy to understand.

Here are the different grades of maple syrup.

Ingredients For 4 Individual Ramekins

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 400° F. Separate egg whites and yolks.

2. WHISK together egg yolks and maple syrup in a small bowl.

3. BEAT egg whites in a stainless steel bowl, until soft peaks form.

4. FOLD the maple syrup mixture into the whipped egg whites. Pour into four ramekins and place ramekins on a baking sheet.

4. PLACE baking sheet in the oven and immediately turn temperature to 375°F. Bake for 10 minutes, or until puffed up.

Recipe courtesy PureCanadaMaple.com.
 
 

Li-Lac, founded in 1923, is a Manhattan institution. Before the eruption of the artisan food movement in the 1980s, there were only two chocolate shops on the entire West Side of Manhattan Island: Li-Lac Chocolates in Greenwich Village, and Mondel’s Chocolates in Morningside Heights, across the street from Columbia University (it opened in 1943).

Happily, in this town of real estate sturm und drang, where family businesses regularly “loose their leases*,” these chocolatiers have survived.

 
*When the old lease expires, the current, sky-high New York City rents make it impossible for many shopkeepers to keep their doors open.

A witch carries her own jack-o’-lantern in this beautiful molded piece. Photo courtesy Li-Lac Chocolates.

A NEW YORK INSTITUTION

In our childhood, we’d take the subway down to Greenwich Village to the original Christopher Street location for some of everything. Our favorites were green marzipan acorns with dark chocolate tops, and chocolate-covered orange peel. McNulty’s Tea & Coffee was (and still is!) right across the street—for decades, the only store devoted to fine, loose tea and coffee beans. This was our first solo “gourmet expedition.”

Li-Lac was founded in 1923 by a Greek expatriat, George Demetrious, who had studied the art of chocolate-making in France. During the 1920s and through the 1960s, New York City’s Greenwich Village was a Bohemian destination for artists, intellectuals and innovators. They didn’t have to go far for good chocolate, coffee or tea.

For 90 years, Li-Lac has remained true to its history and tradition, eschewing automation and trendiness (no beer and pretzel caramels or chipotle chocolate) to continue production of the original recipes in small-batch production techniques. The company proudly bills itself as “stubbornly old-fashioned.”

In 2005, rising rents forced Li-Lac to move from its original Christopher Street location. It found new retail quarters some seven blocks away at 40 Eighth Avenue (at Jane Street). There’s another location in Midtown at 109 East 42nd Street. Production moved to Brooklyn.

Li-Lac’s selection of fresh artisanal chocolate includes more than 140 items—one of the largest selections of fresh gourmet chocolate in America. Take a look at Li-Lac Chocolates.com.

PARTY ON SUNDAY

If you’re in New York City, this Sunday, November 3rd, Li-Lac is celebrating its 90th anniversary at its Greenwich Village store, 40 Eighth Avenue at Jane Street. From 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. the public is welcome to stop by.

The company will sell four original chocolate confections at the 1923 prices of 23¢ apiece. There will be complimentary wine pairings by Sparkling Pointe Vineyards and Winery, and the Kitchen Opera Company will provide musical interludes.

In the name of full disclosure: We love all cheesecake. We especially love chocolate cheesecake, Oreo cheesecake and pumpkin cheesecake.

So how happy are we today: It’s National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day. Here’s what we’re baking:

RECIPE: PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE WITH
GINGERSNAP CRUST

Ingredients For 10-Inch Cheesecake

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 500°F. Create a bain-marie: Place a pan of water on the bottom rack (or the bottom) of the oven. This creates a moist environment and will help prevent the top of the cheesecake from cracking. (You can wait and add the bain-marie when you insert the cheesecake pan into the oven.)

2. COMBINE gingersnaps, walnuts, sugar and butter in a medium bowl. Press into the bottom and 1-inch up the side of a 10-inch non-stick springform pan. Set aside.

3. BEAT cream cheese, sugar and flour with an electric mixer until smooth. Add 5 eggs, one at a time, then vanilla, beating on low speed. Transfer 2-1/2 cups to a separate bowl; set aside.

4. BEAT 1 egg, pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin into the remaining filling until smooth. Pour half of pumpkin filling into crust, then half of the plain; repeat. Swirl gently with a spoon.

5. BAKE for 10 minutes; reduce temperature to 200°F and bake 30 minutes. Tent with aluminum foil and continue baking for 1 hour or until center appears nearly set.

6. RUN a knife around top of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan. Turn off oven and open door to allow cake to cool gradually for 20 to 30 minutes in the oven.

7. REMOVE from oven and finish cooling on a rack for 15 minutes, then chill in refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Garnish and serve.