October 8th is National Fluffernutter Day, honoring an American sandwich that has been beloved by generations: a combination of Fluff marshmallow cream and peanut butter.

The invention of smooth, creamy Marshmallow Fluff in Massachusetts led to many recipes, including the Fluffernutter Sandwich, a combination of Marshmallow Fluff and peanut butter.

Today we have a Fluffernutter Pie to celebrate; it substitutes regular marshmallows for Marshmallow Fluff.

Before you dig in, check out:

 
 
RECIPE: IMPOSSIBLE PEANUT BUTTER PIE

The pie (photo #1) isn’t impossible, of course. “The title refers to the way it “impossibly” forms its own crust as it bakes, no pastry needed,” says recipe developer Hannah Kaminsky.

“Riffing off my favorite childhood sandwich (photo #2), stacked thick with gooey marshmallow cream slathered over crunchy peanut butter, this reinterpretation skips the bland bread and gets right to the good stuff: the filling.

“Deceptively simple, it takes little more effort to assemble than the classic school lunch that inspired it.

“Prepare for a luscious peanut butter and marshmallow onslaught.”
 
Ingredients For 1 Pie: 8 To 10 Servings

 
*If you’re using salted peanut butter to begin with, dial back the additional salt or omit entirely, to taste.
 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan.

[2] The inspiration for the pie: a Fluffernutter Sandwich. Avoid the white bread and serve it on better bread; here, oat bread (photo courtesy King Arthur Flour).

[3] Dating to 1910, Marshmallow Fluff was first sold to ice cream parlors (photo courtesy Hawkin).

3. COMBINE the sugar, flour, arrowroot, baking powder and salt. Mix thoroughly so that no lumps remain and all of the dry ingredients are completely incorporated. Add in the liquid mixture and stir until smooth.

4. POUR the batter into the pie pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes and remove from the oven. The pie should be set around the edges but quite wobbly in the center, much like a cheesecake.

5. PILE the marshmallows on top in an even layer and return the pie to the oven. Set the broiler to high and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the marshmallows are lightly toasted and golden brown.

6. REMOVE and cool to room temperature before garnishing with peanuts, slicing, and serving.
  

[2] Tip #7: Keep one of these aerosol sprays next to your stove at all times (photo courtesy First Alert).

[3] Tip #8: Be sure you have a kitchen fire alarm…and that its batteries are fresh (photo courtesy Thrifty Fun).

Fire Prevention Week begins October 7th and, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking is the leading cause of home fires.

In 40% of the cases, believe it or not, people have forgotten to turn off a stove or oven (source: 2017 American Red Cross survey last).

We can believe it. We’ve caused two microwave fires and one stove top fires for stupid behavior: leaving the kitchen while food is cooking.

That’s tip #1, below. The American Red Cross shared more tips to stay safe from cooking-related fires.
 
COOKING SAFETY TIPS

1. Don’t leave the kitchen when frying, grilling or broiling food. (Or microwaving, per our experience, since we burned out the microwaves by accidentally punching in 40 minutes instead of 4 minutes. Then we left the room, planning to come back when it was done. We got waylaid; the food combusted long before it got to 40 minutes. The smoke alarm tipped us off.)

2. Don’t leave the house when simmering, baking, roasting or boiling food.

3. Keep the stove area clean and clear of things that can catch fire, such as pot holders, towels, curtains, bags, and other appliances.

4. Keep pets away from cooking surfaces and countertops.

5. Be sure your home smoke alarm is working.

5. If a fire starts in a pan, slide a lid over the burning pan and turn off the burner. Leave the lid in place until the pan is completely cool. Moving the pan can cause serious injury or spread the fire.

6. Never pour water on grease fires.

Two tips from THE NIBBLE:

7. Keep an easy-to-use aerosol fire extinguisher next to the stove. THE NIBBLE uses The First Alert Tundra Fire Extinguisher

8. Test your smoke alarm to be sure it’s working. Don’t have a smoke alarm in or just outside of the kitchen? Get one ASAP!
 
 
WHAT TO DO IF YOU CAN’T EXTINGUISH THE FIRE

If your fire is out of control, exit the residence immediately and call 911 from outside the house.

Experts say that today’s home fires burn faster than ever, leaving people with as little as two minutes to escape a burning residence. But many mistakenly believe they have more time.

Share these tips with everyone in your household.
 
 
INSTRUCTIVE VIDEOS FROM THE RED CROSS

Cooking Fires Fact Sheet

How to Test and Install a Smoke Alarm (video)
How To Prepare For Home Fire Emergencies

Who says fun snack mixes are only for kids? You’re never too old to enjoy candy eyes staring up at you from popcorn.

This mix, created by the Popcorn Board for National Popcorn Poppin’ Month, October, is fun for harvest and Halloween snacking. Make a double batch and bring some to work or to a friend.

Starting now, leave out the candy eyes and it’s Harvest Munch. Closer to Halloween, add the eyes for Monster Munch

Sweet and salty, this Fall- and Halloween-inspired snack mix is ready in just 20 minutes: 15 minutes of prep time and 5 minutes of cook time.

 
RECIPE: HARVEST PUNCH POPCORN / HALLOWEEN MONSTER MUNCH

Ingredients For 12 Servings

 
Preparation

1. TOSS the popcorn with the pretzel sticks and spread out on large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. COMBINE the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan, for 3 to 5 minutes or until the brown sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbling.

3. STIR in the marshmallows and salt; cook for 30 to 60 seconds or until the marshmallows are melted. Pour evenly over the popcorn mixture. Sprinkle with the mini peanut butter cups and candy corn. Let cool completely and break into clusters.
 

Harvest popcorn: Add candy eyes for Halloween (photos courtesy Popcorn Board).

 
POPCORN TRIVIA

we consume 13 billion quarts each year of this wholesome, whole grain.

Flavored Popcorn: According to The Popcorn Factory, caramel corn is favored 2:1 over the second most popular flavor, cheese. If you add in the Butter Almond Toffee flavor (caramel and almonds), its 3:1. Here are the stats: Caramel 19.82%, Cheese 9.91%, White Cheddar 9.91%, Butter Toffee Almond 8.27% and Butter 8.17%.

Read more at: https://blog.thenibble.com/2015/10/11/trivia-for-national-popcorn-month/

For more than 30 years, National Popcorn Poppin’ Month has been celebrated in October; it became official in 1999, when then Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman proclaimed October as National Popcorn Poppin’ Month.

More popcorn trivia.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF POPCORN

How long have humans been popping? Check it out.

[2] Harissa, one of five of the new Global Spices from McCormick.

[3] Add a lemon lift to all of your baked goods with this new flavor from Nielsen-Massey.

[4] One of the four flavors of flavored breadcrumbs from Pereg.

[5] Pereg’s Mexican-spiced breadcrumbs.

From McCormick, Nielsen Massey and Pereg, our products of the week are flavorings: spices and seasonings that add finesse to your recipes.

Also check out our Top Pick Of The Week, St Pierre Brioche and Belgian Waffles.
 
 
1. McCORMICK GOURMET: GLOBAL SEASONINGS

Bring home a world of flavor, invites spice leader McCormick. The organic Global Seasonings series is an affordable way to to add the latest global flavors to your everyday cooking.

The newest releases are inspired by the cuisines of South America, the Middle East and Africa. Made from the highest quality herbs and spices, they’re USDA Organic certified and Non-GMO Project verified.

You can mix the spice blends into eggs, grains, ground meats, salads, soups and sauces. You can easily make dishes like:

 
Meet The Spice Blends

 
For more information visit McCormickGourmet.com.
 
 
2. NIELSEN-MASSEY LEMON & VANILLA PASTES

Cooks and bakers who demand the best use Nielsen-Massey products. Known for decades for their fine vanilla extracts and beans, the line has expanded over recent years to include pastes and powders for fine baking.

We’re fans of their Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Paste, and have just tried a sample of the new Pure Lemon Paste (photo #3).

One of the reasons to use pastes instead of other types of flavor is that they don’t add unwanted liquid to the recipe. The thick pastes won’t thin out batters and sauces.

N-M’s Pure Lemon Paste adds a sweet, bright citrus flavor without the need to juice or zest. Use it as:

 
Try the vanilla in baking, of course; but also in:

 
For more information visit NielsenMassey.com.
 
 
3. PEREG NATURAL FOODS: FLAVORED PANKO BREAD CRUMBS

Pereg Natural Foods is a specialist in spices and grains, offering more than 60 varieties of spices, spice blends and herbs, along with flavored ancient grain mixes, gluten-free quinoa pastas, couscous, basmati rice, spreads, and breakfast cereals.

Most interesting to us right now is their line of flavored bread crumbs, traditional and panko.

 
All Nielsen-Massey products are all-natural, allergen-free, gluten-free, GMO-free and certified kosher by CRC.

All products are dairy- and lactose-free. The line is certified kosher by both OU and CRC. Many items are Non-GMO Project verified, gluten-free certified, Whole Grain Council approved, and vegan.

See more at Pereg-Gourmet.com.
________________
*Warm spices include cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, ginger, nutmeg, pepper and star anise.

Viennese crumbs are made for coating and frying chicken, schnitzel, fish & vegetables.

October 3rd is National Caramel Custard Day.

Caramel custard is one of the numerous different types of custard. Crème caramel, also called flan, is another.

Because there is no official National Flan Day (Walmart declared one in 2012 as a product promotion), and because it’s pumpkin season, we’re sharing a Pumpkin Flan recipe from Seviche restaurant in Kentucky.

But first, let’s end the confusion between caramel custard and crème caramel/flan.

It’s easy to confuse the two by name (but not by sight—details follow). In fact, when we looked at caramel custard recipes and images online, almost all of them were crème caramel/flan.

Both use caramelized sugar (white sugar heated until it becomes a light brown liquid), but in different ways. Here’s how to distinguish them:

 
> With a sweet flan, the tart is filled with pastry cream (crème pâtissière, a type of custard) and topped with fruit.

> Quiche is the best known of the savory tarts. Another term for spinach quiche is spinach flan; leek and bacon quiche is leek and bacon flan, etc.
 
 
RECIPE: PUMPKIN FLAN

This recipe uses a particular brand of pumpkin-infused syrup. If you can’t find it locally and don’t want to order it online, you should be able to find others, such as Monin and Torani. It’s the same syrup used to make pumpkin spice lattes.

If you don’t know the details, here’s the difference between evaporated milk and condensed milk.

Ingredients For 10 Four-Once Servings

 
Preparation

1. MIX the sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil for a few minutes until the sugar caramelizes.

2. POUR the caramelized sugar into aluminum molds; you can use any shape: oval, round or square. Spread the caramel on the bottom of the molds. Set aside at room temperature until hardened.

3. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Mix well the evaporated milk, condensed milk, egg yolks, pumpkin and vanilla by hand or blender. Pour through a fine mesh sieve. Gently pour the mixture on top of the caramel in the aluminum molds.

[2] Classic flan at Fogo de Chão.

[3] Caramel custard has a smooth, dry top: no runny caramelized sugar. That sugar is in the mix—it’s what gives the custard its brown color, instead of conventional, pale yellow, baked custard. Here’s the recipe from Bon Appetit.

[4] A multiportion caramel custard made in a removable-bottom pan. Here’s the recipe from Hummingbird High.

5. TO SERVE: Run a thin knife around the edges of the mold to loosen the flan. Place a plate on top of the mold and quickly turn upside down to position the golden brown caramel on top.
 
 
DON’T GO AWAY WITHOUT CHECKING OUT

THE HISTORY OF CUSTARD