Column: Try some of these tantalizing tastes for October

October in Coshocton is pure gorgeousness. The maples are showing off with their fiery reds and golden tips, and every drive feels like a screen saver of classic fall foliage. The air is cooler, the sweaters are cozier and somehow food just tastes yummier this time of year.

This month I’ve been playing around in the kitchen with recipes equal parts comforting and fun. First up: chicken piccata pasta toss. It’s one of my go-to dishes from Rachael Ray. The bright pop of lemon wakes everything up while the chicken and pasta give that cozy comfort we all crave when the weather turns crisp. Bonus — it’s weeknight easy.

Now let’s talk dessert. If your fridge has a few forgotten apples rolling around, turn them into something fabulous with apple meringue pie. Think of it as fall’s answer to lemon meringue — light, fluffy topping over sweet apple filling. Your family will swoon, or better yet, take it to a gathering and watch how fast it disappears.

For a showstopper, try chocolate cake in a pumpkin. Yes, inside a pumpkin. It doubles as a centerpiece and dessert, and honestly, nothing says fall more than slicing into a pumpkin to find chocolate cake waiting inside.

And for those cozy mornings? Whip up candy corn waffles. They’re crisp, cheerful and just plain fun — perfect for a lazy Saturday or a surprise breakfast before school. They look like the famous autumn candy but taste like pure fall happiness.

So here’s to October, colorful leaves, cozy kitchens and plates full of joy. Happy cooking, friends!

CHICKEN PICCATA PASTA TOSS

1 pound penne pasta cooked al dente

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ¼ pounds chicken tenders cut into chunks

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter

4 cloves garlic chopped or 2 tablespoons jarlic (garlic in a jar)

2 medium shallots or 1 small onion chopped

2 tablespoons flour

½ cup white wine or rice vinegar

1 lemon zested and juiced

3 tablespoons capers

1 cup chicken broth

½ cup chopped parsley

Chopped chives for garnish

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the garlic and the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and cook until brown all over, 5-6 minutes. Put chicken in serving dish and, in the same pan you cooked the chicken, add 3 tablespoons of the butter, the shallot or onion and the garlic. Sauté until golden but don’t burn the garlic. Whisk in lemon juice, vinegar and broth. Cook until broth is reduced.

Whisk in flour and cook until sauce is thickened. Add in final tablespoon of butter. Add chicken back in and pasta. Stir to combine and put on serving platter. Garnish with lemon zest, parsley and chives.

(Adapted from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/chicken-piccata-pasta-toss-recipe2-1913492.)

APPLE MERINGUE PIE

1 round refrigerated pie dough (half of a 14-ounce package)

1/4 cup sliced blanched almonds

6 McIntosh or Braeburn apples, peeled and chopped

11 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the dough. Crimp the edges. Pierce the bottom all over with a fork, then refrigerate 15 minutes. Line the crust with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place on a baking sheet and bake until set, about 7 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until golden, about 6 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Meanwhile, spread the almonds on a baking sheet and bake until golden, about 8 minutes. Combine the apples, 5 tablespoons sugar, the butter, lemon juice and vanilla in a saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until the apples are tender, about 12 minutes. Uncover and cook, mashing and stirring with a potato masher, until saucy and starting to caramelize, about 12 more minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Transfer the apples to the pie crust and sprinkle with the toasted almonds.

Beat the egg whites and salt with a mixer on medium speed until foamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar and beat until stiff, 2-3 more minutes. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip. Pipe around the edge of the pie and then pipe in a lattice pattern. Bake until the meringue is golden, 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely.

(Adapted from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/apple-meringue-pie-3363729.)

CHOCOLATE CAKE IN A PUMPKIN

1 small sugar pumpkin (3-4 pounds)

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup water

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon scotch or bourbon (optional)

For the butterscotch sauce

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

If you don’t want to make the sauce, use a jar of caramel sauce instead.

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut off the top one-quarter of the pumpkin, reserve. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and scrape the inside clean. Place the pumpkin on the prepared baking sheet.

Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl. Combine the butter, brown sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, 3 minutes. Whisk in the chocolate until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla and scotch until smooth and then whisk in the flour mixture until combined.

Pour the batter into the pumpkin, filling it about three-quarters of the way. Add the pumpkin top to the baking sheet, if desired, but don’t put it on top of the pumpkin. Bake until the cake is browned and rises slightly out of the opening of the pumpkin, about 1 hour. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 F and continue baking until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 more minutes. Let cool 3-4 hours before slicing.

Meanwhile, make the butterscotch sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and cook, stirring until melted and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream and cook, stirring occasionally until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin pie spice, salt, vanilla and scotch. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool slightly.

Slice the cake into wedges, cutting through the pumpkin. Serve with vanilla ice cream and drizzle with the butterscotch sauce.

(Adapted from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/chocolate-cake-in-a-pumpkin-9343335.)

CANDY CORN WAFFLES

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 ½ cup milk

5 tablespoons melted shortening or vegetable oil

4 tablespoons butter

Orange and yellow food coloring

White chocolate discs melted in microwave

Whisk dry ingredients together. Add 2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 4 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk in 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk, 5 tablespoons melted shortening and butter. Tint half of the batter orange and the other half yellow. Preheat a round waffle iron to the lowest setting. Spoon some orange batter into the middle and some yellow batter around it. Cook until just crisp. Separate into triangles and dip the tips in melted white chocolate.

Adapted from (www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/packages/halloween/scary-snack-recipes.)