Alison's Wonderland Recipes (2024)

Today’s recipe leans hard into the rugged setting of HATCHET–we’re roasting foolbirds over an open fire!

In HATCHET, “foolbird” is what Brian calls ruffed grouse, which are plentiful in his part of the forest and make up a good chunk of his diet once he learns to hunt with a bow. Since grouse are hard to come by in the grocery store, I went with Cornish hens, which are roughly the same size.

It took a while for us to have good enough weather for this recipe (I am SO sick of rain right now), but it was worth it. I got to sit out in the yard on a mild November morning, enjoying the solitude as I stoked the fire and turned the birds. I felt peaceful and engaged at the same time. Even though I’m not usually an outdoorsy person, I felt like I was getting a brief taste of what HATCHET’s author, Gary Paulsen, loved so much about the wilderness.

Plus, the hens turned out DELICIOUS–smokey and juicy, with crisp skin. I stuffed the cavities of the birds with fresh sage and oregano, which grow in the area of Canada where the book is based, and they gave the meat just a touch of aromatic herbiness. Of course, the birds were also flavored with the best seasoning of all: the satisfaction of having cooked it myself out in nature with just a few simple tools…and the help of my fire-smart, Eagle Scout husband. 😉

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I had an open-fire entree planned for this week, but I haven’t been able to make it yet due to prolonged rainy weather. So while we wait for more clement conditions, let’s make a side dish: roasted hazelnuts!

For all the recipes in my HATCHET menu, I want to draw inspiration from the rugged setting of the book. The main character, Brian, eats a variety of nuts and berries, including hazelnuts, which caught my interest since I don’t get to cook with them much. At first I planned to make roasted nuts seasoned with fresh oregano, but then maple syrup popped into my head. It’s the perfect seasonal ingredient for November, and I’ve never seen maple roasted nuts before. I decided to experiment using my go-to candied walnut recipe as a base.

They turned out amazing! The buttery earthiness of the hazelnuts is balanced by the warm sweetness of the maple, and the cinnamon adds just a hint of aromatic lift. It’s a food that feels fancy but is actually just a combo of a few raw materials. Those materials are a match made in trail snack heaven. Enjoy! 😉

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A few weeks ago, I learned of the passing of Gary Paulsen. His books have a special place in my heart, so I decided to finish the year with a menu dedicate to his most famous work, HATCHET.

Paulsen’s books first entered my life when I was in college. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be an author, so when I went to college, I majored in English Writing with the intention to work in publishing and hone my writing skills. My junior year, I interned for Paulsen’s literary agent.

Along with reading queries and reviewing manuscripts, a big part of my job was organizing and updating the “Paulsen files.” This was the agency’s collection of his awards, reviews, interviews, etc. I relished the opportunity to take a magnifying glass to the life and works of such a talented writer.

As I learned more about Paulsen, I came to respect him not only as a writer but also a resilient soul. Despite growing up in hardship, he had the courage to be vulnerable in his work, letting his most difficult experiences inform the emotions of his characters. In HATCHET, when the main character, Brian, struggles with hunger, thirst, injury, and danger, the reader can tell Paulsen experienced these things firsthand.

In honor of HATCHET’s rugged setting, this menu will consist of trail recipes, the sort of food you could take hiking or camping. Today’s recipe, raspberry fruit leather, is adapted from THE ALASKA WILD BERRY COOKBOOK. It was the perfect resource–I just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to include a nod to Gary’s love for the Alaskan wilderness! 🙂

My hope is that someone out there will make this snack and take it out into nature, either to enjoy with the scenery or as sustenance on a challenging outdoor excursion. Because the best way to honor Gary Paulsen is to get out there and appreciate the wild places of the world.

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Lately, I’ve been having hard core cravings for cozy autumn flavors. We’re talking nuts, cinnamon, caramel, pumpkin, apple, and all manner of Halloween-y teas (Hellooooo, spiced apple chai!). And of course I’m always craving chocolate. So I was thrilled when, while reading the Nancy Drew book THE SECRET OF SHADOW RANCH, I noticed that Nancy makes a chocolate walnut cake. I immediately said, “This! But make it autumn.”

As befits the Halloween season, this beautiful chocolate cake is a Frankenstein of different recipes I’ve developed over the years. The sponge and frosting recipes are slight variations on those used in the Delicious Death cake in my cookbook, A LITERARY TEA PARTY. I candied and spiced the walnuts, using a recipe from my latest cookbook, A LITERARY HOLIDAY COOKBOOK. Then I topped it off with a cinnamon butterscotch drip top, a twist on the butterscotch sauce I made to fill Mr. Rochester’s Bonbons earlier this year.

Here are a few cake decorating tools I found super helpful (though they’re not required):

• Turntable. This makes it a lot easier to get a smooth finish on the sides, and it allows you to focus on the timing of your butterscotch drips instead of trying to turn a heavy plate smoothly at the same time. I took a detachable one from underneath a rotating serving plate my grandma gave me, and it worked great!
  
• Large frosting knife. If you have a bench scraper, use that to get a smooth finish on your frosting, but if not, a big frosting knife will do. It also helps smooth the caramel.
• Tall enough fridge space for a 3-tier cake. I’m lucky enough to have a basem*nt fridge with one shelf removed. If you’ll be storing this in your main fridge, plan accordingly.
• Squeeze bottle. You can add your drip top with a spoon, but if you’re new to the method (like me) a squeeze bottle gives you lots more control.

The finished cake was chocolaty, decadent, and scratched that fall flavor itch. It’s definitely the perfect end to my Nancy Drew menu…and a perfect reward for volunteering to stay home and hand out candy on Halloween!

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When I started reading the Nancy Drew series in preparation for this menu, I crossed my fingers and prayed one of the books would have split pea and ham soup in it. A little weird, right? Stick with me. 😉

For ages, I’ve been looking for an excuse to share one particular split pea and ham soup recipe with you guys, and I knew the Nancy books were my best chance (they were first published in the 1930s, when pea soup was especially popular). As it turns out, luck was on my side–Nancy eats split pea and ham soup in mystery #5, THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE!

So here it is, my go-to pea soup! This little beauty is called Wisconsin Split Pea Soup. It comes from Taste of Home, and it’s one of my favorite cold weather recipes (possibly even my favorite soup ever). I tweaked it just a bit to suit my preferences, but it was practically perfect already. It’s meaty, savory, salty, and oh so comforting. Plus, it’s SO easy.

Grab your favorite mystery novel and cozy up with this steamy bowl of goodness. You’ll thank me. 🙂

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Would you believe me if I told you the Nancy Drew series is absolutely FULL of steak? Nancy and her friends eat it in at least FOURTEEN books! I haven’t made steak for the blog in eons, so I chose it as this menu’s entree and challenged myself to make it seasonal.

Lately I’ve been eating roasted garlic rosemary bread with maple butter on top, and it got me thinking about how well rosemary, maple, and garlic go together. Rosemary and garlic are my go-to aromatics for steak, so I decided to see what happened if I added maple to the mix in the form of maple butter, used to baste the steak as it sears. Oooooh man, you guys. It’s the coolest combo of savory, salty, herby, and sweet. A steak that’s been kissed by autumn.* dreamy sigh *

Plus, it’s a quick and easy preparation, which suits the steak served in THE PASSWORD TO LARKSPUR LANE, my favorite Nancy book so far. This. Book. Has. Everything: Carrier pigeons caught in plane engines, coded messages, kidnapped doctors, pigeon fanciers (raised eyebrow), and competitive diving. It’s a wild ride to say the least. 😀

Halfway through the book, Nancy and her friends help an elderly couple make a steak dinner as she investigates a mysterious blue flame that’s been popping up in their yard at night. Something tells me she wasn’t spending hours waiting for the meat to marinate, so a quick sear with aromatics and compound butter feels appropriate.

If you’re looking for an autumnal dinner to go with your cozy mystery book, this is the meal for you!

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When I was a kid, a row of Nancy Drew books with neon yellow spines sat on the bookshelf in my parents’ living room. I wish I could say I devoured them like a ravenous book beast, but . . . I never actually picked one up. Probably because my TBR was already massive, and I kept telling myself I’d start the series “when I had time.” I’m super embarrassed to admit it, especially since mysteries are my absolute favorite. But now I’m proud to say I’m FINALLY reading the series!

Here’s my take on the books so far: they’re fun, light-hearted little adventures, though a bit paint-by-numbers at times. My biggest quibble is that the character’s don’t experience much character development. However, that’s not surprising considering the series was written by a variety of ghostwriters (the author “Carolyn Keene” is a pseudonym). These books are meant to be quick, fun stories you can read in pretty much any order. If that’s what you’re craving, these books deliver. In fact, this series a perfect introduction to the mystery genre for younger readers, since it has fun with beloved mystery tropes without getting too gritty or disturbing. Plus, Nancy’s confidence, kindness, resourcefulness, and positivity make her a great role model.

Now let’s talk food! Lots of Nancy books have bread in them, and I’ve been looking for an excuse to share this Miracle No-Knead Bread from Pinch of Yum for ages now. It has become my favorite low-maintenance yeasted bread. Since you just mix the dough and let it rest over night, it’s perfect for when you want the flavor of a yeasted loaf but don’t want to deal with multiple rises, punching down dough, or kneading. To make it extra special, I decided to take my inspiration from the nut bread from THE SIGN OF THE TWISTED CANDLES, since it meant I could use my favorite bread flavorings: walnut, fresh rosemary, and roasted garlic.

This trio of flavors always manages to unlock something special in hearty, crusty breads, giving them a textural boost and a new delicate layer of flavor. Today’s bread is no exception. It shines the brightest when you cut thick slices and toast them with a bit of butter. Give it a try. You’ll thank me later. 😉

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I have a little surprise for you guys this week: a bonus recipe! There’s just so much wonderful food in THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR, I had trouble choosing which ones to include in my menu. And since this 2 month stretch (July-August) has an extra Thursday, it means I get to do an extra post! I knew I wanted to include watermelon somewhere in the menu since it’s the most iconic summer fruit, and I thought a punch recipe would be a unique way to use it.

This recipe is super easy! Just blend your watermelon, strain into a pitcher, and mix in the rest of your ingredients. You can buy premade watermelon juice at the store if you don’t want to blend your own fruit, but I find the storebought stuff has a weaker flavor and less vibrant color.

You can whip up a quick batch for a VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR themed birthday party or baby shower…or just for a refreshing break from the August hea!

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Behold, the easiest fancy cake you’ll ever make!

There’s a reason you don’t see many cakes on this blog. Cupcakes, yes. I love decorating cupcakes, but full-size cakes are so. much. WORK. Spare me the crumb coats, hours in the fridge, tedious smoothing of topcoats, meticulous piping, and strategic sprinkle placement. I admire anybody who can decorate a fancy cake, but it’s just not for me.

However, I knew the day was fast approaching when I could avoid it no longer. This whole Very Hungry Caterpillar menu has a birthday party theme, and my last two blog desserts were cupcakes. I knew it was time for a full-size cake. My bone-deep hatred of cake decorating inspired me to get creative, and I gotta say this cake turned out GORGEOUS. Plus, it was genuinely easy.

I just made 3 layers of the go-to chocolate cake recipe from my cookbook, a triple batch of my favorite vanilla buttercream (also from my cookbook), and Life, Love and Sugar’s recipe for chocolate drip ganache. If you’ve never done a drip top, don’t worry. This was my first time too, and it was really easy and forgiving.

Here are a few tools that I found super helpful (though they’re not required):

• Turntable. This makes it a lot easier to get a smooth finish on the sides, and it allows you to focus on the timing of your ganache drips instead of trying to turn a heavy plate smoothly at the same time. I took a detachable one from underneath a rotating serving plate my grandma gave me, and it worked great!
  
• Large frosting knife. If you have a bench scraper, use that to get a smooth finish on your frosting, but if not a big frosting knife will do. It also helps smooth the ganache.
• Tall enough fridge space for a 3-tier cake. I’m lucky enough to have a basem*nt fridge with one shelf removed. If you’ll be storing this in your main fridge, plan accordingly.
• Squeeze bottle. You can add your drip top with a spoon, but if you’re new to the method (like me) a squeeze bottle gives you lots more control.

I shared the finished cake with my nieces and nephew, who came after I took pictures. It was EXTREMELY well received (this is a big deal, since my 8-year-old niece has an even more discerning dessert palate than Paul Hollywood). Enjoy!

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As you may recall, the Very Hungry Caterpillar LOVES fruit. When he eats his week-long feast, fruit makes up most of his diet, so today we’re making a recipe that includes every fruit he ate Monday-Friday. Say hello to my 5 Fruit Salsa!

This salsa is composed of finely diced apples, pears, plums, and strawberries generously drizzled with a refreshing clementine white balsamic vinaigrette (the clementine is the 5th fruit). Of course, every salsa needs something to dip in it, so I baked up some flower-shaped cinnamon sugar tortilla chips.

This has to be of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made. Perfect to throw together before a party or as a snack! Munch on, little caterpillars! 😀

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