It’s time for the next installment in my OVER THE GARDEN WALL menu! My original plan was to make the banana nut duck bread from the show. I baked my go-to banana bread recipe in a set of 3D duck ice molds, which tasted good but came out looking reeeeeally ugly. * sigh * Ain’t that just the way?
I panicked a little at that point, because I didn’t have a backup plan. I scoured the internet, searching for other food references in the show. I came across a reference to a character called Corn on the Cob, who is literally an anthropomorphized corn cob. He appears in TOME OF THE UNKNOWN, the short film that preceeded OVER THE GARDEN WALL and is set in the same world with most of the same characters. Corn on the Cob plays in a band in the Big City, but he has to stop playing when he starts to feel ill and pops into popcorn. I loved the idea of making an autumn-themed popcorn inspired by the seasonal aesthetic of the show, so Apple Pie Popcorn was born!
I started with my standard popcorn recipe, adding a bit of apple pie spice. Then I made some apple chips using the recipe from my Treasure Island menu. Then I threw in some maple candied walnuts, a variation on the walnuts from my butterscotch chocolate cake recipe. I love how it all combined together. I think my favorite part was the walnuts. I just love the crunch and sweetness they add!
P.S. I just learned that this is the 10 year anniversary of OVER THE GARDEN WALL, and Cartoon Network is planning something to celebrate (to be announced Nov. 3rd). I’m so excited! Any guesses what it will be? I’m thinking another short like TOME OF THE UNKNOWN.