Vienna, Va. - Ah, fall! The evening air develops a chill, Mother Nature begins applying her fall paint palette to the trees, and our thoughts turn to crunchy new-crop apples, tangy cider and… Halloween, of course!

In addition to being National Apple Month and the peak of the U.S. apple harvest, October is also Halloween time. Halloween has its roots in ancient harvest traditions, born of Celtic harvest festivals more than 2,000 years ago. At the same time our ancient ancestors celebrated harvesting nature's bounty, as the dark of winter approached they believed that on this particular evening spirits roamed the Earth. Costumes and masks helped our Earth-borne ancestors avoid recognition of those from the Otherworld, and they offered up sweets to avoid being the subject of tricks by evil-minded spooks.

Today, Halloween is a time of fun and frolic.. As soon as the calendar page is turned, our young ghosts and goblinettes begin turning their thoughts to costumes, gags and goodies, and those great Halloween celebrations.

And no tricks here: Apples and apple foods such as 100 percent apple juice and cider are also healthy fall treats that parents and teachers can feel good about giving to their little ones. Apples are an excellent source of fiber and are fat-free, so your little monsters will get filled up without filling out. One-hundred percent apple juice and cider counts as a fruit serving, toward the recommended 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, for better health.

Author Donata Maggipinto offers up some seasonal recipes and crafts for the whole family's fun in her book Halloween Treats. Many feature those fall seasonal favorites, apples and apple cider, including the following favorite for caramel apples.

Caramel Apples and Pears

(When reprinting, cite the following source: From Halloween Treats © 1998 by Donata Maggipinto, photographs by Richard Jung. Used with permission of Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco. Visit www.chroniclebooks.com.)

Author's note: The petite Lady apples and Seckel pears are just right for making kid-sized caramel treats. They're easy to eat, too! If children are helping, they can carefully dip the apples and pears in the caramel and granola. An adult should supervise the fun as hot caramel can burn. I use natural licorice sticks (found in natural foods stores) because they look eerie and they're edible too. If you can't find licorice sticks, substitute cinnamon sticks or bamboo skewers.

USApple note: If you can't find Lady apples, any small apple can be substituted.

12	natural licorice sticks, cinnamon sticks, or bamboo skewers, each 6 inches long
6	Lady apples, stems removed
6	Seckel pears, stems removed
2 cups	granola
1 cup	sugar
½ cup	dark corn syrup
2 tsp.	pure vanilla extract
3 Tbsp.	water
4 Tbsp.	(1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup	heavy cream

Insert a licorice stick, cinnamon stick or bamboo skewer into the stem end of each apple and pear. Spread the granola on a baking sheet; reserve. Have ready one or more cooling racks or a large sheet of parchment paper for cooling the caramel fruits.

In a saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, vanilla extract and water. Cook, stirring, until the sugar melts. Add the butter and cream, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the caramel registers 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for two minutes.

One at a time, dip the apples and pears in the caramel, twirling and swirling them to coat completely. Dip the tops in the granola to coat them, then transfer to the cooling rack or parchment paper to cool. As the apples and pears cool, the caramel will set. Store the caramel apples and pears, wrapped in cellophane if desired, in a cool, dry place until ready to serve or up to two days.

Makes 12.

Note: The text of this release can be downloaded from the Consumer and Health Media section of USApple's Web site, at http://www.usapple.org. Digital photography of this recipe is available by emailing jdaly@usapple.org.