Gunpowder, Treason and Plot!

"Remember, remember, the Fifth of November,

Gunpowder, Treason and Plot....."

Here in the UK the evening of November 5th is Guy Fawkes Night, or Bonfire Night.

For those of you who might not be familiar with the tradition (and who don't wish to read the full story on Wikipedia) I shall attempt, after swatting up on the facts for myself, to summarise:

Way back in 1605 a group of Catholic conspirators wanted to kill King James I, his family, and the aristocracy, during the State Opening of Parliament - and displace Protestant rule.

The plot was led by a man named Robert Catesby, but the most infamous of the conspirators was Guy Fawkes. Fawkes had a military background and explosive experience, so he was put in charge of renting a cellar beneath the House of Lords and filling it with 1,800lb (36 barrels) of gunpowder (clearly he wanted a really, really, big boom!).

But some of the conspirators were worried about the fellow Catholics who were due to attend the Parliamentary Opening, and wrote an anonymous letter of warning to Lord Monteagle on the 23rd October. The letter was considered a hoax, and the plan remained in place. However, Lord Monteagle eventually felt suspicious enough to show the letter to King James, and a search of the cellars was ordered. In the early hours of November 5th the gunpowder was discovered hidden under piles of coal and firewood, and Fawkes was arrested as he tried to leave the cellars (the story ends with torture, trial and execution- so lets leave it there, shall we?).

So on the night of November 5th bonfires are lit, and colourful fireworks fill the cold night skies, to celebrate the foiling of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot.

And what is a tradition without it's own customary food stuffs? Common November 5th Noms include:

   -Bonfire Toffee

   -Jacket Potatoes (because they can be cooked in foil on the bonfire?)

   -Toffee Apples (better known in the US as Candy Apples, I believe).

Mr. Sketchy has been enjoying a few toffee apples recently, but I'm not a fan. The flavour combination may be sound, but the texture of the glass-like sugar coating does not compliment that of the apple (and can be quite sharp on the gums!). But a common variation also adorns the supermarket shelves along side it's toffee coated companion. The Chocolate Coated Apple is a much less traditional, but much more acceptable, treat.

The chocolate and apple combo is much more appealing, but the appearance of the store bought apples leave a lot to be desired. So why not make your own?

How do you like them apples? ;)

In the absence of any proper lolly sticks I mounted my apple on a chopstick, and simply coated it in melted chocolate (I used some red 'Swirled Holiday Morsels' which I procured from the interwebs). I then made it look a little more apple-y by adding a chocolate stalk (a small piece of orange flavoured MatchMaker) and a couple of chocolate leaves (made using the melted green 'Swirled Holiday Morsels', painted onto mint leaves, cooled to set, then peeled carefully off).

Trying to avoid food colourings and E-numbers?

I don't blame you ~ they can make some people hyper......

.....or grouchy! (There's always one bad apple, isn't there?).

If you want to avoid the coloured chocolate then I'm sure these would look, and taste, great in milk and dark chocolate.

"Nom, nom, crunch, nom, crunch......" (What? He asked for it!)

Mmmm, they are really quite tasty. And that's one of my five a day too! Bonus! I'd like four more chocolate coated apples please.

What do you mean that doesn't count? Spoil sports! In that case...........

*Pootles off to coat a pear, a banana, some strawberries and a peach in chocolate*

Have a great (and safe) bonfire night peeps!