Spicy breads complement meals

Fall in the South is a season to celebrate. The trees are turning beautiful colors and there's a nip in the air - a great time to get together with friends and family. Whether you gather round the TV to watch sports, tailgate or take a picnic to a park, the pleasure comes from being together, cooking good food and telling lots of stories.

Sweet Cheese and Chile Corn Muffins (top) are great to eat with soup or chili. Roasted Corn and Red Pepper Corn Cakes with Avocado Salsa (right) can replace the usual chips and dip. "I am so happy that folks are getting to experience the joy that comes from cooking food to share with their friends, and everyone is getting in on the fun - male, female, young and old," said the Martha White® baking expert Linda Carman. "Many homemade dishes or snacks are easy to do when using a convenience mix."

Tasty Treats

As the weather gets cold, hearty dishes like chili, soup, stew and barbecue are always welcome. If you feel stuck serving the same thing over and over, it's easy to liven up the menu with tasty little cheese breads.

Instead of the usual chips and dip, Roasted Corn and Red Pepper Corn Cakes with Avocado Salsa will certainly be a hit. If roasting corn sounds like a lot of work, don't worry. All you have to do is cook frozen whole kernel corn in a hot oven for about 10 minutes. When the corn is finished, the corn cake batter is easy to stir up using selfrising corn meal.

Sweet Cheese and Chile Corn Muffins will warm up cool days and are great with soup or chili. Made with a convenient cornbread mix, mild green chiles and Cheddar cheese, you can have a batch ready to eat in no time. For the hotter version, add chopped pickled jalapeno.

For appetizers, nothing can beat crisp little drop biscuits. They are easy to make, delicious warm or at room temperature, and may be frozen for later use. Sausage and Cheese Appetizer Biscuits put a fresh spin on the ever popular sausage ball. Crisp and flavorful, these little biscuits are perfect for brunch or as a snack or appetizer later in the day. Roasted Corn and Red Pepper Corn Cakes With Avocado Salsa Avocado Salsa: 2 ripe avocadoes, peeled and chopped 1/4 cup sliced green onions 1/2 cup red and/or green bell pepper, chopped 3 to 4 Roma tomatoes 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro Juice of one lime Salt to taste Corn Cakes: 1 cup frozen sweet yellow corn kernels, thawed and patted dry 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons canola oil 1 egg, beaten 1 cup buttermilk 1 1/2 cups self-rising corn meal mix 2 teaspoons sugar 1/4 cup roasted red pepper, drained and chopped 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese Canola oil, for frying

Combine avocado, green onion, bell pepper, tomatoes and cilantro in small bowl.Add lime juice, toss to coat evenly. Add salt to taste. Refrigerate until needed.

Heat oven to 475 degrees F. Combine corn and 2 teaspoons canola oil in a shallow pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until corn is lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Cool.

Combine egg, buttermilk, 1/4 cup canola oil, corn meal and sugar in large bowl; stir until blended. Stir in roasted corn, roasted red pepper and cheese.

Heat about 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Spoon batter into hot oil bytablespoonfuls. Cook until brown, turn and brown on the other side. Cook in batches, adding more oil as needed. Drain on paper towels. Serve with salsa. (20 corn cakes) Sweet Cheese and Chile Corn Muffins No-stick cooking spray 2 eggs, beaten 1/4 cup milk 1 cup sour cream 2 (7 oz.) pkg. yellow cornbread mix 1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles, undrained 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Mexican Blend cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 12 muffin cups with no-stick cooking spray.

Combine eggs, milk, sour cream and cornbread mix in large bowl; stir until smooth. Stir in green chiles and cheese. Fill prepared muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. (12 muffins) Sausage and Cheese Appetizer Biscuits No-stick cooking spray 1/2 pound bulk pork sausage 2 cups self-rising flour 1/4 teaspoons ground red pepper cayenne) 1/4 cup all-vegetable shortening 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray. Cook sausage in large skillet until brown and crumbled. Remove from skillet; drain.

Combine flour and ground red pepper in large bowl; mix well. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in sausage and cheese. Add milk; stir with a fork until moist dough forms.

Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bake 12 to15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush hot biscuits with melted butter. (40 biscuits)

To freeze, drop dough onto a baking sheet and place uncovered in the freezer. When frozen, seal dough in plastic bags and store until needed. To bake, do not thaw. Place frozen dough on baking sheet and bake according to the recipe. Or go ahead and bake, cool and seal in plastic bags.To reheat, do not thaw. Place on baking sheet; lightly mist with water and heat at 350 degrees degrees F. for 15 minutes.