STOP! You're making me hungry.
I can practically smell that cooking.
FUDGE SCOTCH SQUARES
1 12 oz. pk. semisweet shocolate morsels
1 12 oz. pk. butterscotch morsels
2 cans Eagle brand milk
2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
Mix all together and spread in 9"x13" glass dish that has been sprayed with Pam. Cook on 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Take pan out and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Cut in squares. Remove from pan. These freeze well.
And, good luck in getting the glass dish clean again..........
Where There's Smoke . . . There's a Smoker!
Smoking a turkey is very easy provided you have the right equipment. The right equipment, in this case, is a smoker. Smokers allow you to carefully regulate the temperature, which is vital when cooking a large beast over a long period of time. It's possible to smoke a turkey using a charcoal grill, but only if you're prepared to get comfortable next to the barbeque and watch it constantly for the better part of a day. If the barbecue's temperature falls too low, bacteria will thrive and multiply in the meat. If the barbecue's temperature is too high, the outside will burn before the inside is cooked. With a smoker, though, you should get perfect results every time!
The Rest of Your Smoking Setup
Besides a smoker, you need a pan large enough to accommodate the turkey, you need an accurate meat thermometer, and you need wood chips. The wood chips provide the smoke, and the smoke provides the flavor, so choose your wood chips with care. You can use whatever variety of wood chips you like best; any kind of fruit wood, such as apple or cherry, complements turkey very well, but hickory, pecan, and maple will be equally enticing.
Once you have the smoker, you need the turkey. We recommend that, if you wish to smoke a whole bird, you choose one that weighs no more than about 15 pounds. Larger birds take too long to heat all the way through since the smoker is run at a fairly low temperature (approximately 220 to 250 degrees F/105 to 120 degrees C). If you choose a frozen turkey, it should be thoroughly thawed before you begin. For hints on proper thawing, please see Just Freeze It! . Also ensure that you have removed all the giblets and gizzards from the turkey, as well as the plastic pop-up thermometer.
Bring on the Brine
Brining is not an essential part of smoking a turkey, but most people agree that soaking in brine gives their smoked meat maximum flavor and juiciness. Brine is a mixture of water and salt, and usually sugar as well. Many brine recipes also include a variety of spices. A whole turkey can take up to 24 hours of brining, so plan ahead! After you remove your turkey from the brine and are ready to smoke it, rinse it thoroughly in cool water to remove excess salt, and then drain it and pat the bird dry with paper towels.
> Basic Brine for Smoking Meat
Rub It with Spice and Everything Nice
For crispy and evenly browned skin, rub the entire bird with oil or butter at this point. To add extra flavor you can also massage the turkey with a dry rub right before smoking. Keep in mind that, if you have brined the turkey, you should not use any salt in the dry seasoning mixture, or your turkey will taste far too salty to eat! Unfortunately, you can't stuff a smoked turkey; if you've got your heart set on stuffing, you can make it separately in the oven.
> All-Purpose Dry Rub for Meat
> Hugh's Dry Rub
> Johnny's Grub Rub
You Can't Rush a Good Thing
Although smoking a turkey is pretty easy, it takes time. With your smoker running at 240 degrees F (115 degrees C), the turkey will need about 30 minutes per pound to cook to perfection. So, a 15-pound bird needs at least 7 1/2 hours, and even more if the smoker is at a lower temperature. Give yourself plenty of time!
When the smoker is all fired up and ready to receive its precious cargo, place the oiled and seasoned turkey in a roasting pan, breast-side up, and then set it in the smoker and close the lid. You can baste the turkey with its own juices a few times during smoking, but avoid opening the smoker too often; you will lose heat and increase the cooking time. Using the "30 minutes per pound" rule, calculate how long the turkey will take, and start checking the temperature at the end of this time. Insert the meat thermometer deep into the thigh, being careful not to touch the bone or joints. When the thermometer reads 180 degrees F (82 degrees C), pull it out of the smoker, let it rest 15 minutes, then carve it on up -- it's suppertime!