Homemade Applesauce

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten's Homemade Applesauce. Love Ina!

Ingredients:

- 1 large navel orange, zested and juiced
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 6 pounds sweet red apples, such as Macoun, McIntosh, or Winesap (about 12 to 16 apples)

note: Ina uses granny smith apples for 3 of her 6 lbs, but I find that this makes the apple sauce too tart. I like to use 4 granny smith apples at the most, and sweet red apples for the remainder of the 6 lbs.

- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup molasses

- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the zest and juice of the orange and lemon in a large bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples (reserving the peel of 2 of the red apples) and toss them in the juice. Pour the apples, reserved apple peel, and juice into a nonreactive Dutch oven or enameled iron pot. 

note: When you peel your apples try to keep the peel of 2 of them as complete as possible. Doing this will make them easier to remove before mashing your apples.

Add the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and allspice and cover the pot. 

Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until all the apples are soft. Remove and discard the red apple peel. Mash with a potato masher or immersion blender until you have a consistency you like, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy! Delicious with potato pancakes...

Blueberries! Muffins and more.

I got some awesome blueberries at my grocery store this last week, and after a particularly grueling... no, I should say spirit crushing... day of house hunting I came home and made these:

Blueberry muffins, from my Williams-Sonoma Breakfast Comforts cookbook, and THIS:

Blueberry and Almond Tart (with Basil Whipped Cream, yumm!) which I have made before. They were delicious, and re-inflated my spirit like only fresh home-baked goods can. To find the recipe for the tart click on the link above. Here is the recipe for the muffins:

You will need:


- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with a splash of plain white vinegar)
- 2 large eggs
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but what makes these so special)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

for streusel (optional, my Jacob prefers them without):

- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds or pecans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter and flour 12 standard muffin cups or line them with paper liners. Butter the top of the muffin pan.
In a bowl, sift together all DRY ingredients. In another bowl whisk together the WET ingredients. Pour WET ingredients into dry and stir unit just combined. Fold in the blueberries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
 - To make the streusel, in a small bowl combine the flour, sugar, and butter. Using your fingers or a fork, work the ingredients together until just combined. Work in the almonds/pecans. Press into a ball, and then separate with your fingers into coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the tops of the muffins.

Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto the rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. I love mine warm, with lemon curd or basil whipped cream, or plain!

Deep Dish Caramel Apple Pie

Cook time: eh, maybe like 3 hours including prep.
Serves: At least one

Ingredients:

- Pie crust for double crust pie (find recipe HERE)
- 8 to 10 apples pealed, cored, and thinly sliced

• - 1 cup sugar
• - 3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
• - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• - 1/2 teaspoon salt
• - Juice of 1/2 lemon
• - 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• - 1 large egg
• - Caramel sauce, recipe follows:
• • - 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • - 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • - 4 tablespoons heavy cream (or 2 tablespoons whole / 2% milk, and 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk)
  • 
    
  Caramel Sauce directions: In a small saucepan combine brown sugar, butter and cream. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve to layer with apples.

  
  

  Directions:

  Roll out one pie crust and place in a 9 inch deep dish pie tin. Refrigerate crust until ready to fill. Combine sliced apples with the sugar, tapioca, cinnamon, salt and lemon juice in a large bowl. Beat together the cream and egg to make a glaze to brush over the edges and top of the crust. Mound the apple filling in the pie shell, layering with the caramel sauce. It will be quite full. 

  

  
  

  

  Roll out the remaining dough to a large round about 1/8'' thick. Place over the filling a seal the edges together by gently pressing together. Trim any excess dough and flute the edges. Brush the top with the egg glaze. Using a  knife, cut 5 or 6 slits in a spoke pattern beginning 1/2-inch from the center  and ending 1/2-inch from the outside edge. You can bake off right away, or chill for up to 30 minutes before baking to re-chill the pie crust.

  
  

  Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the pie plate on a cookie sheet and bake 10 - 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and continue baking until the juice visible becomes thick and bubbly, about 1 hour (if the edges are browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil). Cool on a rack at room temp for at least one hour before serving 
  

  to allow the fruit pectin to gel and set; otherwise the pie will fall apart when you cut into it.

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

Peach Cobbler (Easy and Yummy)

Prep + Cook time: 40 minutes
Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

- 4 ripe peaches, sliced
- 1 loose packed cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ginger
- 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes

for the topping:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup milk (2% or whole)
- 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/4 cup oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine peaches, brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger in a small oven safe dish or casserole (I used a 4x7 casserole). Scatter the 2 tablespoons cold butter over top. Bake for 20 minutes, until peaches are tender and caramelized.

While peaches are cooking assemble topping. Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Mix together milk and egg, and add to flour mixture. Add in oats and cubed butter. Mix until JUST combined, being careful not to warm or break down the cubes of butter.

When peaches are ready add large dollops to the top, and return to oven for an additional 15 minutes, until topping is golden and cooked through.

Eat for breakfast with Hash-brown Casserole, or eat for dessert with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.

BREAKFAST BRUSCHETTA with strawberries and tangy cream

I know my last post was a breakfast recipe, but after all, it's the most important meal of the day. And I don't know about you, but most days a bowl of cereal just isn't gunna cut it for me. I wake up hungry like the wolf (Duran Duran reference).

This recipe is out of my Cuisine at Home magazine, Issue No. 62 from April 2007.

You will need:
- 2 T sugar
- 1/2 t ground cinnamon
- 2 small ciabatta rolls, split, buttered on cut sides, and halved diagonally
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
- 2 T sugar
- 1 T chopped fresh basil leaves
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 T plain or strawberry yogurt
- 2 t honey
- 1/4 t vanilla extract

-optional sprigs of fresh basil to garnish

Directions:
Preheat broiler to high with rack 6" from the heating element.
Combine sugar and cinnamon in a dish. Sprinkle mixture (you wont use it all) on buttered sides of bread, then broil on a baking sheet until toasted, 2-3 minutes.
Toss strawberries with sugar, basil, and lemon juice. Stir sour cream, yogurt, honey, and vanilla together in a separate bowl. To assemble bruschetta, spoon 2 tablespoons berries with juice on each piece of toast; dollop with 1 teaspoon sour cream mixture. Garnish with basil if desired.
Feast.

Razzmatazz

Like every good scene-ster ought, my husband Jacob put in his time working for Jamba Juice. I'm not a smoothie fan in general. The exception to the rule for me is the Razzmatazz, sans banana. When pregnant and nauseous (these two things go hand in hand for me) I find this smoothie to be a life saver. If there is a smoothie you love let me know. I'll get the recipe from Jacob and pass it along.

Yields about 24 oz. of smoothie

You will need:

- 12 oz Raspberry Juice (hard to find, I sub Raspberry Lemonade)
- 2 ice cream scooper scoops of orange sherbet
- 5 frozen strawberries and 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
- 3/4 cup crushed ice

Place all ingredients in the blender and mix it up, honey!


You're welcome!

Pear Clafouti (with apples instead)

What do I do when I get a sweet craving at 11:30 at night? This:

If you like oven puff (or as we call them "German") pancakes then you will love this. It's basically an oven puff pancake with fruit in it. And it looks really pretty when it's all baked!

Cook time: 45-ish minutes, Serves: 6

Recipe by: Ina Garden (for Food Network)

Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons pear brandy (recommended: Poire William) - I left this out, but I bet you could use juice or sparkling cider to substitute- 2 to 3 firm but ripe Bartlett pears (or apples)
- Confectioners' sugar
- Creme fraiche (or whipped cream/ maple syrup)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter a 10 by 3 by 1 1⁄2-inch round baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar.
Beat the eggs and the 1⁄3 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the flour, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, and pear brandy.
Set aside for 10 minutes.Meanwhile, peel, quarter, core, and slice the pears. Arrange the slices in a single layer, slightly fanned out, in the baking dish.
Pour the batter over the pears:
...and bake until the top is golden brown and the custard is firm, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, and creme fraiche. Although I prefer maple syrup and/or whipped cream.

Blueberry and Almond Tart (5/1/2010)

This is a recipe from my latest dinner party adventure. Uhem. We had one of Finn's little friend's family over to dinner last night. We anticipated an awkward afternoon, and it was... ok... I should make clear that the awkwardness that occurred was mostly on our end. I love "the mom" (we'll leave names out of this). She made me the most delicious chocolate cherry birthday cake I have ever had. Love, love, love! She dropped it by just in time for me to eat it for breakfast! And how awesome is she for remembering my birthday?! We have play dates together all the time, but neither Jacob or I had ever really talked to "the dad." He's a construction lawyer, currently working for his dad's firm. He seemed very intelligent, well spoken and nice.

My husband studies Anthropology at the University of Utah, and most people think that means he likes dinosaurs. "The Dad" was asking Jacob about ethnography's and the cultures he was interested in studying, so that was cool...
The only awkward point came during a lull in the conversation in which I decided to interject a story from my recent trip with Finn to San Diego. The story is this:

Finn and I were at the zoo, and we happened to be checking out a couple of monkeys. We were surrounded by a medium sized group of people when one of the monkeys bent over in front of the other and the first started "grooming" the other in an "area." Finn was disgusted, and in his anger pointed an accusing finger at the monkeys and screamed out "Don't touch the butt-hole!" Everyone around us lost it, and I was more embarrassed than I can remember being in a long while.
Great story, right? But things got kinda weird after that. I thought butt-holes were cool, as long as it's a little kid talking about them, but maybe not?

Recipe From: Four Ingredient Cookbook, by Joanna Farrow
And Cuisine At Home magazine, Issue # 58, August 2006


Serves: 4 to 6 Cook Time: about an hour

Ingredients:

-9 oz shortcrust pastry (my suggested recipe follows)
- generous 1 cup marzipan
- 4 large egg whites
- generous 1 cup blueberries (blackberries are yummy too!)

For the shortcrust:

- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- zest of 1 lemon (optional)
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- 1 egg yolk (reserve egg white for filling)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9” tart pan with nonstick spray.
Process flour, sugar, salt and zest in a food processor until combined.
Add cubed butter...

...and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Blend in the egg yolk; pulse until dough begins to hold together.

Press dough over the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. (This picture is of the crust after it had been baking for a while. I was a little late with the picture taking on this one...)
Bake at 400 degrees until golden, 12-15 minutes, then cool completely.

Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees. Grate the marzipan. This is the marzipan that was available at my grocery store. It was in the Spanish candy section, and spelled Marzapan.
When separating the yolks from the whites it is important to be very careful, because even the smallest ammount of yolk will keep the egg whites from stiffening properly (that's what she said!) I like to break my eggs one at a time into a smaller bowl before adding them into my larger mixing bowl just to make sure no yolks make it in the mix.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff.

Sprinkle half the marzipan over them and fold in. Then fold in the rest.

Turn the mixture into the pastry shell and spread it evenly.
Sprinkle the berries over the top and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and just set. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Top with Basil Whipped Cream to knock it out of the park!