Sour Cream Apple Walnut Cake, Christine Babcock

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IMG_2515
3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups peeled, chopped apples
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Glaze
4 ounces cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons milk

1. HEAT oven to 325º F. Grease and flour 10-inch tube pan. Whisk together flour, soda, salt and cinnamon in large bowl. Set aside. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in butter, oil, sugar, sour cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Stir in flour mixture just until blended. Stir in apples and walnuts until well blended. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

2. BAKE 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely. NOTE it took a lot longer than time listed!!

3. BEAT cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add enough milk to make desired consistency to spoon over cake. Store in refrigerator.

NOTE: cake required much more than 1 hour and 10 min., next time I may increase the oven temp to 350. Perhaps my oven temp is off I will check this as well.

It came from the Martha White recipe site.

garlicky kale from whole foods

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1 bunch raw kale, washed, de-stemmed and dried
2 Tablespoons tahini
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or water)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos (tamari or soy sauce would work too)
4 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons minced garlic (1 – 2 cloves of garlic)
sesame seeds, to taste as garish (optional)

Break or cut kale into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl.
Puree all ingredients except kale and sesame seeds in a blender or food processor to blend the dressing.
Pour dressing over kale and massage into the kale with your hands until all pieces of kale are coated.
Let the salad sit in the fridge for an hour or so to marinate. You can skip this step if you need to eat right away, but allowing some time to marinate will wilt the kale a bit and make it a little more palatable – particularly for those who are skeptical of eating raw kale.
Sprinkle on some sesame seeds before serving if so desired.

Baked Brie with Roasted Cranberry Sauce by: a Couple Cooks

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brie
  • 1 brie wheel (12 ounces)
  • 2 cups cranberries (fresh or thawed frozen)
  • 1 orange
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup honey
  • Crushed pistachios for garnish (optional)
  • Baguette or crackers for serving
What To Do
  1. Heat oven to 425F. Zest the orange. Squeeze the juice from the orange and reserve.
  2. In a bowl, combine 2 cups cranberries, orange zest, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and pour on the cranberries. Roast 12-15 minutes until tender.
  3. Return the cranberry mixture to a bowl and stir in the reserved orange juice and ¼ cup honey. Let sit for 30 minutes or more before serving.
  4. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 375F. Bake the brie for 15 minutes until soft and warm. Spread the cranberry mixture over the brie. If desired, add chopped pistachios for garnish. Serve with crackers or bread slices.

Roasted Acorn Squash with Wild Rice Stuffing chow.com

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Acorn squash is a satisfying side when roasted and topped with a pat of butter and a drizzle of maple syrup, but filled with a hearty stuffing of wild rice, pecans, and cranberries, it’s a meal in itself. Loaded with comforting flavors, this vegetarian dish brings fall home, but it can be made any time of year.

acorn

The wild rice mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead; keep it refrigerated in an airtight container.
You can make the stuffing up to 6 hours ahead; keep it covered in the refrigerator.

 

 

3 medium acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds each), halved lengthwise and seeds removed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 cups cooked wild rice mix
2/3 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

Heat the oven to 450°F and arrange a rack in the middle.

NOTE:  The squash baking was a bit fiddly.  I will bake it differently next time as in cut side down for 30 min or so, then turn and bake until almost tender, put in stuffing and finish baking.
Place the squash cut-side up on a baking sheet, brush 1 tablespoon of the melted butter over the tops and insides of the squash halves, sprinkle with the brown sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until just fork tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon of the melted butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. When it foams, add the onion, shallots, and celery, season with salt and pepper, and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the thyme and cook until just fragrant, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and stir in the rice, pecans, cranberries, and measured salt and pepper.

Divide the rice filling among the roasted squash halves (about 1/2 cup for each) and drizzle the remaining tablespoon of butter over top. Continue roasting until the squash is completely fork tender, the edges have started to brown, and the filling is heated through, about 20 to 25 minutes.

dark chocolate bark, ina garten

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Frame 37
9.5 ounces very good semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
8 ounces very good bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup whole roasted, salted cashews
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Melt the two chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.

Meanwhile, line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Using a ruler and a pencil, draw a 9-by-10-inch rectangle on the paper. Turn the paper face-down on the baking sheet.

Pour the melted chocolate over the paper and spread to form a rectangle, using the outline. Sprinkle the cashews, apricots and cranberries over the chocolate. Set aside for 2 hours until firm. Cut the bark in 1-by-3-inch pieces and serve at room temperature.

Spiced Pecans, Alton Brown

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1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried ground orange peel
1 pound pecan halves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons water

Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Mix the salt, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon and orange peel together in a small bowl and set aside.
Place the nuts in a 10-inch cast iron skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes until they just start to brown and smell toasted. Wait a few minutes to allow the pan to cool so you don’t burn the spices then add the butter and stir until it melts. Add the spice mixture and stir to combine. Once combined, add both sugars and water, stirring until the mixture thickens and coats the nuts, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer the nuts to the prepared sheetpan and separate them with a fork or spatula. Allow the nuts to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container for storage. Can be stored up to 3 weeks.

acorn squash stuffed with creamed spinach

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IMG_2373 Scrub squash, cut in half and remove seeds and goop. Place cut side down on foil, bake at 400 for 45 min. Sautee a few cloves of garlic in olive oil, add washed spinach and cook until wilted. Add salt, pepper and grated nutmeg along with heavy cream. Heat through. Put in squash, cover with some bread crumbs and parm cheese. Put back in oven and bake until cheese is melted. Yum yum

Emeril’s Spiced Nuts

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photo

 

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups mixed nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds

Mix spices and reserve.

Heat nuts in a dry skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until begin to toast, about 4 minutes.

Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Add the butter, sugar, water and spices to the hot skillet and cook, stirring, until a glaze forms, about 1 minute.

Return the nuts to the skillet and toss to combine with the glaze.
Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until the nuts are glazed and golden brown.

Remove from the heat and transfer to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, separating with a fork.

Let rest until cooled and the sugar has hardened, about 10 minutes.
Store in an airtight container.

NOTES from Kathryn:  I let the pan cool a little after toasting the nuts – it is easy to burn the glaze.

We use chipotle rather than cayenne. And push it up the heat scale quite a bit – we like our spice spicey

 

Baked Brie

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download (1)1 sheet frozen prepared puff pastry, 11 x 17 inches, defrosted
1 wheel brie cheese, about 5-inches round
2 tablespoons raspberry jam
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
crackers

Preheat oven to 350F.
Slice brie in half across the middle.
Spread the puff pastry sheet onto a counter and roll it to an 1/8 of an inch thick. Place half of the brie onto the puff pastry. Spread the jam on top. Sprinkle the almonds on the jam.
Replace the top half of the brie. Wrap dough up and over the brie, starting at the corners.
Turn over so the sealed side is underneath.
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with crackers.

Roasted Apple, Shallot and Blue Cheese Tart, Melissa Clark

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This sweet and savory apple tart is both substantial and sophisticated. The chewy, pizza-like crust is fortified with three kinds of flour. The topping is a comforting, mellow jumble of sweet roasted apples and shallots scented with thyme and zipped up with pungent blue cheese.

1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
5 grams sugar (1 teaspoon)
150 grams all-purpose flour (1 1/2 cups), more as needed
55 grams whole wheat flour (1/2 cup)
60 grams fine cornmeal (1/2 cup)
10 grams fine sea salt (2 1/4 teaspoons), more as needed
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
2 1/4 pounds apples, cored, quartered and sliced 1/4-inch thick
3/4 pound shallots, peeled, trimmed, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
5 thyme branches
3/4 cup finely crumbled blue cheese
Flaky sea salt

Place 3/4 cup lukewarm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over water. Let stand until frothy, about 5 minutes.

In another large bowl, whisk together both flours, cornmeal and 8 grams (1 3/4 teaspoons) salt. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; stir in yeast mixture and 1/3 cup oil until mixture is combined. If the dough seems dry, add a little more water. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until dough is smooth and elastic, about 7 to 10 minutes. Or, knead in a mixer or food processor fit with the dough blade for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rest at room temperature until dough has doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

While dough rises, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together apples, shallots, 1/4 cup oil, 2 grams ( 1/2 teaspoon) salt, the black pepper and thyme. Spread onto two large baking sheets. Roast, tossing occasionally, until mixture is tender and golden, about 30 minutes.
Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a large rimmed baking sheet. Punch down dough and transfer to baking sheet. Using a rolling pin or your fingers, roll or stretch dough to make an even layer about 3/16-inch thick. Scatter apple-shallot mixture over crust. Scatter cheese on top. Drizzle with oil and season with flaky sea salt and black pepper. Transfer pan to oven and bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is just melted, 17 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly, then cut into squares and serve.

YIELD 12 servings