Chanteuse Designs

Quiche Slice

As you may already know my garden is full of this bountiful golden swiss chard. Even now with the winter upon us. I had seen some really delicious sounding quiche recipes using chard, but hadn’t gotten around to it until today. And, true to form, I winged it. Since I have been making quiches for decades, I went with my gut and was pretty pleased with this. Smooth as silk, using the stems as well as the leaves. It was gloriously delicious.

Swiss Chard Quiche

Here’s all you do:

Golden Swiss Chard & Cheddar Quiche:

1 1/8 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 cup cold butter diced, ice water, 1/2 teaspoon salt & fresh chives

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion diced
2 heaping cups torn Swiss chard leaves and stems
1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil
1-3 small tomatoes for topping
9 eggs

For the dough: In a Cuisinart mix all the ingredients except the ice water. Mix the ingredients together and when just combined begin pouring the ice water into the Cuisinart until it forms a complete dough ball. Take out and place on a lightly floured work surface, roll dough into a 16-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off any excess flour; fit dough into a 2-inch deep-dish tart pan, gently pressing it into the sides. Using a sharp knife, trim the dough evenly with the edge of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap; chill tart shell until firm, about 20 minutes.

Preheat Oven to 350˚

Line the tart dough with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Transfer to oven and bake until light brown, about 15 minutes. Remove weights and parchment paper and continue baking until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Sauté onions in olive oil until soft and then add the chard and lightly sauté but don’t over cook.

In the bowl mix together the eggs and cream until smooth. Add the spices.

Place 1 cup of the shredded cheese in the bottom of the pre baked shell. Next, add the cooled onion and swiss chard mixture. Pour the egg mixture on top, then with the remaining cheese and slice tomatoes on top for decoration.

Bake 60 minutes until filling is slightly firm, rather than liquid, and crust is a deep golden brown.

Quiche Swiss Chard

Let cool until set, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. To reheat, cover quiche with aluminum foil and bake in an oven heated to 325 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Serve with salad and warm potatoes, Sunday coffee and great conversation. I love Sunday brunch!

Bon Appétit.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

So there I was………pondering another bundt cake. And you know how I don’t like a lot of icing and such? Well heh heh heh, This was the most moist and delicate yummy coffee cake I think I have EVER made. Thank you Lisa Dupar!!! Just delicious. I ate too much. What more can I say???? This will now be my “go to” cake. You can  find it in “Fried Chicken and Champagne” by Lisa Dupar. I love this cook book.

Here’s all you do:

Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake by Lisa Dupar

2 3/4 cups of sugar

16 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 eggs

2 cups sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups chopped pecans (I was out and sub’d walnuts)

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350˚. In the bowl of a standing kitchen mixer with whip attachment, at medium speed, cream together the sugar and the butter. Slowly add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bottom of the bowl. Add the sour cream and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry mixture to the egg-sour cream mixture and mix until just combined. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, pecans and cinnamon.

Grease and flour a standard Bundt pan. Alternate pouring in the batter, the cinnamon nut mixture, and then te batter starting and ending with the batter. Bake one hour. (Mine 55 minutes) Turn out onto rack to cool.

When cake is completely cooled, dust with powdered sugar.

I kid you not……too good!! Too good.

Bon Appétit! ;-)

Savory Blue Cheese Biscuits

These sounded soooo yummy (especially if you are a blue cheese fan like yours truly) that I had to try. Quick to make and takes very few ingredients. My blue cheese might have been too dry (is all I can think of), therefore next time I would add more than one cup of the blue cheese. ;-)  The cheese ooozes out of the biscuits and are light! I got this recipe from Lisa Dupar’s “Fried Chicken and Champagne” cookbook, which is a delightful cook book.

Here’s all you do:

SAVORY BLUE CHEESE BISCUITS

3 1/2 cups flour

3 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 tablespooon salt

2 Tablespoons baking powder

12 Tablespoons unsalted butter (in 1/2″ cubes)

1 cup crumbled or grated blue cheese

1/4 cup minced chives

2 eggs

1 cup heavy cream (40 percent butterfat)

Egg Wash: 1 egg, (optional) 1 Tablespoon milk (optional)

Preheat oven to 425˚. Prepare a parchment-lined baking sheet.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry cutter. Fold in the blue cheese and chives. Mix the eggs with the cream. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the egg-cream mixture. Mix until just combined; do not overmix the dough. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Roll out to about 3/4 -inch thick. Cut with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter. Place the biscuits on the parchment lines baking sheet.

If you choose the egg wash: Beat together egg and mil, then lightly brush the biscuit tops with the egg wash for a smooth shine.

Bake biscuits until lightly golden brown, about 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.

Makes 12 – 15 regular size (2 1/2″) or 24-30 (1 1/4″) biscuits.

Perfect for a big bowl of soup or chili. Or slice butter or blue cheese and toast! YUM!

Bon Appétit!

Emeril's Vegetarian Chili

It’s chilly these days and nothing is better than a big pot of chili waiting for you when you need to warm up. I have never “made” vegetarian chili before, but this has to be the best vegetarian chili I have ever had. I was supposed to be thoughtful and share this batch…….but I am plowing through this at an alarming rate! Whew, do make this chili. I didn’t use his essence recipe but you can go for it and let me know. As I mentioned, I was too busy devouring it……oh and keeping warm.

Here’s all you do:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 1 cup chopped red bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 to 3 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced, depending upon taste
• 1 medium zucchini, stem ends trimmed and cut into small dice
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears-or use canned)
• 1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms, stemmed, wiped clean and cubed (I used regular mushrooms and they were fabulous)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespooon ground cumin
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 3 cups cooked black beans, or canned beans, rinsed and drained (I used kidney)
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce (I made my own….so good)
• 1 cup vegetable stock, or water
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Cooked brown rice, accompaniment
• Sour cream or strained plain yogurt, garnish
• Diced avocado, garnish
• Essence, recipe follows, garnish
• Chopped green onions, garnish

Directions

I didn’t serve with the brown rice, and for the first two bowls I didn’t even plate up with avocado and sour cream. But if you are serving guests, it’s a beautiful presentation.

I was going to make some matching corn bread, but decided to go with the Savory Blue Cheese muffins from Lisa Dupar’s cookbook  “Champagne and Fried Chicken”. Will share soon. For now it’s back to work!

Bon Appétit.

Pumpkin Bread Loaf

What is it with all the pumpkin breads right now? I am not sure, but if I don’t stop this I will surely gain 200 pounds. This is a wonderful bread! Super moist too. This is such a simple recipe that I made another one right after I popped it in the oven. A great little recipe I got from Laura Davis (http://sweetsavoryplanet.blogspot.com) with dates or raisins, pecans or walnuts, and I even threw in pumpkin seeds instead! Love IT! You will too.

Here’s all you do:

Pumpkin Bread
makes one 9 X 5-inch loaf

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of cloves
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin or homemade pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (or walnuts or pecans)
1/3 cup chopped raisins (or dates)

Mix all the dry ingredients together in one bowl.  Mix the milk and the vanilla together in another bowl or container.

Mix the sugar and the canola oil in a mixer until it is completely blended.  This will take about 2 minutes on medium speed.

Add the eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition.  Add the pumpkin and blend well.

Add the flour mixture in thirds alternating with the milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.  Mix until just blended.  Stir in the seeds and raisins.

Place in greased 9 X 5-inch loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done (my loaf took 55 minutes).  Test for doneness with a bamboo skewer or toothpick, when it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs the loaf is done.  This is a very moist bread. VERY moist cake. Great to pack for lunches.

Let the loaf rest in the pan for 10 minutes or so.  Remove from pans and place on cooling rack for 30 minutes before slicing.

I LOVE this recipe. I made one with raisins and walnuts, and the other with raisins and pumpkins seeds. Did I mention I LOVE this recipe? I believe you will to. Get ready for the holidays with this little gift giving ditty.

Bon Appétit.

Roasted Tomatoes

Heaven only knows how simple and delicious roasting your tomatoes can be. Well it was a well kept secret until we all started growing these again……. I am guessing or, I just haven’t been paying attention. Just my luck that making the best tomato sauce ever could be done this way.

Here’s all you do:

Roasted Tomato Sauce
From A Sweet Pea Chef

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet (with sides at least 1-inch deep) with parchment paper. Lay out the tomato halves (skin-side down), onion, garlic and carrot and sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Try to make this only one layer to allow for maximum roasting. Drizzle olive oil all over.

Bake for 60 – 75 minutes, or until the edges of the tomatoes and onions begin to turn black. Carefully transfer the roasted contents to a food processor or blender (or a large mixing bowl, if using a stick blender), add the basil leaves and pulse until smooth.

Transfer the pureed contents to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add thyme, sugar and more salt or pepper, to taste. (I passed on the sugar as my tomatoes are perfectly sweet)

I threw mine into a big dish of pasta and lots of cheese and fresh basil! Some home made bread to get those juices from the onions and garlic and it was such a healthy meal.

Even if you don’t grow your own tomatoes do get to a Farmers Market or local produce to make this dish. You won’t be disappointed.

Bon Appétit!

Tomato tarts

The Phone Books are here…The phone books are here!!! Am I showing my age or my nerdyness here? Not sure, but finally my tomatoes are here and it feels like that Steve Martin moment. They are smaller than I had thought, but since they have taken 6 months to ripen from a late cool spring and a summer that barely showed up I suppose I shouldn’t complain. They are super sweet, and there are plenty out there on the vine and I have already made 6 batches of roasted tomatoes.

Here is a wonderful recipe I found from Saturday Dish (http://saturdaydish.com) and though it calls for two identical tarts I made two different tarts just to change it up a bit. Glad I did as my second choice was awesome! It’s a pretty easy and quick dish too. Especially if you have half the groceries in your back yard. For the second tart I substituted blue cheese/parm and fresh basil. It was by far my favorite but they were both stellar!

• 1 package of frozen puffed pastry (2 sheets)
• Flour (for dusting)
• 3 medium-sized tomatoes, thinly sliced (for color use red, orange and yellow)
• Olive oil
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• Finely shredded Gruyère and pecorino romano cheeses (about 1/3 cup each)
• Egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of water (egg wash for binding and glazing the sides)
• Course sea salt
• Chives
• (Optional) Balsamic vinegar or hot sauce to finish

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F° and allow the puffed pastry to defrost according to package directions.
2. Working on a lightly floured surface, unfold one of the puffed pastry sheets and roll into a flat square. Brush the edges with egg wash and fold the edges in (about 1/4 inch). Crimp with a fork.
3. Working on the inside of the fold, prick the pastry with tines of a fork then lightly brush the inside with olive oil. Don’t miss this step as your pastry will be soggy.
4. Arrange the tomato slices so they almost touch the inside of the folded edge and slightly overlap each other. (Note, if the tomatoes are cut too thick their juices could make the tart soggy, so slice them on the thin side.)
5. Sprinkle with fresh thyme and lightly top with half of the cheeses.
6. Brush the outer folded edges with egg wash.
7. Repeat steps above for second pastry sheet. (Substitute other herbs and cheese)
8. Bake in oven for 20 – 25 minutes until puffy and golden brown.
9. Sprinkle with fresh chives and sea salt to taste.
10. (Optional) Lightly sprinkle center with balsamic vinegar or hot sauce. Enjoy.

Serve with a fresh salad and home baked bread. You will sleep like a baby!

Bon Appétit!

Pumpkin Bundt

Autumn. The most glorious season of all. And with it comes such beautiful veggies. I normally make a Thanksgiving Pumpkin bread to dream about, but this is the perfect little any time of day, easy to make Pumpkin cake. You don’t need a lot of time. You don’t need a lot of ingredients. A great cake for that weekend kayaking trip, or just to have with a cuppa. Delicious, light and you don’t even need the icing.

I took artistic license and added cloves, allspice, ginger and nutmeg (@ 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon each) and very glad that I did. A sprinkling of confectioners sugar and some pumpkin seeds make this simple and elegant.

Here’s all you do:

For the cake:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

 For the glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan (I like to use Pam spray).  Add sugar and butter to a large mixing bowl. Beat on low until light and fluffy.  Slowly add the eggs, one at a time, and continue mixing until well incorporated.  Add the pumpkin, sour cream and vanilla, mixing on slow speed until well blended.  While mixer is still going on slow, add the flour, one cup at a time. Next, add the cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Blend until well incorporated. (NOTE: I added all the dry ingredients together and then blended into the wet mixture. Just because that’s how I always incorporate it. Do what you like best.)Pour cake batter into prepared Bundt cake. Bake for 50- 60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clear.

• For the glaze:
  1. Place powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk milk into the powdered sugar. Continue whisking until no lumps appear.
  2. Continue whisking while adding vanilla, canned pumpkin, cinnamon and melted butter.
  3. Once glaze is smooth, gently pour over the top of the Bundt cake, allowing to drizzle down the side of the cake.
  4. Slice, serve and enjoy.

I am soooo glad I added the nutmeg, allspice, cloves and ginger! Couldn’t help myself and happy I did. This was a lovely silky batter with no raisins and walnuts. Could not imagine it was going to be decent with out those but I wanted to stick close to the recipe and then decide. Yep, less is more here.

Welcome Happy Autumn.

Bon Appétit!

Swiss Chard Pesto

Did you know of such a thing? Well I am sure it’s been out there awhile, but without having grown so much I did a little digging and found this little ditty. It’s great. I throw it in a pasta dish, but it would be great on a cheese plate, or baked brie, or…..you get the idea. Give this a try in your pasta tonight and throw in a little cream and butter and onions and it will be very hard to leave the table!

Here’s all you do:

Swiss Chard Pesto

• 2 tablespoons + 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup walnuts
• 2 ounces freshly grated pecorino cheese
• 1 bunch of basil leaves (about 1/2 cup packed)
• Kosher salt

Heat two tablespoons of oil and the garlic in a saute pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and the garlic has become fragrant, gradually add the Swiss chard, wilting it into the oil and sauteeing for a few minutes.  Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, combine the walnuts, pecorino cheese, and basil leaves in the bowl of a food processor.  Add in the cooled chard and garlic.  Pulse to roughly chop and combine the ingredients. Then, stream in the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil while blending to your desired consistency.  Adjust seasoning with salt.

To freeze the pesto, fill an ice cube tray with leftover pesto and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Once the pesto cubes have frozen, they can be transferred to a ziplock bag and kept for a few months. I love any kind of pesto and pasta and it’s pretty healthy so you can’t go wrong. Bon Appétit!

Swiss Chard Pickles

I got this scary yummy recipe for my swiss chard. It was so cool to grow some easy and beautiful golden swiss chard (my first year growing swiss chard so forgive my giddiness) Who hoo.  The snails enjoyed it a little too much but that being said, I had to come up with a plethora of new recipes. This was super good……….SUPER good. I had never cooked with Sriracha before (find it in the asian aisle of most grocery stores). But it is surely going to be experimented with a LOT from here on out! Don’t say I didn’t warn you either, it is spicy! These pickles you can make in 10 minutes. Idiot proof. Nothing to it and it is so delicious. Great for bbq’s but I can assure you this Sriracha will become a staple in my soups this winter. Summer is still hanging on by a thread…….go for it.

Here’s all you do:

Ingredients

• Swiss chard stems, chopped
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 2 cups sugar (My 2nd batch I cut back to 1 1/2)
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons Sriracha
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds (only had ground)

Bon Appétit!

Great bake Coffee Cake

I love making bundt cakes. They make sharing it with others so easy. It’s moist, you don’t need tons of icing. What’s not to love? Coffee cake was in order for the weekend and I found this great recipe from Lottie and doof (www.lottieanddoof.com- her site will make you so hungry don’t say I didn’t warn you!) and thought the ingredients sounded just right. Only I had my baking dish out on loan and wanted to make this a bundt. It was late……I shouldn’t cook when it’s late….and a few errors I did make. However, putting a coffee cake in a bundt pan means you can’t put the topping on it. So I made my favorite whipped cream and put in the swirl topping and topped the cake this way! Wow, I love that whipped cream. It was just heavenly. I even added it to my coffee! Wow. Just lovely.

This made a VERY large bundt cake! It was really great but I am going to make this in the correct dish next time just to see how that works. A definite keeper! Big Thanks Lottie.

Here’s all you do:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup pecans, toasted
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch pieces

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Enjoy with your friends and loved ones.

Bon Appétit!

Cowboy Caviar

Fresh and zippy. Before the feeling of summer is completely gone, here is a super healthy, simple and delicious recipe. Takes letter time to prepare and don’t skip the lemon juice! It makes this dish.  I found this a year ago and never made it last summer. Dug it up (thanks to What’s Gaby Cooking, Simple Sassy Gourmet…….great site http://whatsgabycooking.com where I found this from) and don’t miss out. You can make this even healthier if you don’t cook the bell peppers with the onion and corn. That raw movement is pretty good stuff.

Here’s all you do:

Cowboy Caviar

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh corn, cut off the cob (I used 3 cobs)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 avocado, cut into small pieces
1 lemon, juiced (generally about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, plus 1 tbsp extra
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the corn, bell pepper, and zucchini and saute for about 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are just cooked. Remove from pan and set aside. In a large bowl combine the sauteed vegetables, red onion, and avocado and gently mix. In a small food processor combine the lemon, cilantro and olive oil. Process for about 20 seconds until the cilantro is just cut down into smaller pieces. Drizzle this dressing over the vegetables and season with salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle the last tbsp of fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

If you are short on time, I just mix the dressing right on top of the corn and blend there. Works like a charm and less clean up!

OK, Get along little doggies!!

Bon Appétit!

Jalapeno Corn Bread

It’s September and I can’t believe the summer has gone. I keep waiting for it to get here in a small way. It’s been a wonderful summer, no doubt but I just could have used a few more days, weeks even another month. Fall is my favorite season so I won’t complain. We’ll just use that summer corn left over and make some memorable dishes.

Here’s all you do:

Jalapeno Corn Bread

1 1/4 cups stone ground yellow corn meal
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup scallions, chopped (reserve 1 tablespoon for sprinkling)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2-3 jalapeno, chopped
2 small garlic clove, peeled and finely minced
1 cup corn kernels, (I used a 1 1/2)
1 cup plain yogurt (I used sour cream)
1/4 cup low fat milk (I used whole milk)
1 egg
1/4 – 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling over corn bread (I didn’t have cheddar and used Jarlberg….story of my life with this one and it is no substitute for this bread……but didn’t stop me)
1/4 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan.

In a bowl, with a wire whisk, mix egg, milk, yogurt, and canola oil. Add cheese, corn, jalapenos, garlic, scallions, cilantro and combine. (I threw in a baked & skinned red bell pepper and some onion and my garden chives since I was out of scallions too!) It’s a wonder I made this with all the substitutions but I think it turned out good.

Add flour, corn meal, baking powder and salt and combine with rubber spatula. (Hmmm no sugar or honey). Odd, but didn’t think much about it at the time. Mix wet ingredients with the flour mixture. Pour mixture into prepared pan and sprinkle with half the chopped scallions.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Last 5 minutes of baking sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese and extra scallions over the top of the corn bread and place back in the oven.

Now before you take a big swallowing bite of this……warm yummy smelling bread….like I did, think about that sugar comment  I made. This recipe didn’t work for me (oh what a surprise). So, when the bread was still quite warm I took my bear bottle of honey and slathered it generously on top of this corn bread. It gently melted into the mixture so you can’t even see it. Very cool! It gave this humble little experiment of mine a subtle sweet yet oh so understated kiss (do I sound like a popular rat here…?) to this corn meally concoction.

I actually skipped the cheese and scallions on top since I got totally distracted with calls and dogs ….and barking and yada yada yada. Using the bell pepper and onions made it just as gorgeous to look at.

As I said, the jury is still out on this one. I served with a wonderous bowl of vegetarian mango chili! It was good. It was real good. Welcome September.

Bon Appétit!

Applesauce Cake

I needed to make something for the local block party and really wanted to bring a bundt cake. Since I was out of those fabulous pears for my pear cake this bundt recipe really didn’t disappoint. It’s nice and spicy with lots of applesauce so you think you are being a good healthy eater, when in fact it’s dessert so let’s not kid ourselves too much! It is wonderful. A perfect party cake, easy to tote and easy to please just about everyone.

I found this yummy recipe from Food 52 .com (www.food52.com) who I believe picked it up from the Runaway Spoon!  A big thanks to you both.

Here’s all you do:

For the cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened (preferably homemade) applesauce
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the caramel glaze:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar plus more if needed

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, spices and set aside. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the eggs with both sugars until light. Mix in the applesauce, oil and vanilla until smooth. This is a runny mixture compared to most.
2. Using a spatula, fold in the dry ingredients, being careful not to over-mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until a cake tester inserted comes out clean. Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan on a rack before turning it out and cooling completely on the rack; make sure the cake is not at all warm before you make the glaze.
3. Put the butter in a medium saucepan with the brown sugar, cream and salt and set over medium heat. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute exactly.
4. Cool the pan for a couple of minutes and then gradually whisk in the powdered sugar until you have a thick, but pourable consistency. If the mixture seems too thick, just add a splash of cream to thin it out a little and if too runny you may want to add more sugar.  Pour the glaze over the cake slowly and evenly. Let the glaze set before serving the cake.
5. I like ice cream much better than icing (just one of those things), but if you need to stay off the dairy this is a wonderful buttery topping. I also added a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the icing glaze…….and glad I did.Enjoy with friends and family.

   Bon Appétit!

Ginger Carrot Cranberry Cookies

I can’t even describe the yummy goodness of these cookies. Let’s just say my friends and neighbors LOVED them. LOVED them! And YES, I had to give them all away as I was about to eat the entire batch! OFF THE CHARTS Great!!!! Perfect for that kayaking trip or that summer hike! Or just to sit in the back yard and stare at the stars. You don’t need a reason!

Here’s all you do:

Ingredients

1. Heat oven to 350F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. In second bowl, stir together oats, Flaxseed, cranberries, ginger and carrots.

3. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with paddle attachment until no sugar lumps remain. Add egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated. Then add flour mixture, and mix until just combined. With mixer still running on low, gradually add oat/carrot mixture, and mix until just incorporated. Give dough final stir to ensure that no flour pockets remain.

4. Using a tbsp. scoop, shape dough into 1-2inch balls, spacing them about 2  inches apart. Or heck, just make as big as you want!!

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cookies are medium brown and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft. Makes 22 fabulous cookies.

Don’t you just love a healthy sweet cookie? These are good. These are really, really good!!

Bon Appétit!