Ending the year on a sweet note

I read a quote the other day by the author Judith Viorst, that said: "Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands-and then eat just one of the pieces". The truffles and orangettes I'm about to present to you require no manual labor to dive into as they are already individually portioned. However, they require a great deal of restraint to not eat the whole batch. I'm a firm believer in always ending things on a sweet note: a bad day, an amazing meal, a difficult task, a rainy afternoon, a long run, and of course the last hours of the year.

 

The Cripple Bakes Cookies

A Day in Ina's Shoes- Pecan Bars & PBJ Bars

 

I have a slight obsession with Ina Garten. This woman has impeccable taste. She is the hostess with the mostest. She manages to be both elegant but understated at the same time. Her kitchen has everything a cook could ask for but is not pretentious. Her entertaining style is flawless but not showy. Her food is always classic comfort food that is elevated to the next level.  As a cook, and a woman, it’s hard to watch her show without envying her. After following her show for years, I think I have her day down to a tee now (at least the day I picture her having).

Breakfast

You probably don’t know this about me, but my favorite meal of the day is breakfast. Yet, I almost never make it at home. And with the exception of Saturdays, I usually eat the same boring things over and over again every day.

Just What The Doctor Ordered {Thanksgiving Special}

 It’s that time of year when dishes that aren’t smothered in cheese, butter, and heavy cream don’t make it on the menu. I try to resist the urge to start baking gratins or casseroles or savory soufflés until Thanksgiving, when I’m pretty sure it’s against the law not to. The trouble is once you’ve had scalloped potatoes or a spinach gratin, there’s no going back. They have a way of warming you up, lifting your spirits, and actually excite you about dreary old winter. Thanksgiving is an enabler, and casseroles are like the gateway drug, because the truth is we don’t have many weapons to deal with winter blues in the city . Can you imagine how unbearable winter would be if it wasn’t for these comfort meals? What else would we have to carry us through winter? You can only go ice skating, or shopping for christmas decorations a few times until you choose the comfort of your home over the cold weather. Caribbean getaways do the trick, but hey you can only have one of those a year if you’re very lucky, and winter is all the worse afterwards.

I don’t know about you, but I’m going to load up on all the comfort food I can get if I’m forced to deal with winter atrocities such as: being forced to stepping in puddles on certain street corners on my way to work every morning and getting my pants wet, getting hit by weird drops of water or snow or god-knows-what and have it land on my face, constantly struggling to push doors against the wind , never having an umbrella when I need one, and getting splashed by taxis and buses even when I am standing five feet away. And don’t get me started on the wind, waiting around every corner like a mugger. If I’m forced to deal with these crimes against humanity from now until March, then I will make these dishes not just on Thanksgiving, but every time the winter strikes. Who’s with me?

Sweet Potato Gratin with Marshmallows and Chile-Spiced Pecans:



Isn’t this the cutest dish ever?? I changed the portions a little bit since the original recipe made A LOT, and adjusted the seasonings, too. The pecans are so good, you're going to eat most of them straight from the pan. And, yes, the chipotle chile powder is totally worth purchasing. I’m thinking about making popcorn with it next.











Sweet Potato Gratin with Marshmallows and Chile-Spiced Pecans: Adapted from Sweet Potato Gratin with Chile Spiced Pecans Recipe by Jose Garces from Food and Wine


CLICK FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE HERE

Ingredients:

3 sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup pecans
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon chipotle chile powder
Salt
2 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
Pepper
1 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 400°. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork, and roast on a large baking sheet lined with aluminum foil for 50-60 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt the butter. Add the pecans, brown sugar and chipotle powder and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the sugar starts to caramelize and the pecans are well-coated, 8 minutes. Spread the pecans on a parchment-lined baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and let cool.
3) Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into the bowl of a food processor; discard the skins. Add the honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to the processor and puree. Add the cream, butter, and puree. Season with salt and pepper.
4) Scrape the potatoes into a small casserole dish; scatter the marshmallows on top. Bake in the top third of the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the marshmallows are golden. Sprinkle with the pecans and serve.

Make Ahead: The sweet potato puree can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature and top with the marshmallows before baking. The spiced nuts can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Collard Greens and Leek Gratin



I have been trying to figure out what to do with my collard greens from my CSA share. I don’t know why a gratin wasn’t the first thing that came to my mind. I love spinach gratins so this really was a no-brainer. The leeks are a revelation when they are cooked to softness. Parmesan doesn’t add much to hearty gratins like this when combined in it, so I just sprinkled some on top for crunch. I also added fontina along with the gruyere to give it more of that cheesy flavor.






Collard Greens and Leek Gratin: Adapted from Swiss Chard and Leek Gratin Recipe by Michael Symon from Food & Wine
CLICK FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE HERE


Ingredients:


1 bunch collard greens

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 medium leeks, white and tender green parts only, sliced 1 inch thick

Salt

1 garlic clove, minced

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese

1/4 cup shredded fontina cheese

3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Freshly ground pepper


Directions:

1. In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the collard greens in batches until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain the chard, squeeze dry. Remove the tough stem and chop it.

2. Heat the oil in the pot. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring a couple times, until tender, 7 minutes. Uncover, add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the collard greens, season with salt and remove from the heat.

3. Preheat the oven to 425°. Butter an 8-by-8 inch baking dish. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Warm the milk in a small pot, but make sure it does not boil. Stir in the flour to the butter over moderate heat to form a paste. Cook for a couple minutes. Gradually whisk in one-third of the milk and cook over low heat, whisking, until the mixture starts to thicken. Repeat two more times with the remaining milk. Cool until the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon and no floury taste remains, about 10-15 minutes. Whisk in the gruyère and fontina cheeses along with the nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Mix the sauce into the leeks and collard greens. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 25 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown on top. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Note: The unbaked gratin can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking.

Individual Sweet-Potato Soufflés



You can eat these small souffles like a pudding lying down on the couch. They make a great appetizer or a side dish or a snack.








Individual Sweet-Potato Soufflés: Adapted from Savory Sweet-Potato Soufflés Recipe by Martha Stewart

CLICK FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE HERE

Ingredients:


3 sweet potatoes

2 tablespoon butter, plus more for baking dishes

1/4 small onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and ground pepper

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon honey

3/4 cup coarsely grated Gruyere cheese

3 large eggs, separated


Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 400°. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork, and roast on a large baking sheet lined with aluminum foil for 50-60 minutes.

2) Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into the bowl of a food processor; discard the skins. Add the honey, butter, salt, and pepper to the processor and puree.

3) Lower the temperature in the oven to 375°. Butter four 3/4-cup ramekins; set aside.

4) In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic, cayenne and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in flour; cook, stirring, 3 minutes.

5) Gradually whisk in milk; simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in ½ cup cheese, salt and pepper. Whisk in sweet-potato puree, and then egg yolks, one at a time.

6) In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer at a slow speed for 1 minute. Add a pinch of salt, and increase the speed to medium-medium/high. Beat until stiff peaks form (stop as soon as you see stiff peaks, if you continue beating they deflate again). Whisk 1/4 of whites into cheese mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the rest.

7) Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour mixture into ramekins; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

How Ya Like Dem Apples? I Like Dem Baked.

For the past few years, I have been reminiscing about this apple cake I remember my mom used to make when I was a kid. There is only one problem, my mom doesn’t remember it.

I remember being excited about coming home after school to have this cake. I remember the exact place I would find it in the kitchen. I even remember the glass cake dome it would sit in. But I don’t remember what it exactly looked like. It was a cake, it had apples in it, and it was delicious.

My mother claims it was an apple tart, as my mom is famous among friends for her apple tart. But no, I insist it was a cake. She asks me if the apples were in it, or on top of it…I don’t remember. She asks me, was it a Bundt cake or a loaf? I don’t remember.

So last time she came to visit me, I made her dig in to her recipe book (calling it a “book” is generous, more like a “pile”). Her recipes are covered in pencil scribbles with titles like, "Dessert I got from a friend," and, “Strawberry thing I made at a dinner party once". She found an apple cake recipe, brought it with her, made it, and even though it was delicious, it wasn’t the cake I remembered.

I assumed her apple cake recipe was lost until few weeks ago, when two things happened. First, I stumbled upon Dorie Greenspan’s apple cake recipe. Even though the picture wasn't that clear, it immediately reminded me of my mom’s cake. If the recipe belonged to Dorie Greenspan, I mean, how could it be bad? Second, I got the latest delivery of my farm share. More about this in another post, but here’s the gist: every week I pick-up fresh and organic veggies and fruit locally, all sourced from a nearby farm. And recently I’ve been getting a lot of apples. Too many apples.
 

So with Dorie’s recipe and a surplus of apples, I made this cake, and the second I tasted it, I remembered the feeling I craved. It was the moistness that I had been reminiscing about. Not only were the apples so moist they melted in your mouth, but the cake was, too. So moist that I hardly covered it with plastic wrap, like Dorie suggested, and it was just as moist three days later.

 

After devouring the cake, I realized I still had like five pound of apples left! I have been itching to try out a recipe from the new pie book I bought at my corner cookbook store (along with a cute pie chicken I immediately bought when I saw one at the cover). I walked in to browse cookbooks on different cuisines, and when the person at the cash register said "I guess you don’t have a gluten allergy!" I realized I had bought three cookbooks: one about pies, one about pizzas, and one about bread making.

The apple pie turned out delicious. The sweetness of the apples was balanced out by the cheddar on the crust. And I mean crust, not that soggy bite you get at most apple pies, a real crust that stands up to the apples. And the dough was so easy to make! I have been put out by pie dough before, since I don’t have a big food processor to make one in. But this recipe comes together by just using your fingers. And you are allowed to leave big chunks of butter in the dough, the author actually suggests not to break them up too much to get that flaky crust (phew less work!).

After the pie, I thought I was done baking with apples for good, until I received, what do you know, more apples in my farm share! I didn’t want another pie or anything resembling it. Every recipe I browsed seemed too similar--tarts and strudels, etc.--until I saw a recipe for apple brownies in the October issue of Martha Stewart magazine.

 

They are fudgy like chocolate brownies, the brown sugar caramelizes on the apples. You can warm them up, and it turns into almost like a pudding, and it’s yummy with a scoop of ice cream and sprinkled with extra cinnamon. Or you can eat them cold, running out of the door as breakfast, replacing boring old granola bars.

 

So there you go, just when you thought you were finally done with apples, I leave you with three more recipes to try. Enjoy!

Apple Cake by Dorie Greenspan-Click for Recipe

Apple Pie from "How to Build a Better Pie" by Millicent Souris. Cheddar Cheese Pie Crust Recipe here with step-by-step picture instructions on how to make it, Apple Pie Recipe here

Apple Brownies by Martha Stewart- Click for Recipe