Cupcake Muffin

Spicy Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting

2012-01-30T10:13:00.000-08:00

These gingerbread cupcakes are intensely ginger-y, with a deep molasses flavor and a great kick from half a cup of dark beer. The cupcakes come from a cookbook that aims to create a more butch cupcake - most of the recipes include beer, bacon, whiskey, rum, coffee, pretzels, chilies, or some sort of other 'manly' ingredient that doesn't typically show up in cupcakes. I don't know if these cupcakes really appeal more to men (I've found they'll eat pretty girly cupcakes if they taste good!), but they certainly are delicious, and I think the flavors would be enjoyed by anyone. I was really skeptical of adding two whole tablespoons of ground ginger to such a small batch of cupcakes (not even two dozen), but it actually really works and makes for a super-flavorful dessert. I paired the cupcakes with a simple lemon frosting, just because I think lemon and gingerbread go really well together, but you could also use vanilla, ginger, or chocolate depending on your preference.

Spicy Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting (adapted from The Butch Bakery Cookbook)
Makes about 15 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
2 cups cake flour (or 1-3/4 cups all purpose flour plus 1/4 cup cornstarch)
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
2 T ground ginger
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup dark beer, such as a porter or stout (pour and let settle before measuring)

For the frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, more as needed
Juice and zest of 2 lemons

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place 15 cupcake papers in muffin tins.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, allspice, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, molasses, eggs, and vanilla until creamy. Beat in the flour mixture, combining well.
4. In a small saucepan, heat the beer almost until boiling. Slowly add it to the cupcake batter and whisk in to incorporate.
5. Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 of the way full. Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool.
6. Once the cupcakes are cool, make the frosting. Beat the butter until creamy. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in the lemon juice and zest. Taste, and beat in more powdered sugar to taste (and/or to get the consistency you like). Frost the cupcakes immediately.

Southwestern Meatloaf

2012-01-26T19:36:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned lately how much I love the Create Your Own feature from Fine Cooking? I loving playing around with different flavors to either accommodate what I have in the fridge or to create something unique without straying too far from a formula that works. I've made two meatloaf recipes based on their meatloaf feature, a fantastic bacon-wrapped fennel-turkey meatloaf and this delicious southwest version that I made with my mom. It features bell peppers, cilantro, cumin, and an incredible chipotle-ketchup glaze. I like that it's got enough of that familiar meatloaf flavor to feel like comfort food, but with a spicy twist. You can add more or less red pepper flakes to dial up or down the spiciness - the amount here makes a fairly spicy meatloaf along with the glaze, which we really liked. Plus, like most meatloaf, this one is even better the next day, made into a meatloaf sandwich!

Southwestern Meatloaf (adapted from Fine Cooking)
Serves 4

1 T canola oil
1 very small onion or 1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup plus 2 T dry sherry
2 ounces white Italian or French bread, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup whole milk
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
3 T thinly sliced scallions
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T chopped fresh oregano
1-1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
A few grinds of pepper
1 T ketchup
1-1/2 tsp finely diced canned chipotles in adobo

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onions, peppers, and garlic, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to brown, 6-8 minutes.
2. Add the sherry and simmer briskly until almost dry, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly.
3. In a shallow dish, soak the bread in the milk, flipping once, until soggy but not falling apart, 5-10 minutes. Lightly squeeze to remove some of the milk, finely chop, and add to the onion mixture.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment.
5. Combine the beef, egg, and onion mixture in a medium bowl. Gently stir to just combine. Add the scallions, cilantro, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, and red pepper flakes to the bowl, and then sprinkle over the salt and pepper. Gently mix everything together until just combined, being careful not to compact the meat.
6. Form the meat mixture into a loaf on the baking sheet. Spread the glaze all over the top and sides in a thin layer.
7. Bake until an instant read thermometer registers 160 degrees in the center of the meatloaf, 30-40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes out of the oven, tented with foil, and then slice and serve.

Winter Salad with Oranges, Dates, and Pine Nuts

2012-01-25T20:54:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately I couldn't get a great photo of this salad, but I had to share it anyway because it was so tasty! It's perfect for winter - citrus contributes sunny, bright flavor; dates, a sweet chew; hardy baby greens make the salad feel more hefty and appropriate for cold months; and walnut oil adds a great nutty flavor. I'd never used walnut oil before, but I love it - the flavor really comes through without being overly intense or bitter. If you want to pump up the walnut flavor, you could add toasted walnuts for crunch -- I went with pine nuts because that's what I had on hand, which was also a great choice.

Winter Salad with Oranges, Dates, and Pine Nuts
Serves 2-3

For the dressing:
2 T walnut oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

For the salad:
3 larges dates, coarsely chopped
1 large orange, supremed
1 small palmful of pine nuts
A few handfuls of greens - I used a 50/50 blend of baby spinach and baby arugula

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit and Nuts

2012-01-23T18:04:00.000-08:00

I first discovered baked oatmeal about a year ago at Christmas when my sister made it for breakfast. This year, we couldn't find her recipe but luckily we came across this one from Super Natural Every Day on a few different blogs. Baked oatmeal is a great way to make oatmeal for a crowd, and it's also fantastic leftover. I'm planning to make some to keep in my fridge for quick breakfasts throughout the week - it heats up well in the microwave and is great with a splash of milk on top. I also like that the recipe is easily changed up to accommodate whatever fruits and nuts you like or have in the house. For example, I'm a huge banana hater, so we subbed in chopped apple and peach. Frozen fruit works well here; just make sure it's chopped into bite-sized chunks before going into the pan.

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit and Nuts (adapted from Super Natural Every Day)
Serves 6-9

2 cups rolled or quick oats (not instant)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, divided
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1 egg
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 T butter, melted and slightly cooled, divided
2 tsp vanilla
Assorted fresh or frozen fruit (2-3 cups)

1. Spray an 8x8 pan with oil and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Stir together the oats, half the nuts, the cinnamon, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
3. Whisk together the milk, eggs, maple syrup, half of the butter, and the vanilla.
4. Scatter half the fruit in the bottom of the pan (we used chopped apple and chopped peach for the bottom layer). Top with the oat mixture. Slowly pour the liquid ingredients over the oats and tap the pan a few times on the counter to make sure it's evenly distributed. Top with the remaining fruit (we used cherries and blueberries) and the remaining nuts.
5. Bake 35-45 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats are set. Remove from oven and drizzle with the remaining melted butter. Tent with foil and let rest about 10 minutes before serving. The baked oatmeal is delicious plain or with additional maple syrup.

Coleslaw with Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette

2012-01-21T13:48:00.000-08:00

I didn't used to think I liked coleslaw, I think because I'd only had the limp, gloppy stuff you often see in cafeterias. Once I discovered vinegar-based coleslaw, I realized that this dish can instead be a bright, crunchy side that showcases fresh veggies. This particular slaw is dressed with a lime-and-olive oil dressing with a bit of spice from hot sauce and cumin, so it's a little less acidic than a vinegar-based slaw but it still has lots of flavor. This simple, tart coleslaw is the perfect topping for a pulled pork sandwich, as it provides some needed acid without overpowering the meat. It would also be great for an outdoor picnic since it doesn't include any mayonnaise.

Coleslaw with Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette (adapted from Bobby Flay)

For the vinaigrette
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin (or 1 tsp cumin seeds)
1/3 cup lime juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T minced fresh ginger
1 T honey
A few dashes of your favorite hot sauce

For the slaw
3 carrots, peeled and grated
1 small head green cabbage, shredded
1 small bell pepper, cut into thin slivers
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Make the vinaigrette: Warm the oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the cumin and heat until fragrant. Let cool.
2. Combine the cumin oil with the lime juice, garlic, ginger, honey, and hot sauce in a blender, and blend until smooth.
3. Toss together all of the slaw ingredients, and then toss with the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Red Wine Roast Beef

2012-01-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

My mom and I made this roast beef for New Year's Day dinner, and it was a big hit - even among those who don't like beef too much! The beef is moist and tender with fantastic flavor, and the tomato-red wine sauce served on top is really delicious. The key is to slice the beef very thinly, so if you have an electric knife, this is the time to pull it out. (I don't, but now that I've tried my mom's electric knife, I think I may have to get one - it made slicing up a big piece of meat a breeze!) On the side you can see parsley from my mom's garden...somehow it survived the Ohio winter and was bright green and tasty!

Red Wine Roast Beef (adapted from Epicurious)

2 to 2-1/2 pounds beef shoulder roast
Salt and pepper
Oil for the pan
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 medium celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T Italian dried herb mix
14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup chicken broth

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Season the beef all over with salt and pepper.
3. Heat oil in an oven-safe Dutch oven or other large pot that has a lid - use enough oil to generously cover the bottom of the pan. Brown the beef on all sides and then transfer to a large plate.
4. Pour off all but about a tablespoon of the fat, and then add the onion and celery. Season with salt and pepper and saute until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and Italian herbs and saute for about a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and boil five minutes. Add the chicken broth, return to a boil, and boil another five minutes.
5. Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for about 45 minutes, and then flip the beef over. Re-cover and continue to cook until tender, about 45 minutes to one hour more.
6. Transfer beef to a cutting board and tent with foil.
7. Spoon the fat off the liquid remaining in the pot and bring to a boil. Boil about 7 minutes, until somewhat reduced. Taste and season the sauce with salt and pepper if needed.
8. Cut the beef into thin slices and serve with the sauce.

Apple Pie Cheesecake

2012-01-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

I made this cheesecake all the way back at Thanksgiving (yes, I'm behind on posting recipes!). I came up with the idea because I saw a lot of versions circulating some of my favorite blogs, and the combination of apple pie and cheesecake just sounded too good to pass up. We were also planning on having four different pies for Thanksgiving, so it seemed like a good idea to make one of them a little different than usual!

This cheesecake absolutely delivers on both the apple pie and the cheesecake front. The cheesecake is creamy, tangy, and just sweet enough, while the pie layer features a thin-but-flavorful layer of soft-but-not-mushy apples in a sweet, cinnamon-y syrup. I used a 9-inch round springform pan, which just barely contained all of the batter; if you make this in a 10-inch pan, you could add even more apples, which would make the layers more even (as it is, there is way more cheesecake than apple pie filling - not a bad thing, but just depends on the balance you like).

One tip - when you take the pie out of the oven, make sure to cool it on a rack set over a plate or baking sheet, as I got quite a lot of leakage through the pan. I was worried I'd end up with a super soggy crust, but it was actually all good (except for my slightly messy table!).

Apple Pie Cheesecake (adapted from Food for My Family, original recipe here)
Makes one 9- or 10-inch cheesecake

For the crust:
18 cinnamon graham crackers (if you're using Keebler, this is 2/3 of a box)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

For the apple layer:
4 cups peeled, cored, and sliced apples (I used 2 really big apples)
1/2 lemon, juiced
3 T sugar
1 T flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

For the cheesecake layer:
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1-1/3 cup sugar
3 T flour
1/2 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

1. Wrap a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with foil. Get a larger pan ready to use for a water bath, and boil water to use in the water bath. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Make the crust: Grind up the graham crackers in a food processor. Add the sugar and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture has a fairly uniform texture. Press half the crumbs into the bottom of the springform pan and the other half into the sides (they won't go all the way up, but that's okay). Place the springform pan on the larger pan and set aside.
3. Make the apple layer. Gently toss all the ingredients together and pour into the springform pan, trying to get the layer as even as possible.
4. Make the cheesecake layer. Cream together the cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Add the milk and beat to combine. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat to combine. Tap the bowl on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles.
5. Pour the cheesecake over the apple layer and place the pan in the oven. Pour the boiling water into the outer pan to create a water bath.
6. Bake 60-90 minutes, or until the center is almost set (baking time may change depending on your pan size). Turn off the oven and let sit 3 hours or until room temperature. Chill overnight.

Chicken Tinga Tacos

2012-01-16T09:54:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've dropped off the map for the past week - I was at a conference in New Orleans talking political science by day and eating amazing food by night. Over just a few days, I managed to try jambalaya, gumbo, red beans and rice, shrimp po boys, bread pudding, beignets, pecan pralines, raw oysters, fried catfish, a muffaletta sandwich, chicory coffee, and more! I may have gained ten pounds, but it was totally worth it - yum! I have to admit though, I am looking forward to getting back to my own kitchen! Speaking of which...

These chicken tacos pack a spicy punch full of chipotle flavor - I love chipotles in adobo since they're such an easy way to add great flavor to a dish. If you're not such a fan of spice, you could use half the amount of chipotles and I bet the sauce would still be great. Although this dish has quite a few steps - brown the chicken, make the sauce, puree the sauce, bake everything together, and then shred the chicken - the recipe makes a ton of food and the leftovers keep well. You can go for more chicken, which kept well in the fridge for a few days. Or, if you go with the smaller amount of chicken, you'll have tons of leftover sauce which has a lot of great uses. We cooked about a pound of boneless thighs, which made enough tacos for four people. We had enough sauce to enjoy as a fantastic spicy salsa once chilled, plus enough for a batch of baked enchiladas that was super easy and delicious (just pour the sauce over enchiladas filled with your favorite fillings, top with cheese, and bake until bubbly).

Chicken Tinga Tacos (adapted from Food and Wine via The Bitten Word)

Vegetable oil
Skinless chicken thighs - bone-in or boneless, 1 to 2-1/2 pounds depending on how many you're serving
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 canned chipotles in adobo, coarsely chopped
1 cup chicken broth
Corn tortillas
Toppings, such as goat cheese, scallions, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, and lime juice

1. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and then brown in the skillet, turning once. Work in batches if needed. Transfer the chicken to a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Add the onions to the skillet, adding more oil only if needed. Cool over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned and softened, five minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, two minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the chipotles, and the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the sauce is thickened and slightly reduced.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Let the sauce cool slightly, and then puree in a food processor or blender, or with an immersion blender - be very careful with pureeing hot liquid! Taste and season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick and darkened around the edges. Warm the tortillas.
5. Remove the chicken from the sauce and shred using two forks. (Remove the bones if using bone-in chicken thighs.) Add as much sauce as you like to the chicken and toss to combine. Any extra sauce can be used as an enchilada sauce or as a fantastic salsa. (You'll have a lot of leftover sauce if you only cook one pound of chicken.)
6. Fill warm tortillas with the chicken tinga mixture and any toppings you like.

Spiced Apple Bread

2012-01-10T06:22:00.000-08:00

Tim and I made this recipe before Christmas - it's a family recipe of his dad's, and is perfect for when the cold weather and fog rolls in. Full of warm spices, apples, raisins, and nuts, this bread is a wonderful breakfast or snack on a chilly day. My favorite way to eat this bread was with sharp cheese - I can't remember the name now, but we'd picked up a really fantastic hard cheese at Cowgirl Creamery earlier in the weekend. Something about apples and cheese together always floats my boat. This recipe makes two loaves, but if you only need one you could cut it in half or freeze the extra - Tim says this recipe freezes well.

Spiced Apple Bread (from Tim's dad)
Makes 2 loaves

2-2/3 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup softened butter
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups coarsely chopped tart apples
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp sugar mixed with 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1. Grease two 9x5 loaf pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Grease the parchment. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
3. Beat together the sugars, butter, and oil. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and then beat in the vanilla. Stir in the apples, raisins, and pecans.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Scrape into prepared pans. Bake 20 minutes, and then pull out the rack and sprinkle the loaves with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake for another 40-50 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Cool in pan for ten minutes, and then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling. Freezes well.

Tortellini Soup

2012-01-08T10:36:00.000-08:00

The other week, Tim was in the mood for tortellini soup and we were able to find a great recipe on our drive home from Santa Cruz. I've made it again since, because it's so easy and delicious. You can make this soup in about 15 minutes, start to finish, so it's the perfect dinner when you're in a rush but still want something homemade. Despite the short prep time, this dish is definitely not short on flavor - the key is definitely making sure to get your onion and garlic a little browned and then to use good-quality tortellini (I like the refrigerated tortellini from Trader Joe's). Because the pasta will soak up liquid if it sits for a long time, this soup isn't as good leftover - definitely edible, but not as good as fresh from the pot. If you'll only need a portion of the soup for dinner, you could package up half the broth in the fridge and then just cook half the tortellini in the remaining broth - when you're ready for leftovers, just cook up the rest of the tortellini in the remaining broth. This soup is fantastic with a baguette and butter on the side.

Tortellini Soup (adapted from The Well-Fed Newlyweds, original recipe here)
Serves 3-4

1 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper
10 ounces package fresh or frozen tortellini (I used cheese tortellini)
3 cups loosely packed baby spinach, coarsely chopped
Grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onion and softened and the garlic is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the oregano, broth, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and add the tortellini.
3. Cook the tortellini according to package directions (will depend on whether you use fresh or frozen). One minute before the tortellini is finished, add the spinach and stir to combine.
4. Once the tortellini is cooked, remove from heat and serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Crockpot Beef Stew

2012-01-06T06:50:00.000-08:00

This delicious beef stew recipe is actually one of Tim's, but since I helped a little I figured I'd share it anyway - you definitely won't want to miss it! It's deeply flavored from red wine and tomato paste, and the beef is balanced with lots of tasty veggies. This recipe involves more prep work than some crockpot recipes - browning the meat, sauteing the aromatics, and deglazing the pan. But, that prep work is more than worth it as it makes the end result so yummy - and after the prep work is done, you can leave the stew to cook in the crockpot all day.

Crockpot Beef Stew (adapted from Real Simple, original recipe here)
Serves 4-5

2 pounds beef stew meat (cut into bite-sized pieces)
1/2 cup flour
Vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
6 ounce can tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
3/4 pound new potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup baby carrots
1-1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 T kosher salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
A few grinds of black pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1. Coat the beef in flour. Heat some oil in a non-stick pan (enough to cover the bottom of the pan). Brown the beef, working in batches if necessary. Remove the beef to the slow cooker.
2. Add the onions to the skillet and cook until softened over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and coat the onions. Transfer to the slow cooker.
3. Deglaze the pan with the wine and then pour into the slow cooker. Add the potatoes, carrots, broth, salt, oregano, and bay leaf.
4. Cover and cook on low for 7-1/2 hours. Add the peas and heat for about 10 more minutes, until heated through.

Meyer Lemon Custard Ice Cream with Mini Gingerbread Cupcakes

2012-01-03T20:01:00.000-08:00

I recently won a fantastic giveaway from She Wears Many Hats for a mini cupcake maker from Babycakes - it's basically like a waffle iron but instead of waffles it makes mini cupcakes, muffins, and pies! This was a really fun thing to win because it's probably not something I would have bought for myself, but I've definitely been having a fun time with it. One of the first things I made was gingerbread cupcakes, mostly because we happened to have all the ingredients in the house. Since lemon goes so well with gingerbread, I decided to whip up a batch of lemon custard ice cream with some of the Meyer lemons from the tree in our backyard (oh California, I love you!). The cupcakes were simple and tasty, but the ice cream was definitely the star of the show - it's not super tart, but instead is perfectly creamy and bursting with floral lemon flavor. It tastes just like my mom's lemon custard, except frozen! This was a delicious and festive dessert - definitely a hit.

Meyer Lemon Custard Ice Cream (adapted from Fine Cooking)
Makes 2 pints

2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
Salt
Finely grated zest of 4 Meyer lemons
5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup strained freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

1. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the cream with the milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Warm over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for at least one hour.
2. Prepare an ice bath with the inner bowl holding at least 1-1/2 quarts. Pour the remaining cup of cream into the inner bowl and set a fine mesh strainer on top.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.
4. Re-warm the cream mixture over medium high heat until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. In a steady stream, pour the cream mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly.
5. Pour the custard mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan with a heatproof silicone spatula until the custard thickens slightly (about 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 4-8 minutes).
5. Immediately strain the custard into the cold cream in the ice bath. Press firmly to extract as much liquid as possible.
6. Cool the custard to a little under room temperature by stirring occasionally over the ice bath for about 30 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.
7. Chill the custard in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, until very cold. Freeze in an ice cream maker, then pack into pints and store in the freezer until ready to serve.

Mini Gingerbread Cupcakes (adapted from 175 Best Babycakes)
Makes about 2 dozen

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Pinch salt
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup softened unsalted butter
2 T corn syrup
2 T dark molasses
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup milk

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and molasses and heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Add the egg and milk and whisk to combine.
3. Place paper liners in the wells of a mini cupcake maker. Fill each about 3/4 of the way full of batter and then bake about 6 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Repeat with remaining batter. (Of course, you can also make these in the oven - just bake a little longer, until a tester comes out clean.)

Bread and Butter Pickles

2012-01-01T13:07:00.000-08:00

Since paying around $8 a jar for amazing Happy Girl pickles is just not a sustainable life plan for me, I decided I needed to learn how to pickle! Improving my pickling skills is definitely a goal for 2012, although this particular jar is from the end of 2011. These bread and butters aren't quite the Happy Girl pickles, although they're very good. Part of the problem was user error - I cut these a bit too thin and cooked them too long, so they ended up not as crunchy as they could have been. This recipe is also not as sweet as many bread and butter pickles, which may be a good thing depending on your preferences - I tend to like a slightly sweeter pickle, but of course your mileage may vary. I'd say these are sort of halfway in between a sweet pickle and a sour pickle - definitely very tasty on a cheese sandwich! Even though these aren't quite the Happy Girl pickles, I did really enjoy them, and I'll keep on searching for pickle nirvana in the new year!

Bread and Butter Pickles (adapted from Put 'Em Up!)
Makes about 7 pints (easily adapted)

5 pounds cucumbers, ends removed, sliced into 1/4-inch coins
1 pound large onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup plus 1 kosher salt, divided
2 cups ice cubes
4 cups distilled white vinegar
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 T plus 1 tsp brown mustard seed
1 T black peppercorns
1 T cumin seeds
1 T fennel seeds
1 T turmeric

1. Toss the cucumbers and onions together with 1/2 cup of the salt in a large bowl and cover with a layer of ice cubes. Set aside for two hours. Drain and rinse in a colander.
2. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, spices, and remaining 1 T salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the drained cucumbers and onions and return to a boil, stirring to make sure that everything is heated through. Remove from the heat.
3. Store in the fridge, or can in a boiling water bath. Leave 1/4-inch headroom and make sure the pickles are covered with 1/4-inch of liquid. Boil 10 minutes and then let rest in the water with the heat turned off for five minutes. Set aside 24 hours and then check seals. Use within one year (and refrigerate any jars that don't seal properly.)

I'm sending this post off to These Chicks Cooked!

Blueberry-Meyer Lemon Marmalade

2011-12-30T06:09:00.000-08:00

Marmalade isn't my favorite fruit spread because I often find it to be way too bitter and overpowering. That's why I was delighted to find this recipe which combines blueberries and lemons in marmalade. Although I suppose this recipe is a bit silly in that blueberries and lemons don't really have overlapping seasons, it did turn out to be very delicious with just a bit of bitterness and lots of great lemon flavor. The color is also a gorgeous purple from the berries.

One word of warning with this recipe - it is a ton of work, probably the most effort of any preserves I've made. You have to start it a couple of days ahead, and boiling the marmalade down so that it gels takes forever. But, if you have the time to make it, it's a really lovely marmalade that's perfect even for those who don't think they like marmalade! On the plus side, the recipe does make quite a lot, and (depending on fruit prices in your area) it is very affordable - mine worked out to just over a dollar a jar.

Blueberry-Meyer Lemon Marmalade (adapted from Honest Cooking, original recipe here)
Makes about 8 half-pint jars

8 medium to large Meyer lemons
3 liters water
1300 grams white sugar
300 grams blueberries (just shy of a pint, fresh or frozen)

1. Scrub the lemons and slice them very thinly, removing the seeds and any large pieces of pith (for example, you'll want to remove the big piece of pith running town the center). You can leave the skins intact. Be sure to reserve any juices from the lemons.
2. Combine the lemons, lemon juice, and water in a very large pot (seriously, you need a huge pot if you're going to make this in one batch!). Cover and let sit in a cool place overnight.
3. The next day, simmer the water and lemon mixture for 20 minutes. Cover and let sit in a cool place overnight.
4. The next day, add the sugar and blueberries to the lemons and mix to combine. Bring to a boil and continue to boil, stirring often (and increasingly as the mixture reduces), until the marmalade passes the gel test. This will take a really long time - mine took about two hours - so make sure you have someone to chat with or a book to read! The marmalade will reduce by about two-thirds.
5. Ladle into sterilized jars and process in a boiling-water bath for 15 minutes. Be sure to check that the seals have popped - if they don't, store the marmalade in the fridge or freezer.

Braised Fennel with Orange and Coriander

2011-12-27T05:58:00.000-08:00

This is a delicious and elegant side dish that Tim and I served with steak au poivre. Although it takes quite a while from start to finish (at least for a veggie side dish), most of that time is hands off while the fennel is braising in the oven. Unlike most fennel dishes, this one cooks so long that even the cores become tender, so the trimming is minimal. Before going in the oven, the fennel is browned and topped with lots of flavorful additions - white wine, orange juice, spices, and garlic - which makes for a fantastic final dish. You could definitely play around with the flavors here, using a different citrus or alternate spices to go along with whatever main you're serving. Since this dish can go right from oven to table with no extra fussing, it's a good side option if you've got a main that will take a lot of last-minute prep.

Braised Fennel with Orange and Coriander (adapted from Fine Cooking)
Serves 2

Olive oil
1 pound fennel bulbs (about 2 medium), talks trimmed and bulbs cut into quarters, cores left intact
1 smallish garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 T dry white wine or dry white vermouth
2 T vegetable broth, plus more for the baking dish
1 medium navel orange
Generous pinch whole fennel seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
Generous pinch whole coriander seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, cut side down, and cook undisturbed until it is browned in spots. Flip to the other cut side and cook undisturbed until browned (tongs are great for this).
3. Arrange the fennel browned sides up in a smallish baking dish, so that the fennel fits fairly tightly.
4. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dissolve any browned bits. Add the broth and simmer for about 2 minutes. Pour over the fennel.
5. Peel three strips of orange zest from the orange and tuck the pieces of zest around the fennel. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice of half the orange over the fennel. Sprinkle the fennel seeds and coriander seeds over, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Check the amount of liquid in the baking dish and add vegetable broth as needed to come about a quarter of the way up the sides of the fennel.
6. Cover the dish tightly with foil and braise in the oven until the fennel has collapsed and a toothpick penetrates the cores with no resistance, about 75 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T13:23:00.000-08:00

Red Velvet Peppermint Blossoms

2011-12-24T12:46:00.000-08:00

I first made these cookies a few weeks ago at a church cookie baking party, and I had to make them again now that I'm back visiting my family. They're both beautiful and delicious - the perfect holiday cookie! The base of the cookie is a lightly chocolate flavored sugar cookie dyed red with food coloring. The cookies are then topped with a white chocolate-peppermint Hug. These candies are worth seeking out (in case you haven't heard of them, they're basically Hershey's Kisses with two flavors swirled together). Although these are very good after they're cooled, they're especially tasty when they're still a little warm since the candies are still slightly melted. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Red Velvet Peppermint Blossoms (adapted from Cuisine at Home)
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

36 white chocolate peppermint Hugs
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 T liquid red food coloring
1 tsp distilled white vinegar

1. Unwrap the Hugs and place them in the freezer while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.
3. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, and white sugar for a few minutes, until well combined. Add the egg and whisk until creamy. Add the food coloring and vinegar and whisk to combine.
5. Stir in the dry ingredients until completely mixed.
6. Roll the dough into balls, about 2 tsp per ball. Place on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake until the cookies are puffy with a cracked surface, about 10 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and immediately press a Hug into the center of each cookie.

Steak au Poivre

2011-12-21T15:43:00.000-08:00

Tim and I wanted to do a fancy dinner to celebrate Christmas together before both taking off to visit our families. This steak au poivre totally fit the bill - easy to prepare but so rich, delicious, and flavorful. The steaks are covered in what seems like an insane amount of peppercorns, but fear not - the flavor isn't insanely peppery. After the steaks are perfectly cooked (thanks, Tim!), the icing on the cake is an easy pan sauce made with shallots, brandy, and cream while the steak rests. The original recipe actually called for Cognac, but after seeing the price in the store, we decided it was crazy to spend $30 on Cognac that we'd probably never finish - since the alcohol burns off anyway, a less expensive brandy is a perfectly reasonable substitution and we thought the finished sauce was absolutely amazing (both on the steak and soaked up with bread)! We served the steak with braised fennel and buttermilk bread, which complemented it really well - recipes on those last two will be coming soon.

Steak au Poivre (adapted from Fine Cooking)
Serves 2

2 boneless beef strip steaks (about 1 pound total)
Kosher salt
1-1/2 T black peppercorns, very coarsely crushed
1 T olive oil
2 T unsalted butter
1 small shallot, minced
1/4 cup brandy (or Cognac if you're feeling fancy)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and season both sides lightly with salt. Coat both sides with the peppercorns, pressing so they adhere. Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy-duty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the steaks and cook to your desired doneness (2 to 3 minutes per side for medium rare). Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and tent them with foil. Pour off and discard any fat left in the pan, but not the brown bits.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the skillet. When the butter is melted, add the shallots and cook until softened, about 1 minute.

3. Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully add the brandy. Return the skillet to medium heat and cook, whisking, until the brandy reduces to a glaze, 1 to 2 minutes. Note: Be very careful here! We have a gas stove and our brandy ignited in a very tall and exciting flame! If you also have a gas stove, you'll definitely want to stand back while the alcohol is cooking off just in case this happens.

3. Whisk in the cream and simmer until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt.

4. Transfer the steaks to dinner plates and top with the sauce.

Pear-Chocolate Yogurt Cake

2011-12-19T08:53:00.000-08:00

I love yogurt cake, as my mom can attest to - when I was a teenager, she once came back from an evening event to find I'd eaten half of a yogurt cake she'd just baked! Luckily, now I can make my own yogurt cakes to devour, and this one is certainly a tasty one. The moist cake is studded with chunks of pear and milk or dark chocolate (I've made it both ways, and both are fantastic). I think the pears go especially well with the slight tang of a yogurt cake, and the chocolate makes the cake feel a bit more decadent. This is sweet enough for dessert, but since it has fruit it feels like an acceptable breakfast option as well!

Pear-Chocolate Yogurt Cake (adapted from food 52, original recipe here)
Makes one loaf cake (and possibly some extra batter, which you can bake up in ramekins)

1-1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup plain yogurt (low fat is okay)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 large firm-ripe pear, peeled and diced
3.5 ounces good-quality milk chocolate (I used 44% cacao milk chocolate), chopped or 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a loaf pan.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Beat together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla with a rubber spatula. Beat in the yogurt. Beat in the flour mixture gradually, being careful not to overmix.
4. Add the oil and fold into the batter with the rubber spatula until combined. Gently fold in the pears and chocolate.
5. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan. Make sure to leave room for the batter to rise without overflowing the pan. If you have too much batter, you can bake some of it in ramekins or another small baking pan.
6. Bake 55-60 minutes, checking any ramekins earlier as they will cook more quickly. The cake is done when a tester comes out clean.

Spicy Pumpkin Wontons

2011-12-17T18:09:00.000-08:00

I was attracted to this recipe because I find that many 'savory' recipes involving pumpkin are way too sweet for me - I don't want my ravioli or lasagna to be sprinkled with amaretti cookies, for example! These pumpkin wontons go in a different flavor direction with creamy cheese, tarragon, and spicy red pepper flakes. The end result is just slightly sweet from the pumpkin.

The original recipe calls these ravioli, but I wouldn't really top these with tomato sauce like I would most ravioli. Something about using the wonton skins just doesn't feel like ravioli to me - but, these are still a really delicious lunch or dinner! The wontons are boiled and then fried up in a little butter until crispy, which makes for great textural contrast between the creamy filling and crispy exterior. I ate the wontons with just the butter for sauce and a salad on the side, but you could also add some sauteed veggies in the sauce - leeks or fennel would be delicious. One word of warning - don't try to freeze these as the wonton skins are too thin - they simply fell apart when I tried to boil a few that I'd frozen and I lost about half the wontons.

Spicy Pumpkin Wontons (adapted from My Bizzy Kitchen, original recipe here)
Makes 20-25 wontons

For the filling:
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 T Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

To finish:
Wonton wrappers
Butter

1. Whisk together the filling ingredients and chill for at least 15 minutes.
2. Lay out wonton wrappers and place a small amount of filling in each (the amount will depend on the size of your wrappers - I used about 1-1/2 tsp per wonton). Brush the edges with water and fold over into a triangle. Try to seal the edges as tightly as possible and to squeeze out as much air as possible. Lay out finished wontons in a single layers. At this point you can freeze some of the wontons if you like.
3. Boil a pot of water and salt it. Boil the wontons in batches, about 2 minutes per batch, being careful not to, overcrowd your pot. Once the wontons are boiled, lay them out in a single layer, being careful not to overlap them.
4. Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet until bubbling. Arrange the wontons in a single layer (working in batches), browning until the wontons are as crispy as you like.

Baguettes

2011-12-15T11:37:00.000-08:00

Baguettes are delicious, but many recipes take upwards of 8 hours or even multiple days to complete. While most of that time isn't active time, it does make it difficult if you decide you want baguettes with dinner! This recipe certainly isn't instant, but you can decide on baguettes in the early afternoon and still have dinner at a reasonable hour. Despite a shorter fermentation than many baguette recipes, this bread still delivers really wonderful flavor and a great chewy texture. The ice cubes added to the oven while the bread is baking make for an extra crisp crust. If you have leftovers, you can wrap them in foil and reheat the next day - the crust won't be quite as crisp, but the bread will still be amazing.

Although this bread involves more work than a regular yeasted sandwich bread, none of the steps are particularly difficult. It's also really cool to see the transformation of the dough from a shaggy mess after it's just been mixed to a smooth bread dough after all the folding. I'm sure you would get better results if you have a baguette pan, which would allow you to make longer and thinner baguettes than what I was able to achieve by hand-shaping the loaves on a cookie sheet, but my method worked out just fine and didn't involve going out and buying yet another pan. We served this bread with soft cheese and pickled figs, plus some with chocolate hazelnut spread for dessert. Two of us devoured an entire loaf along with our dinner, so this is super addictive, especially warm out of the oven!

Baguettes (adapted from Pass the Sushi, original recipe here)
Makes two smallish baguettes

383 grams bread flour
282 grams lukewarm water
1-1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp instant yeast
Ice cubes (about one tray)

1. Combine bread flour with the water in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitter with dough hook. Mix on low speed until blended. Stop the mixer and let sit 15 minutes.
2. Add the salt and yeast to the flour mixture. Mix on low speed for five minutes. The dough will be very wet at this point. Scrape the dough into an oiled container, cover, and let rest 20 minutes.
3. Uncover, fold the dough over itself a few times, and let rest another 20 minutes. Repeat this process one more time for a total of two times folding the dough and three 20-minute rest periods. Fold the dough over one more time, and then cover and let rest for 2 hours. At this point the dough should look very smooth and be sticky but much less 'wet' feeling than it was when first mixed.
4. Divide the dough into two pieces and shape each one into a log. Set on your work surface and cover with plastic. Let rest 15 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 470 degrees and place a metal sheet pan on the bottom rack. Place the other oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
6. Shape each piece of dough into a long baguette shape, turning the dough under with your hands to create as smooth a surface as possible. Place each baguette on the parchment-lined baking sheet (side by side). Spray with oil and cover with plastic. Let rise for 30 minutes.
7. Open the oven and quickly dump the ice cubes onto the hot baking sheet. Place the baking sheet with the baguettes on the middle rack and quickly close the oven.
8. Bake 20-25 minutes, until the loaves are nicely browned but still have some give when gently squeezed. Let cool slightly before cutting into the bread.

Orange-Chocolate Chip Macaroons

2011-12-13T11:00:00.000-08:00

I've made these coconut macaroons for two church events lately, and both times they were a big hit. The best part is that the cookies are so easy to make - mixing up the batter takes just a few minutes and you don't need to pull out a stand mixer or even more than one bowl! The cookies are a bit crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside with fantastic coconut flavor, a lovely orange scent, and bits of chocolate. They'll soften a bit if you keep them overnight, but I think this makes them even tastier (I haven't managed to hold onto any longer than overnight!). Another bonus of this recipe is that it's naturally gluten free, so it's great to prepare for events where you're don't know everyone's dietary restrictions. Although I've made this chocolate orange version both times I made the recipe, I think this recipe could be infinitely adaptable - you could use pretty much any citrus zest and change up the mix-ins if you like. I think a lime zest-white chocolate or a lemon zest-slivered almond version would be amazing!

Orange-Chocolate Chip Macaroons (adapted from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book)
Makes about 3 dozen

14 ounces sweetened coconut
Zest of one orange
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
3 egg whites

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.
2. Combine the coconut and orange zest in a large bowl and rub together with your fingers until the mixture is fluffy and uniform. Add the sugar and chocolate chips and stir to combine. Add the egg whites and mix with your hands until the mixture is uniform.
3. Scoop out the coconut mixture with a tablespoon, compacting the mixture into the scoop and then sliding each cookie onto the baking sheet, round side up. Repeat with the remaining coconut mixture. Bake 25-30 until the cookies are lightly browned.
4. Let cool completely before peeling the cookies off of the foil or parchment.
5. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days (the cookies will soften over time, which I think is a nice thing!), or freeze for up to three weeks wrapped in plastic and then foil.

Above, a photo of Tim, me, and Katy sipping wine at the wine and cheese fundraiser where I served a batch of these delicious macaroons. Everyone brought a bottle, we covered up the labels, and then we all tried to guess which wine was which - Tim managed to guess all of the wines! We also snacked on delicious cheeses from Cheeseboard - Delice d'Argental, Ewephoria, Swiss, Besace du Berger, Drunken Goat, Ossau-Iraty, and Cambozola. We also devoured this gorgeous fruit tart from my friend Erin:

I'm sending this post off to the These Chicks Cooked Link Party! I'm also sending these cookies off to the Cookie Party at the Secret Recipe Club.

Cardamom-Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

2011-12-10T17:27:00.000-08:00

Cardamom is one of my favorite spices, especially as fall rolls around, and this cake is full of it - in both the cake batter and in the streusel. The flavor is pretty intense here, so if you're not such a big fan, you could probably reduce the amount (I thought it was perfect, though!). The streusel includes a sprinkling of chocolate chips and walnuts - depending on your taste, I think you could probably double the amount of one or the other if you want more of either flavor. Even with the smaller amounts, this was a delicious, festive coffee cake that definitely made breakfast feel extra special.

Cardamom-Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake (adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours and The New Moosewood Cookbook)
Makes 1 loaf cake

For the cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cardamom
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil

For the streusel:
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 T (packed) brown sugar
1 tsp cardamom

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.
2. Make the cake. Whisk together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and cardamom. Whisk in the yogurt, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and fold in with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in the vegetable oil. Some lumps are okay., but the oil should be completely incorporated.
4. Make the streusel. Stir all the ingredients together until well combined.
5. Pour half the cake batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle over half of the streusel. Pour the remaining cake batter over, and top with the remaining streusel.
6. Bake 50-55 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.

Fresh Ginger Custard Pumpkin Pie

2011-12-07T15:58:00.000-08:00

This was one of the pies I made for Thanksgiving, and it was delicious despite a fairly ugly crust! It has a traditional pumpkin pie flavor, perfect topped with a little (or a lot of) whipped cream. Although this pie uses fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks, and fresh cream instead of sweetened condensed milk, I would have to be honest and say that I couldn't really tell the difference from a normal pumpkin pie (although I didn't taste them side by side). So, this is one case where I'd have to say maybe it's easier to just use the traditional shortcuts rather than going all out. In any case, this was a really delicious pie and definitely hit the pumpkin pie spot! :)

Fresh Ginger Custard Pumpkin Pie (adapted from Serious Eats, original recipe here)
Makes one 9-1/2 or 10 inch pie

1 pre-baked 9-1/2 or 10 inch pie shell (such as this one)
One 6x1-inch piece fresh ginger, unpeeled, coarsely chopped
2 cinnamon sticks, crushed
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 cups pumpkin puree

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place the pie shell on a larger baking sheet to catch any overflows. If you're using a 9-1/2 inch pie plate, you'll probably have a little extra filling, so you can set out a ramekin to bake it in - cook's treat!
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the fresh ginger, crushed cinnamon sticks, heavy cream, and milk and heat until scalding. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for about 10 minutes. Return the saucepan to medium heat and bring back to scalding.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, yolks, sugar, and salt in a separate bowl and have ready.
4. Gradually whisk the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Strain into a clean container (preferably something with a spout).
5. Briefly whisk the pumpkin puree in another bowl until loosened. Whisk the custard mixture into the pumpkin puree. Pour into the prepared pie shell.
6. Bake for 60-70 minutes, until the center no longer jiggles. If you've baked some of the filling separately in a ramekin, be sure to pull it out early so it doesn't overbake. Cool the pie on a wire rack.
7. Store tightly wrapped - overnight at room temperature, or in the fridge if storing for a few days.

Cranberry-Lemon Quick Bread with Pecans

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

For this month's installment of the Secret Recipe Club, my secret blog partner was Vanderbilt Wife. I was instantly tempted by her recipe for Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Muffins - they looked perfect for a tasty snack. Of course, it's not blueberry season anymore, so I substituted in tart dried cranberries and some chopped pecans instead, making this a perfect fall recipe. (Also, I was feeling lazy so I cooked the recipe up in a loaf pan instead of a muffin tin, which worked well although the cook time was quite a bit longer.)

Unlike many of the coffee cakes and 'breakfast' breads I've baked, this one is actually healthy enough that you can feel good about eating it for breakfast. The only added fat comes from the part-skim ricotta cheese and a couple of egg yolks - no oil or butter! You could make it even healthier by using white whole wheat instead of all purpose flour. Despite being low in fat, the bread is nice and moist from the ricotta and tastes really delicious. I love the bright bursts of flavor from the cranberries and the crunch from the pecans. Perhaps because the cranberries are so intense, I thought the lemon flavor could have been stronger, so I would probably add some zest in addition to the lemon juice next time. Definitely a real winner - thanks Jessie a/k/a Vanderbilt Wife!

Cranberry-Lemon Quick Bread with Pecans (adapted from Vanderbilt Wife, original recipe here)
Makes one loaf

1 cup part-skim milk ricotta cheese (don't use fat free)
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup skim milk
2 T lemon juice
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour (plus 1 T for tossing with the fruit and nuts)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and oil a loaf pan.
2. Whisk together the ricotta, sugar, eggs, milk, and lemon juice. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
3. Toss together the cranberries, pecans, and about 1 T flour (enough to lightly coat). Fold the fruit and nuts into the batter and scrape into loaf pan.
4. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.