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Banana Maple Cookies with Toasted Pecans and Brown Butter Maple Icing

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These oat-filled fall cookies taste like banana bread with a touch of maple. Iced with a delicious frosting made from nutty-flavored brown butter and more maple, the cookies are then topped with a whole toasted pecan. Perfect on a chilly afternoon with a warm cup of cider or tea. INGREDENTS 24-28 whole pecan halves  12 tablespoons butter, softened ⅔ cup maple sugar ⅓ cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1 large egg ½  teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large banana, very ripe, about ¾ cup ¾  cup oats 1 ¾  cups flour ½  teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder Brown butter maple icing (below) INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Place the whole pecans on a parchment lined sheet tray. Place in the oven and toast for 8-9 minutes until browned. Set aside to cool. Using a stand mixer, Beat the butter, maple sugar and brown sugar together until smooth and fluffy. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and banana and stir it into the sugar mixture. In a separate

Upside Down Gingerbread Cake With Apples & Caramel

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The smell and taste of fall – all in a gingerbread cake topped with fresh apples and caramel. This fantastic upside-down cake makes a great addition to any seasonal table with its tasty gingerbread baked over cinnamon caramel sauce and sweet sautéed apples. Removing the cake from the pan, when turned, allows the apple caramel to coat the sides. Delicious served with a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream. INGREDIENTS Topping: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan 1 cup jarred caramel sauce, high quality such as Williams Sonoma, Trader Joes, Fresh Market or homemade 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 large, firm cooking apples, such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith cored, peeled, quartered 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon lemon zest Cake: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter ⅔ cup dark muscovado or dark brown sugar 2 large eggs ⅓ cup molasses 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ginger ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Apple Cinnamon Bars

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The combination of apples and cinnamon is the quintessential taste of fall. So welcome cooler days with these easy to make Apple Cinnamon Bars. With their brownie-like texture on the outside, and layer of cinnamon apples in the center, they are especially delicious with a drizzle of brown butter icing over their walnut topping. Take them along with some apple cider for all your fall activities or simply enjoy at home. Be sure to use a piece of parchment longer than the pan to create “handles” for easy removal before cutting. INGREDIENTS 2 medium apples, peeled and sliced into thin wedges 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided 1/2 cup butter, plus one tablespoon, divided, plus more for the pan 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup Walnuts, toasted Brown Butter Icing 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup sifted conf

Apple Slab Pie

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Celebrate National Apple Month with a delicious Apple Slab Pie. Perfect for a crowd, this easy treat is baked on a sheet tray instead of in a pie pan.  Roll out the dough and fill with apples and cinnamon, add a top crust, bake, and finish it with a drizzle of vanilla glaze. We like to serve it with a side of cinnamon swirl gelato. INGREDIENTS For the pie crust: 4 cups all-purpose flour, we recommend White Lily 2 teaspoons salt 4 tablespoons sugar 3 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes 7 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into small cubes 6-8 tablespoons cold water For the filling: 4 pounds Granny Smith, and Honey crisp apples 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice ¼ cup cornstarch 3 teaspoon cinnamon Pinch salt Finishing: 1 tablespoon milk Turbinado sugar for sprinkling For the Glaze: 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted 2-4 tablespoons whole milk 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Vanilla Gelato or ice cream for se

Tartes Pomme with Cider Icing and Walnuts

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Easy to make, Tartes Pomme are mostly Apples and Puff Pasty. Baked together in the oven, the apples become soft while the pastry expands just enough to create a delightfully crunchy base. The apple cider in the recipe is reduced to create “boiled cider” and then used to brush over the apples as well as a flavor in the icing. INGREDIENTS 2 cups Apple cider 1 piece Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry, thawed overnight in the refrigerator, rolled to 10-1/2″ x 10-1/2″ All-purpose flour 2 medium Fuji or honey crisp apples ( about 3″ or less in diameter) 1 tablespoons Turbinado Sugar or brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1 cup powdered sugar 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts INSTRUCTIONS Pour two cups of apple cider into a saucepan. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer to reduce to 1/2 cup cider, about 20-30 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Open the sheet of puff pastry on a ligh

Pan Seared Pork Chops with Purple Cauliflower Mash and Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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We contrasted our brilliant purple cauliflower mash with bright orange roasted sweet potatoes, coated with buttery maple and pecan syrup. We topped it off with a “seared to perfection” extra thick cut pork chop. Fall never looked or tasted so good. Ask your butcher to remove the meat from the bone and “French” the pork chops for you. Purple cauliflower is in season; you can find it at Whole Foods. To make the Pork Chops INGREDIENTS 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, or toasted and ground cumin Kosher salt Fresh ground pepper 2 extra thick bone-in pork chops, about 1 pound per chop 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves INSTRUCTIONS Heat oven to 400 degrees. If using cumin seeds, in a small skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds. Add to a spice grinder with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and grind to a fine powder. If using ground, toasted cumin, combine in a bowl with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper. With paper towels, dry off the pork

Pumpkin Risotto with Fried Sage & Toasted Parmesan

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To create a deliciously creamy and luscious fall risotto, we finish the dish with pumpkin, butter, and parmesan cheese. Then we topped it with contrasting crunchy parmesan crumbs and fried baby sage leaves. Toasted Parmesan INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoon butter 1 cup panko breadcrumbs ¼ cup grated parmesan INSTRUCTIONS In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the bread crumbs, toss, and cook until the crumbs are toasted. Add the parmesan, remove from the heat and set aside. Fried Sage INGREDIENTS 12-18 small sage leaves Olive oil INSTRUCTIONS Wash and dry the sage leaves thoroughly. In a sauté pan, add 1/4” olive oil, and heat until simmering. Add the sage leaves and cook for about 1-2 minutes until just starting to turn brown. Remove and   set on paper towels until ready to serve. Pumpkin Risotto INGREDIENTS 4 cups no-salt-added chicken stock 2 teaspoon olive oil ½ large onion finely chopped 2 large clove garlic, minc