Warm Sticky Figgy Pudding Revisited

I posted this amazing recipe for Warm Sticky Figgy Pudding two years ago and promised better pictures.  I was able to capture some last year so I'm revisiting the recipe today. I make this "pudding" each year for our annual "Dickens Dinner."  It quickly became a hit the first year and will remain a staple on the menu.

This is a very rich dessert, and I only make it once a year, but it is SO worth it. The caramel sauce is an absolute must, and really, so is the ice cream.

Ina Garten had a chef friend on her show once who showed her how to make Date Toffee Pudding - the recipe I use is different because it has figs and also flecks of chocolate - to use Ina's own words against her, "how bad can that be?"

Warm Sticky Figgy Pudding

Serves 4 

Ingredients: 
For the pudding:
¾ c. dried pitted dates, chopped
¼ c dried figs, chopped
1 c. water
½ tsp baking soda
3 ½ tablespoons butter, softened
½ c superfine sugar
1 egg
1 ¼ c. self-rising flour
1 ¼ oz. dark chocolate, grated (I use Ghiradelli bittersweet chips)
Butter for the ramekins

For the sauce: 
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. heavy cream
7 tablespoons butter

For serving: 
Vanilla ice cream or whipped heavy cream (optional)

Directions: 

1. Add the dates, dried figs, and water to medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the baking soda. Let cool for 5 minutes, then add to a blender to puree.

2. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs and beat well. Fold in the flour, the pureed date mixture, and the chocolate.

3. Pour the batter into buttered ramekins filling halfway. I divided the batter equally into 4 ramekins. (At this point, I wrap the ramekins in plastic wrap and take them to my sister's house, refrigerate them during dinner, then bake them. They turn out perfect! You may bake them immediately if that works with your schedule.)

4. Bake at 350F for 20 – 25 minutes.

5. To prepare the sauce, stir the sugar and cream in a medium saucepan over low heat. Simmer until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to a boil, then reduce and simmer 5 minutes. Add the butter and stir until incorporated. (I make this at home and take it to my sister's. Then I reheat the sauce prior to spooning it over the cakes).

6. Remove the ramekins from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve in the ramekin or unmold each cake onto a serving plate. With a paring knife, cut a cross in the center of each cake. Pour the sauce over the pudding and allow it to soak in slightly, then top with more sauce as desired.

7. Serve warm topped with ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy! I highly recommend vanilla ice cream :-)

Source: Adapted from FoodNework.com – Ultimate Recipe Showdown

Note: The original recipe said it serves 4, but the reviews said it made much more so I cut the recipe in half and it was just right for 4 servings (meaning the recipe on FoodNetwork probably makes 8 servings rather than 4!)

New England Sausage and Dried Cranberry Stuffing

Now that Halloween is officially over, it's time to start getting our Thanksgiving menus together. We always have our traditional Thanksgiving Dressing on Turkey Day, but a few years ago when my we started having a December "Dickens Dinner" with my sister's family, I started making this New England Sausage and Dried Cranberry Stuffing. Since I don't eat pork, I substitute chicken or turkey sausage and even the pork-eaters love this stuffing. Whether you're looking for a new recipe for Thanksgiving or one of the many holiday dinners ahead of us, this recipe is worth trying!

New England Sausage and Dried Cranberry Stuffing

Serves 5 - 6 

Ingredients: 
6 cups white bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 pound sausage, casings removed (traditional, chicken, or turkey)
1/4 stick butter
3 cups onion
1/2 pound tart green apples (or your choice), peeled, cored, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 1/2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup chicken broth 

Directions:
1. Place bread cubes on a large baking sheet and bake until slightly dry, about 15 - 20 minutes. Cool completely. You can also leave the cubes out overnight to dry.

2. Sauté the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, crumbling coarsely with the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a large bowl. Pour off any drippings from the skillet.

3. Using the same skillet, melt the butter. Add the onions, apples, celery, and poultry seasoning to the skillet. Sauté until onions are softened, about 5 – 8 minutes.

4. Mix in dried cranberries. Add the mixture to the sausage, then mix in the bread, eggs, and parsley. Season stuffing to taste with salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth to moisten stuffing depending on how most you like it (can be prepared one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate).

5. Butter a baking dish (I used a 7 x 11-inch glass dish). Transfer stuffing to the dish, cover, and bake at 350F until heated through, about 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Source: Adapted from The Food Channel.com

Notes: I halved the original recipe, which serves 10. It calls for 4 teaspoons of chopped fresh rosemary (so that would be 2 teaspoons for the half batch) and the parsley to be fresh. Due to personal preference, I omitted the rosemary and substituted dried parsley.

Ultimate Steel-Cut Oatmeal

My sister and brother-in-law share my love for cooking and recipes. They have made several recipes from the America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook, and it's something I had been wanting for a while. My mom and dad got it for me for Christmas several years ago, so I was so excited to find new recipes inside.

First off, I LOVE that it's a metal-ring binder style cookbook. My Mom's 1970's Betty Crocker Cookbook is in this format, and I always wanted a cookbook like this. Browsing through this book makes me want to cook non-stop for a month - there are so many recipes I would like to try! One that caught my eye right away was this recipe for Steel-Cut Oats. I had a container of them in my pantry and had every other ingredient on hand, (which never happens!).

I am not a traditional oatmeal lover. In fact, I had a very bad experience with oatmeal as a child. I begged my mom to let me have an oatmeal with red gummy bears (gag) for dinner one night instead of tuna casserole (double gag). Why we even had this in the house I will never know. It turned into a slimy, soggy, pink slop and I did not want to eat it. I remember trying to bribe my dad to eat it (he quickly shot me down). This was the last time I ate oatmeal until college, when my roommate Kathleen showed me how to make it in a way that is not soggy or slimy - she uses about 1/4 the amount of water recommended. I continued to enjoy my oatmeal this way, and even made a similarly-textured baked oatmeal.

This dish takes some time to make, but the result is a creamy, but not soggy, oatmeal that can be tailored to your specific tastes. I decided to add in grated apple, dried cranberries, cinnamon, and some brown sugar, but ATK suggests a number of different variations, including maple syrup, honey, figs, walnuts, and/or bananas. The second time I made this, I doubled the recipe and we reheated the leftovers each morning. 

Ultimate Steel-Cut Oats

Ingredients:

3 cups water

1 cup 1% lowfat milk*

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup steel-cut oats

1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional add-ins:

1/2 large, peeled and grated sweet apple (such as Fuji)

1/3 cup dried cranberries

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

*ATK advises against using skim milk. I actually only had skim and whole milk, so I used whole. Not as healthy, but it was gooood!

Directions:

1. Bring the water and milk to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add the oats and toast, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

3. Stir the oats into the simmering liquid, reduce the heat,to medium-low, and simmer gently until the mixture is very thick, about 20 minutes.

4. Stir in the salt and the optional add-ins and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed and the oatmeal is creamy, about 10 minutes (if doubling the recipe, increase this to 15 minutes). Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Adapted from the America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Although I didn't always think so, pumpkin and chocolate is such a great combination. Years ago in the fall, one of my labmates brought these Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars to a lab meeting. They are similar in theory to the Chocolate-Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars, but in these bars the chocolate and the pumpkin are layered rather than swirled, and the crust is graham cracker rather than chocolate cookies. These bars also have a delicious sour cream topping, and if I remember correctly, the cheesecake layers in these bars are slightly less firm than the Chocolate-Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars.  I am happy to have both bar recipes to make during my favorite time of year!

Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars 

Makes 24 to 36 bars

Ingredients: 
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4
 cup sugar
1/3 
cup butter, melted
2 
8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 
cups sugar
3
 eggs
1 
cup canned pumpkin
1/2 
teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 
teaspoon vanilla
1/4 
teaspoon salt
6
 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut up (or 3 ounces semi-; 3 ounces bittersweet)
1 tablespoon bourbon, optional
2 
tablespoons butter
1 1/4 
cups sour cream
1/4 
cup sugar
Grated fresh nutmeg and/or milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate curls

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking pan; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir in the 1/3 cup melted butter. Press mixture evenly into bottom of the prepared baking pan; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and the 1 3/4 cups sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Beat in pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt on low speed just until combined. Remove 1-1/4 cups of the mixture and set aside in a separate bowl (this mixture will have the chocolate added to it).

4. In a small heavy saucepan, combine the 6 ounces chocolate, the bourbon if using, and the 2 tablespoons butter. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Whisk chocolate mixture into the 1 1/4 cups pumpkin mixture. Pour over crust, spreading evenly. Bake for 15 minutes.

5. Carefully pour the remaining pumpkin mixture over baked chocolate layer, spreading evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes more or until filling is puffed and center is set. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

6. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and 1/4 cup sugar. Gently spread over bars. Cool completely. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Cut into bars.

* Before serving, sprinkle with nutmeg and/or chocolate curls.

 *To make triangle-shape bars, cut the cookies crosswise into four strips. Then cut each strip into five triangles (you'll end up with two half-triangles from the ends of each strip).

To Make Ahead: Bake and chill as directed; cut into bars. Place in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.

Source: Adapted from Midwest Living

Harvest Chicken Salad

Several years ago, Subway introduced a chicken salad that had grapes, apples, raisins, and dried cranberries. I really liked the idea of this salad, although I felt like a homemade version would be much better. I love the sweet and savory balance of this chicken salad. I've served it on bread or in a dish. It's the perfect lunch or light dinner in early fall!

Harvest Chicken Salad 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup grapes, cut in half
1 apple, diced (I like Fuji)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup craisins/dried cranberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.

1. Rub chicken with olive oil and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper and bake until cooked through. Set aside to cool.

2. Cube cooled chicken. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, grapes, apple, raisins, and craisins. Add chicken and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to serve.

Source: Inspired by the Orchard Chicken Salad from Subway, portions of chicken salad recipe from Barefoot Contessa

Browned Butter Cookies with Apple Cider Caramel Filling

After making the Apple Cider Caramels, I had to try out this recipe that combines the caramels with Browned Butter Cookies. I wasn't sure how these would turn out, but I was blown away by how good they were.  The browned butter cookie base perfectly compliments the apple cider caramels. I know my words can't do these justice, so I will just let the pictures speak for themselves. Caramel oozing from a cookie? Yes please!

Browned Butter Cookies with Apple Cider Caramel Filling

Makes about 20 cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon greek yogurt or sour cream
20 apple cider caramels (about 1-inch squares), unwrapped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.

1. Place the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Melt completely. Continue to cook, whisking frequently, until the butter foams, bubbles slightly, and begins to brown. Continue whisking until the butter is evenly brown, being careful not to burn. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2. Line baking sheets with parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugars and brown butter, mixing on medium speed until well blended and smooth.

3. Blend in the egg and yolk, scraping the bowl as needed. Blend in vanilla and yogurt or sour cream.  With the mixer on low, blend in the dry ingredients until just incorporated.

4. Use a medium dough scoop to place a ball of dough onto the prepared pan (about 2 tablespoons). Press the center of the dough down to create an indentation. Place a caramel in the indentation and pinch together the edges of the dough over the caramel to completely hide it in the center of the dough. At this point, you may pinch the top of the dough in multiple spots to create a more rustic look. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing cookies at least 2 - 3 inches apart.  Chill dough on cookie sheets in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

5. Bake the cookies until golden brown, about 14 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through cooking. Let cool briefly on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired. Serve slightly warm to achieve gooey caramel texture.

Source: Annie's Eats

Apple Cider Caramels

I made these apple cider caramels two falls ago and never got around to blogging them, which is sad because they are so, so good. I've never had anything like them before, and they truly do have a distinct apple cider flavor. Stay tuned for my next post where I show you an awesome recipe that uses these caramels!

Apple Cider Caramels

Ingredients:
4 cups apple cider
2 teaspoons flaky sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:
1. Boil the apple cider in a 3- or 4-quart saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a dark, thick syrup, between 1/3-cup and 1/2-cup (approximately 35 to 40 minutes).

2. Meanwhile, line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, leaving excess hanging over the sides. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and salt.

3. After the cider has reduced, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter, sugars, and heavy cream. Return the pan to medium-high heat and attach a candy thermometer to the side. Let the mixture boil until the thermometer reaches 252 F, about 5 minutes.

4. Immediately remove the caramel from the heat, add the cinnamon and salt, and stir several times with a wooden spoon. Pour the caramel into the prepared pan. Let sit until cool and firm, about 2 hours.

5. Once the caramel is firm, use the parchment overhangs to lift it out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Using a very sharp knife coated with non-stick cooking stray, cut the caramel into 1-inch squares.  You may need to respray the knife several times during cutting to ensure clean slices.

6. Wrap each caramel in a 4-inch square of waxed paper, twisting the sides to close. The caramels can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Source: Brown Eyed Baker, from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook and blog

Apple Crumble Pizza Pie

Let's kick off September with an apple recipe, shall we?  This recipe is a family favorite from my mom's old Betty Crocker Cookbook. Interestingly, it has been omitted from the new Betty Crocker Cookbook, as the one I received as a wedding gift does not have this recipe!  I was really surprised to discover this considering how much my family loves this dessert.  It's so simple, especially if you use a store bought pie crust, but it looks impressive and tastes just like apple pie, but possibly better!


Apple Crumble Pizza Pie

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients:
Pastry for 8- or 9-inch two-crust pie, store-bought or homemade (see recipe below)
6 to 7 tart apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Crumble topping (see below)

Preheat oven to 450F.

1. Prepare pastry as directed except roll 1 inch larger than 12- or 13-inch pizza pan. Ease into pizza pan and flute edge. (Alternatively, roll the dough into a 13- or 14-inch circle and place on an ungreased baking sheet and flute).

2. Beginning at the ends of the crust and overlapping the slices, cover the crust with apples.

3. Stir together the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle the mixture over the apple slices. Top with Crumble Topping.

4. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until edge is golden brown and apples are tender. Best served warm and, if desired, topped with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream!


Crumble Topping

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firm butter

Directions:
Mix until crumbly.

Source: The Betty Crocker Cookbook

This is my go-to pie dough recipe:

All-Butter Double-Crust Pie Dough

Ingredients:
1/3 cup ice water, plus extra as needed
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the work surface
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and frozen for 10 to 15 minutes

Directions:
1. Mix 1/3 cup of the ice water and the sour cream in a small bowl until combined. Process the flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor until combined. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and pulse the mixture until the butter is the size of large peas, about 10 pulses.

2. Pour half of the sour cream mixture over the flour mixture and pulse until incorporated, about 3 pulses. Repeat with the remaining sour cream mixture. Pinch the dough with your fingers, if the dough feels dry and does not hold together, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons more ice water over the mixture and pulse until he dough forms large clumps and no dry flour remains, 3 to 5 pulses.

3. If using for Apple Crumble Pizza Pie, refrigerate dough until it is a consistency suitable for rolling. If using for a pie, divide the dough into 2 even pieces and wrap in plastic wrap, forming into 4-inch disks before refrigerating.

Source: America's Test Kitchen

Baked Jalapeño Poppers

One of my favorite things about summer is the seasonal vegetables and fruit, especially if it's from our or our friends' gardens. Our neighbors gave us a bunch of their homegrown jalapeños.  All of my recipes that call for jalapeños usually only use 1 or 2, not 11! My mom suggested I make jalapeño poppers, so I found this recipe via Pinterest and was excited to try it. These were so, so good.  Everyone loved them, even Ava.  She was really sad that she only got 1 and talked about them for a long time after.  Bob and I decided that we need to serve them at our annual Halloween party and call them "Halloweeño Poppers" :-)

Baked Jalapeño Poppers

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste,
6 jalapeños, halved lengthwise, seeds sand membranes removed (I always use disposable kitchen gloves when I do this) Note: my jalapeños were homegrown from a neighbor and pretty small so I ended up using 11 of them.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.

1. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

2. Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add Panko and cook until browned, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese, cheddar, garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper.

4. Spoon the filling into each jalapeño cavity. Place on prepared baking sheet, filled side up, and bake until the filling is runny and golden, about 15 - 20 minutes.

5. Sprinkle with the toasted Panko and serve immediately.

Source: Adapted from Damn Delicious

Thanksgiving Dressing

Some families have the same meal every Thanksgiving, using the same tried-and-true recipes year after year; while other's menu is constantly evolving to include new twists on classic dishes. For many years, my family's Thanksgiving was the former: the menu never changed. As Bob and I started hosting Thanksgiving at our house 3 years ago, we have tweaked the menu slightly- not eliminating dishes but rather adding a few of our own (like these Mashed Potatoes with Root Vegetables, Compound Herb Butter, and Honey Butter-YUM!) Each year we learn more about which dishes need tweaking and how to better execute the meal. One thing that we will never mess with is our traditional Thanksgiving Dressing. Dressing is basically "stuffing" that is cooked in a separate dish, not in the turkey. For that reason, it can get a crispy top and edges depending on how you bake it, which I think is one of the best parts! My family has never made stuffing in a turkey (and now it's actually not recommended because you either undercook your stuffing or overcook your bird). Our dressing recipe is very basic - no organ meat, sausage, or other fancy add-ins. It's actually the simplicity that I love, and it's one of my favorite dishes at Thanksgiving. My mom and my aunt got this recipe from their mother and have each adapted their own way to make it. I've taken each of their recipes and combined them into one master recipe. This dressing was designed to go well with chicken or turkey, so it's the perfect side dish any time of year!  

Thanksgiving Dressing

Ingredients:

1 stick butter                                               

¾ cup onion, diced small                                   

1 cup celery (boiled and diced small)   

1 loaf white sandwich bread (frozen and cubed into ½-inch cubes- crust and all)                                

1 tsp. salt                                                    

½ tsp. pepper

2 tsp. poultry seasoning

¾ cup celery water, hot

¾ cup chicken stock, hot

Directions:

1. Boil pieces of celery until soft. Remove strings.

2. Chop celery and onion into small dice.

3. Melt butter in pan, sauté onions and celery until onions are soft. 

4. Combine the celery water and chicken broth in a measuring cup, making sure it is hot (heat it up if it’s not).

5. Add bread cubes to a large bowl/pan, add the salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.  Add the cooked onion/celery mixture and the hot celery water/chicken stock.  Stir until the bread is moist.  It is better to have the bread too moist than not enough because it will be baked.

6. Spoon the bread mixture into a pan. Do not flatten it out – leave little hills and valleys for the turkey juice or gravy to settle into.

7. Bake covered at 350F for around 40 minutes, then uncover for the last 20 minutes to brown (cook time total of 1 hour).  You may also add gravy to the top intermittently during the baking process, but not the last 20 minutes because you're looking to get that crispy top.

Notes:  Aunt Suey always doubles this recipe for Thanksgiving.  The dressing needs at least 1 hour in the oven depending on how deep the pan is.  Cook at 400F for a double batch. 

Source: Adapted from my Aunt Suey and my Mom

Warm Sticky Figgy Pudding

Last year, my sister, her husband, Bob, and I started talking about how fun it would be to have a Dickens Dinner around Christmas time.  At first, we joked about having a goose and eating only by candlelight, but soon we decided that our Dickens-inspired dinner would include only elements from the classic "A Christmas Carol".  As it turns out, goose is quite expensive, so we went with a turkey.  My brother-in-law made wassail, and I made a New England Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing, which I will share as soon as I can get a photo.  One thing we knew from the start, the English holiday dessert figgy pudding was a must!  While I don't know how traditional this figgy pudding is, it had great reviews on Food Network (and was featured on Ultimate Recipe Showdown) so I went with it.  I have to say, it was one of the best desserts I've ever had!  We all agreed that it was a hit and must return to our annual Dickens Dinner. We served ours with vanilla ice cream.  The combination of the warm cake and caramel sauce with the cold ice cream made this dessert even better.  I was only able to snap some poor shots last year because it was night time and I was wrangling a 1-year old.  I hope to get some better photos this year and will add them later, but I didn't want to sit on this recipe any longer - it's too good not to share!

Warm Sticky Figgy Pudding

Serves 4

Ingredients:
For the pudding:

¾ c. dried pitted dates, chopped

¼ c dried figs, chopped

1 c. water

½ tsp baking soda

3 ½ tablespoons butter, softened

½ c superfine sugar

1 egg

1 ¼ c. self-rising flour

1 ¼ oz. dark chocolate, grated

Butter for the ramekins

For the sauce:

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. heavy cream

7 tablespoons butter

For serving:

Vanilla ice cream or whipped heavy cream (optional)

Directions:

      1. Add the dates, dried figs, and water to medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat.  Remove the pan from heat and stir in the baking soda. Let cool for 5 minutes, then add to a blender to puree.

           2.  Using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs and beat well. Fold in the flour, the pureed date mixture, and the chocolate.

      3. Pour the batter into buttered ramekins filling halfway.  I divided the batter equally into 4 ramekins. (At this point, I wrapped the ramekins in plastic wrap and took them to my sister's house, refrigerated them during dinner, then baked them.)

      4. Bake at 350F for 20 – 25 minutes.

      5. To prepare the sauce, stir the sugar and cream in a medium saucepan over low heat. Simmer until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to a boil, then reduce and simmer 5 minutes. Add the butter and stir until incorporated. (I made this at home and took it to my sister's. Then I reheated the sauce prior to spooning it over the cakes).

      6. Remove the ramekins from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve in the ramekin or unmold each cake onto a serving plate.  With a paring knife, cut a cross in the center of each cake.  Pour the sauce over the pudding and allow it to soak in slightly, then top with more sauce as desired.

      7. Serve warm topped with ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy!

Source: Adapted from FoodNework.com – Ultimate Recipe Showdown

Note:  The original recipe said it serves 4, but the reviews said it made much more so I cut the recipe in half and it was just right for 4 servings (meaning the recipe on FoodNetwork probably makes 8 servings rather than 4!)

Witches Brew Punch

Although Halloween has since passed, I wanted to get this recipe up because I think it's a great punch for any occasion - a holiday party, a baby or wedding shower, etc.  My favorite punch, Christmas Punch, has a number of ingredients while this one only has 3, and I like it almost as much!

I found this punch recipe on Pinterest last year and served it at our annual Halloween party.  I loved it so much that it made a return this year.  I've also added some suggestions to make it more festive for Halloween.

And for fun, here's a picture of my little cat:

Witches Brew Punch

Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 large can pineapple juice, chilled
1 cup orange sherbet, softened
1 2-liter bottle of orange soda, chilled
*may add rum to make it more "adult"

Directions:
In a punch bowl, stir together the pineapple juice and sherbet until the sherbet dissolves.  Just before serving, slowly pour the soda into the juice mixture.  Add more scoops of sherbet.  Ladle into cups and enjoy!

Adapted from Very Culinary

Halloween touches:
Freeze water in a disposable glove, remove the glove (it helps to run the ice hand under cold-not hot-water to get the glove to separate from the ice. Using water that is too warm will cause the ice to crack! You may have to cut the glove off in certain spots).  Float the ice hand in the punch.  I recommend making at least 2 ice hands in case of a cracking incident.  A few fingers broke off the first hand I had- which may actually have been appropriate for Halloween!

Stuf canned lychees with dark colored grapes to make eyeballs and add to the punch or to individual cups when serving.

Lychee/grape "eyeballs"!

Breaking Bad Spoiler Alert! 

My sister and brother-in-law's Halloween tribute to the finale of Breaking Bad:

French Apple Cake

I last posted on this blog in January.  It is now November.  Rather than go on about how busy we've been, how quickly time goes by, or list off excuses for my absence, I figured I would just dive right into a recipe.  We got rid of cable quite some time ago, and since then I have had to be creative to still get my fill of the types of shows I used to watch. America's Test Kitchen is great because it's on PBS and is similar in nature to the Food Network shows I love.  I saw this French Apple Cake featured on an episode this fall and almost immediately was in the kitchen making it.  We had leftover apples from the orchard that needed to be used, and I just wasn't in the mood to make a pie.  We really loved this cake.  Because it's made with oil instead of butter, it's more moist than other homemade cakes.  The bottom layer has a custard quality and contains the apples, and the top layer is more cake-like.  The cake is topped with sugar before baking to give it a nice crispy topping, although once you wrap it up the moisture in the cake takes away this crispiness.  I love that this cake is essentially one batter that is separated and then treated differently to create a custard layer and a cake layer.  It just seems simpler than having two batters from the start.  This cake cooks low and slow (1 1/4 hours!) so plan accordingly.

I will say that I have loved having this blog as a way to document not only our favorite recipes but also momentous occasions in our family, and I have missed not having a record of these events in time-stamped format.  Our daughter Ava is turning 2 next month !!! and I really cannot believe it.  Also, we are expecting her baby sister in February and are so excited to see what life as a family of 4 brings!

 

French Apple Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges then sliced 1/8 inch thick crosswise (ATK recommends Granny Smith; I used Golden Delicious)

1 tablespoon Calvados (this is a French apple brandy; you can substitute another apple brandy or white rum. I used regular brandy, and it was fine.)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup (5 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup (7 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg plus 2 large yolks

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Confectioners' sugar, optional

Directions:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325F.  Spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick spray.  Place prepared pan on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  

2. Place apple slices into a microwave-safe pie plate, cover, and microwave until apples are pliable and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes.*  Toss apple slices with Calvados and lemon juice and let cool for 15 minutes. 

3. Whisk 1 cup flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Whisk egg, oil, milk, and vanilla together in a second bowl until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk until just combined. Transfer 1 cup batter to a separate bowl and set aside (this will become the cake layer).

4. Add the egg yolks to the remaining batter (to create the custard layer) and whisk until just combined. Using spatula, gently fold in cooled apples. 

5. Transfer custard/apple batter to prepared pan and, using an offset spatula, spread the batter evenly to the pan edges, gently pressing on the apples to create an even, compact layer, and smooth surface.

6. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons flour into the reserved batter. Carefully and evenly pour this batter in the pan on top of the custard/apple layer.  Spread the batter evenly to the pan edges and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar evenly over the cake.

7. Bake until the center of the cake is set, a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the top is golden brown, about 1 1/4 hours.

8. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Run a paring knife around the sides of the pan to dislodge the cake and then let cool completely, 2 to 3 hours. Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar if desired, cut into wedges, and serve.  For a nice crisp top, serve the same day without covering the cake. I loosely covered the remaining cake with foil overnight, and the crispness was lost due to the moisture of the cake (it's still good though!)

Source: America's Test Kitchen

*I prefer not to microwave plastic wrap as I'm unsure what chemicals leach into the food during the heating process, so I covered my pie plate with waxed paper then topped it with plastic wrap to get a good seal so no moisture would escape.  I suppose chemical could pass through the wax paper, especially if had gotten wet (it didn't), but it made me feel better to do it this way!

Turkey-Pumpkin Meatloaf Muffins with Cranberry Glaze

This is the ultimate November recipe if you ask me - turkey, pumpkin, and cranberries?! I spoke before about my desire to incorporate more pumpkin into heathy dishes, and this recipe does just that. The ground turkey is combined with chopped and sauteed mushrooms and onions, and then with rolled oats, egg whites, and of course pumpkin. Just like the Turkey-Pumpkin Chili, the pumpkin flavor isn't prominent here, if you can distinguish it at all, but rather it adds some moisture. The simple cranberry glaze is a nice addition - a bit of sweet and sour baked on top. I may try playing around with the herbs next time. This time I added thyme and rosemary and may swap the rosemary for sage or another seasoning commonly used with turkey.

I love meatloaf muffins because they are already divided into individual portions, and it's super easy to pack up a couple for lunches. Bob and I were both excited that there was enough leftover for both of us to have a lunch the next day, and then some. I served these with Smashed Sweet Potatoes and roasted asparagus. With how busy we've been lately, I haven't had much time to focus on make truly balanced dinners, so it felt really good to get back to it. This dinner really got us pumped for Thanksgiving!

Turkey-Pumpkin Meatloaf Muffins with Cranberry Glaze

Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion
1 8-ounce package mushrooms, chopped finely
2 cloves minced garlic (or pressed through a garlic press)
1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg white
1/3 cup rolled oats

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, broken into smaller pieces (or sage)

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I just guessed an amount and thought it could use more salt, so you may want to up this to 3/4 teaspoon)

freshly ground black pepper

For the glaze:
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a standard 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

1. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender.

2. Add veggies to a bowl with the turkey, pumpkin, egg white, oats, Worcestershire, herbs, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to combine. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin tin. Place in the oven, bake for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine cranberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 - 15 minutes. Spoon onto the meatloaf muffins, and bake for another 15 minutes. Make sure to test the internal temperature of the meatloaves to make sure it registers at a safe temperature for poultry (165F being the absolute lowest, although mine were considerably above and still very moist). Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Adapted from Cara's Cravings