Maple-Roasted Apples with Candied Nuts
October 28, 2011 at 10:46 am | Posted in other sweet, sweet things | 3 CommentsTags: baking, dessert, fruit
I do bake all day at work, but when this time of year rolls around, I’m also more than happy to dial up the oven when I get home. The kitchen is the coziest place in this old house on a chilly day (we really need to get our front windows replaced!). When a new book called All About Roasting: A New Approach to a Classic Art by Molly Stevens found its way into my hands, I immediately began plotting out a Sunday roast-fest!
The book goes into great detail about how to perfectly roast meat and fish, the science behind it and how to get the most out of the technique, but there are also recipes for gorgeous roasted veggies and fruits. Steven’s Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Capers and Lemony Browned Butter will for sure be on my Thanksgiving table, and maybe I’ll show you those later, but that I assume you are here for the sweet stuff. My CSA has given me four bags of apples in two weeks, so I’m just searching out things to do with them. Then my eyes hit this recipe for Maple-Roasted Apples with Candied Nuts, and I knew it would be the first one I’d try. This has the same warm, sweet flavors of baked and stuffed apples, but they are so much easier to prepare…no tedious hollowing out or accidentally ripped skins. Here, I followed the author’s suggestion to sever these apples warm over vanilla ice cream, but I can tell you that they are also great over waffles (that’s what I did with the leftovers) or pancakes, and I can’t think of a better topping for oatmeal.
Maple-Roasted Apples with Candied Nuts- makes 4 to 5 servings
adapted from All About Roasting: A New Approach to a Classic Art by Molly Stevens
Steph’s Note: Prefer your apples with cinnamon or vanilla? Feel free to switch out the nutmeg and ginger for whatever spices you’d like.
4 large tart, crisp apples (1 1/2 to 2 lbs), like Gravenstein, Cortland or Braeburn
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
salt to taste
3/4 cup nuts (any you like…I used walnuts and pecans)
-Position racks in the top and lower thirds of the oven and heat to 400°F (or 375°F if you are using convection). Line a large heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet and a smaller sheet (like a quarter sheet tray) with foil, parchment or Silpats.
-Cut the apples into quarters (it’s up to you if you want to peel them first…the skin does look pretty and helps the pieces hold shape). Remove the cores/seeds and cut the quarters into 1/2-inch cubes. Pile the apples onto the larger baking sheet. In a measuring cup or small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup maple syrup, 3 tablespoons melted butter and the nutmeg, ginger and a pinch of salt. Pour the mixture over the apples, toss to combine and arrange in a loose single layer.
-Roast the apples on the bottom rack, tossing after 15 minutes and every ten minutes thereafter so they roast evenly, until soft and slightly caramelized, but not completely collapsed. This took me 25 minutes here, but may take as long as 40 minutes.
-Meanwhile, pile the nuts on the smaller sheet and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon melted butter and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat and spread out in a single layer. Roast on the top rack above the apples, stirring once or twice until they are toasty brown, about 10 minutes. Let the nuts cool before serving, and they will become crisp.
-Serve the fruit warm as a topping for ice cream, oatmeal or whatever you choose, and drizzle any juices from the pan over top. Scatter with candied nuts and serve. If you are storing this, keep the fruit and juices in a covered container in the refrigerator, and reheat at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes to warm slightly. Keep the nuts in a separate continued at room temperature.
Please note that the publisher, W.W. Norton, sent me a copy of this book…but I just bought another copy for a friend!
Tuesdays with Dorie: A Fig Cake For Fall
October 25, 2011 at 12:15 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 14 Comments
Fresh figs are a rare treat in my house…they are not so hard to find at the shops when they’re in season, but they don’t come home with me often. I was excited to buy a pint to make this cake with TWD. Beneath these flashy ruby port-poached figs is an appealingly rustic and sturdy cake, flavored with honey and cornmeal. I brushed a little of the reduced port syrup on top of the figs after the cake had cooled. Whipped cream on the side was a must.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Cookie Rookie. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Ginger-Jazzed Brownies
October 18, 2011 at 12:01 am | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 9 CommentsTags: baking, brownies, chocolate, dessert
Chocolate and ginger together? Yes, please! This is a combo I like a lot when the weather gets cool, and it makes for a brownie with some heat. The mixing method was kind of unusual for brownies– creaming rather than melting the butter– and my Ginger-Jazzed Brownies were more on the cakey side than the fudgy side (but not fluffy cake, like this delicious chocolate gingerbread). Perhaps that’s because while I made a half recipe, I used two eggs instead of the 1.5 I technically should have. Or maybe it’s because instead of the corn syrup called for (for chewiness, I guess?), I used golden syrup, but I usually make this swap and it doesn’t seem to affect other recipes. Or maybe that’s just how they’re supposed to be…I’m curious to see results from the other TWDers to compare. With ground and grated fresh ginger, these were good, and even better with a little frosting and candied ginger bling.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Bubie’s Little Baker. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Concord Grape Jam
October 8, 2011 at 7:04 pm | Posted in breakfast things, jams & preserves, sweet things | 3 CommentsTags: jam, preserves
Is there a food that you were deprived of as a child and now, as mistress of your own grocery list, you can’t get enough of? Well, I guess I really have a few of them, but one is certainly grape jam. There was never a jar of Welch’s to be found in our kitchen cupboard growing up. It was PB&J with raspberry usually standing in for the “J”…good, sure, but not that sweet, sticky intensely purple-black jam that I only had at friends’ houses (thank you Angie and Christy!).
For my now-slightly-less-childish-palate, the storebought stuff is actually too sweet for me. Luckily it doesn’t take a whole lotta effort to make a few little jars of my own grape jam, with the sugar dialed down a few notches (or the grape dialed up). And now is the time to do it…the concord grape season is short, but it is now and, for the time being, they are pretty easily found at the greenmarkets here in NYC.
I did a lot of research before making this jam, and the recipe is a hodgepodge of several I found, with the sugar adjusted to my taste. You’ll get a homemade jam that is very grapey and plenty sweet, without making your cavities zing. You do have to peel the grapes before you start, but with concords it’s a cinch…just give them a pinch. The skins practically fall right off.
This recipe makes just a few half-pint jars of jam, so I don’t bother to can it. If you keep it refrigerated, it should last a couple of months at least. I will probably eat every last drop just like in the picture…spread with peanut butter over a slice of junky white bread. With potato chips on top. I was too embarrassed to show you that part.
Concord Grape Jam— makes about three 1/2-pint jars
Steph’s Notes: I like the texture from the noticable bits of skin in my final jam. If you’d rather have a smoother end product, purée the skins with the sugar, salt and lemon juice in the food processor before adding to the saucepan in step 3.
If you have trouble telling if your jam is done, you can pop a small plate into the freezer to chill. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon fruit mixture onto the cold plate and allow to set for 30 seconds. Tip the plate 45 degrees to one side; jam should be a soft gel that moves slightly. If mixture is liquid and runs quickly down the plate, return the jam to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, 2-5 minutes longer; then repeat the test.
2 1/4 lbs de-stemmed concord grapes, washed
9 oz sugar
1/8 t salt
1-2 T lemon juice
-Working over a large, nonreactive saucepan in which you will be making the jam (to catch juices), skin the grapes by gently squeezing each one between two fingers. The skins will pop off easily. Let all of the pulp and any juices fall into the saucepan. Put the skins into a medium bowl, stir in the sugar, salt and lemon juice and set aside.
-Over medium heat, bring grape pulp to a simmer, cover and cook until soft, about 5-10 minutes. Push through fine strainer and discard seeds.
-Return the strained pulp (now more like juice at this point) to the saucepan and add in the sugar/skin mixture.
-Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Turn down the heat and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid runs off the side of a spoon in thick, heavy drops, 20 to 30 minutes. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface of the jam during the cooking process.
-Spoon the jam into three clean 1/2-pint jars (you can sterilize the jars and lids first with boiling water, if you are so inclined), leaving about 1/4 inch of space at the top. Close the jars and let the jam cool to room temperature. Store the jam in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Tuesdays with Dorie: Apple Nut Muffin Cake
October 4, 2011 at 12:09 am | Posted in breakfast things, cakes & tortes, groups, muffins/quick breads, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 10 CommentsTags: baking, breakfast, cake
This Apple Nut Muffin Cake is quintessential fall baking…apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, walnuts and raisins…all things that make your house smell great. Rolled oats (and swapping a little whole grain flour for AP) make this easy breakfast cake feel even more wholesome. It is just like a muffin in terms of technique and texture, but, not that I would ever really call muffin-making fussy, you simply slap the batter into a cake pan and go….ready for coffee in about 35 minutes.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Baking and Boys!, as it was Katrina’s pick this week. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Flip-Over Plum Cake
September 27, 2011 at 12:01 am | Posted in breakfast things, cakes & tortes, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 11 CommentsTags: baking, breakfast, cake
Plums are one of the last tastes of summer fruit. Let’s not be too sad to see the summer go…instead, let’s celebrate with plum cake– Flip-Over Plum Cake. This is the world’s easier batter to throw together…a quick whisk and that’s it. It doesn’t even have any eggs. That was kind of a curveball, actually– I had to, like, quadruple check the recipe to make sure I wasn’t missing something. Scatter the plums over top and toss it in the oven. The plums magically turn into a sweet-tart jam layer on the bottom, and the bizarrely egg-less batter turns into delicious cake!
Dorie has this in the breakfast section, and it’s so tasty, I’m sure it would be a fabulous way to start the day, but a little whipped cream turns it into a perfectly lovely dessert, which is how we ate it over here. I’m betting it would also be great with peaches or nectarines, although I am partial to that intense plum-red color bleeding though.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Project Domestication, as it was Becky’s pick this week. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Salt and Pepper Cocoa Shortbreads
September 20, 2011 at 4:50 pm | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 8 CommentsTags: baking, chocolate, cookies
Chocolate shortbread with a little hit of salt and pepper? Sounds exotic, but the s&p doesn’t overpower (even though I added 50% more of each than the recipe called for). It just gives the slightest tickle on your tongue. I used a little of my precious Aussie pink salt here…love that stuff. After I baked off what you see here, I put the other half of my dough log into my freezer cookie stash. I’ve built a good selection in there at this point, and while I must admit that this one may not bring about world peace, it’ll be a nice addition to that massive cookie platter I’ll one day make from all the leftover dough hunks.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Buttercream Barbie, as it was Tia’s turn to pick again. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Classic Brownies
September 13, 2011 at 12:01 am | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 15 CommentsTags: baking, brownies, chocolate, dessert
I have made lots o’ brownies with TWD (I think there are even still a couple more versions to go), but this is Dorie’s classic…no honey, no cheesecake, no Peppermint Patties…just straight-up chocolate and walnuts. This is a solid brownie, in both the solidly-good sense, and the fudgy-but-not-raw-in-the-middle sense. It’s the one to take to a bake sale, the one to put in a lunchbox, the one that will please everyone (unless they don’t like nuts, but then you just leave them out!).
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Anne Strawberry. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Spice Quickies
September 6, 2011 at 12:01 am | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 12 CommentsTags: baking, cookies
I thought TWD was a pretty PG-group, but this week’s recipe sounds a little racy. Too much talk about spicy quickies might make me blush.
Ok, so these are just quick to make food processor cookies, flavored with spices and chocolate. No ID required. I read that they weren’t actaully very spicy at all, so I doubled the amount in mine. I used allspice, and doubling it makes it noticable, but it’s not in your face. Ground almonds give the dough cute little speckles.
When my quickies turned out soft instead of crispy, I was kind of confused. Ahhh….seems I didn’t read the recipe intro…the one where Dorie says they are chewy. However, as you can see, her side note about turning them into ice cream sandwiches did not escape me! She’s right, they have the perfect texture for ice cream sandwiches.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read the delightful My Baking Heart, as it was Jessica’s turn to pick again. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Golden Brioche Loaves
August 23, 2011 at 12:01 am | Posted in groups, sweet things, sweet yeast breads, tuesdays with dorie | 10 CommentsTags: baking, bread
When I first saw that we’d be making Golden Brioche Loaves this week, I thought, “Haven’t we made this one already?” Well, yes and no. We’ve made brioche on a few occasions, but always for an end result other than a simple loaf. Jules pointed out that last week, King Arthur wrote a post on brioche made in a 9″x4″ pullman pan. Go figure, I have that same pan at home! Doing a little back-of-the-envelope math, I geusstimated that 2/3 of Dorie’s full recipe would make enough dough to fill one 9″x4″ pullman to the lid. I had to add about 10-15 minutes to Dorie’s baking time, but I had a gorgeous (and golden) square-cornered loaf.
I bet some people find brioche to be intimidating, but to me it’s one of the easier yeast breads to make. The dough is soft and supple, and comes together easily by machine. Also, great brioche bakes up nicely in a home oven, unlike, say, a great baguette, whose perfectly shattering crust seems to elude me at home. And the dough freezes well, so you can have fresh brioche buns in a snap.
This recipe really does produce a delightful loaf. I can’t lie, though…the fact that I made a single loaf of bread that contains two entire sticks of butter is somewhat horrifying to me! Nevertheless, I enjoyed a fat slice with homemade apricot jam (made identically to this plum jam), and, you guessed it, more butter (I have a weakness for fancy French salted butters on my toast and bread).
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Tea and Scones, as it was Margie’s pick this week. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
P.S.: I got a new camera…what do you think?
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