Apple Muffins

Apple muffins...hot from the oven to warm the 'inner man'! They are great morning, noon or night...

and a perfect addition to the school lunch bag.  This recipe came from Betty Crocker's cookbook (copyright 1969)...which happens to be one of my old favorites.

Apple Muffins

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup coarsely grated apple
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Beat egg.
2. Stir in milk, oil and grated apple.
3. Mix in remaining ingredients, just until flour is moistened.  Batter should be lumpy.
4. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full.
5. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes...or until golden.
6. Yield...12 muffins

 

*Optional Crunch Topping: Sprinkle muffins with a mixture of 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup chopped nuts and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. The topping is wonderful on fresh muffins...not quite so good later on.

Multigrain No Knead Bread

The ingredient list is very simple but you will need one piece of critical equipment.  You must use a heavy enamel cast iron pot, either  round or oval doesn't matter but it must have a heavy lid. My pot is oval and measure 4 inches high, 10 long and 8 inches at the widest.

• 1 1/2 cups Multigrain Flour. . . or Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 1/2 cups of All Purpose White Flour
• 1 teaspoon vital wheat gluten (some bread flours don't seem to need this)
• 1/4 teaspoon of yeast
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 - 2 tablespoons of water

  
  

1. Stir the flours and the gluten together in a large glass mixing bowl.
2. Add the yeast and the salt.
3. Add the room temperature water.
4. Stir with a wooden spoon.
5. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 12 - 15 hours.
6. Place a piece of parchment paper in a a heavy enamel cast iron pot with a lid.
7. Shape dough into a ball and place on a piece of parchment paper covered with a large bowl for an hour or until double.
8. Place heavy dutch oven with with lid into the oven and preheat to 450F.
9. Remove pot from oven, place the dough with the parchment paper inside, place on lid and bake for 30 minutes.
10. Remove lid and continue to bake for another 10 - 15 minutes until evenly browned.
11. Remove bread with parchment to a wire rack to cool. 

Squash and Apple Bake

My friend Dorothy submitted this recipe to our first GWG Greendale Church cookbook. 

It's been a favourite of ours for years. Definitely one of those comfort food recipes.

 It's a good dish to feed to those "fussy about veggies" kids and grandkids (and their elders).

• 2 pounds squash - I've used butternut, or acorn 
• 2-3 apples
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1. Cut the end off the squash and peel. (I use a good potato peeler) Peel and core the apples.
2. Cut the squash and apples into 1 inch cubes and place in casserole dish.
3. Combine remaining ingredients except pecans and spread over squash and apples. top with chopped nuts if desired.
4. Cover with lid or foil and bake for 50-60 minutes in a 350 F degree oven. Or you can cook it in the microwave until tender. Either way it makes a wonderful fall side dish.

Bavarian Apple Torte

I love the combination of flavors in this cake, but since there are those in my family who don’t care for for cream cheese, I don't make it as often as I'd like. I got the recipe from my friend Karin, when we were young moms, getting together for coffee while our toddlers played. I’ve modified the recipe somewhat.

Ingredients:

base:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour

filling:

• 2 – 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

topping:

• 2 - 3 thinly sliced apples
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup sliced almonds

Method:

1. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add flour a little at a time and beat until crumbly to resemble a graham wafer type crust.
2. Press crumbs out on bottom and a little up the side of a 8 1/2 - 9 inch spring-form pan. 
3. Beat cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until smooth. 
4. Pour into pastry-lined pan.
5. Arrange apples on top of cream cheese layer and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mixture
6. Top with almonds.
7. Bake at 400° F for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375° F and continue baking for 50 - 60 minutes. Cover loosely with foil for last 10 minutes if almonds get too dark. (shorter baking time is if using a larger pan, because the cake will not be as high)
8. Allow to cool 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge before removing the rim. 

Danish Cream Squares

This creamy dessert has been a family favorite for many years and is my daughter's choice for a birthday cake. She's not big on cakes and since today was her 30th birthday she got to pick and choose!  I got this recipe from my friend Wendy about twenty years ago, but have seen versions of it in recipe books.

• graham wafers
• vanilla pudding and pie filling, 6-serving size
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups whipping cream (500 ml)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 square semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 teaspoon butter or margarine

1. Line 9 x 13 inch un-greased pan with whole graham wafers, trimming to fit.
2. Cook pudding with milk as directed, using only 2 1/2 cups of milk.
3. Allow to cool; spread over graham crackers in pan.
4. Beat cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff. Spread over pudding.
5. Top with second layer of whole graham crackers, trimming to fit.
6. Mix icing sugar and milk together well. It needs to be fairly thin (add more milk if necessary). Spread over cracker layer.
7. Melt chocolate with butter (in microwave). Drizzle over top. 
8. Chill. Let stand overnight before serving.

 Enjoy!

Homemade Hot Dog Buns

A few weeks ago we planned to have a wiener roast and I got to thinking that I used to make homemade hot dog buns for our wiener roasts and so went on a search for the recipe. I didn't find my original recipe but found one on allrecipes.com that seemed similar.
This dough can also be used to make hamburger buns.

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 1/2 cups white flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour (recipe called for just white flour)
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 2 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg

1. Heat milk, water and butter until very warm.
2. In a large bowl whisk together 1 3/4 cups flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.
3. Mix milk mixture into flour mix, add egg and mix well. Stir in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time beating well after each addition.
4. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out into a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. I did this all in my Braun machine...that handy little thing!
5. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces, recipe called for 12 but it was stated that they were pretty big and 16 was suggested, which I did and they were the right size.
6. With rolling pin roll and shape each piece into a 6 x 4" rectangle. Starting with the longer side roll up tightly and pinch edges and ends to seal. I didn't pinch the ends and they were okay. As you can see on the pic that mine didn't look perfect..should we say rustic, maybe?
7. Place on greased baking sheet and let rise 20 to 25 minutes.
8. Bake at 400º for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.

Here the wieners are roasting.. turning black just the way I like them!
Oh my they were so good..add a few veggies, chips and rice salad (which I posted some time ago) and dig in! I love wiener roasts and hope to have a few more before the snow flies. Actually it is quite fun to have winter wiener roasts as well, then you just cozy up to the fire!

Hoisin Chicken in Lettuce Cups

This unusual appetizer is reminiscent of the lettuce wraps served in our local Chinese Restaurant. 

                     It serves 6 - 8 as an appetizer but if you want to serve it as a main course, 

                                                         this recipe will serve 3.

• 1/3 cup Hoisin sauce or paste (found in the Chinese grocery aisle)
• 4 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lb), rinse and pat dry
• salt and pepper
• Iceberg lettuce leaves - either the small ones from the inside of the head or use a pizza cutter and cut round shaped cups from the larger leaves.
• 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1-2 green onions chopped or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 handful each of fresh basil and parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts

1. Heat BBQ grill to medium high. In a small bowl, whisk the Hoisin sauce, rice vinegar and Soy sauce until blended. 
2. Divide the Hoisin mixture equally into into 2 bowls. Set one aside - you will use it to moisten the chopped chicken later.
3. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper and brush with the Hoisin mixture from one of the bowls. 
4. Grill the chicken thighs, covered, until well browned and beginning to blacken around the edges - about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over, brush with the sauce and grill for another 5 minutes or so. Continue flipping the chicken and brushing it with the Hoisin mixture until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. This does not take very long.
5. Remove from grill and let it rest for 10 minutes. 
6. Chop the chicken into a fine dice. 
7. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the Hoisin mixture, the basil, parsley and chives. 
8. You can refrigerate the chicken at this point. 
9. Just before spooning onto the lettuce leaves, stir in the peanuts.
10. Place one heaping tablespoon onto each lettuce cup (I use a mini ice cream scoop), arrange on a platter and serve.

You may want use the Hoisin sauce as a BBQ sauce. I've often cooked the chicken for supper and saved 4 thighs to make an appetizer for the next day.

Yam Puff

For years this has been a "for sure" when planning the holiday menus. The Puff is light and creamy with a crisp topping and "just" a hint of sweet.

• 6 cups Yams  (about 4 medium) 
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs . . beaten
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup of Panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons Butter melted

1. Put yams on a baking sheet and wrap them in foil and bake them at 350 F for an hour or until very done. I slide a sharp knife into the largest one to ensure it is soft enough to mash.
2. After the Yam has been measured, mash it really well with a potato masher.
3. Add the butter and eggs. Beat well. (this can be done the day ahead and wrapped and kept cold)
4. Combine the flour, sugar, Baking Powder, salt, pepper.
5. Stir into the mashed yams.
6. Butter a flat casserole dish and spread the yam mixture into the pan.
7. Combine the crumbs and butter and sprinkle over the Yams.
8. Bake at 375 for about  45 minutes or until golden browned and puffed.

Frosted Pumpkin Donuts

I bought a number of pumpkins from a farm last week. I baked and pureed them...there is nothing like fresh pureed pumpkin! I baked pumpkin pies for our Thanksgiving dinner and I still had puree left over and decided to make donuts. These donuts taste amazing and I will make them again.

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened 
• I cup cooked and pureed pumpkin (fresh or from a can)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 cups white flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup evaporated milk (I used skim milk)
• Oil for deep frying

1. In a mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, and butter.
2. Add pumpkin and lemon juice, mix well.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and add to pumpkin mixture alternately with milk.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead 5 or 6 times. I needed extra flour to roll out the dough. Roll to 3/8" thickness and cut with a donut cutter.
5. In deep fryer or skillet ( I used my wok) heat oil to 375º. I test to see if it's hot enough by putting a 'donut hole' in the oil and if that rises to the top immediately you know the oil is hot enough. Fry donuts, a few at a time until golden, about 3 minutes, turn once and remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels to soak up excess oil.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting:

*I looked for a frosting with pumpkin puree and found one at http://www.foodnetwork.com/ I only made half of the recipe as I wasn't planning on frosting all of the donuts.

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup cooked pumpkin puree
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• Zest of 1/2 orange
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups icing sugar

1. Beat cream cheese, pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange zest, and vanilla together with a hand mixer at medium speed. 
2. Add icing sugar and beat until frosting is fluffy.
3. Once donuts are cooled spread with frosting. 
4. I frosted some with the pumpkin cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with crisp gingersnap cookie crumbs, some I coated with a sugar/cinnamon mixture and some I left plain.
5. Crushed peanuts or toffee bits sprinkled on the frosted donuts would be very good as well.

Yam Casserole

I recently saw an article about the confusion between yams and sweet potatoes.  The origianl recipe that inspired this one was called Sweet Potato Casserole, however, the picture showed the orange flesh. In our area the orange fleshed potatoes are yams and the white fleshed are sweet potatoes, but I've come to learn it all depends on where you live. This recipe uses orange yams and lightens up on the sugar and butter. It is still quite sweet, but so delicious with turkey dinner.


Ingredients:

• 10 - 12 small (size of a large potato) yams, peeled and cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter, cubed small
• 1/2 – 1 cup walnuts or pecans
• 1 small bag miniature marshmallows

1. Peel and cut yam crosswise about 1/2 inch thick.
2. Arrange half the yam slices in a glass baking dish.
3. Mix sugar, salt and pepper, then sprinkle half of it on the yams.
4. Dot with half the butter.
5. Arrange remaining yams and top with the rest of the sugar and butter.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400° F for 30 min.
7. Sprinkle with nuts, cover and continue baking another 45 minutes or until yams are soft.
8. Five minutes before serving, remove foil, cover with mini marshmallows and bake uncovered until golden. Serves 12