Apricot Cheesecake Cookies
http://www.pipandebby.com/pip-ebby/2011/12/11/apricot-cheesecake-pockets.html
This week: Fancy Pastries!
(If you would like to be on or off of this weekly cooking thread ping-list, please send a private message.)
-JT
You got me at ‘flavored with rum.’ :-)
I’ve never tried this recipe. Can’t even remember where I ran across it. But it’s very simple & sounds like it should be excellent. I seem to be on a perpetual diet I never get around to making the recipes I collect...
French Apple Clafouti
The French-inspired clafouti, a blended custard-meets-pastry, will impress any guests you share it with.
Ingredients:
4 cups peeled, sliced apples
1 ½ cups whole milk
4 eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour, sifted
¼ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a deep 10-inch pie plate.
2) Arrange the apples evenly over the bottom of the plate.
3) Combine milk and eggs in a blender until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend 5 seconds. Pour batter over apples. Bake 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry. Serve warm.
Yummy!!
So lovely & tempting.
Apricot Cheesecake Cookies
http://www.pipandebby.com/pip-ebby/2011/12/11/apricot-cheesecake-pockets.html
http://www.lilvienna.com/original-viennese-apple-strudel/
Here’s a good recipe for Apple Strudel.
I’m not much of a baker, so if I can actually make this into
something that tastes like it’s supposed to then it must be a good recipe. ;)
OCTOBER 20 is Brandied Fruit Day
Brandied Fruit has been a favorite treat for those who enjoy the delicious bite of fruit with the full-bodied flavor of Brandy. Brandy is perhaps the ultimate distillation of fruit, as it starts its life as a bountiful wine with a delightful bouquet, which is then distilled down into the spirit that is Brandy. From there, the addition of sugar, heat, and a select number of herbs, spices, and occasionally additional fruit is added to create this wonderful treat with the rich bite.
History of Brandied Fruit Day
The history of Brandied Fruit Day is, unfortunately, lost to the mists of time. But the tradition of creating this wonderful midwinter treat is not. Brandied fruit wasn’t just a delicious treat for those with the money and resources to make it, but was essentially a high-class method of preservation. Besides being delicious on its own, it also provides a long lasting way of enhancing your Brandy, and preserving fruits that could otherwise be lost for the winter.
How to Celebrate Brandied Fruit Day
Celebrating Brandied Fruit Day is a cinch, you simply crack open a jar of Brandied fruit and gobble it down with relish! (Proverbial relish, as to enjoy, not actual relish… ewww). What’s that? You don’t have brandied fruit? Well, you can often buy it at certain specialty stores, but to really get the full experience you should try making some yourself. Be aware that this is not a short process. The beginning is as simple as getting the ingredients together, getting some sterilized glass canning jars, and following the recipe.
Be warned though, once the initial process is complete, it’ll be going into that jar for a good 3 weeks, so be sure you’re prepared for that kind of wait.
To help you Celebrate Brandied Fruit Day, we’re providing you with a simple and straight-forward recipe to let you try making your own!
Recipes
First select a minimum 80 proof Brandy or Cognac, and whatever fruit you happen to love. Be sure it’s high quality and fresh though, nothings worse than mushy bruised fruit in making Brandied Fruit.
The combination is fairly simple, you simply take one pound of fresh fruit, and add:
3-5 T of Sugar (Modify for how sweet the fruit is)
½ a citrus peel (¼ if it’s orange)
½ t of allspice, cinnamon, chile, red peppers, or any other spices that suit you.
½ t of vanilla extract or vanilla bean
Slowly simmer it all until it’s cooked clear, and allow to cool off before proceeding.
Stir in 2 ½ cups of the brandy or cognac you’ve selected.
Sterilize the jars and lids by your preferred method (simply washing them is sufficient)
Pack the fruit into the jars, with about ½ an inch at the head, and cover with the above mixture. Add the zest and other spices to the jars. Then seal and let sit for 2-4 weeks.
As you consume this treat, it’s always good to top it back up to keep it safe to eat, as the brandy keeps it from going bad. You can enjoy this all year long, 9-10 months if its kept refrigerated.
from: https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/brandied-fruit-day/
Perhaps a unique CHRISTMAS gift??
BABA RUM CAKE
Another taste delight never eaten. Perhaps one day. :)
http://www.saucygirlskitchen.com/2012/11/29/rum-babas-filled-with-italian-pastry-cream/
This is a nice twist on apple pie. I like adding herbs to sweet desserts.
My husband really likes this old fashioned pie:
https://www.loavesanddishes.net/old-fashion-sugar-cream-pie/
I have been making this fruitcake for years. Sometimes I used a bundt pan. I also make mini loaves as gifts.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/free-range-fruitcake-recipe-1926833
I am going down to the cafeteria with one of my kids for some not very good coffee. Wish I had your pastry to go w/ it. : )
This cake looks fantastic. I am going to try this for Thanksgiving dinner.
http://www.seriouseats.com/2017/10/how-to-make-the-best-carrot-cake.html
I have been a baker of high end wedding cakes for about 25 years, so pastry is a busman’s holiday of sorts for me. However, I have seriously cut back on my work load this year, so I get to play a bit more.
I have a memory from about 50 years ago of a pastry I used to eat in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It consisted of a very light bread (roll) in various shapes .... knots, twists, etc.....that had been brushed with something that gathered in all the nooks and crannies and made a custard like surprise where you broke it apart. I have never seen anything similar.
Any ideas?
It’s pumpkin cheesecake day.
Chocolate Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake
Crust
2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (35 to 40 cookies)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake
4 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
4 Tbsp bourbon
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 1/2 tsp aromatic bitters
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp Madagascar vanilla
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted (or chopped dark chocolate)
Toppings (I consider topping optional..it’s great without, but if you want to)
1/2 cup caramel topping (I have used Recchiuti)
2 tsp bourbon
Dash aromatic bitters
Toasted pecans (optional)
Directions
Heat oven to 300ºF. Grease 9-inch springform pan with shortening or cooking spray. Wrap outside bottom and side of pan with foil to prevent leaking. In small bowl, mix crust ingredients. Press mixture into bottom and one inch up side of pan. Bake eight to 10 minutes or until set. Cool for five minutes.
In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy; do not overbeat. On low speed, gradually beat in sugar, then flour, and then eggs (one at a time), just until blended. Remove half of cream cheese mixture (about 3 cups) into another large bowl; reserve.
Into remaining cream cheese mixture, stir 2 Tbsp bourbon, pumpkin, 1 1/2 tsp bitters, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg; whisk until smooth. Spoon over crust into pan. Into reserved 3 cups of filling, stir 2 Tbsp bourbon, vanilla, and melted chocolate. Pour mixture over pumpkin layer directly in middle of pan. (This will create layers so that each slice includes some of each flavor.)
To minimize cracking, place shallow pan half-full of hot water on lower oven rack. Bake cheesecake 80 to 90 minutes minutes, or until edges are set but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved.
Turn oven off, and open oven door at least four inches. Leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven; place on cooling rack. Without releasing side of pan, run your knife around edge of the pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on cooling rack for 30 minutes. Cover loosely; refrigerate at least six hours but no longer than 24 hours.
To release: Run knife around side of pan to loosen cheesecake again; carefully remove side of pan. Put cheesecake on serving plate.
I consider adding a rich topping optional, and I don’t top this already rich cheesecake, but here’s the original recipe in case you want it. Stir together caramel topping, 2 tsp bourbon and dash of bitters. To serve, drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with pecans. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cheesecake.
http://dyingforchocolate.blogspot.com/2017/10/pumpkin-cheesecake-day-chocolate.html
I may faint.
Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer
Blender can coconut cream, tb vanilla, 6 tb maple syrup, 2 tb
pumpkin puree, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice. Pour into glass jar w/ lid.
SUGGESTION: Brew together 5 scoops Pumpkin Spice and
5 scoops Hazelnut ground coffee. Tastes great w/ creamer.
Borscht
(Make you strong, like bull!)
A quart of pork stock
About a pound of shredded pork
3 beets (large)
1 onion (chopped)
1 carrot (chopped)
Red Cabbage (It was what I had, white or green will work) about two cups
2 Leeks (chopped)
1 tablespoon Pickling Spice (in a cloth bag)
6 Garlic cloves, mushed (we like garlic)
1 can of diced tomatoes
Splash of Apple Cider vinegar
Poach the beets (whole with tops and bottoms cut off) in the pork stock with picking spice until they peel easily.
Save pork/beet stock and saute onion, cabbage, carrot, leeks and potatoes in pot until the onion is glossy. Add in garlic and continue to saute (Do not burn the garlic!)
Peel and chop beets. You are suppose to shred but my grater has gone walkabout.
Add to pot along with shredded pork and can of tomatoes.
Add in pork/beet stock.
Cook for one hour or until potatoes are tender.
Add splash of vinegar, teaspoon of sugar if you like and serve with sour cream and fresh chopped parsley.
You can use beef and beef stock if you like. Chicken is a bit weak for this soup (IMHO) You can use vegetable stock if want to make it a vegetarian dish.