So far Karl and Karla have raised two families.
This month: Biscuits, Apples – and weird, friendly Birds.
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-JT
BUMP BUMP BUMP for garden fresh food
A relative of mine works for a caterer - the owner of the business is an accomplished chef. Anyway, I’m always interested in the recipes they make ... lately, one that she brought home was a ‘Roasted Veggie Frittata’. I don’t know if she’s using Ina Garten’s recipe, but I suspect so.
Roasted Vegetable Frittata
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-vegetable-frittata-recipe2-2043082
This frittata is SO good ... it’s ‘comfort food’ IMO. It is easy to convert to Keto - the veggies are fairly low carb. Eggs, cheese are fine. Just switch out the half & half for heavy cream. My folks actually like this a lot.
I found another frittata that really appeals to me:
Keto Bacon and Brie Frittata
https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/low-carb-bacon-brie-frittata/
“Practically carb-free, this keto bacon and brie frittata is a fabulous breakfast, brunch, or dinner recipe. So easy to make, and it comes together in 25 minutes, start to finish.”
There are also links to these frittatas at the bottom of the bacon/brie post link above:
Zucchini Parmesan Frittata
Keto Sheet Pan Frittata
Roasted Tomato Pecorino Frittata
Mexican Frittata
Jalapeno Popper Frittata
Spinach Mushroom Frittata
Time for the cider, last year right when it was ready the jug exploded...sigh
I know I’ve asked this before, but I’m looking for an apple recipe I used to have that is so delicious. It consists of a rather rich vanilla bottom crust, more cookie than cake-like, then sliced peeled apples are laid over that (BEFORE baking), then topped with a mixture of beaten egg, sour cream, powdered sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest. Then it’s baked til the crust is done and a knife comes out clean. I could inkle the topping amounts, but I don’t know how to make the crust. It’s more cake-like than shortbread, but sturdy. It only rises a little. It was called dutch apple dessert, but every search with that title brings up something entirely different.
A trick to selecting apples is to give them a light thump by flicking them with your finger. A higher pitched thump sound indicates higher turgor pressure which means a fresher apple that’s more likely to cleave crisply when you bite into it. Nothing worse than a mealy, low pitched apple (I’m looking at you, Red Delicious...).
Herbed biscuits sound delicious. I could eat my weight in biscuits. My guilty pleasure is Mcd’s bacon, egg, & cheese biscuits.
James Beard’s cream drop biscuits are so easy & so delicious!
Tx style, tho they love biscuits too
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/236805/king-ranch-chicken-casserole/
Oboy, that dill and cheddar recipe just became my go-to for my culinary adventures this weekend! Thanks!
I always seem to forget. Please do put me on your list, and have a great weekend!
So far Karl and Karla have raised two families.
Yesterday and today I made pumpkin loaves, blueberry loaf and a cinnamon pear streusel bundt. This recipe looks fantastic and can’t wait to try it. The crumb looks so perfect. I have a bunch of honeycrisp apples I need to use.
Caramel Apple Cake
Ingredients
Caramelized Apples
2 medium apples (peeled, cored and chopped)
2 tablespoon butter (30 grams)
1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar (60 grams)
1 tablespoon water
1/2-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (if desired)
For the cake
1 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon cake/pastry flour (240 grams)
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg (room temperature)
1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
1/2 cup butter melted (cooled) (110 grams)
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (room temperature) (125 grams)
For room temperature remove the ingredients from the fridge 30-45 minutes before using.
Instructions
Caramelized Apples
In a medium pot or skillet over low heat melt the butter then add the brown sugar, water and chopped apples, stir together and cook for about 3 minutes over medium/high heat just to melt the sugar, then lower to medium/low and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Add the cinnamon if using in the last two of minutes of cooking time. Stir often, apples should be tender but not mushy.
For the cake
Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C). Grease and flour an 8 inch cake pan.
Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl beat together the sugars, egg and egg yolk until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes, then add the yogurt and melted butter and beat together, 1 minute.
Add the flour mixture to the beaten egg mixture and beat until smooth, do not over beat. Gently fold in the caramelized apples then spoon into the prepared pan.
Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until toothpick (in the cake part) comes out clean or a couple of crumbs are attached and let cool completely or eat warm. You can serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a light dusting of powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Notes
To make your own cake/pastry flour, for every cup of all purpose flour remove two tablespoons and replace with 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Sift together before using.
https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/caramel-apple-cake/
Caramel Apple Spice Thumbprints
Ingredients
Topping
1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice*
Dough
2 and 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
homemade salted caramel*
Instructions
Mix the topping ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Whisk the flour, apple pie spice, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined.
Roll balls of dough, a little less than 1 Tablespoon each (about 1 inch balls), and then roll generously into apple pie spice/sugar mixture to coat. Place dough balls onto a large lined baking sheet. Using your thumb or the end of a spatula (see post above), make an indent into each cookie. If you find that the balls are cracking when you make an indent, use your hands to push back together.
Chill the shaped cookies for at least 2-3 hours and up to 4 days. Cover them if chilling for longer than 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Remove chilled and shaped cookies from the refrigerator. Divide between both baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2-3 inches apart.
Bake for 12 minutes, remove from the oven, and spoon 1/2 teaspoon of caramel into each indentation. If the indents have lost their shape or have puffed up, use the end of a spatula to make an indent again. Place cookies back in the oven for 1-2 more minutes.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Caramel will set after a couple hours.
Notes
Make Ahead Instructions: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Store leftover caramel in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You can make and shape the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, as noted in step 4. Baked and filled cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Special Tools (affiliate links): KitchenAid Stand Mixer, Apple Pie Spice, Silpat Baking Mat, Baking Sheet, and Cooling Rack
Apple Pie Spice: Do you have apple pie spice where you live? It’s pretty standard here in the US. If you don’t have access to store-bought apple pie spice, you can make your own with cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.
Caramel Sauce: I reduced the salt in the salted caramel to 1/4 teaspoon so it’s a regular caramel, not salted. Don’t leave out the salt completely! You can, of course, keep as regular salted caramel too. I prefer the sweet version with this cookie and highly recommend you try it too.
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/caramel-apple-spice-thumbprints/
Raspberry Lemon Breakfast Biscuits
Ingredients Biscuits: 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon lemon zest 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup butter 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup fresh raspberries Lemon Icing: 1 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Instructions combine the sugar and the lemon zest. Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until it is moist and fragrant. Add the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt and baking soda into the sugar and whisk until combined.
Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the mixture. Using a pastry blender or a fork, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Make a well in the center of the mixture. Pour the buttermilk into the center. Using a fork, stir the milk into the mixture just until moistened. Add the raspberries and stir in gently, lightly crushing the raspberries to distribute evenly.
Using a 2 tablespoon scoop, drop the dough onto parchmented baking sheets, at least 1 inch apart, making about 18 biscuits. Bake 450 deg til lightly browned, about 10 min. Do not overbake.
While the biscuits are baking, make the glaze. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest with a whisk until completely mixed and smooth.
When the biscuits are done baking, let them sit for about 10 minutes before drizzling some of the glaze over each of the biscuits.
Cool a bit and then serve.
I used to make a dill batter bread that had cottage cheese in it. The bread was round baked in a Pyrex casserole dish. It made the best tuna sandwiches! I’m traveling so don’t have access to my cookbooks, but I imagine you can find a recipe online.