Cranberry, Apple and Fresh Ginger Chutney

When I first saw the title of this recipe, I was immediately drawn to the apple and fresh ginger. Then as I scanned down, I noticed some onion and celery snuck in there. I couldn't help but think the author should have led with that. It was sort of like telling a friend about the nasty paper cut that's been bothering you, but not mentioning you're having open heart surgery in the morning. Okay, it's nothing like that, but it's definitely a weird omission. Anyway, I had to make it and see if there was any way this could work. So I did. But I did make back up. Two in fact, because I'm both obsessive and indecisive. Then I had my Thanksgiving guests do a taste test. And the shocker...this cranberry sauce won. And just in case you're wondering, the other ones were good. So it's not like this was the least horrible of the three. I liked it...it tastes kind of like someone accidentally got a little stuffing in your cranberry sauce.

CRANBERRY, APPLE, AND FRESH GINGER CHUTNEY

Makes 8 servings

4 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup water

1/2 cup minced onion

1/2 cup chopped Granny Smith apple

1/2 cup finely chopped celery 

_____________________________________________________________________

1.      Combine the cranberries, raisins, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until berries start to pop, about 5 minutes.

2.      Add the onion, apple, and celery; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to thicken, 5 to 10 more minutes. Transfer to a container and cool slightly.

3.      Refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to blossom.

from allrecipes.com (submitted by foodelicious)

ginger, onion, apple, celery and cranberries

cranberries

cranberries, raisin, sugars, spices and water

mixed

cranberries starting to pop

adding onions, celery and apple

Next time I might cook the onion and celery a little
first to soften them (although my friends remarked
that they kind of liked the texture this way).

mixed

thickened

cranberry, apple and fresh ginger chutney

.

Apple Rhubarb Cake with Spiced Whipped Cream

I made this a while back (when it was rhubarb season) and totally forgot to post it. Which is exactly why I need a blog to help me remember what I've been cooking. Only I'm not sure how to remember to post everything. So I guess it doesn't always work. But better late than never. Especially for this humble, yet fantastic, cake. I just loved it (that much I can remember). It was super moist and if you're nervous about the garam masala with the fruit, don't be - it's what makes this cake so unique. And the spiced whipped cream...I could eat a bowl of that with a spoon, like ice cream. Unfortunately I over-whipped mine and it came out thick and lumpy (not exactly photo ready - scroll down). But that didn't hinder the flavor (or slow me down) one bit.

 

APPLE RHUBARB CAKE WITH SPICED WHIPPED CREAM

Yield: 1 (9-inch) cake

Apple Rhubarb Cake:

2 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 Granny Smith apples

1 cup chopped rhubarb

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan

1 egg

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2/3 cup half-and-half

Spiced Whipped Cream:

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon gram masala

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1.      Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-inch spring form pan and coat with the breadcrumbs.

2.      Toss together the sugars. Set aside.

3.      Peel and core the apples, then slice each apple into 16 wedges. Combine the cinnamon and 1/3 cup of the sugar mixture in a medium bowl. Add the apple wedges and chopped rhubarb, and toss to coat.

4.      Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and remaining sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and mix until combined. On low speed, add the flour and baking powder. Slowly add the half-and-half. Add apple and rhubarb then fold in well.

5.      Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake until the center is golden brown, about 35-40 minutes.

6.      Let cake cool completely. Run a small offset spatula around the edge to release from pan and remove spring form.

7.      To make whipped cream, place all ingredients in a bowl and whip to soft peaks. Serve with cake.

from huffingtonpost.com by Marcus Samuelsson

Granny Smith apples

rhubarb

cinnamon and sugar

adding cinnamon-sugar to apples and rhubarb

mixed

butter and sugar

adding egg

adding flour and baking powder

adding half 'n half

batter mixed

mixing in the apples and rhubarb

pouring batter into breadcrumb-coated pan

ready to bake

baked

a few slices got eaten before the
spiced whipped cream even got made

cream, spices and sugar

whipping

over-whipped

It isn't quite butter yet, but it's too thick
and not nice and smooth anymore...

...but it still tastes amazing, so on it goes.

apple rhubarb cake with slightly sad spiced whipped cream

.

Apple Matzo Kugel

When I was away last week (visiting my sister in New Orleans), we threw our own seder (a first for both of us). Needless to say, it was extremely casual and much quicker than most seders I've attended. We basically hit the highlights and were eating in about 20 minutes. It was one of those times when I was glad to be a grown up and relished the fact that I have more control now than when I was a kid (I didn't think I was going to make it through some of my grandparents' marathon seders). If there hadn't been wine that tastes like grape juice there to sedate us kids, I probably wouldn't have.

Anyway, about the kugel. I love a good kugel. But I never thought I would like a matzo kugel because I've had some truly awful ones. Plus I'm a freak for noodle kugel with cream cheese - it's just pure comfort food. So I had fairly low expectations of this recipe. But I was pleasantly surprised. It obviously wasn't creamy and cheesy, but it was sweet and delicious and had a nice texture (slightly reminiscent of bread pudding).

APPLE MATZO KUGEL

Makes 12 servings

4 large apples, Granny Smith or any tart apple, cored and cut into medium dice

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

6 plain matzos

8 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 stick unsalted butter or margarine, melted

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup dried apricots, medium, chopped

4 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into small pieces, for casserole topping

1.      Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.      Toss the apples with the brown sugar and orange juice, set aside in a medium bowl.

3.      Break the matzo into 2- to 3-inch pieces and soak in 1 cup of warm water until soft but not mushy. Set aside.

4.      While the matzo soaks, beat the eggs with a wire whisk in a large bowl until blended. Add the salt, sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, raisins, and apricots.

5.      Squeeze the liquid from the softened matzo and add the matzo to the egg mixture with the apples. Stir the kugel well and pour into a lightly greased 2 1/2-quart casserole dish or a 10- x 14-inch pan. Dot the top of the kugel with the 4 tablespoons of butter.

6.      Bake the kugel for 1 hour. Cover the top with foil if the top begins to become too brown early in the baking. Remove the kugel from the oven and cool to room temperature.

Kugel can be made 2 days ahead, cooled, and refrigerated, covered. Bring to room temperature and reheat in a 350° F. oven.

from Epicurious, April 2001 by Abigail Kirsch

Granny Smith apples

squeezing orange juice on apples/brown sugar

apple mixture

matzo

matzo pieces soaking

eggs

mixing eggs, salt, sugar, cinnamon, butter, raisins & apricots

adding the soaked matzo

I think I let mine soak a little too long. It was
a little mushy. But the kugel was still great.

everything mixed

in the pan, with butter on top

baked

.

Apple Streusel Pie

This is my favorite kind of apple pie - I just love those sweet, crunchy bits of streusel on top. I think it's way more interesting than another layer of crust. As you can see, this is a very simple recipe. No embellishments or crazy spice concoctions added. Sometimes back to basics is best. This one will remind you of your grandma's...depending, of course, on the grandma (if she was more of a knitter, it will definitely taste better than the pie she crocheted you).

 

APPLE STREUSEL PIE

Yield: 1 (9" or 10") pie

1 recipe flaky cream cheese pie crust dough (see recipe below) or crust of choice

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

dash of salt

5 large Granny Smith apples, sliced

Streusel Topping:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1.      Roll dough to ¼” thickness and place in your pie pan, being sure to leave a large amount of overhang, at least an inch if possible (the crust will shrink in the oven). Crimp the edges and freeze for at least 1 hour.

2.      Preheat oven to 425˚ F.

3.      Line the crust with foil and weigh down with pie weights (or beans, rice or pennies). Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil/weights and bake for another 5 minutes or until bottom is dry. If the bottom puffs up a little, just push it down while still warm.

4.      Meanwhile, combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl; mix until all the apples are well coated.

5.      In a separate bowl, prepare the streusel topping by kneading all the ingredients with your hands until the mixture is crumbly.

6.      Transfer filling to crust and sprinkle streusel on top.

7.      Cover edges and top of pie with foil.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden and apples are cooked through.

Granny Smith apples

sliced apples with flour, sugar and spices

filling mixed

streusel topping

apple filling in pie shell

sprinkling streusel on top

streusel on top

apple streusel pie

FLAKY CREAM CHEESE PIE CRUST

Yield: crust for 1 (9-inch) deep dish pie

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

3 oz. cream cheese, cold

1 1/2 tablespoons ice water

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1.       Cut the butter into small (about 3/4-inch) cubes. Wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze until frozen solid, at least 30 minutes. Place the flour, salt, and baking powder in a resealable gallon-size freezer bag and freeze for at least 30 minutes.

2.       Place the flour mixture in a food processor with the metal blade and process for a few seconds to combine. Set the bag aside.

3.       Cut the cream cheese into 3 or 4 pieces and add it to the flour. Process for about 20 seconds or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the frozen butter cubes and pulse until none of the butter is larger than the size of a pea. (Toss with a fork to see it better.) Remove the cover and add the water and vinegar. Pulse until most of the butter is reduced to the size of small peas. The mixture will be in particles and will not hold together. Spoon it into the plastic bag

4.       Holding both ends of the bag opening with your fingers, knead the mixture by alternately pressing it, from the outside of the bag with the knuckles and heels of your hands until the mixture holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled.

5.       Wrap the dough with the plastic wrap, flatten it into a disc and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, preferably overnight before rolling. Can make and roll ahead: refrigerate up to 2 days; freeze up to 3 months.

from The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum (Epicurious, November 1998)

frozen butter and flour mixture

adding the cream cheese

adding the butter

adding the water and vinegar

dough in bag, before kneading

dough kneaded

dough disk

dough rolled

dough in pie pan

Even though the crust recipe says it's for a 9-inch
pie, there was just enough to fit my 10-inch pan.

Instead of pie weights, I usually use whatever
leftover grains or dried beans I have in the house.
Some people like to use pennies - they're cheaper than
pie weights and reusable (beans and rice can be
reused, but they get kind of funky after a while).

half blind baked pie crust

It's called "blind baked" when baked all the way
through before adding the filling and "half blind baked"
when only partially baked before adding the filling.

This crust shrinks a lot, but it's flaky and delicious.

.