Wednesday Recipes

We're half-way through the work-week. Here are six recipes to help you through the day. Enjoy!

Note: Today is Veterans Day. Thank you! to everyone who has served our country.

CHEDDAR STREUSEL APPLE PIE

This yummy recipe comes from The Baker Chick (otherwise know as Audra). She is a blogger and baker (you guessed that, right?), and if you haven't already signed up for her emailed newsletter, I highly recommend it. Go ahead, I'll wait. (Sound of foot tapping on the floor.)

This recipe makes 1 – 9 inch pie, and can be found online on her blog at http://www.thebakerchick.com/2015/11/cheddarstreuselapplepie/.

Ingredients

1/2 recipe Pie Crust(single layer) (click on Pie Crust, or view below)

For the Filling:

8 cups of apples, sliced and (I store them in lemon/water mixture to prevent browning)

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of ginger

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

3 tablespoons of flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

For the Stresuel:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 stick of butter, 8 tablespoons, cut into small pieces, or grated* (see Note below)

3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat over to 425F. In a large bowl, toss together the apples, sugar, flour, vanilla, salt and spices. Set aside.

Roll out the pie crust and fit into a 9 inch pie dish, trimming the edges and crimping if desired.

Pour the apples into the crust and arrange evenly.

For the Streusel:

In a bowl combine the flour & brown sugar and stir together. Stir in the grated cheese, and the the butter, using your hands to work the butter into the dough, until small pea-sized crumbles form and the flour is worked in evenly.

Sprinkle the crumble over the apples.

Bake at 425F on a low rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375F, move the pie to a middle rack and bake for another 30-35 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the crumble is a deep golden brown. Cool slightly before serving with ice cream!

Note: *I found that freezing my stick of butter and grating it into the crumb mixture makes is really fast and easy to work into the crumble

PERFECT PIE CRUST

This is also from The Baker Chick, and makes 2-9 inch single pie crusts or 1 double or lattice-topped crust. It can be viewed at http://www.thebakerchick.com/2012/11/perfect-pie-crust/.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 sticks unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 – 1/2 cups ice water

Instructions

Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and process for a few seconds to combine.

Add the butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds.

With the machine running, add the ice water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube, just until the dough holds together. Do not process for more than 30 seconds.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Divide in two. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap.

Flatten, and form two discs. Wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour before using.

CHOCOLATE DUMP-IT CAKE

This deliciousness comes from Amanda Hesser in The New York Times' cooking newsletter. Amanda writes, “A couple of years ago, my mother taught me to make her dense but moist chocolate birthday cake. She calls it 'dump-it cake' because you mix all of the ingredients in a pot over medium heat, then dump the batter into a cake pan to bake. For the icing, you melt Nestlé's semisweet-chocolate chips and swirl them together with sour cream. It sounds as if it's straight from the Pillsbury Bake-Off, but it tastes as if it's straight from Payard. Everyone loves it.” Time: 1 hour 45 minutes; 10 servings

To view this online, go to http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9404-chocolate-dump-it-cake.

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups Nestle's semisweet-chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups sour cream, at room temperature

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place a baking sheet on the lowest rack to catch any drips as the cake bakes on the middle rack. In a 2- to 3-quart pot, mix together the sugar, unsweetened chocolate, butter and 1 cup of water. Place over medium heat and stir occasionally until all of the ingredients are melted and blended. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vinegar. Grease and flour a 9-inch tube pan.

When the chocolate in the pot has cooled a bit, whisk in the milk mixture and eggs. In several additions, and without overmixing, whisk in the dry ingredients. When the mixture is smooth, add the vanilla and whisk once or twice to blend. Pour the batter into the tube pan and bake on the middle rack until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool on a rack. (This can be tricky -- if someone is around to help, enlist him.) Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler, then let cool to room temperature. Stir in the sour cream, 1/4 cup at a time, until the mixture is smooth.

When the cake is cool, you may frost it as is or cut it in half so that you have 2 layers. There will be extra icing whether you have 1 or 2 layers. My mother always uses it to make flowers on top. She makes a small rosette, or button, then uses toasted slices of almond as the petals, pushing them in around the base of the rosette.

HERB ROASTED CHICKEN

This comes from Diana Rattray, About.com's Southern Food expert. She writes, “It doesn't get much easier than a roast chicken for dinner, and this recipe is an excellent choice. The chicken is roasted to perfection with a lemony herb and butter rub.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 80 minutes; Total Time: 95 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

To view this online, go to http://southernfood.about.com/od/bakedchicken/r/bl30317b.htm.

Ingredients

1 roasting chicken, about 4 to 5 pounds

juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

1 small onion, peeled and quartered

1 rib celery, cut in large chunks

few sprigs fresh parsley

4 tablespoons melted butter

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled

1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C/Gas 4).

Rub inside of chicken with lemon juice; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the onion quarters, celery, and a few sprigs of parsley to chicken cavity.

Combine the melted butter with the chopped parsley, rosemary, and thyme. Brush some of the butter mixture over the chicken.

Place chicken in a shallow roasting pan and roast at 350° for about 20 minutes per pound.

Baste with melted butter and herb mixture several times.

Internal temperature should register at least 165° on a meat thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH MAC AND CHEESE

This comes from Rachael Ray of The Food Network's 30 Minute Meals. Total Time: 20 minutes; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 15 miutes; Yield: 5 servings (Rachel writes that Boo – her dog – would eat enough for 2); Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/butternut-squash-mac-and-cheese-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

1 pound macaroni with lines, such as tubatini or mini penne rigate

Salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 medium onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus a few sprigs for garnish

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken stock

1 (10 ounce) box frozen cooked butter nut squash, defrosted

1 cup cream or half-and-half

2 cups (8 ounces) sharp Cheddar, grated

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, eyeball it

Black pepper

Directions

Heat a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water then add the pasta and cook to al dente or, with a bite to it.

While pasta cooks, heat a medium heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the thyme and grate the onion directly into the pot with a hand held grater or Microplane. Cook the grated onion in butter and oil 1 to 2 minutes, then add flour and cook together 1 to 2 more minutes. Whisk in stock, then combine with butternut squash until warmed through and smooth. Stir in cream or half-and-half and bring sauce to a bubble. Stir in cheeses in a figure 8 motion and season the completed sauce with salt, nutmeg and pepper. Taste to adjust seasonings.

Drain cooked pasta well and combine with sauce. Serve alongside chicken sammies and top with thyme leaves picked from remaining sprigs (Boo would also have a little extra sprinkle of that cheese, please!)

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE WITH PECAN TOPPING

This comes from Diana Rattray, About.com's Southern Food expert. She writes, “This classic sweet potato casserole is the perfect combination of sweet potato filling and crunchy buttery, pecan topping.

“This is the perfect sweet potato casserole for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 55 minutes; Yield: 6 to 8 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes, cooled

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup melted butter

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup chopped pecans

Preparation

Heat the oven to 350° F (180° C/Gas 4). Butter a 2-quart casserole or baking dish.

In a large bowl combine the mashed sweet potatoes with 1 cup of brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, and 1/2 cup of melted butter. Blend thoroughly; spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

In another bowl combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle over top of the sweet potato mixture.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and the topping is browned.

To Make Ahead: To save a little time on serving day, prepare the sweet potato filling the day before. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, cover, and refrigerate. You may also prepare the topping in a separate bowl; cover and refrigerate. Take the casserole out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Spread with the topping and bake as directed.