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Apple, Ham & Smoked Gouda Galettes

January 22, 2012 By 47 Comments

“A HUNGRY STOMACH SELDOM SCORNS PLAIN FOOD.”  Horace

Have you ever been so busy that you forget to eat?  And then when you finally have a moment to realize that you are hungry, what you eat tastes so incredibly good.  Which leads you to wonder, was it really that good?  Or was I just really that hungry?!  I decided to try this humble galette today.  It’s made in stages.  First the dough for the crust.  Then it chills.  Then you fill it.  Chill it some more.  And then bake it for a half an hour or so.  And in between I kept myself kind of busy.  So at 4pm when the galette was ready..I realized that I hadn’t had anything but a cup of coffee today..and I was more than ready to eat it!  So simple yet flavorful.  A warm, flaky, tender crust, sprinkled with grated smoked gouda and just the right amount of pepper is filled with buttery apples, apricot jam, mustard and ham; lavished with an egg wash and a pinch of sea salt; and then baked to a golden perfection!  Yes…I was hungry…..but this was delicious! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Savory Sweet Tagged With: , ,

Autumn Fruit Chutney

November 10, 2011 By 30 Comments

“THY BOUNTY SHINES IN AUTUMN UNCONFINED AND SPREADS A COMMON FEAST FOR ALL THAT LIVE.”  James Thomson

There is a different kind of simplicity that I search for in the fall.  While in spring and summer, I am content to eat some strawberries off the vine, or a fresh peach flavorful all on it’s own; in autumn I look for more comfort.  For a blending and melding of fruits and flavors.  And warmth!  And this union of fruits and spices does not need to be complex.   Crisp apples, pears and cranberries melt together with the warmth of cinnamon and brown sugar and curry.  It takes little time and effort, but seems to simmer for the longest hour of my life!  But I could almost be content with the lovely scent which begins to waft through my kitchen.  This chutney was created to…… [Read more...]

Filed Under: Apples, Fruity & Fun, Pears Tagged With: , ,

Tequila Mockingbird

October 22, 2011 By 21 Comments

3 oz apple cider

1 oz white tequila ( I used Cazadores Reposado)

1 oz creme de cassis

2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Fill a shaker 2/3 full with ice.  Add the apple cider, tequila, creme de cassis, and lemon juice.  Shake well.  Place 4-6 ice cubes in an old fashioned size glass and strain the drink over the top.  Garnish with fresh apple slices if desired.

As you come to know me, you will find out that I am a HUGE classic literature buff!  Actually, buff may be too kind and nerd like may be more appropriate!  I have read To Kill a Mockingbird 4 times.  Once as a teenager, and once as an adult; and then once each when my boys read this novel in high school.  It has always been one of my all time favorites!  So when I saw the name of this drink…..it naturally caught my eye!  I wanted a sweet fall drink, but was not quite in the mood for the warm ciders and mulled wines just yet.  I stumbled upon this cocktail recipe and at first glance of the ingredients I thought…..how in the world do these work together in the same drink?  And the answer is BRILLIANTLY!!!  This is my absolute new favorite fall drink!  The tequila does something to mellow out the sweetness of the cider.  The cassis deepens the color of the drink. (Look at the color of the pitcher of cider in the background compared to what’s in the glass!)  And the lemon juice adds a bright freshness to it all!  This is extremely refreshing and not overly sweet.  I’ll definitely be drinking this until cider season is over!

So as I was on my deck taking pictures…..look who crashed the photo shoot…..LITERALLY!

This poor little guy tried to enter my family room via a closed window!  He fell to the deck, stunned, and I feared that he was injured.  One of his legs looked a little puffier than the other.  And he just sat there for the longest time…breathing kind of fast….and unable or unwilling to fly.  I was on my belly right in front of him taking this picture.  He didn’t look hurt…but he wouldn’t move!  So I went inside and got online and got the numbers for the animal rescue in my area.  I debated for a minute.  I thought, what if he could never fly again.  Maybe I could keep him and take care of him.  So I named him Bandit (look at the area around his eyes).  But then I realized, that I had no way of assessing whether he was truly injured or not.  So just as I began to dial the phone….he turned, got his puffy leg back into position…and flew away!  I hope I see Bandit again one day.  But I don’t think I will.  He’s so much better off in his own world than mine.

So enjoy this drink while listening to a clip from THE DIXIE CHICKS.  And one of my favorite songs on so many levels LET HIM FLY.  Have a beautiful weekend everyone!

Filed Under: Cocktails Tagged With: ,

Caramel Apple Cake

September 11, 2011 By 43 Comments

BAKED SUNDAY MORNINGS:  CARAMEL APPLE CAKE

 I am so glad to learn that the site for Baked Sunday Mornings has been updated.  I always want to feature recipes that, even if they are not my own, are still accessible to everyone.  Hopefully this recipe will be posted soon on the Baked Sunday Mornings site. It still can, however, be found in the book, Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.

What initially seemed unusual to me about this cake is the frosting.  Because it contains flour!

Overall, this is really a good cake.  The cake itself is moist and flavorful and one that I am likely to use again, especially in cupcakes.  And the frosting is tasty.  But I don’t think it’s worth the cooking process to get rid of the flour taste, even if it was meant to thicken the frosting.  The recipe called for us to use the paddle attachment on our mixers for the frosting.  But I ended up swapping out for the whisk….just to get more air and volume.  I didn’t think the frosting had enough of a caramel flavor, yet I was reluctant to add more than the 1/3 cup it called for because I was afraid it would affect the texture of the buttercream.  So I decided to spread a thin layer of caramel on the cake layers before I frosted it.

All in all the cake is good and the frosting is lightly sweet.  But if I make this again, I will use my own recipe for caramel buttercream……and leave the flour for the cake batter!

On a scale of 1-5…..I’m giving this 4 whisks!

Filed Under: Baked Sunday Mornings, Cake Tagged With: , , ,