Asiago Cheese Puffs
I started out 2011 learning to make pate a choux in order to make cream puffs, so it’s fitting that I’m devoting some time in early 2012 to their savory cousins – cheese puffs!
Cheese puffs, called gougères if you want to be all fancy and French about it, are just as easy to make as sweet pate a choux. Melt some butter, stir in some flour, eggs and cheese, and voilà! Cheese puffs.
A lot of recipes call for piping the dough into mounds before baking, but thanks to baking genius Dorie Greenspan I know of a shortcut – use a cookie scoop! No piping bag mess, which makes these easy puffs even easier to bake.
While you can use a variety of different hard cheeses to make cheese puffs, I opted to use asiago because it’s one of my favorites. Let me tell you, once these heavenly cheesy bites started baking my house smelled AMAZING. And once out of the oven, they reminded me of a lighter version of the asiago bagels I like to get from a certain bakery chain whose name starts with a “P” and ends with “anera”.
The cheese puffs are crisp on the outside and a bit creamy / chewy on the inside, making them delightful to eat on their own. They’re great for pairing with soups and salads, too.
If you’re entertaining you can step it up a notch: bake larger cheese puffs, slice them in half and stuff with deli meat, lettuce, a smear of spicy mustard and maybe an extra thin slice of asiago. In no time you’ll have mini sandwich sliders – which I happen to think would make excellent Super Bowl food.
Just sayin’.
Asiago Cheese Puffs
Adapted from David Lebovitz
Makes about 18-20 golfball-sized puffs
Any pate a choux puffs are best enjoyed warm within a few hours of baking. They lose their crisp exterior when stored. According to baking genius Dorie Greenspan, you can make and scoop/pipe your puffs ahead of time, freeze, and then bake straight from the freezer when ready to serve. Cheese puffs can also be re-crisped in a 325F oven for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
1/4 teaspoon salt
big pinch of chili powder
1/2 cup AP flour
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons minced fresh chives
3/4 cup grated asiago cheese, divided
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
Heat water, butter, salt and chili powder in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. As soon as the butter has melted, using a spatula, stir in the flour all at once until a thick paste-like dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat. Cool for 2 minutes.
Briskly beat the eggs in one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next, until dough is smooth and shiny. Dough may look lumpy at first – keep stirring and it will smooth out.
Set aside about 1/4 of the grated asiago. Add the remaining cheese and chives to the pate a choux dough and stir until well-mixed.
Place tablespoon-sized mounds of dough on the prepared baking sheet, evenly-spaced about 1 inch apart. (Use a 2 TBS cookie scoop to make bigger puffs for mini sandwiches.) With a wet finger, smooth down any peaks on the mounds of dough. Sprinkle each mound of dough with a little bit of the reserved cheese.
Bake puffs at 425°F for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 375°F and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, checking after 15 minutes, until puffs are golden brown all around.
Serve immediately. Alternately, store in an airtight container at room temperature and re-crisp in a 325°F oven for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Gingerbread Bread Pudding with Bourbon Eggnog Sauce
Well hello, 2012.
New years often mean new beginnings. We reflect on the previous year and make resolutions to become new, better versions of ourselves going forward.
It’s in the spirit of new beginnings that I’d like to announce that The Craving Chronicles will be turning over a new “leaf” on 2012: all vegetable recipes, all the time. I’m giving up sugar. No more cakes, cookies or chocolates. Just veggies.
Oh, don’t panic. I’m just kidding! Like I could ever give up sugar. Or chocolate? I mean, really. It’s like you don’t even know me.
(Don’t get me wrong. I love vegetables. But let’s be honest, none of you are coming here for vegetable recipes.)
I’m afraid this recipe is a bit late. I was hoping to share it with you earlier, but then I was striken with the plague. (I got better.) I suppose we’re all done with and over the holiday flavors and egg nog by now but I wanted to share this recipe with you anyway, before it gets lost in my archives, because it’s both easy and delicious.
The bread pudding tastes like a cross between french toast and a lightly spiced gingerbread. It’s fine alone, but paired with the eggnog sauce I wanted to lick all the creamy spiced goodness off my plate.
Gingerbread Bread Pudding with Eggnog Bourbon Sauce is packed with holiday flavors, making it an ideal sweet ending to your big family feast. It can also double as a holiday breakfast treat because it’s somewhat like french toast!
Gingerbread Bread Pudding
Serves 4-6
My favorite way to eat this was with warm bread pudding and chilled egg nog sauce, for that irresistible hot and cold combination. This bread pudding could also be made in individual ramekins for cuter presentation – just shorten the baking time appropriately.
Ingredients
10 slices thin-sliced cinnamon raisin bread
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash allspice
dash cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
1 large egg
2 egg yolks
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with butter or baking spray.
Lay cinnamon raison bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes, watching carefully, until bread is lightly toasted. Remove from oven.
While bread cools, in a large bowl whisk together remaining ingredient, milk through egg yolks.
Slice toasted bread into roughly 1-inch cubes. Toss toasted bread cubes in milk mixture, making sure to coat all the bread. Dump soaked bread and any remaining liquid into prepared baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, or until set.
Serve warm topped with Bourbon Egg Nog Sauce.
Bourbon Egg Nog Sauce
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Egg nog
2 egg yolks
1 to 2 Tablespoons bourbon
dash of cinnamon (optional)
Directions
In a medium saucepan, whisk eggnog and egg yolks combine. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until thickened, 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in bourbon and cinnamon to taste.
Serve warm, or chilled for a thicker sauce.
Best of 2011
What’s that? In two days it will be 2012? You’ve got to be joking.
I can hardly believe it myself, but 2011 is almost at an end. It’s been a great year here on my little blog. I’ve connected with so many great people through this site. I just love sharing my cravings and food obsessions with all of you. Apparently a lot of you have the same obsessions and cravings. Is it any wonder I like you so much?
In case you’re new here (or like me seem to have blinked and missed all of 2011), I’m going to re-cap the top posts of 2011 – including my personal favorite, which is perfect for New Year’s celebrations!
Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes
I knew I had made some fantastic cupcakes once I tasted these, but I never expected the recipe to be so popular. These cupcakes were not only the most popular recipe of 2011, but they’re the most popular recipe I’ve shared on this site since it started in 2009!
Broccoli and White Cheddar Mac & Cheese
Close on the heels of the Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes, it’s mac & cheese with spicy pepper jack, white cheddar and broccoli. I whipped this up quickly one night and decided to share it because I loved the flavors together. It turns out you guys love mac & cheese just as mush as I do!
Peaches & Vanilla Cream Pops
Fresh local peaches, greek yogurt, vanilla bean and a touch of bourbon. It’s not hard to imagine why these pops were so popular this year!
Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies
These chewy, lemony cookies were a big hit with my coworkers, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you loved them too. I really need to make more of these soon!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars
These decadent bars were one of my favorites this year, so I’m glad to see them squeeze into the top 5. I mean, really, you can’t go wrong when chocolate, peanut butter and pretzels are combined, but I also love that they’re no-bake and can be made using just the microwave!
And last but not least – my favorite 2011 recipe and a perfect treat for New Year’s…
Champagne Cream Puffs
When I originally published this recipe I wrote, “I know it’s only January, but I’m pretty sure these will be the best things I will eat in all of 2011.” I dared to call it only 4 days into 2011, but I was right. These Champagne Cream Puffs were my absolute favorite recipe in 2011 – and believe me, they had some stiff competition! Just a word of advice – if you make them, make sure there’s someone around to share them with. They are extremely delicious and pop-able, so you might just polish them all off by yourself!
Have a safe and happy New Year! See you in 2012 with more delicious and crave-able recipes.
Favorite Christmas Cookies Roundup
Christmas is synonymous with cookies to me. It’s not Christmas unless there are cookies baking while more are being eating. Below you’ll find links to my favorite holiday cookies recipes, plus some recipes from friends. Do you have a favorite cookie that you can’t celebrate the holidays without?
Lemon Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
An annual favorite and almost always the first to disappear from the cookie tray.
Dark Chocolate Truffles
Make truffles with Bailey’s in them, then cover with snowy powdered sugar. Instant holiday hit.
“Thin Mint” Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Super addictive, so make a lot. I think they’re better than the Girl Scout version.
Molasses Cookies
The photo really doesn’t do them justice, but until I can take a new one just know that these are some of my favorite cookies OF ALL TIME.
Fudgy Triple Chocolate Bliss Cookies
As much chocolate as I could legally cram into one cookie. These are to-die-for.
Holiday Peppermint “Oreos”
Very similar to those holiday cookies you find at that ultra-trendy grocery store that I live nowhere near. In other words, delicious.
And don’t forget to check out these favorites from other food bloggers!
Mint-Chocolate Bottom Shortbread Cookies – Back to the Cutting Board
Molasses Spice Cookies with Orange Sugar – Back to the Cutting Board
Rugelach – Flavia’s Flavors
Parmesan-Black Pepper Biscotti – Flavia’s Flavors
Snickerdoodles – Flavia’s Flavors
Fudgy Triple Chocolate Bliss Cookies
I’ve been looking for a decadent, extra chocolate-y cookie for a while now and good news: I think I’ve found it.
I wanted a cookie packed with the maximum amount of chocolate allowed by law. I wanted a cookie so rich and fudgy I would be satisfied with one, but would eat two anyway because they’re that good.
I baked these cookies to share with friends and family. I love making people happy through baked goods, but I’ve got to be honest here – I immediately regretted giving them all away. I should have kept them all for myself! Fortunately they’re easy to make and believe me, I have plans to make more very soon.
The name says it all. Fudgy Triple Chocolate Bliss Cookies. Here’s some math for you:
Melted chocolate
+ 2 kinds of cocoa powder
+ chocolate chips
= a chocolate overdose in the best possible way.
They’re a little chewy on the outside, but the inside stays dark and moist, almost like brownie batter.
These cookies are so packed with chocolate they probably should be illegal. Lucky for you, they’re not!
Fudgy Triple Chocolate Bliss Cookies
Adapted from Leela Cyd
Makes about 24 cookies
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder (such as Hershey’s Special Dark)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (such as Ghirardelli 60% chips)
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, cocoa powders, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
In a small saucepan, melt butter and chopped bittersweet chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs and sugar at medium speed until light yellow in color and satiny, about 3-4 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in chocolate mixture and mix until well combined. Add flour mixture and beat on low just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand with a spatula.
Scoop out dough with a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop and place 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake at 325°F for 12 – 13 minutes. (The outside will be set but the centers should still be soft and slightly under-baked.) Cool on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container. Best enjoyed within one week.
Mini Cranberry Caramel & Dark Chocolate Cookie Tarts
I promised you a recipe combining the Cranberry Vanilla Bean Caramel with chocolate, so here it is.
My family decided to do mini desserts for Thanksgiving this year. I highly recommend this approach to holiday desserts. Everyone is always so stuffed after dinner they can barely choke down a whole slice of pie, let alone two. But mini desserts? Somehow everyone managed to find room for two or four of those.
Especially these bite-sized cranberry caramel filled shortbreads topped with chocolate ganache. I’ll give you a minute to really take all that in.
I took this amazing sweet tart cranberry caramel, …
dolloped it into crunchy, salty chocolate shortbread shells, and then topped it all off with a rich, creamy, decadent dark chocolate ganache.
If your mouth isn’t crying for one of these right now, you should probably see a doctor ASAP.
I know it probably sounds like I think everything I make is the Best Thing Ever, but these mini tarts are now near the top of my favorites list. They’re so good, my family advised me to quit my day job and open a bakery. I highly recommend you make some of these for your next holiday gathering.
Mini Cranberry Caramel & Dark Chocolate Cookie Tarts
Printable Recipe
Makes 24 or more bite-sized tarts
I had some trouble figuring out the best way to get these tarts out of the pan. Baking spray in my first, slightly less non-stick pan yielded some stuck shells that broke when I tried to get them out. Generously buttering my other very non-stick pan the second time had the shells pop right out, but left them somewhat crumble-y around the top. Whatever you do, generously grease your pan. If you have a mini cheesecake pan with removable bottoms, that would probably work best.
Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 3 tablespoons
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
15 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3/4-inch cubes, at room temperature
1/2 to 3/4 cup Cranberry Vanilla Bean Caramel
1/2 heaping cup bittersweet chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet Chips
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Directions
Prepare the Cranberry Vanilla Bean Caramel according to directions. Chill. Can be done up to a week ahead.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter or coat with baking spray one 24-cup mini muffin tin, two 12-cup mini muffin tins, or a mini cheesecake pan.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add sugar, flour, cocoa powders, baking soda and salt. With the paddle attachment, mix on low speed (with a towel over the mixer to keep the dust down) until combined. With the mixer is running on low, add butter a few pieces at a time, waiting a moment after each addition. Once all butter is added, continue to beat until sandy mixture gathers into a ball of dough.
Dump the dough out onto a floured or parchment/wax paper covered counter. Using your hands, form dough into a roughly 5 x 7-inch block. Cut block in half. Working with one half at a time, roll out dough to between 1/6 and 1/8 inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cookie / biscuit cutter (or one slightly larger than your muffin tin cups), cut out rounds of dough. Gently place each dough round into a cup in the prepared muffin tin(s), folding over dough and smoothing sides as needed to form a shell. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut out more circles just once. Using a small fork, lightly prick the dough at the bottom of each shell to prevent it from puffing up too much.
Bake at 350ºF for 12 minutes. Remove from oven, cool 1 minute. While tart shells are still hot, use the bottom of a slender glass (I used a shot glass) or the handle of a wooden spoon to reshape the hollow space in the shells for maximum filling space. Cool to room temperature.
With the tart shells still in the pan, spoon about 1 teaspoon of previously prepared cranberry caramel into each cup. Chill until caramel firms up. (You can speed this up by popping the whole thing in the freezer for 15-30 minutes.)
While caramel chills, make ganache. Warm chocolate chips and heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until a smooth chocolate ganache forms. Remove from heat and cool for about 5 minutes.
Place a dollop of warm (not hot) ganache on top of each filled tart. Chill until ganache is firm. Tap pan upside-down to release tarts.
Refrigerate tarts until ready to serve. Can be assembled 1-2 days ahead and kept refrigerated. The tarts can be enjoyed straight out of the fridge, but are best when set out at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
Cranberry Vanilla Bean Caramel
I think I might need a caramel intervention.
I can’t stop making and eating caramel this fall. On cupcakes. With pudding. In my morning breakfast yogurt. With my fingers. (What?)
In the last recipe I mentioned that I made cranberry caramel, but I think it got a little outshined by the pumpkin pie pudding. So I decided to feature the caramel on it’s own because, you guys – this stuff is amazing. Life changing. Soul saving. Heavens open up and sing when you taste it. It’s that good.
I know it’s the day before Thanksgiving and you already have a million things to make between today and tomorrow, but if you find yourself with a spare hour or so, make this cranberry caramel. It’s sweet and tart. Flecked with vanilla bean. It has so many layers of flavor and it tastes great on almost anything. If it was legal, I would run off to Vegas and marry it. (Sorry, husband.)
This caramel is extremely versatile because i’s firm, yet soft and spoonable straight out of the fridge, making it a perfect topping for cold desserts (like pumpkin pie pudding). Warmed, it would be fantastic drizzled over pumpkin or pecan pie, or just plain vanilla ice cream.
Or if you come back next week I’ll give you another recipe you can use it for. One with chocolate.
That is, if you don’t eat it all with a spoon first.
Cranberry Vanilla Bean Caramel
Adapted from Annie’s Eats
Makes about 1 1/4 cups
A word of caution: Making caramel is tricky. Have patience and have all of your ingredients ready to go. Caramel also gets very, very hot. Much hotter than boiling water. It will spatter, so be careful. Wear long sleeves, use a deep pan or pot, and do not try to taste the hot caramel no matter how much you want to! David Lebovitz has some great tips for making caramel.
Ingredients
1/2 vanilla bean
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
Directions
Split vanilla bean, scrape seeds into cream. Chop cranberries. Set aside.
Cook sugar in a deep saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula until sugar has melted. Once melted, STOP stirring. Continue to cook sugar until it is deep amber in color and smells caramelized. Remove from heat and immediately add cream. (Caution: Sugar will bubble violently, be careful!) Sugar will likely sieze and harden at this point. Place back over med-low heat and stir occasionally until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
Add chopped fresh cranberries. Return to low heat (do not boil) and cook, stirring frequently, until caramel darkens and tastes slightly tart from cranberries, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat, cool 5 minutes. Use as is with cranberries, or strain through a mesh sieve for a smooth caramel. Use immediately or store in a covered, heat-proof container in refrigerator. Keeps for several weeks.
Pumpkin Pie Pudding with Crushed Gingersnaps and Cranberry Caramel
Sometimes I get a little carried away. This dessert might be a prime example.
I haven’t had much time to do fall baking this year which makes me sad, because fall flavors are my favorite. Thinking this might be my only chance to make anything with fall flavors before Thanksgiving, I reasoned that I should make something with ALL of the fall flavors. Pumpkin. Ginger. Cinnamon. Caramel. Cranberry. Apple. Cloves. Pecans. Pears. All of it.
Crazy, I know.
The good news is that I did manage to cram most of those flavors into one little glass. The bad news is that I had to leave a few of them out and that it took a few tries to get it right. If you think I’m some sort of sugary genius, you should know that my first attempt was a spectacularly gross failure. The gingersnaps and pumpkin pie pudding came together brilliantly, but the cranberry caramel was a mess. Literally. It was too sweet, too fruity and too runny, and when layered on top of the silky pumpkin pudding it turned the whole thing into a cracked, soggy, gelatinous blob that resembled organs (according to my husband). Ew.
Lucky for you I have stubborn Irish/Scottish genes and I don’t give up easily. As I was staring bleakly into the fridge at my Failure Caramel, my eye fell on a different jar full of golden, delicious caramel – the same vanilla bean caramel from my Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes. (Side note: that caramel lasts practically forever in the fridge.) It’s got a great, rich caramel flavor and more importantly it stays creamy even when cold – ideal for pairing with pudding. All it took was heating that caramel and steeping some fresh cranberries in it to create my new favorite thing ever – creamy, rich, slightly tart cranberry caramel. I couldn’t stop tasting it.
Even better, it didn’t even turn my pudding into an organ-like mess overnight. Served with a dollop of barely sweetened whipped cream and some cranberries tossed in sugar, this dessert is all of my most favorite fall flavors in one little glass. Heaven.
Pumpkin Pie Pudding with Crushed Gingersnaps
and Cranberry Caramel
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes roughly 4 6-ounce servings
I wanted this dessert to have layers of flavor, but honestly, the pumpkin pie pudding is good enough to stand on it own. To make the sugared cranberries, I tossed slightly damp cranberries in granulated sugar until coated.
NOTE: This is definitely a make ahead dessert. Plan to make this at least one day ahead of when you will be serving it.
Ingredients
12 gingersnaps, crushed
1/4 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup half-and-half
2 large egg yolks
1/2 tablespoon molasses
pinch of salt
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch cloves
pinch allspice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Cranberry Caramel Ingredients
1/2 cup vanilla bean caramel sauce (below)
1/4 cup (heaping) fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
Whipped Cream Ingredients
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
DO AHEAD
Break gingersnaps into large pieces with your hands and place into food processor. Pulse until crushed into fine crumbs, pea-size or smaller. Divide evenly among 4 6-ounce or 7-ounce ramekins or glasses. Set aside.
Whisk together brown sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Over low heat, add milk, cream, egg yolks, molasses, and salt. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture starts to thicken. Slowly pour in boiling water while whisking. Stir in pumpkin puree. Continue cooking while whisking until very thick. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes. (For the smoothest pudding, pour pudding through a fine mesh strainer at this point.) Spoon pudding over gingersnap crumbs in prepared ramekins / glasses. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Make the vanilla bean caramel sauce (below) for the Cranberry Caramel and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
TO SERVE
Once pudding is cool and set, and vanilla bean caramel has cooled, make the cranberry caramel. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine 1/2 cup vanilla bean caramel sauce and chopped fresh cranberries. Continue to cook over low heat (do not boil), stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes or until caramel darkens and you can taste the cranberry flavor in the caramel. (Careful – it’s hot!) Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes. Strain caramel into a small bowl, pressing on cranberries to extract all flavor. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until cool but still stirrable. (If it gets too stiff, pop it in the microwave for 8-10 seconds on High until it’s stirrable but NOT hot.) Gently spoon cool Cranberry Caramel over chilled puddings. Can be served immediately or refrigerated overnight.
Just before serving, top with barely sweetened whipped cream (if desired): combine heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer and beat on high with whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Toss damp whole, fresh cranberries in granulated sugar for garnish.
Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce
Printable Recipe
Adapted from Annie’s Eats
Makes 2 1/2 cups
A word of caution: Making caramel is tricky. Have patience and have all of your ingredients ready to go. Caramel also gets very, very hot. Much hotter than boiling water. It will spatter, so be careful. Wear long sleeves, use a deep pan or pot, and do not try to taste the hot caramel no matter how much you want to! David Lebovitz has some great tips for making caramel.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Directions
Measure heavy cream in a measuring cup. Scrape out vanilla bean seeds and add to cream. Set aside.
Spread sugar in an even layer on the bottom of a heavy, tall-sided sauce pan or pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring gently with a heat-proof spatula or whisk to promote even browning, until sugar melts. Once the sugar melts, stop stirring.
Watch carefully. When the caramel turns a rich amber color and smells like caramel, remove from heat and immediately whisk in cream. (Caution: Caramel will bubble violently!) If any sugar has hardened, return to low heat and whisk until smooth.
Cool to room temperature. To store or make ahead, transfer to an air-tight container and keep refrigerated. Caramel can be re-warmed in microwave or in a saucepan over low heat, if needed.
Ginger Orange Tea
I’m back! So sorry for the recipe drought the past few weeks. October is always a crazy busy month in our house and this year was no exception. It’s a good busy though. We enjoyed the company of distant friends, my little brother got married (still kind of blowing my mind), and then we took a trip to New York.
New York was gorgeous. Positively glowing with fall colors.
We spent our days hiking to plunging, splashing, cascading waterfalls and the evenings dining on the culinary gems of the Finger Lakes region. We ate so much good food – wines, cheeses, waffles with peanut butter and banana, brie stuffed French toast, and more. But my favorite meal of them all was at the place I least expected: Moosewood. Don’t get me wrong – I had heard Moosewood has excellent food, but I had also heard that they were all about healthy, natural, vegetarian foods. I’m not opposed to any of those things. They just aren’t really words that get my mouth watering in anticipation, you know? However, the hype intrigued me so I decided we should check it out anyway.
I am so glad we did. I loved everything I ate that night, from the tea to the roasted dumpling squash. In fact, I loved it so much I asked for the recipes right then and there and then bought two of their cookbooks as soon as I got home. Who knew vegetables could taste so fantastic?
The tea. Wow. That chilly night there were several really good sounding drinks on the menu but when my husband noticed the ginger tea, I just had to have it. It was sweet and citrus-y with a warm, slightly spicy finish from the ginger. At the first sip I immediately I knew I would need the recipe to make at home again and again.
Once we got back home to Virginia, I thought I would have a few more weeks before the weather really cooled enough to try making ginger tea. I mean, it was still nearly 70 degrees during the day.
And then it snowed. Wait, what?
Yeah, that happened. Snow. In Virginia. In October. The only way I was going to get through this was with some ginger tea.
To my delight, Moosewood’s Ginger Orange Tea is utterly simple to make and takes only slightly longer than steeping a regular tea bag. This tea is packed with vitamin C and flavor, making it perfect for whenever you’re feeling under the weather. It can be served chilled over ice, which mellows the flavors some, but I prefer to enjoy it piping hot next to a window with a view on a snowy day.
Ginger Orange Tea
Adapted from The Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health Cookbook
Serves 4
Fresh ginger can be found in the produce section of most grocery stores. While fresh squeezed orange juice is ideal, I took the lazy way out and used store bought, not from concentrate, 100% orange juice. After some experimenting, I discovered ginger is best grated with the large holes of a box grater, but a microplane zester can be used in a pinch.
Ingredients
2 heaping tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 cups water
2 cups fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons honey, to taste
Directions
Place water and grated ginger in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Steep for at least 5 minutes. Strain tea with a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the ginger with the back of a spoon to squeeze out all the liquid. Return tea to pot. Stir in orange juice, lemon juice, and honey. Reheat to serve warm, or chill to serve over ice.
Fall Favorites
I’m taking a little break from my kitchen and my computer this week, so I thought I’d share some past recipes that you may have missed along the way. These are some of my favorites that I look forward to making when temperatures chill and the leaves start falling:
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Ready to eat in minutes, great for using up leftover pumpkin and it tastes a lot like pumpkin pie. It’s a no-brainer.
Spiced Apple Bundt Cake
A cake that tastes equally great for breakfast or dessert. Super easy to make and it travels well too.
Cranberry Upside-Down Coffee Cake
It’s cranberry season! And I love this coffee cake.
Cinnamon Glazed Pumpkin Cookies
Full of fall flavors and extremely addictive. Don’t skip the cinnamon glaze!
Apple Cranberry Caramel Tarts
Simple ingredients transformed into something amazing. Can’t wait to make these again!
Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes
Ok, they’re really muffins rolled in cinnamon and sugar, but that’s just details. What you really need to know is that they’re pop-able and addictive, and you should probably make a second batch.
White Bean & Chicken Chili
Comfort food at its finest. Warms you from the inside out.
