Entries Tagged 'Cooking' ↓

Preparation time: 45 minutes. The sugar amounts are just guidelines, depending your taste, and on the sweetness of your apples, use less or more. If you use less sugar, you’ll likely want to use less lemon juice. The lemon juice brightens the flavor of the apples and balances the sweetness.

Directions

1. Put all ingredients into a large pot. Cover. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

2. Remove from heat. Remove cinnamon sticks and lemon peels. Mash with potato masher. Ready to serve, either hot or refrigerated. Delicious with vanilla ice cream or vanilla yogurt. Freezes easily, lasts up to one year in a cold freezer.

Makes 20

Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 cup) apples, finely chopped
* 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
* 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
* 1/3 cup apple cider
* 1/2 cup Applesauce ( See Apple Sauce Reciepe )
* 2 (10-by-13-inch) sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
* All-purpose flour, for work surface
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* Sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, heat apple cider until simmering and pour in apples. Stir to combine, and let stand until juice is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Stir in applesauce; set aside.

2. Place puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface. Trim edges, and cut out twelve 3-by-3-inch squares, discarding excess dough. Place a teaspoon of apple filling in center of each square. In a small bowl, stir together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of each pastry square with egg wash. Fold pastry over filling to enclose, forming a triangle. Lightly press edges to seal. Using a floured fork, crimp edges decoratively with tines, if desired. Transfer turnovers to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling. Chill for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.with rack in center. Brush turnovers lightly with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until deep golden brown and puffed, about 20 – 25 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature and Enjoy!

Oozing caramelized apples tumble over mounds of cinnamon-spiced ice cream layered with crumbled pecan-oat topping.

Ingredients Serves 6

* FOR THE CARAMELIZED APPLES
* 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored, each cut into 12 wedges
* 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
* 2 1/4 cups sugar
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 3 tablespoons Calvados
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* FOR ASSEMBLY
* 1 cup heavy cream
* Cinnamon Ice Cream
* Pecan-Oat Crumble

Directions
1. Make the apples: Toss apples with lemon juice in a large bowl, and let stand. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sugar, and stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is dark amber, about 15 minutes.

2. Stir in apples, their juices, and the salt. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in Calvados and cream. Transfer apple mixture to a bowl.

3. Prepare an ice-water bath. Set the bowl in the bath, and let apple mixture cool, stirring occasionally, until mixture is cold and sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes. Use immediately (or refrigerate overnight).

4. To assemble: Whisk cream to medium peaks. For each serving, place 2 caramelized apple wedges in a sundae glass. Top with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream, 2 caramelized apple wedges, and some pecan-oat crumble. Repeat ice cream, apple, and crumble layers. Top with whipped cream.
– From Martha Stewart Living

If you’ve just finished carving pumpkins with your family. And arent quite sure what to do with all those pumpkin seeds, Here are some splendid Reciepes that will put them do great use.

Pumpkin-Seed Candy
These wrapped candies are perfect treats for celebrating Halloween. Pepitas, or pumpkin seeds, are available hulled or unhulled at health-food stores. Paper candy cups are available at baking supply stores.
Ingredients

Makes 30 pieces

* 1 cup hulled pepitas
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 2/3 cup good quality honey
* 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons melted for brushing

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pepitas; toast, stirring constantly until seeds pop and become slightly golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
2. Place sugar and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, about 3 minutes. Add pepitas, and continue cooking until temperature registers 285 degrees.on a candy thermometer, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in cold butter.
3. Let the mixture cool to 240 degrees. about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, brush the inside of fifteen 1-inch-diameter black paper cups with melted butter, reserving 1 tablespoon. Spoon a scant tablespoon of the honey mixture into each cup. Brush a clean work surface with the remaining butter, and spoon the remaining honey mixture on it so mixture will continue to cool.
4. When remaining candy is stiff and cool enough to handle, about 6 minutes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces with a greased knife. Put one piece of candy in center of each of fifteen 4-by-4-inch pieces of orange cellophane wrap, gather cellophane at the top, and secure with a twist of a 4 1/2-inch piece of floral wire. Wrap the ends of floral wire around a skewer to form tendrils.

From: Martha Stewart Living

Pumpkin seeds must be completely dried out in the oven before combining with spices. Whether for cooking or carving, choose an unblemished pumpkin that feels heavy for its size; it will store well, uncarved, at room temperature, for up to a month.
Ingredients

Makes 1 cup

* 1 medium pumpkin
* 5 tablespoons sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* Pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
* 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut pumpkin open from the bottom, removing seeds with a long-handled spoon. Separate flesh from seeds, and reserve the flesh for another use (see Pumpkin Pie). Pumpkin should yield 1 cup seeds. Spread seeds on parchment in an even layer. Bake until dry, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Let cool.
2. In a medium bowl combine 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add pumpkin seeds and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Cook until sugar melts and pumpkin seeds begin to caramelize, about 45 to 60 seconds. Transfer to bowl with spices, and stir well to coat. Let cool. These may be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week. – Reciepe From Martha Stewart Living