Ruins Apple Pie (The Ruins Restaurant, Seattle)

  Oh, it's my favorite time of year again! The Northwest rain and  the crisp autumn air have me back in the kitchen and bringing out all my fall favorites. I just finished canning my applesauce last night and was reminded of this great apple pie that I tried out last year at this time. It was different but very good! The addition of eggs and sour cream give the filling a custard-like consistency with the brown sugar topping lending it that sweet crunch. Kind of a cross between a french apple pie and an apple cheesecake. I got rave reviews when I served it to my family and friends! Hope you take the time to give it a try.

Happy Autumn Friends!

P.S. This recipe was developed by pastry chef, Kellie Bryant and is served in The Ruins restaurant in Seattle, WA.

Ruins Apple Pie (The Ruins, Seattle)

Ingredients:

1- Unbaked pie crust

2-Tbsp. flour

½-cup sugar

½ -tsp. salt

1- cup sour cream

2- eggs

½ tsp. vanilla

4 ½ cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced

Topping:

1/3- cup butter, softened

1/3- cup flour

1/3- cup brown sugar

½ -tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk in sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add sliced apples to the sour cream mixture and coat well. Place apples in pie shell in layers and pour remaining filling over apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

For the topping, mix butter, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle this topping on pie and bake another 10 minutes . Enjoy!

(Thank you, Dad, for the beautiful pictures!)

Mini Cheesecakes

I got to sample these delectable little cheesecakes at a wedding shower last week. Being the cheesecake lover that I am; I was instantly hooked. They were so creamy, so cute and just the perfect amount of sweetness to round out a meal. Thank you GrAngie, for sharing this fancy recipe with us! These are so lovely at a shower, on a tea table, or just because. You could probably freeze them without the fruit topping and just pull out as many as you needed for lunches or drop-in company. If you try it let me know! Enjoy.

Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

12- vanilla wafers
2-8oz. pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/2- cup sugar
1- tsp vanilla extract
2- eggs
12- cupcake liners
(fruit for topping-pictured is cherry pie filling)

Directions:

Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. Place 1 vanilla wafer in each liner. Mix cream cheese, vanilla and sugar on medium speed, until well blended. Add eggs; mix well until smooth and creamy. Pour batter over wafers, about 3/4 full. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, cool and top with fruit. Keep refrigerated until serving.

Potato-Rosemary Bread

You probably weren't expecting two months of silence after my last post, but alas, procrastination got the better of me! I somehow got lost in the vortex of ballet-piano lessons-little league-school work (not to mention laundry!) All the great recipes I promised are getting out of control on my desk and in my head, so to get myself back in the groove, I'm posting one of my favorite bread recipes. My middle, ballet-loving daughter requests this all the time. And with the herb garden already pouring forth goodness, this is always a good recipe for using them fresh.

Potato- Rosemary Bread

Ingredients:

1/3- cup mashed potato

1- cup hot water (use potato water if possible) 115-120 degrees

1- TBSP. yeast

1-tsp sugar

1-TBSP oil

1 1/2- tsp. salt

3 1/4- cups flour

1 TBSP- chopped. fresh rosemary

Directions:

 In a large bowl, add sugar and yeast to water and let proof for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and then knead on lightly floured surface about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.Put dough back into greased/oiled bowl and cover. Let dough rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes. Punch down dough and shape into desired shape. (I usually separate mine into 3 ropes and braid them together) Place loaf on cookie sheet and let rise again for about 30 minutes. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

Brush with melted butter.

Note: (You can also make this in a bread machine. Put all ingredients into machine and set on White bread setting.)

Amazing Pumpkin Bread

Technically, I know it's the wrong time of year for this, but you must think back to October and the "Great Pumpkin Slaughter" that went on around here. Twenty bags of pumpkin are taking up valuable space in my freezer and frankly, I'd like some of it back (the space, that is). So any recipe with the words "Amazing pumpkin ---- (you fill in the blank)" and I'm on it! I'm not usually a huge fan of sweet breads, (except banana, of course) but this recipe sounded a little different so I gave it a go. Boy O' Boy, am I glad I did! This is a truly amazing little loaf. The pumpkin and pudding mix give it such  moistness and flavor you don't even need any butter. (Imagine that!?) It goes great with coffee and tea, sliced as a quick dessert, or served alongside brunch. Try it, you'll like it!

Amazing Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

2 -cups flour

2- cups sugar

1- tsp. salt

1- tsp. cinnamon

1- tsp. nutmeg

1/2- tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1- tsp. baking soda

1 -16 oz. can pumpkin (or 1& 3/4 cup)

1 1/4- cup cooking oil

5 -eggs

2- 3oz. pkgs. instant vanilla pudding

1- cup finely chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Sift all dry ingredients together. Whisk pumpkin, oil, and eggs. Mix dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture until well blended. Stir in pudding mix and nuts or chocolate. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Note: I made 5 mini loaves and bake for 45 minutes. These freeze well and are great to have on hand for gift giving, or drop in company.

Napa Cabbage Picnic Salad

We had some lovely  friends over for dinner last night. After a few minutes of witty banter ( yeah, right  ) over our Irish stew and oatmeal bread, my dear friend looked up at me and said, "I do believe this is the best salad I've ever eaten!" I do believe I'll join her in those sentiments.
I got this salad recipe a couple years ago from one of my favorite food-bloggers, Elise at SimplyRecipes.com
As of today, it is my favorite salad. It's actually more like an asian cole-slaw with salad ingredients, but what ever you want to call it, it is delicious! The sweetness of the cabbage, the spicy of the radish and cilantro, and the creamy of the dressing all pull together in a wonderful flavor exposion! You've got to try this and let me know what you think!  Sorry there's no picture, but we inhaled it so fast last night that I didn't get a chance. I will get one up here soon!
Good eats friends!


Napa Cabbage Picnic Salad

Ingredients:
2/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
8 cups (or 1 lb.) napa cabbage, coarsley chopped
12 oz. snow peas, strings removed and thinly sliced
1 1/3 cups radishes,thinly sliced
1 1/3 cups green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/3 cups lightly packed cilantro leaves, slightly chopped

Dressing ingredients:
3 Tbsp rice vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup mayonnaise

Directions:
Toast almonds in 350 oven for 5-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside.
Combine cabbage, snow peas, radishes, green onions, cilantro in a large bowl.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, oil, ginger, and cayenne, until sugar is dissolved. Whisk in mayo.
When ready to serve, gently combine dressing and almonds with the cabbage mixture.

Serves 12-14

Apologies...

Sorry everyone, I know I haven't posted anything for the longest time, but we are just coming out of a three-week stretch of sickness around here. A horrible cold managed to get ALL of us down and then morph into various forms of sinus and ear infections! The joys! Anyway, on a happier note, during this time of houseboundedness (I don't think this is a word) I've been cooking up a storm and have lots of new recipes to send your way. So don't bail on me yet, I'll be back with a vengeance!
Till then friends!

Peanut Butter Cereal Treats

This is a recipe I originally got off a box of Honey Crisp cereal years ago. I’ve modified it a bit and it is often requested by kids and adults alike! Quick, chewy goodness!

Enjoy friends!


Peanut Butter Cereal Treats

Ingredients:

4- cups Honey Bunches of Oats or Corn Flakes Cereal

2- cups mini-marshmallows

2/3 cup packed, brown sugar

½ cup light corn syrup (I like to use ¼ cup honey and ¼ cup corn syrup)

2-Tbsp. butter

½ cup peanut butter



Directions:

Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil; spray with oil cooking spray. Combine cereal and marshmallows in a large bowl; set aside. Microwave sugar, corn syrup, and butter in medium bowl on High for 21/2 to 3 minutes or until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Stir in peanut butter until smooth. Pour over cereal mixture. Stir quickly with a buttered spatula or large spoon until all pieces are evenly coated. Pour into prepared pan and press down firmly. Chill at least one hour. Lift from pan using foil. Cut into squares; cut each square in half diagonally to form triangles.