Apple Crumble

Blogger.com and I have been quarreling about vertically oriented photos all morning so you might want to put your sideways glasses on before reading...

My mom always made apple crumble (or as some say apple crisp) when I was growing up.  While I love apple desserts of almost any variety- a crispy oatmeal streusel crust atop perfectly spicy-sweet-tangy tender apples can't be beat.  I typically have all of the ingredients for this recipe on hand at any given time so it is often the perfect answer to weeknight sweet tooth attack or an impromptu dinner party.

This recipe serves 4.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Apple Filling:

3 large apples (I like honeycrisp or granny smith)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

scant 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
zest of an orange (only use half)
zest of a lemon (only use half)
juice of a lemon

Peel and slice the apples.  I slice the apples as thinly as possible to ensure they get nice and tender while baking.  Toss the apple slices in a large bowl with all other ingredients until the apples are evenly coated. 

Transfer the apples to a medium size BUTTERED baking dish.  A 9 x9 square dish would work, I like an oval dish because that's what my mom always used.

Crumble Topping:

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

pinch of salt

1 stick of cold butter, diced

**I actually added 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed as well which packs a mega nutritional punch of omega threes. You won't even notice its there.

The easiest way in my experience is to measure all ingredients into a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium speed until the mixture starts to come together into large crumbs.  This could take 1-2 minutes.  If you let it go too far, it will come together like a cookie dough which is hard to spread over the apples- so keep an eye on it.

If you don't have a standing mixer- you can use your hands to work the ingredients together, rubbing the mixture between your fingers to break down the butter into crumbs.

Spread the topping over the apples- you might have a bit more topping than you need, but I like a nice thick crunchy layer on mine so I pack on as much as I can...It's my favorite part.

I set the dish on top of a cookie sheet lined with foil to catch any crumble pieces that try to escape and then bake for 1 hour.  The top should be golden brown and you'll see caramely bubbles all around the edges.

Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes (the wait can be excruciating, sorry) and then serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

The soft apples literally melt in your mouth while you get a hearty crunch from the topping.  The balance of flavors from the citrus and warm spices is wonderful.  It really gives it that special something.

More of my favorite fruit crumble combinations:
*Peaches and raspberries or blackberries
*Strawberry-rhubarb
*Pear-cranberry
*Cherry-almond

Prosciutto wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Otherwise knows as Saltimbocca or "jump in the mouth" translated from Italian, the concept of wrapping veal or chicken in prosciutto with sage leaves is not a new one.  I happen to LOVE this flavor combination- especially for fall- and my experimental method of wrapping the whole tenderloin turned out very well if I do say so myself. 

This was a quick, relatively fuss free (and healthy) weeknight dinner but the presentation would certainly impress company too. 

Serves 2 with leftovers

1 pork tenderloin
6 thin slices of prosciutto
10-12 fresh sage leaves
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

First rinse the pork and pat it dry with papertowels.  Trim off any big fat pieces or silver skin and season well with salt and pepper.  Next lay 4 slices of the prosciutto out on a large cutting board.  You want them to be at a slight diagonal and overlapping about half an inch.  (This should be the entire length of the pork.)

Lay the sage leaves down the middle of the prosciutto per the picture below.  You want the outer part of the leaf to be down on the prosciutto.  Depending on the size of the leaves, you might use two to be sure you get the sage flavor all the way around the pork. 

Lay the pork in the middle and starting on the end where you first layed the prosciutto, wrap it up around the pork.  My prosciutto wasn't long enough to get all the way around the pork  so I layed two more sage leaves and two slices of prosciutto (horizontally this time) to cover the seam.

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Sear the pork on all sides- rotating every 2 minutes until the prosciutto is golden brown.  If your skillet is oven proof you can throw the whole thing in the oven.  (I transferred the pork to a baking sheet lined with tin foil.)  Roast the pork in the oven for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature at the thickest part reaches 145/150 degrees for medium.

Let the pork rest for 10 minutes before slicing on an angle.  (Use a very sharp knife to cut 1.5 -2 inch slices so as to not pull all of the prosciutto off while you slice.)

As far as sides for this- I sauteed some fresh asparagus right in the same skillet while the pork was in the oven. I wanted to take advantage of the yummy salty flavor that the pork fat and prosciutto left behind.  (I tossed in one minced garlic clove too.)

I also had a balsamic fig jam in the fridge that I made from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc Cookbook.  (Book and jam both amazing- you'll see much more from that soon.)  I put a little spoonful next to the pork and the sweetness was a great accompaniment with the saltiness of the prosciutto.

 If you are entertaining, the pork would be amazing with a butternut squash risotto or ravioli on the side.  (Whole Foods has a great butternut squash ravioli in the freezer section.  I boil per the package instructions and then toss it with some butter browned slightly in a skillet with some sliced fresh sage.)

Individual Apple Tarts

We're back from an AMAZING week in London and Paris and the food was definitely a highlight of the adventure.  As I re acclimate to real life this week, I find myself at a loss without a perfectly flaky croissant and cafe for breakfast, a pint of ale alongside lunch and the glimmering Eiffel Tour in the backdrop of a leisurely two+ hour dinner.  Therefore I decided to make some Parisian inspired apple tarts my very first day home to make the transition a bit smoother.  I figure a tapered withdrawal from the pastries would be far better for morale than quitting cold turkey.

Apple Tarts      makes 8 individual servings

1 package (large sheet) of Dufour Puff Pastry
2 extra large (or 3 medium) fuji, gala or honeycrisp apples
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of grated orange zest
juice of half an orange
2 tablespoons of apple jelly (apricot would work as well)
1 teaspoon of water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Thaw the frozen puff pastry according to the package directions.  You can find Dufour Pastry in the freezer section at your Whole Foods or specialty market.  It is heads above your average grocery store brand- largely because it is made with 100% butter- and while its a splurge ($9 per package), it is worth every penny, I assure you.  (If you need help with a justification, remind yourself the total cost of the remaining ingredients is barely $3 - and therefore $12 for 8 generously portioned tarts is a steal, especially by Paris standards!

You want to keep the pastry dough chilled as long as possible while you assemble the tarts, so have the apples ready to go before you start rolling.  Peel, core and halve the apples before slicing them super thin.  Then toss them gently in a bowl with the brown sugar, spices, salt, orange juice and zest.  Let them set for a few minutes and the sugar dissolves into a glaze that will coat all of the apples.

Next put the jelly or jam in a small bowl with a teaspoon of water and microwave for 40 seconds or so until melted enough to stir into a glaze.  *I was lucky enough to have my mother-in-laws homemade apple jelly which is probably why this batch was particularly blissful.

Now you're ready to assemble the tarts...  Roll the pastry dough out slightly on a board.  It should increase in size by roughly an inch in both directions.  Try to maintain the rectangle shape.  Using a pairing knife, portion the dough into 8 smaller rectangles.  Divide and place them on two baking sheets sprayed lightly with nonstick spray (and/or lined with parchment paper).

Arrange a line of apple slices in an overlapping fashion down each rectangle so that they are covering all but a tiny edge of the dough.   Drizzle with the remaining sugary syrup from the bottom of the apple bowl and bake for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown along the edges.  Switch racks half way through.

With about 5 minutes of cooking time left, take one baking sheet out at a time to brush with the jam glaze and return to the oven.

WARNING:  The cinnamon sugar oozes a bit and bakes on to the baking sheet. You want to remove the tarts from the pans with a spatula as soon as you take them out of the oven before the glaze hardens and glues them to the pan.  The nonstick spray should help with clean up.  Otherwise a soak in some soapy water will eventually break the sugar loose from the pans.

Enjoy at room temperature as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for dessert.  They are FANTASTIC for breakfast with a cup of coffee the next day as well.  WARNING:  Husbands, do not leave your wives home with the leftovers or they will disappear.  Sorry, babe.  I owe you another batch.

Potato and Leek Soup

I've always wanted to try the classic French staple that is Potato and Leek Soup. It is beautifully simple yet elegant at the same time. (Not to mention a whole pot costs a whopping $5 or $6 to prepare. Certainly helps balance out all of the recent Christmas shopping!) I studied a few recipes online and learned quickly that they all say almost exactly the same thing... Ingredients: 3 tablespoons of butter 1 bunch- 3 large leeks, white and pale green parts only 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into one inch pieces 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme 2 bay leaves 4 cups chicken stock 2 cups water If you've not cooked with leeks before, beware they are sandy, dirty little things. The best way to clean them is to cut the dark green tops off and then slice them in half lengthwise. Soak them in a bowl of cold water, scrubbing in between the layers with your fingers to be sure you get all of the dirt out. Pat them dry with papertowels and then slice into pieces about 1/4 of an inch thick Melt the butter over medium heat in a large heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven. Sautee the leeks for 5-7 minutes until wilted and tender. Meanwhile, peel and cube the potatoes and mince the fresh thyme leaves. Season the leeks with a pinch of kosher salt before adding the the thyme and bay leaves to the pot. Cook for one minute more until fragrant and then add the stock and water to the pot. Bring it to a gentle, simmering boil and let it go for anywhere from 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are absolutely fork tender.

Remove the bay leaves and puree using an immersion blender if you have one. (Transfer to the blender if you don't.) David Lebowitz warns that using a food processor could cause the potatoes to take on a gummy texture so avoid that method in this case.

The soup will likely need more salt if you use a low sodium stock so taste and season until you get it just right. Some use white pepper to avoid black flecks in the soup but that doesn't bother me. I cracked some black pepper in there as well.

I served the soup piping hot with a dollop of sour cream and a few snips of green onions. (I also made a rather elementary style "ham and cheese toast" with some dijon mustard, black forest ham and gruyere cheese to eat alongside the soup. I topped some fresh, lightly toasted, ciabatta bread with a drizzle of dijon, a slice of ham and some thin slices of gruyere. I then toasted it under the broiler for a minute before serving.

Perfectly hearty on a chilly winter night!

Roasted Vegetable Salad

I love roasted vegetables year round but especially in the winter. Squash, potatoes, asparagus, beets, brussels sprouts, broccoli... the options and combinations are endless. This salad is a great way to use up whatever veggies you have on hand in the fridge or to reinvent leftover roasted veggies for lunch the next day.

I had three fresh beets, approximately one cup of fresh brussels sprouts, half of a yellow bell pepper, one small sweet potato and the white ends of three very large green onions on hand in this case. I peeled/cleaned the veggies and diced them into 3/4 inch pieces- halving the brussels sprouts and green onion bulbs. I kept the beets in a separate bowl so they wouldn't stain everything ruby red. It is actually pretty that way too but I like to have a variation of colors.

I tossed the veggies with olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper and a pinch of dried thyme and roasted them for 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees until all of the veggies were golden brown and tender. I used two cookie sheets lined with tin foil and lightly sprayed with Pam for easy clean up. I wanted to be sure the vegetables weren't crowded so they would roast and caramelize without steaming.

I served them at room temperature over a bed of arugula drizzled generously with a quick homemade balsamic vinaigrette. I shaved some good parmesan cheese over the top as well- using a vegetable peeler to get nice wide ribbons.

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

a squeeze of honey

half of a garlic clove, grated with a rasp

sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper

This would be fantastic with goat cheese crumbles instead of parmesan, you could also add some oven roasted shrimp or left over rotisserie chicken for some protein.

Holiday Sugar Cookies

John and I hosted an event for his department this weekend and I have a few great recipes to share. First up- my mother in law's Holiday Sugar Cookies. This versatile dough recipe is perfect for rolling and cutting into festive holiday shapes to be decorated with icings or sugars. I decided to make some fall inspired cookies for the kids that would attending Saturday. (Also, I thought the timing would be appropriate as we approach Christmas cookie season!)

The dough recipe is super simple:

1 cup of sugar

1 stick of butter at room temperature

1 egg

2 cups of self rising flour*

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

* I used all purpose flour. To make your own self rising flour, mix 2 cups of all purpose flour with 1 tablespoon of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Cream the room temperature butter and sugar together until light. Mix in the egg and extracts until well incorporated and then mix the flour. Shape the dough into a disc and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least two hours before rolling.

I rolled the dough on a lightly floured counter top to a 1/4 inch thickness. I used a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter to cut roughly a dozen cookies. I baked the first batch on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees until BARELY turning golden. I prefer the cookies to be a little chewy versus crisp.

(I went the icing route this time, if you prefer to use colored sugars, you'd decorate them before baking. You can also sprinkle some sugar over the wet icing for a glitter effect.)

I gathered the dough scraps together and re-rolled the dough. I then used a pairing knife to cut some free form fall leaves from the dough. I didn't have any other fall shaped cutters so I had to improvise. It actually worked out quite well to have mismatched leaf shapes of different sizes.

I ended up with roughly two dozen cookies total.

While the cookies cooled, I made an extremely simple icing from confectioner sugar, orange juice, and food coloring. I used some small mixing bowls and filled them about half way with sugar. I then added orange juice (you could use milk or lemon juice, whatever you like) a tiny drizzle at a time until the icing was a spreadable consistency.

I mixed a few different shades of orange, yellow, and red/brown for fall. (I also ended up with a beautiful pistachio green by mistake so I threw a couple of those in there too.) I used a spoon to scoop some icing onto each cookie and then the back of the spoon to spread it out to the edges.

I came up with a fun way to "vein" the leaves as well. I used a toothpick to pull some icing of a contrasting color down the middle and out to the sides of the leaves. I did the same to make the pumpkin stems look more realistic.

I let the icing dry for an hour or two before arranging on a platter and covering with plastic wrap until serving.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Nothing says fall like butternut squash. As soon as the weather cools down, around mid-late October, you start to see it everywhere you go. I was in search of a nutritious and delicious weeknight dinner, preferably one that would not require a trip to the grocery store... and this roasted butternut squash soup was the perfect answer. Ingredients: one butternut squash, peeled and cubed half of a large onion, diced half of a red bell pepper, diced one large stalk of celery, diced half of one teaspoon dried thyme half of one teaspoon dried, rubbed sage one teaspoon kosher salt half of one teaspoon cracked black pepper three to four cups of chicken stock two or three tablespoons of cup heavy cream (optional) two tablespoons of butter five fresh sage leaves, sliced I peeled the squash with a vegetable peeler and then cut it into quarters, using a spoon to scoop out the seeds and strings from the bottom half. I then cut it into 3/4 inch slices and then into cubes. I tossed the squahs in a bowl with a few tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt and some pepper before spreading it on a large rimmed baking sheet. I roasted the squash at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes (until it was tender but before it became mushy), flipping the pieces around after 20 minutes. Meanwhile I prepped my other vegetables... As soon as the squash came out of the oven, I started a heavy bottomed soup pot on the stove over medium heat. I sauteed the onion, pepper and celery in a bit of olive oil for 7 or 8 minutes until everything was tender. Next I added the salt, pepper, thyme and sage, stirring everything together before adding the roasted squash to the pot. I gave the veggies another quick toss together and then added the stock. I started with approximately 4 cups of liquid and let it simmer together for 15 minutes or so over low heat to bring all of the flavors together. I then used an immersion blender to puree the vegetables into a smooth and velvety soup. (You could also use a blender.) I added more stock, a few splashes at a time, to thin the soup to the desired consistency. You could also finish it with a few splashes of heavy cream for richness at the very end if you'd like. For a garnish and some extra flavor, I gently melted two tablespoons of butter in a small pan over medium heat- letting it cook until it was barely golden brown before adding the fresh sage. I cooked it for one minute and then removed it from the heat. Spooning a few of the crispy leaves and a drizzle of the butter over the top of the soup as I served it. Brown butter, sage and butternut squash might be one of the most perfect flavor combinations of all time. Soup and Salad would not typically be John's first choice for dinner, but this creamy, sweet and savory soup paired with my favorite hearty fall salad didn't get any complaints from the peanut gallery... For the salad- I use mixed greens, baby spinach, or whatever lettuce I have on hand. I start with a handful of greens on each plate. I then top it with some freshly diced apple (honeycrisp or pink lady are my favorites), a sprinkle of dried cranberries, a spoonful of crumbled blue/gorgonzola/goat cheese, and a sprinkle of nuts if I have some handy. (Candied pecans or lightly toasted almonds are both yummy.) I drizzle the salad with a quick of vinaigrette of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard and honey. (2 tablespoons each of oil and vinegar, 1 teaspoon each dijon and honey). Its the perfect combination of crunchy, sweet, and tangy. Somehow, I never get tired of it. (John claims he's not sick of it yet either but my bet is that he's getting close.) A healthy dinner I assure you was plenty satisfying as it was delicious.

Bite Sized Brie and Apple Tarts

I am always looking for easy yet elegant appetizer ideas. Dips are great, a nice cheese plate is always a winner, but I'm trying to expand my repertoire of bite-sized snacks that require a little less "work" for my guests.... snacks you can simply grab and munch on. It is nice to weave these into a menu, especially if you're entertaining a larger group. (It keeps traffic moving and eliminates the awkwardness of waiting your turn with the cheese knife for example.) Puff pastry is the perfect vehicle for this type of snack. You could top it with any variation of ingredients to create a hand held version of you favorite appetizer. In this case, I opted for a "baked brie" concept. I gently rolled one sheet of puff pastry to roughly 12 inches by 14 inches (using a bit of flour on the board- flipping it over every few rolls to ensure it wasn't sticking). I placed the pastry on a unrimmed cookie sheet sprayed lightly with nonstick spray and using a pairing knife. cut it into 20 squares (making 4 lengthwise cuts and 5 cuts horizontally). They don't have to be perfect nor the exact same size- there is nothing wrong with a "rustic" look. Next, I used the pairing knife to score the squares, creating a border of half an inch on each piece. The goal was to cut through approximately half the thickness of the pastry, careful not to cut it all the way through. I then pricked the inner square generously with a fork. This allows the outer edge of the square to puff up to its full potential while leaving the inner square at about "half puff" status- creating the perfect pocket for the filling. I baked the pastry per the package directions- 15 minutes at 400 degrees, until lightly golden brown. (My middle squares puffed a bit more than I'd hoped so I used the back of a spoon to punch them down a bit just as they came out of the oven.) I actually did this the morning of and set the pastry aside (covered with tin foil) until just before ready to serve. Note: I would plan on 3 pieces per guest. This recipe made 20 "two bite" pieces. Filling: 6-8 ounces of your favorite Brie cheese, sliced into 1 inch squares, approx 1/4 inch thick 1/2 cup of good quality fruit preserves (my preference is apricot for this) One half of an apple- sliced thinly* (use your favorite fall variety) 1/3 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted *I sprinkled the apple slices with a bit of lemon juice to keep them from browning. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon roughly 1/2 a teaspoon of apricot preserves into the center of each pastry square. Top with the brie cheese and bake for 6-7 minutes, just to warm them through and barely melt the cheese. Lastly, top each with an apple slice (cut to fit, approx 1/2 of a thin slice) and a few toasted almond slices. Serve right away with cocktail napkins to catch the pastry crumbs and a nice Chardonnay. (Sparkling wine would be good too.) No time to fuss with pastry? I've made a similar variation of this using store bought filo dough cups. You can find them from time to time in the freezer section wtih the pastry and filo doughs. Layer the apricot preserves, a cube of brie and a few almond slices before warming in the oven for 6-7 minutes at 350.

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

Since I've joined the blogosphere some 7 months ago now, I've found some fantastic food/cooking blogs out there. There are gazillions of them yet no two are even remotely the same. I've browsed sites from all over the world ranging from gourmet to ethnic to vegetarian- even a formally trained pastry chef. I find it fascinating to see what types of things people enjoy cooking at home and its great to explore the unique styles of writing and photography too.

This recipe for Whole Wheat Apple Muffins came from one of the most popular cooking blogs I've discovered called SmittenKitchen.com. Deb is a freelance writer, photographer AND home chef extraordinaire - pretty much the poster-child for cooking bloggers actually. She has posted HUNDREDS of recipes and honestly, I want to try every single one of them. (Probably a testament to her amazing photography skills.) This first recipe did not let me down...

The recipe is relatively simple so I made them fresh one weekday morning for a meeting. I left my stick of butter and egg out on the counter over night to come to room temperature. I followed the recipe just as she's posted it, adding approx 1/3 cup of walnut pieces to the mix as well. I used fuji apples which I peeled and diced as the very last step before folding them into the batter.

I'll go ahead and admit here that I actually made this recipe twice in the very same week! My sister was in town for the weekend and I love to bake something fresh for guests. The second go round came out a little bit better because I a) let my buttermilk sit out an hour or two to come to room temperature and b) I diced my apples a little bit smaller. I found that the cold buttermilk made my batter curdle a little bit first with the first attempt and the smaller apples were slightly more tender.

At first I was skeptical that I'd used too much apple because the batter seemed like it was almost entirely apple as I spooned it into the muffin tin- however they came out just right. The whole wheat gives them a hearty richness (healthy too!), the sprinkle of brown sugar on the top gives them the perfect crunch and the apple chunks really are a wonderful change from your average blueberry or banana muffin. I particularly like that they aren't overly sweet either.

A few important tips/tricks that I've learned from years of muffin baking:

1. Don't overmix the batter once you've added your dry ingredients or your muffins will be tough

2. Always let your butter and eggs come completely to room temperature

3. Look for recipes containing buttermilk, they are usually delicious

4. Butter AND flour your muffin tin to avoid sticking, I don't like paper liners

5. When the muffins are done baking, let cool in the pan 5 minutes, no longer or they'll be harder to get out of the pan

I might try some different variations to this basic recipe too:

*Add a struesel topping

*Add reconstituted dried cranberries or raisins

*Add or sub a mashed banana and a handful of oatmeal

*Substitute blueberries for apples and add some lemon zest

*Substitute fresh halved cranberries and add some orange zest

Yumm... can't wait to sample another recipe from SK.com!