(Sugar-Free*) Applesauce!

October 17th, 2007

I love applesauce. I can only remember my Mom making it once, but my Grandma’s applesauce was the MOST delicious applesauce you have ever had! I loved the sweet and juicy apple chunks that she had, it didn’t remind me of the store bought kind — and that was a great thing! A year ago, during apple season, I decided I was going to try my own. I could not believe how simple it was to make, not to mention how delicious it was. My mother-in-law let me borrow an apple/potato peeler (a handy little machine) and I was off to work. It turned out great and I made quite a few batches over the months.

Once apple season ended (no more cheap apples) I sort of forgot about it, UNTIL NOW! Cheap apples are back. I got some fresh apples for 65 cents a pound at a fruit stand nearby this weekend so I could make applesauce. Sometimes I find “baking apples” (the bruised and beaten ones) over at Hazelnut Hill for 25 cents a pound during the season (I also can’t resist their chocolate covered hazelnuts!). For my next batch I hope to get over there and buy some cheaper apples.

Now, I don’t remember exactly what kind of apples I bought (shame on me) but you can just ask the clerk which apples might be best for applesauce (gala, granny smith all work though) . Here’s my recipe:

• 6-8 apples
• 1 tablespoon of cinnamon (more or less to your taste)
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• Juice of 1 Lemon

1. You can do one of two things to get started: Peel the apples, or leave the peels on. (If you leave the peals on, later you will HAVE to put them through a food processor. I don’t recommend it, unless you like the peels and don’t want larger apple chunks. I forgot that detail today and left the peels on for fun.)
2. Next, cut the apples into quarters, then trim out the core and seeds.
3. Then place the apples in a pot and turn the stove on to medium-low.
4. Place the lemon zest and juice in the pot and mix it in.
5. Cover the pot and let it sit, come back and stir every 10 minutes or so. You’ll start to notice it turning more and more into applesauce after 20-30 minutes. You can be the judge based on thickness and number of apple-pieces to tell when its done.
6. Now, add the cinnamon or, if you’re not a fan, leave it out or use less.
7. If you don’t like my sugar free version, feel free to add sugar here too. I don’t think I need it after all the pumpkin cupcakes!
8. This step is optional, but if you want to (or if you left the skins on) here you can process the pan. Since I left the skins on mine this time I pulsed mine a few times just to get the skins to bite-sized pieces.

That’s it! I just finished eating (and loving) a warm bowl of applesauce and am looking forward to my next batch already!

In the mean time, I have a lot of books to read. I went to the library today and checked out a bunch of books on food and cooking.

* These probably have a ton of natural sugar from the apples.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Ginger-Infused Whipped Cream Frosting

October 14th, 2007

Have I got your attention now? My mouth has FULL attention on these cupcakes! These cupcakes are so moist and melt-in-your-mouth! And the frosting, it’s the best frosting I’ve ever made (which I guess isn’t saying that much) but it’s up there on the best I’ve tasted list.

The pumpkin and spices in the cupcake blend so well with the ginger-infused whipped cream. You probably wouldn’t believe that this whipped cream frosting is good, and to be honest, by itself it’s pretty bad. My wife’s face did a 360 when she licked the spoon. I told her, “You have to try it WITH the cupcakes!” Here’s how it should be done:

The Frosting

A year ago I read an article in the Oregonian about flavor-infused whipped cream. I just tucked it away in my memory banks for a rainy day. Today was that day. I whipped out the recipe and got to work. The article/recipe lists a bunch of different flavors you can use, which makes this fun! I decided that the ginger would go really well with the pumpkin and other spices.

I boiled the cream and added the flavorings. I cut up a few thin slices of ginger and also threw in two cinnamon sticks for good measure. Next I let it steep for 45 minutes. Then, because I didn’t have enough time, I put the cream on an ice bath and put it in the refrigerator while I worked on the cupcakes. This REALLY cut down the cooling time called for in the recipe so if you’re in a hurry, it’ll do!

The Cupcakes

(Recipe adapted from here, here and Better Homes and Garden’s 2005 Cook Book Spice Cake Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 & 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup whole milk (I used whipping cream + skim to make whole)
• 1 - 15 oz can pumpkin (I used Stahlbush Island Farm “Farmer’s Market” brand Organic Pumpkin)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger together and mix in a bowl
3. Beat the butter until “fluffy”
4. Add the sugar and mix
5. Add half of the dry mixture, then half the milk, repeat while mixing
6. Mix in the pumpkin, stirring the sides with a spatula (if you are using an electric mixer).

Now fill about 24 cupcake tins (lined — and I did 12 at a time twice) half-way and bake for about 15 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).

Back to the frosting…

Now take the completely cooled flavor-infused whipping cream out of the fridge and place it in a clean mixer. Add about 4 oz of cream cheese and 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar per cup of whipping cream. Whip the cream until it is fairly thick, so that you can ice the cupcakes with it. Now you’re ready to put it all together.

The finale!

I had a lot of fun with this part. I handed my wife the camera and got to icing. I had to hand-make a piping/icing bag, for the first time ever. I made it way too short and got icing all over my hands, it was really fun though!

Take a cupcake, fill an icing bag and have fun. That’s my advice. I even made a little R + K in the cupcakes for my wife (I gotta keep her happy)!

I hope you enjoy it!

The cupcake craze

October 13th, 2007

Since I started thinking about writing my blog I have been reading more and more food blogs.  I noticed a strange trend, cupcakes are everywhere!  These aren’t your regular supermarket dry, sugar-high cupcakes either.  Okay, so maybe I’m a little behind on the times.  Cupcake blogs are everywhere: here, here and here.  I visited a friend in San Francisco last spring and she mentioned a bakery around the corner from her that sold nothing but cupcakes.  I had never heard of such a thing.  “How cool!” I thought.

All the varieties, decorations, and flavors are enough to make a food-loving, sugar-craving guy like me go crazy!  Well, I am not here to start another cupcake blog, but boy have they made me hungry for cupcakes.  I’ve been doing my research over the past few days (hence no recent blog entries) but I wanted to write today to ask for more ideas and to let you know I’m going to try a pumpkin cupcake recipe soon (with a secret and special topping)!  I hope it turns out good and that you’ll enjoy reading about it.

Creamy Brie Lamb Chops

October 11th, 2007

I’d like to welcome my wife, Rachel Prickett, as a guest today. Hopefully she’ll blog once in a while on here because she can cook with the best of ‘em. I have to say dinner tonight was absolutely delicious. I’ll let her tell you about it.

Dinner tonight was Creamy Brie Lamb Chops, recipe courtesy of the Baglien family. It was simply delicioso. The only way to go is to use Stahlbush spinach and yummy locally raised lamb chops.

• 4 American lamb rib chops
• 1 T oil
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1/2 cup white wine (I used Chateau Benoit 2006 vintage Muller Thurgau)
• 1T. minced shallots
• 4 1/2 oz. Brie (cut off the rind to make it melt more smoothly.)
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/2 T. butter

Sear lamb chops in oil until well brown on all sides. Reduce heat and continue cooking until medium rare, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove chops from pan and keep warm. (really warm…you want to serve lamb hot and the wine takes a little while to reduce.)

In the same pan, add wine and shallots; simmer until reduced to 1/8 cup. Cut Brie into cubes, add wine and shallots mixture. Stir over medium heat until melted and smooth. Season spinach with butter, salt, and pepper to taste.

To serve, place on bed of spinach in center of plate. Place lamb chops on top. Spoon Brie sauce over top. Serves 2.

This didn’t make as much as Keith and I would have liked, but as I said, it was DELICIOUS! I didn’t keep the lamb hot enough, so when you prepare this you might put the lamb back on the pan right before serving to heat it up again, or put it in a pre-heated oven to keep hot.

I hope you enjoy it!
–
Rachel