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Halloween Recipes
Spiced Apple Cake
adapted from a recipe courtesy of Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger
Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour
2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cups white sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 cups Granny Smith apples,peeled, cored and finely chopped (about 4-6 apples)
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 325. Butter and flour a 10-inch cake pan. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Whip eggs until frothy, about 3-4 minutes then add oil and orange juice and mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients and beat with whip at low speed until thoroughly combined. Fold in apples and walnuts and pour into prepared cake pan. Bake at 325 for 1 hour or until firm on top. Cover with aluminum foil if top gets too brown. Cool on rack 5 minutes, then invert onto rack and cool completely.
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Southern Pecan Pie with Spice Crust
Recipe courtesy of Nick Malgieri
Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: One 9-inch pie
Sweet Dough Spice variation, for a 1 crust pie, above
Filling:
1 cup dark corn syrup
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter
3 large eggs
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons Bourbon
2 cups pecan halves or pieces, or a combination, about 8 ounces
One 9 inch Pyrex pie pan
To make the filling, combine corn syrup and sugar in saucepan and stir to mix. Place over low heat and bring to a boil, without stirring. Remove from heat, add butter and allow butter to melt. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs until liquid and whisk in salt and Bourbon. Whisk in syrup and butter mixture, being careful not to over mix. Allow to cool while rolling and forming the bottom crust.
Set a rack at the lowest level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
Arrange pecans in crust. Skim foam from top of filling (or the top will have an unattractively mottled surface) and pour over pecans. With the back of a fork, press the pecans down into the filling so that they are covered.
Bake the pie for about 45 minutes, until the crust is baked through and the filling is set and well puffed in the center. Cool the pie on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.
Variations:
CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE: Use the Cocoa flavored Sweet Dough, above, instead of the Spice Crust. Add 4 ounces coarsely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate to the hot syrup mixture along with the butter. Allow chocolate to melt and whisk filling smooth. Stir the pecans into the filling, rather than pouring it over them.
WALNUT RUM PIE: Replace Bourbon in filling with dark rum; replace pecans with walnut halves and pieces. Use the plain Sweet Dough, rather than the Spice Crust.
Substitute other nuts, such as hazelnuts or almonds, or a combination of several kinds of nuts.
SWEET DOUGH FOR PIES
One-crust pie, about 10 ounces dough:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose bleached flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter
1 large egg
Two-crust pie, about 1 1/4 pounds dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose bleached flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
2 large eggs
To mix the dough by hand, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a medium mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and add to dry ingredients. Toss once or twice to coat pieces of butter. Then using your hands or a pastry blender, break the butter into tiny pieces and pinch and squeeze it into the dry ingredients. Occasionally reach down to the bottom of the bowl and mix all the ingredients evenly together. Continue rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse-ground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible. Beat the egg(s) in a small bowl and pour over the flour and butter mixture. Stir in with a fork until the dough begins to hold together, but still appears somewhat dry. Scatter a teaspoon of flour on the work surface and scrape the dough out onto it. Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth and uniform.
To mix the dough in the food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in work bowl fitted with metal blade. Pulse 3 times at 1-second intervals to mix. Cut butter into 1 tablespoon pieces and add to work bowl. Process, pulsing repeatedly at 1-second intervals, until the mixture is fine and powdery, resembles a coarse-ground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible, about 15 pulses in all. Add the egg(s) to the work bowl and pulse ten times or so, until the dough forms a ball. Scatter a teaspoon of flour on the work surface and scrape the dough out onto it. Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth and uniform. Press the dough into a disk (two equal disks for the larger amount of dough). Sandwich the disk(s) of dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and press it into a 6-inch circle. Refrigerate the dough until firm, or until you are ready to use it, at least 1 hour.
Storage: Keep the dough in the refrigerator up to two days, or freeze it double-wrapped in plastic. Because the dough is thin, it will defrost quickly at room temperature when you intend to use it.
Variations:
SPICE CRUST: Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each freshly grated nutmeg and ground cloves to the dry ingredients before mixing in the butter. Double the quantities for the 2-crust recipe.
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Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe courtesy Jill Novatt of Food Network Kitchens
Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: approximately 3 dozen
For the cookies:
1 cup sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons Maple syrup
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground all spice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
For the frosting:
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Zest of one lemon
For Garnish:
Whole pecans
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixer, fitted with a paddle, cream the sugar and the butter until light and fluffy. Add the maple syrup and eggs. Mix to incorporate. Add the pumpkin and mix to incorporate. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix well. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown around the edges. Cool on racks. When cool, ice with the cream cheese frosting. For the Frosting: In a mixer, fitted with a paddle, add the cream cheese. Beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Add milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. If frosting is too thick, thin with a little more milk. Fold in the lemon zest. When cookies are cool spread with some of the frosting. Garnish with a whole pecan.
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Jelly-Filled Cupcakes With Peanut Butter Frosting
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 15 minutes Yield: 12 cupcakes
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
1 cup grape jelly (Recommended: Welch's Grape Jelly)
Candy bars (Recommended: Reese's Pieces, Butterfinger, Nutterbutter, Heath Bar, smashed up with a rolling pin, for decorating)
Peanut butter frosting, recipe follows
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a cupcake pan with paper liners, gently spray the liners with nonstick spray and set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt over a large piece of paper. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, the egg yolk, and the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pour in the milk and continue to mix until smooth. Pick up the paper with the dry ingredients and gradually pour it into the wet ingredients, continue to mix just until blended.
Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared cupcake tins, about 3/4 full. Bake until the tops of the cupcakes spring back to the touch and are not too golden; about 20 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, and then allow to cool completely on a wire rack before filling, frosting or decorating.
Fill a squirt bottle with the grape jelly and screw on the cap. Carefully insert the tip of the squirt bottle as far as it will go into the top of the cupcakes. Gently squeeze about 1 tablespoon worth of jelly inside of each. Ice the tops of the cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting to cover. Decorate with your favorite candy.
Peanut Butter Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk
Beat the butter, peanut butter, and cream cheese with a hand or standing mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Slowly add the confectioner's sugar and continue to mix until the frosting is smooth, mix in the milk and continue to mix until it reaches a good spreading consisting.
Yield: 2 cups
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Orange Panna Cotta
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
3 tablespoons water
4 cups heavy cream, or a combination of cream with milk or buttermilk
3/4 cup sugar
6 wide strips fresh orange peel (orange part only-no white pith)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Semisweet chocolate curls, for garnish (optional)
Orange supremes (segments), for garnish
In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let soak 10 minutes (do not stir).
Meanwhile, heat the cream, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to dissolve the sugar. As soon as it simmers, turn off the heat and add the gelatin mixture, stirring to dissolve the gelatin. (If the gelatin doesn’t completely dissolve in 3 minutes, return to the heat and warm gently until dissolved.)
Strain the mixture into a pitcher to remove the vanilla bean and orange rind. Pour the mixture into 6 to 8 ramekins or dessert cups, or into 1 larger dish. Chill, uncovered, at least 3 hours.
To unmold, dip the cups in hot water for 10 seconds, then turn the panna cottas out onto dessert plates (or, simply serve in the cups or by the spoonful). Shave some chocolate curls onto the top of the panna cottas and serve with the orange supremes.
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Butterscotch Pie
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand
Show: Sweet Dreams Episode: American Pie
Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
For the filling:
2 1/4 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Scotch whisky
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup whipped cream, for garnish
Piecrust, baked blind, recipe follows
For the meringue top:
2 egg whites*
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons sugar
In a large saucepan, combine the milk and cream, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside.
In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the brown sugar, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, to caramelize the mixture. (You will smell a characteristic nutty-caramel odor when the butter browns, signaling that the mixture is ready.)
Whisking constantly, gradually add the butter/brown sugar mixture to the hot milk/cream mixture. If the mixture is not smooth, blend for 20 seconds with a hand blender or pour through a fine sieve.
Put the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk in about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture. Whisk in the cornstarch and salt until dissolved. Whisk the cornstarch mixture back into the hot milk mixture in the saucepan. Add the scotch and whisk in.
Whisking constantly, cook over medium-high heat until thick and just boiling. When the mixture thickens, the whisk will leave trail marks on the bottom of the pot and the mixture will have a few large bubbles boiling up to the top.
Turn off the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour into the pre-baked pie shell and chill, uncovered, at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
For the meringue top: Whip whites with the salt to soft peaks, then add sugar and whip until sugar is dissolved and whites are glossy. Spread meringue on top of the slightly cooled pie and bake for 5 minutes until lightly browned (cappuccino colored). Chill until ready to serve.
Piecrust:
4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
12 ounces (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup ice water (strain out the ice just before using)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), mix the flour, salt, and sugar for 1 minute. Add the butter and mix just until you have a crumbly, sandy mixture. You should still be able to see the pieces of butter.
In a small bowl, stir the water and vinegar together. With the mixer running at medium speed, drizzle in the water-vinegar mixture and mix just until a dough forms. You should still see small bits of butter.
Turn out onto a work surface, divide the dough in half, and shape into round, flat disks. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before using. (Or, refrigerate up to 48 hours or freeze up to 1 month before using. If frozen, let thaw in the refrigerator overnight before rolling out.)
When the time comes to roll out the dough, let the dough warm up for a few minutes at room temperature. Dust a work surface with just a few tablespoons of flour and keep some extra flour at hand. If you like, you can roll out the dough between two sheets of waxed paper (flouring the bottom sheet and the top of the dough before rolling), which makes it much easier to transfer to the pan later on. However, you won't be able to check the progress of the dough as easily. It's entirely up to you.
Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough and start rolling outward from the center with quick, light strokes. Don't worry if the edges split a bit; concentrate on getting a good circle going from the center. Lift up and rotate the dough 1/4 turn every minute or so to help ensure even rolling. The dough should feel smooth and soft; some say it should feel like the inside of your forearm. If it gets sticky, sprinkle on a bit more flour, but don't do this more than two or three times; the dough will absorb too much flour. Instead, put it back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm the butter up. Keep rolling until the circle is at least 2 inches larger than your pan (for example, 11-inches wide for a 9-inch pie pan), or 3 inches larger for deep-dish pies.
Set your pie or tart pan nearby. We always use heavy aluminum pans, because glass pans seem to bake the crust too fast. However, we know that the advantage of glass is that you can easily check the color of the crust. Again, it's up to you. Either choice will work.
To transfer the crust to the pan, we find it easiest to roll a finished crust up onto the rolling pin, then gently unroll it in the pan. Or, you can fold it gently in quarters, lift it up, position the center point on the center of the pan, and unfold it into the pan. If using waxed paper, peel off the top layer, turn the crust gently into the pan, and peel off the remaining paper. Make sure that the dough is allowed to settle completely into the pan.
Don't stretch and press the dough into the corners; stretched dough will likely shrink back when you bake it. Instead, lift the edges of the crust to let it settle down into the corners. If the dough tears a bit, don't be concerned; it will patch easily. Using scissors or a sharp knife, trim the dough to within 3/4-inch of the rim. Use any extra scraps to patch the crust, pressing with your fingers (wet them if necessary) or set aside.
For a single-crust pie: Working around the rim, turn the crust under itself (not under the rim of the pan) to make a thick edge, pressing it firmly against the pan to reduce shrinkage. To decorate the rim, just press it all around with the back of a fork. For a slightly more advanced look, press the thumb and forefinger of one hand together. Use them to gently push the thick dough rim outward, while pushing inward with the forefinger of the other hand, so that they intersect in a "V" with the dough in between. Repeat all around the rim to make a wavy edge.
Chill the finished crust or crusts for 20 to 30 minutes before filling the pie. When the bottom crust is filled, rest the top crust on top and pinch the edges together, turning them under all the way around. To decorate the rim, just press it all around with the back of a fork. For a slightly more advanced look, press the thumb and forefinger of one hand together. Use them to gently push the thick dough rim outward, while pushing inward with the forefinger of the other hand, so that they intersect in a "V" with the dough in between. Repeat all around the rim to make a wavy edge.
For a prebaked pie or tart crust (blind baking): Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line the inside of the chilled crust with aluminum foil (don't turn it down over the rim, but leave the extra sticking up so that you have something to hold on to). Fill the foil all the way up to the top of the shell with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until dry and beginning to turn "blond". Lift the foil and weights out of the shell and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, checking frequently to prevent overbaking, until medium brown.
Yield: 2 crusts Preparation time: 15 minutes plus rolling and shaping Cooking time: 30 minutes Ease of preparation: moderate
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, "Butter Sugar Flour Eggs" by Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto, Julia Moskin: Clarkson N. Potter Publishers, 1999
Notes about the recipe: I love panna cotta because you can combine milks and creams to make it sweeter, more tart, or creamier. And then the flavor can be anything you can imagine goes well with dairy—raspberry, citrus, coffee, tea, what ever! So it's one of those really flexible desserts that you can tailor to fit the flavors in the rest of your menu, and "flexible" almost never happens when it comes to a dessert recipe. Also, you can vary the container you make it in and turn it out to serve it or leave it in. Try using eggcups, demitasse cups, a hollowed out clean eggshell, shot glasses, anything will do. These are ingredients you might already have in your kitchen, too, so it cuts down on shopping, which is key for me. When I want to cook, I want to get right to it and not have to make a trip to the grocery just to get my hands into some dessert!
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ABSURDITY, n.
A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with one's own opinion.
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
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