A Maple and Candied Walnut Layer Cake

 What better way to celebrate the autumn than with walnuts and maple syrup. I just looooove maple syrup. So when I saw this recipe for a maple and candied walnut cake in my new issue of Taste of Home magazine I fell head over heels for it!

For the cake...

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp maple syrup
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup of buttermilk

To make the candied walnuts...

1 tsp. unsalted butter, 
1 1/2 cups of coarsely chopper walnuts
1 tsp. maple syrup
1/4 tsp. salt

For the frosting...
2 1/2 cups of butter (Salted), softened
6 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tsp maple syrup
1/4 to 1/2 cup of half-n-half
1 T maple syrup divided

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line the bottom of 3 cake pans with parchment paper cut to fit. Spray the parchment and pans with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the brown sugar until blended then add the 3 eggs, beating well after each one. Then add the maple syrup.

In another bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then alternating the flour and the butter milk, add them to the butter mixture again beating well after each addition. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake in the oven for  13-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes our clean. Cool the cakes in their pans for about 10 minutes and then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

In a large heavy skillet, melt the butter for the candied walnuts. Add the walnuts to the butter and cook while stirring constantly until nuts are toasted. Add the maple syrup and salt and cook for one more minute. Remove from heat and transfer to  a heat proof bowl to let cool.

For the frosting beat the butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Begin to beat in the confectioner's sugar and the half-n-half, alternation the dry with the wet. Add enough of the liquid until you get the desired consistency for your frosting. Add the maple syrup and beat for one more minute.

Place one cake on your plate or cake dish and spread about a cup of frosting on top. Sprinkle on top of the frosting 1/2 cup of the candied walnuts, then drizzle with 1 T. of maple syrup. Repeat layers. Top with the last layer and then frost the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkling with the remaining walnuts and drizzle with the last of the maple syrup.

Enjoy!!!

XO

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A Positively Perfect Pumpkin Russian

Here's another super delicious way of celebrating Autumn with one of my favorite flavors of the season, pumpkin. Only this time it is in  liquid form. Look at that fabulous pumpkin color...don't you just want to pick up the glass and take a sip right now?

This tasty adult treat was made with both pumpkin and coffee liqueurs, plus some pumpkin vodka and light cream.

Here are the amounts you need to make a perfect Pumpkin Russians.

1 part coffee liqueur

3 parts Pumpkin liqueur

1 part vodka

1 part light cream ( I used fat free and it still tastes yummy)

I then put it in my cocktail shaker with some ice and shook my little heart out!. But you can easily mix it and then pour it over some ice...either way it is still scrumptilly-ishes!

You can even go ahead and garnish the drink with a spicy cinnamon stick!

This is definitely on my radar for a very Happy Halloween night!

XO

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Super Easy Pumpkin Pancakes

My kids have been on a HUGE pancake kick lately, I suppose it's the cool fall weather making them want something hot in their bellies. Well anyway yesterday I got it into my head that I wanted to make pumpkin pancakes, so I did an internet search for homemade pumpkin pancake recipes. And while I did find a few, when I tried making them they came out really heavy and way too moist. I had to laugh, the first recipe I tried the pancakes were actually orange! I just couldn't get a dang good looking fluffy pumpkin pancake to come out no matter what I did. After numerous tries, almost 2 hours in the kitchen and about half a canister of flour all used up, I though maybe it's time to throw in the proverbial towel!

But hey that simply is not me, and I refused to be defeated by a pancake! So being someone who is typically willing to take a short cut if I can, especially when it comes to baking, (with the exception of always making my own pie crusts) I thought why not just use a boxed pancake mix and doctor it up, and that's what I did!

Make the pancake batter according to the box directions. 

For 6-8 pancakes add the following...

1 tsp Pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 T of pure pumpkin puree, not filling

and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract.

Then just cook the pancakes on your griddle as usual.

To make the Ginger Spiced Maple Syrup do this...

Heat 1/2 cup of maple syrup on the stove just until warm, don't boil. Then add a pinch of ground ginger and stir until dissolved. Test the flavor and add more if desired. Just make sure you add the ginger a little at a time, if too much goes in it will make the syrup way too bite-y. Let cool and store in frig in an airtight container.

A little whipped cream along with some ginger spiced maple syrup, and you have an awesome autumn breakfast!!

Enjoy!!!

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Fabulous Fall Pasta and Tomato Toss

Last week when my sister Kim came up to celebrate Grace's 11th birthday, she brought with her a huge bag of tomatoes which was the last of what she grew in her garden this year. There is nothing I love more than fresh tomatoes but you have to use them up quick or you will find yourself sharing your kitchen with a whole bunch of fruit flies. Anyhow we had spaghetti and meatballs for Grace's birthday dinner and needless to say I made WAY more pasta than we could have possibly consumed, so the balance of what we didn't eat went right into the frig. NOW WHAT IS A GIRL TO DO??? I have about a pound of leftover cooked pasta with all these gorgeous tomatoes, plenty of garlic, a cupboard full of white beans which I love, and some shrimp in the freezer. So I began putting these ingredients together and came up with this pasta dish which can be served as an entree...OR and as a lovely appetizer!

Ingredients:

3-4 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic minced
3-4 whole ripe tomatoes diced
Small white beans, I used about a cup
1/4 cup fresh parsley plus some for garnish
8-10 large white shrimp shelled and deveined ( you can also cut them in half if you prefer)
Leftover cooked spaghetti about 2 cups (whole wheat works fine...that us what I typically use)
Shredded Parmesan cheese, about 1/4 cup
Some crushed red pepper to your liking (optional)
Fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt to season

Heat olive oil in medium sized pan and add the garlic, let simmer on low to medium heat just until garlic is soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley and beans and saute for another two minutes. Add the spaghetti and heat then toss in the shrimp and heat through until they turn light pink. Remove from heat and season the crushed red pepper, black pepper and sea salt. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. 

Serve with a crusty bread and a glass of Pinot Grigio.

Enjoy and

Ciao!!!

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Frighteningly Yummy Halloween Bark

Who doesn't love the combination of salty and sweet? This bark has salty pretzels and peanuts mixed with milk chocolate M $ M's and crumbled Oreo cookie, all nestled in a white chocolate! 

Yummmmmmmeeeeeeee!!!!!

This is fun to make with the kids too!

And the method to making this tasty treat could not be more simple.

Ingredient amounts..

.

24 ounces of white chocolate or Almond Bark. Both can be found at you local Walmart.

1 cup coarsely chopped pretzels

10 coarsely chopped Oreo cookies

1 cup dry roasted peanuts

1 cup of M & M's, with the blue and green ones sorted out

In a 15 X 10 inch jelly roll pan place a sheet of aluminum foil and then coat it with cooking spray.

Place the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. If using the almond bark, make sure you have broken the squares apart for even melting. Place in the microwave and cook it on high for one minute. Check the chocolate to make sure it is getting soft. Place back in microwave and cook for 15 seconds, stir and then return to the microwave and repeat until the chocolate is completely melted. Spread chocolate evenly on the prepared jelly roll pan. Sprinkle the nuts, candy, cookie and pretzel on the top of the melted chocolate and gently press them in. 

Let set for one hour or refrigerate for about 20 minutes.  Break the bark into pieces and store in a plastic bag.

Enjoy!

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Delicate Brussels Sprouts Salad

A few weeks ago while in New Orleans, I had the opportunity to take my beautiful niece Meghan out for a pre-birthday dinner. I told Meghan it was her choice so she selected a restaurant right in the heart of the French Quarter called Sylvain. A most excellent choice I may add!

Oh there is Meghan now...told you she was beautiful! This is a pic of her with my daughter Grace (on the right) after last year's Philadelphia marathon!

So as an appetizer Meghan suggested either a roasted beet brushetta or this ah-mazing Brussels sprout salad. Again I said it was her choice so the salad it was! And OMGosh...this salad was like one of the B E S T things I've ever put into my mouth! It was served on a plate and we split it up between the two of us, and at that point I told Meghan I could have made a meal of the salad itself.  

Since I've been home I have been searching for a Brussels sprouts salad recipe that would come close to what I had. I did find several recipes much to my surprise...even one from Jane Fonda who raved about Sylvain's B.S. salad. So finally I kind of put it together and came up with this recipe.

Ingredients

 (You can always play with the proportions to make it more to your liking.)

8 oz of Brussels sprouts, sliced lengthwise with hard center discarded

1/2 cup of shelled hazelnuts toasted and cut in half

1/2 cup Pecorino romano cheese broken into small pieces

Fuji apple diced

For the dressing

3 T olive oil

3 T honey

3 T white balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. dijon mustard

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and toss with the salad ingredients. Season with a little salt.

Enjoy!!

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Rustic Cauliflower and Broccoli Tartlets

Oh my it is Monday and it is FALL! My favorite thyme (yes thyme as in the herb) of the year. And there is nothing I lo-o-o-ove more than a savory cheesy baked good. This recipe came from the blog Sylvia's Simple Life and it is a fabulous tasting delight. 

Originally this recipe is made as a tart, which I did make this past Friday and devoured with my gal pal Peggy (or Pegs as I like to call her) while our kids and my hubster ate pizza pie. The crust of this tart is wonderful as it is seasoned with paprika and thyme which gives it a hearty flavor. Then there are the veggies and the cheese...oh yeah, I used lots of 

ch-e-e-e-e-se!

We girls paired the tart with white wine, sauteed spinach and some crispy sliced apple to round out our evening meal. Everything worked just perfect together!

So today I recreated the same dish only this thyme I made individual crusts and baked them in a muffin tin. 

Makes 12-14 tartlets

(Unfortunately while I was outside shooting my photos for this post I turned my back for just a minute, and in that time our neighbor's dang dog Zoey had come by and polished off 5 of the 12 tartlets! Ugh!!!)

Anyway...here are the ingredients you will need.

1 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour

1/1/4 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried thyme (I use a little more)

pinch of salt

5 1/2 T butter, softened

3-5 T cold water

1 /12 cups of cauliflower florets

1 cup of broccoli 

1 onion cut in wedges or as I happen to have on hand, 2 leeks sliced using only the white and light green parts

2 T butter

2 T flour

1/3 cup vegetable stock

1/2 c milk

3/4 c. grater cheese ( I used Asaigio cheese)

Paprika to garnish

In large bowl mix together the first four dry ingredients. Then using a pastry blender or forks, cut into the dry ingredients with the butter. Once blended add the water and then form dough into a ball. Place the ball in it bowl in the frig for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime place all of your veggies in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain and set aside.

To make the crusts, remove the dough from the frig and roll out onto a floured surface with a rolling pin. Once the dough is flat use a glass or round cookie cutter and cut out your circles. It's OK if the shape is a little smaller that the tin's muffin cups because you can just roll out each circle to extend it's size. Place each circle of dough into a muffin cup sprayed with cooking spray. Do this by gently pushing the circle down into the cup and press it up against its sides. Pierce the dough with a fork and bake for about 15 minutes in an oven set at 375 degrees F.

In another smaller pot melt the 2 T of butter and then add your flour to make a roux. Add the vegetable stock and milk and stir until thickened, then add 1/2 cup of cheese.

Once the crusts are baked, add the cooked vegetables to each crust and then spoon the cheese mixture on top. Sprinke with remaining cheeses and bake until the top is bubbly and golden brown, about 13-15 minutes. 

Garnish with paprika if desired and enjoy!

While you are noshing on your freshly baked tartlets and enjoying it with a glass of your favorite wine, take a hop on over to Sylvia's Simple Life. Sylvia's blog is filled with beautiful images, wonderful recipes and stories. I promise you will not be disappointed!

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Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake Brownies

This is a decadent little brownie which I am sure is not part of anyone's weight loss regime.  But hey you've got to splurge every once in a while right? This recipe has two parts, the cake-like bottom and a creamy top...all in chocolate hazelnut! I used 16 ounces of cream cheese along with 8 eggs and an entire jar of hazelnut spread. I then decided to add some toffee bites to the top to provide a crunchy contrast to the brownie's creaminess, and the little bit of toffee saltiness highlights the chocolate flavor.

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of powdered cocoa like Hershey's

8 eggs

2 1/2 cups of sugar

1 13 or 14 oz jar of chocolate-hazelnut spread

1 1/3 cups of butter, melted and cooled

2 8 oz. pkg. of Neufchatel cream cheese, softened

Heath English Toffee Bites

 First preheat your oven to 325 degrees and spray coat a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan with cooking spray, then set it aside. Next in a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour and cocoa.

In a large mixing bowl beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed...4 of the eggs with the sugar, 1/2 cup of the hazelnut spread and the melted butter until combined  Now fold in the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Pour this mixture into your prepared pan and spread it out evenly.

Wash the mixer's beaters and in another large bowl beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in 4 eggs and remaining hazelnut spread until all ingredients are combined. Then carefully pour over the batter in the pan and spread out evenly. Place in the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes until the cheese layer is set and firm. Cover and chill before serving. Sprinkle with Heath English Toffee Bites.

Just perfect with a nice cold glass of milk!

(This recipe was adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Fall Baking 2013 issue)

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Cajun Vs. Creole Plus an Authentic Jambalaya Recipe

While my sister Kim and I were in New Orleans last week, I  somehow manage to stumble across the New Orleans School of cooking while out for a walk on Monday morning. I immediately signed up for the $29 cooking demonstration scheduled for Tuesday which was to run from 10:00 to 12:30. Included in the price was lunch plus beverages, and a taste of Louisiana's own Abita beer.

Chef Michael was our demonstrator of the morning and he not only prepared the most incredible Gumbo and Jambalaya, but he also gave us a complete and colorful history lesson about the how the flavors of this region's food came to be. 

As you probably already know, Cajun and Creole are the two main types of fare you'll find in New Orleans and are represented by people known as Cajuns and Creoles respectively.  Both groups are heavily influenced by French culture, but the differences in how each group developed keeps them distinguishable. Arguably the main difference between the Cajuns and Creoles lies in the way each group migrated to Louisiana.

Chef Michael explained how the Cajuns, who were originally French columnist in Canada called Acadiens, came to Louisiana as a result of the British government becoming fearful that the Acadiens would rise up and fight with the French during the French Indian war of the early 1700's. By mid century the British seized the Acadiens' farms and burned their villages because they would not adopt the king's Protestant religion and defend the royal kingdom. So after 40 years of refusing to abdicate their beliefs, British soldiers loaded Acadian families on ships of various destinations from New York to the West Indies. Some ended up in Louisiana where they were found acceptance with it's French background and Catholic heritage. This is where the Acadiens became known as Cajuns as they developed their own distinct lifestyle in the swamps and surrounding areas of Louisiana.

Creoles on the other hand are little bit harder to define but typically they are the descendants of the settlers in the New Orleans area. These settlers are of  French, Spanish, Italian, Caribbean and African ancestry, and descendants of African Americans both slaves and free.  

The difference in cooking has to do with where each group settled in Louisiana. Cajun cooking is though of as "country" fare since the Cajuns had to live off of the land and often used pots for cooking. Their food incorporates meats like pork, chicken, sausage and craw-fish  Cajun cooking will tend to lean on the "holy trinity" of vegetables which are celery, bell pepper and onion, and is typically spicy since cayenne pepper is used good amounts along with herbs like thyme, paprika, parsley and pepper.

Creole cooking is sometimes referred to as more "urban" fare since the Creoles had access to a larger variety of foods native to their countries of origin, as well as to local markets. European influences is largely infused into creole cuisine. Creole dishes utilizes lighter proteins like shrimp, crab and oysters. The "holy trinity" is also used in creole cooking with the addition of tomatoes and garlic (or the "pope" as Chef Michael likes to refer to garlic) which is a sign of Italian influences. The Creoles use less cayenne in their cooking and rely more on allspice, mustard and okra which results in very flavorful but not too spicy dishes. 

Both styles of cooking incorporate the use of a flour as a base to thicken dishes. The Creoles use butter with flour while the Cajuns use oil.

On the menu for lunch was...

Gumbo

Jambalaya

Banana's Foster 

and Louisiana pralines 

...all made right in front of our class of 40!

New Orleans School of Cooking Jambalaya Recipe

serves 12

Ingredients:

1/4 c. oil
1 cut up chicken de-boned and cooked
1 1/2 lbs of Andouille sausage, sliced about 1/3 inch thick

The Trinity
4 c. chopped onions
2 c. chopped celery
2 c. chopped green pepper

The Pope
1 T chopped garlic ( I do throw in more)

4 c. long grain rice
5 c. chicken stock

Cajun seasoning...black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and paprika, dried thyme or you can purchase Joe's Stuff Seasoning
2 cups of chopped green onion or tomato

Season and brown the chicken in oil or if you have it on hand, bacon fat, over medium heat. Add sausage to pot with chicken and continue to saute. Remove the meat from the pot leaving the drippings. 

Next saute the trinity along with the Pope in the drippings until tender. Return the meat to the pot and add your seasonings plus gradually pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Stir in your rice, cover and let simmer for about 25 minutes. Uncover and quickly turn the rice from top to bottom completely. Replace cover and let sit for another 20 minutes, then stir the rice in the same fashion again from top to bottom. Add chopped green onions an tomatoes if desired.

The New Orleans School of Cooking is located at

542 Louis Street right in the heart of the French Quarter.

Phone number (504)525-2665

or outside of Louisiana (800) 237-4841

If you plan on visiting New Orleans and would like to attend one of the school's classes, make sure you call ahead for a reservation. Classes do fill up fast.

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Eating our way through New Orleans' French Quarter

Last weekend my sister Kim and I flew down to the Big Easy for 5 glorious days. While Kim did have work obligations, I on the other hand (hehehehe) did not, we still found plenty of time to experience New Orleans fabulous Cajun/Creole cuisine.

Kim actually had the opportunity through her work to dine on classic Creole cuisine at Aurauds, one of the French Quarter's premier restaurants. 

This main dining area is just stunning isn't it?? So old-world South. It felt like Scarlet O'Hara could just come whizzing through the room at any moment!

Arnaud's was started by a colorful French wine salesman back in 1918 by the name of Arnaud Cazenave. The food here according to my counterpart Miss Kim, was simply fabulous!!!

(source)

And as it happily turned out, one of our favorite spots to eat was right on Royal Street, just a couple blocks from where we were staying at Hotel Monteleone. Aptly named the Royal House,  it offers open-air dining and classic traditional seafood fare. 

Here we are enjoying an early lunch of oysters...they went perfect with my Cajun Bloody Mary!

Let me tell you that the Royal House's fresh shucked oysters were unbelievably plump and delicious! The price for the dozen was very reasonable...12 oysters for a mere $13. Can't beat that on a half-shell!

I had even stopped in one day for a quick seafood gumbo lunch...service was fast and the gumbo was manifico!!

Another cute open air restaurant in the Quarter is Cafe Pontalba located in Jackson-Square. It is fun spot to people-watch while feasting on creole dishes like blacked red fish or shrimp etouffee.

Kim may have dined at Arnaud's but I had the chance to take a cooking class while she was at work.

I had stumbled upon the New Orleans's School of Cooking located on St. Louis Street about a block from the Cathedral of St Louis King of France.  For only $29 you get a 2 1/2 hour cooking demonstration on how to make 4 authentic New Orleans dishes. Below is chef Michael...he made an ah-mazing gumbo and jambalaya which we got to eat as part of the lunch included in the demonstration's price! We also got pitchers of Louisiana's Abita beer as a libation. I will tell you more about those recipes in upcoming posts, but let me say for the record in the words of Chef Michael..."it is the best you've ever eaten!"

In the same building as the cooking school is a darling general store for all of your Cajun culinary needs.

Another place which is a "must go to" while in New Orleans is Cafe du Monde for their famous coffee and biegnets, or French donuts.

To read more about Cafe du Monde click here.

There were a number of wonderful places to eat which made it really hard to chose where to go, even after studying menu after menu for the better part of a day. Also the outside dining areas were incredibly quaint and charming which made it nearly impossible not to feel immersed in the unique culture of the Quarter.

So truth be told, we did not eat our way completely through the city, but given enough time I think we just may have had a shot at completing our quest. Louisiana cooking and New Orleans cuisine is very much tied to its diverse culture. It blends together the flavors and ingredients of the French, Spanish, Portuguese and Native Americans, along with African influences, like no place else in the world.

Someday we'd love to go back to New Orleans and its French Quarter, but until that time I suppose we will have to be happy creating dishes inspired by this colorful southern region in our own kitchens.

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