These decadent treats have a chewy gingery crust, a creamy layer of pumpkin cheesecake and crunchy spiced pecans on top. And they’re surprisingly easy to make!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups crushed ginger snaps (about 30 cookies)
1/2 can sweetened condensed mil
1 brick of cream cheese
2/3 cup of pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 sour cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
100 gr (small bag) chopped pecans
Preparation Instructions
Preheat over to 350.
Line a 9″ square baking pan with parchment paper.
Place crushed cookies into bottom of pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk over top. Place in over for 5 minutes. Remove from over and mix until combined.
Mix cream cheese with pumpkin and brown sugar. Beat until smooth. Gradually add eggs one at a time, and beat each time until smooth. Pour over cookie base.
Bake 35-40 minutes, until set. Cool completely.
Prepare spiced nuts: (you could just as easily add store bought pralines here!)
In a frying pan, add sugar, spices and butter. Heat until melted. Pour pecans in. Cook until sugar is dissolved, about 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour out onto parchment paper to cool.
Before serving, top squares with cream cheese and pralines. Cut and serve immediately.
My husband hates brussels sprouts. Here’s a true story that changed his mind: One day we were at a restaurant when the steak he wanted to order was accompanied by brussels sprouts. He asked to have potatoes instead. When his meal arrived, the chef came out of the kitchen with a small plate of brussels sprouts, and insisted that while he may hate most brussels sprouts, he was sure he would not hate these. And he was right. I’ve spent a long time trying to decipher the recipe, and I think I finally got it. Try them, they just may change your mind about this tiny cabbage!
Ingredients
1 lb brussels sprouts
1/2 cup pancetta, or sliced bacon
1 tblsp olive oil
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350.
Trim the ends and yellow leaves off of the brussels sprouts. Wash. Place in a large bowl. Add the pancetta or bacon, olive oil and salt and pepper. (not too much salt as the bacon has salt in it).
Toss to coat evenly.
Place brussels sprouts on a cookie sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
Stir. Roast for an addition 10 minutes.
Mix dijon mustard and sour cream together.
Remove sprouts from over, pour sour cream mixture over top and mix to coat evenly.
Return to over for an additional 10 minutes.
These amazing food processor latkaes literally take 5 minutes to whip up! And their chopped-up texture make them distinctly hash-brown like! Thanks to Norene Gilletz of Gourmania for sharing this traditional Hanukkah dish! It’s from her Book, the NEW Food Processor Bible. It’s simply delicious- we had them for lunch the other day with a green salad and loads of home made applesauce to dip!
Ingredients
4 medium potatoes peeled or scrubbed (or substitute Purple Sweeties)
1 medium onion
2 eggs (or 1 egg plus 2 egg whites)
1/3 cup flour or matzo meal
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp oil (plus more as needed for frying latkes)
Preparation Instructions
Cut potatoes in chunks and onion in half. Place in processor with eggs. Process on the Steel Blade until pureed, 20 to 30 seconds. Add remaining ingredients except oil; process a few seconds longer to blend into a smooth mixture.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drop potato mixture into hot oil by large spoonfuls to form pancakes; brown well on both sides. Drain well on paper towels. Add additional oil to pan as needed. Stir batter before cooking each new batch. Latkes can be placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet and kept warm in a 250 degree F oven.
(To bake latkes instead of frying, place oven racks on lowest and middle positions in oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Drop potato mixture by spoonfuls onto well-oiled baking sheets; flatten slightly. Bake 10 minutes, until bottoms are browned and crispy. Turn latkes over. Transfer pan from upper rack to lower rack and vice versa. Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer.)
Yield: about 2 dozen or 5 dozen miniatures. Freezes well.
This recipe is perfect alongside Chicken Marvelosa. It comes from our friend Norene Gilletz’s book Norene’s Healthy Kitchen (Whitecap books), and is the ideal side dish to serve at a family gathering. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of the carrots, or add a dash of honey for the High Holidays.
Ingredients
1 large onion, sliced
2 lb (1 kg) carrots, peeled and cut in 2-inch lengths
3 to 4 cloves garlic (about 3 to 4 tsp minced)
2 to 3 Tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9- × 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Place the onion, carrots, and garlic in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste; mix well. For best results, the carrots should be in a single layer in the dish.
3. Roast, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes or until golden and tender, stirring the carrots occasionally. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Yield: 6 servings. Keeps for up to 2 days in the refrigerator; reheats well. Don’t freeze.
Find variations on the recipe here. Thanks Norene!
Our friend and cookbook author Norene Gilletz of Gourmania.com has contributed this recipe that is perfect for the upcoming Jewish High Holidays, or any festive meal where you need to feed a crowd. In Sept 2008, this recipe was featured on Martha Stewart Living radio when Norene was interviewed by Mario Bosquez. It’s from her book Norene’s Healthy Kitchen (Whitecap books).
It’s easy to put together, can be assembled ahead of time and doubled should your guest list keep growing the way mine tends to!
Ingredients
2 whole chickens (3 lb/1.4 kg each), cut into pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning (or a mixture of basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary)
6 to 8 cloves garlic (about 2 to 3 Tbsp minced)
3/4 to 1 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1/2 cup dry-packed, sun-dried tomatoes, halved or coarsely chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
2 bay leaves
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Preparation Instructions
1. Rinse the chickens well and pat dry with paper towels. Trim the excess fat. Place the chickens in a large roasting pan sprayed with cooking spray. Season the chickens inside, outside, and under the skin with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Add the apricots, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. (The dried apricots and sun-dried tomatoes will plump up during marinating and cooking.)
2. In a measuring cup, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, and olive oil. Drizzle evenly over the chicken mixture; mix well so that the chicken is thoroughly coated. Pour the wine around the chicken and add the bay leaves. Cover the pan and refrigerate for several hours or for as long as 2 days.
3. When the chicken is marinated, remove from the refrigerator, uncover, and bake in a 350°F oven for 11/4 to 11/2 hours, basting often. When done, the skin will be golden and the juices will run clear when pierced with a fork. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken mixture to a serving platter. Drizzle with some of the pan juices and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Place the remaining pan juices in a gravy bowl, skim off the fat, and serve alongside the chicken.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings. Keeps for up to 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator; reheats well. Freezes well for up to 4 months.
Find and even healthier variation on her site, www.gourmania.com. Thanks Norene!!
2 medium oranges
4 c. fresh cranberries (1 lb)
2 c. sugar
1/4 c. finely chopped walnuts
Preparation instructions
With a vegetable peeler, remove the orange portion of the peel of one orange; set aside.
Completely peel and section both oranges. Using a food grinder with a coarse blade or a food processor, grind reserved orange peel, orange sections and cranberries. Stir in sugar and nuts. Chill for several hours. Serve with poultry or ham.
2 egg whites, unbeaten
1 1/2 c. sugar
5 tbsp water
1 1/2 tsp light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
Preparation instructions
Combine egg whites, sugar, water, and corn syrup in top of double boiler, beating with rotary egg beater until thoroughly mixed. Place over rapidly boiling water, beat constantly with rotary egg beater and cook 7 minutes, or until frosting will stand in peaks. Remove from boiling water; add vanilla and beat until thick enough to spread.
Variation: fold in chopped nuts, coconut or pieces of fried or candied fruit, or by tinting delicately with colorings.
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
3/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. shortening
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. light molasses
1/2 c. boiling water
Preparation instructions
Grease and lightly flour 9×1 1/2 inch baking pan. Combine the first 6 ingredients. In a mixer bowl beat shortening on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg and molasses; beat 1 minute. Add dry ingredients and water alternately to beaten mixtur, beating after each addition. Turn into prepared pan. Bake in a 350° oven 30-35 minutes or till done. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan; serve warm.
2 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. water
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1 or 2 drops food coloring (optional)
1/2 c. chopped candied fruit or dried fruit (optional)
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
Preparation instructions
In a heavy 2-qt saucepan stir together sugar, corn syrup, and water. Clip candy thermometer to side of pan. Cook and stir over medium-high heat till sugar dissolves and mixture boils (5 to 7 min). Avoid splashing syrup on sides of pan.
Reduce heat; cook, without stirring, over medium heat to 260° (hard-ball stage). Mixture should boil gently over entire surface. Reaching hard ball stage should take about 15 min. Remove saucepan from heat. Immediately begin to beat egg whites in a large mixer bowl on medium speed of electric mixer till stiff peaks form.
Remove candy thermometer from the side of the sauce pan, gradually pour hot syrup in a thin stream (slightly less than 1/8 inch diameter) over egg whites, beating constantly on high speed of electric mixer. (add syrup slowly to ensure proper blending. This should take about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and a few drops of food coloring. Continue to beat just till candy starts to lose its gloss. When beaters are lifted, mixture should fall in a ribbon, but mound on itself and not disappear into remaining mixture. Final beating should take 5 to 6 minutes.
When candy is beaten enough, mixture will stay mounded in a soft shape when a spoonful is dropped onto waxed paper. When candy holds its shape, stir in fruits and nuts, if desired; quickly drop candy by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. If mixture flattens out, beat 1/2 to 1 minute more and check again. If mixture is too stiff to spoon and has a rough surface, beat in hot water a few drops at a time, till candy is a softer consistency.
Cool; store tightly covered.
3 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
16 oz (2 1/2 c.) diced, mixed candied fruits and peels
1 (15 oz pkg) (3 c.) raisins
1 (8 oz pkg) (1 1/3 c.) pitted whole dates, snipped
Preparation instructions
Grease three 8x4x2 loaf pans or two 10x 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pans. Line bottom and sides of pans with brown paper. (Brown paper prevents over browning); grease paper. Stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Add fruits and peels, raisins, dates, cherries, almonds, pecans and pineapple; mix till well coated. Beat eggs till foamy. Add brown sugar, orange juice, butter or margarine, and molasses; beat till combined. Stir into fruit mixture. Turn batter into pans, filling each about 3/4 full.
Bake in oven 300° for 2 hours or till cakes test done. (cover all pans loosely with foil after 1 hour of baking to prevent over baking)
Place cakes in pans on wire racks; cool thoroughly. Remove from pans.
Wrap in wine. brandy, or fruit juice-moistened cheese cloth. Over wrap with foil. Store in refrigerator. (Store 3 to 4 weeks for a blended and mellow flavor) Re-moisten cheese cloth as needed after 1 week.
