Salivation Sunday

"Avoid fruit and nuts. You are what you eat."
-Jim Davis

Hello! Happy Sunday everyone - I hope you are enjoying your weekend! Today I have an easy recipe to share with you for a weekend brunch or anytime for that matter. Enjoy!


"As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists."
-Joan Gussow

Breakfast Souffle with Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:

* Non-stick cooking spray
* 6 Tbsp granulated sugar & extra for sprinkling
* 9 eggs, whites and yolks separated
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup + 1 tsp sifted flour, divided
* Powdered sugar
* 3 Tbsp preserves (I use Raspberry, Blueberry & Blackberry)
* 1/2 cup blended low-fat vanilla yogurt

Equipment Needed:

* 8x8x2 casserole dish
* Electric mixer

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.) Spray casserole w/non-stick spray & sprinkle a bit of sugar on bottom.
3.) Beat egg whites w/electric mixer in a clean bowl until frothy, about 30 secs.
4.) Slowly add 6 Tbsp sugar, beating as sugar is added, until soft peaks form.
5.) Beat egg yolks and vanilla with a fork in separate bowl, until blended.
6.) Fold egg yolk mixture slowly & gently into egg whites until incorporated.
7.) Slowly sprinkle w/flour, folding after each addition, until flour is mixed in.
8.) Pour into prepared dish.
9.) Bake 18-20 min, until golden brown and puffed.
10.) Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
11.) While souffle is baking, mix yogurt & preserves in a bowl to make sauce.
12.) Immediately scoop souffle into bowls & top with yogurt sauce.


"A fruit is a vegetable with looks and money. Plus, if you let fruit rot, it turns into wine, something Brussels sprouts never do."
-P.J. O'Rourke

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Tasty Tuesday!

"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice."
-Meister Eckhart

Hello!! Have I mentioned how much I love fall and Thanksgiving? Well, if I have neglected to do so, let me say it now!! I LOVE FALL & THANKSGIVING!!

Everyone always laughs at how much I cook for Thanksgiving dinner, but I just cannot help myself! There are so many wonderful recipes!! Today's recipe is one of my favorites!! I can eat yams/sweet potatoes everyday - they are so YUMMY! Enjoy!


Apple, Almond and Yam Patties

Ingredients:

* 1 1/4 lbs yams, peeled, coarsely grated
* 1 large honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored, coarsley grated
* 1/4 cup finely diced onions
* 1 1/2 Tbsp sour cream
* 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup sliced almonds
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* Sour Cream

Equipment Needed:

* Large nonstick skillet
* Box grater
* Ice cream scoop

Directions:

1.) Combine yam, apple, and onion in a large mixing bowl.
2.) Add sour cream and eggs; season to taste with salt and white pepper.
3.) Stir ingredients to combine.
4.) Slowly fold in flour, then add in almonds.
5.) Mix well.
6.) Form patties: scoop mixture with ice cream scoop, press firmly with hands.
7.) Set patties aside.
8.) Heat oil on medium-high 1-2 min. (do not let oil reach smoking point)
9.) Reduce heat to medium.
10.) Add yam patties to pan.
11.) Cook, 7-8 min until edges begin to brown.
12.) Gently turn patties over and cook 5-6 min until browned and tender.
13.) Place on a double layer of paper towels to drain.
14.) Repeat with remaining yam patties, heating additional oil if needed.
15.) Serve warm with sour cream as garnish.

(These can be made ahead of time and reheated in a 350° oven for 20 min)

Thought of the Day:

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
-John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Tasty Tuesday!

"I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert."
-Jason Love

Hello! I REALLY LOVE coffee cake! This recipe that I am sharing with you is an absolute favorite! The steps look long and maybe even daunting - no worries! It is very easy once you have all the ingredients. I broke the steps down (therefore there are more of them) to make it easier to understand the recipe. Enjoy!

"Seize the moment! Remember all the women on the Titanic who waved off dessert."
-Erma Bombeck


Brown Sugar & Macadamia Nut Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

Topping:
* 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
* 6 Tbs. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Cake:
* 1 cup unsalted macadamia nuts
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup cake flour
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
* 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 1 cup sour cream
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup canola oil
* 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.) Grease a 9-inch round springform pan.
3.) Line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper and grease the paper.

To make the topping:
1.) In a small bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and ginger.
2.) Add the butter and using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut or rub in the butter until coarse crumbs form.
3.) Set aside.

To make the cake:
1.) Coarsely chop the macadamia nuts and set aside.
2.) In a bowl, stir together the all-purpose and cake flours, granulated and brown sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3.) In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, oil and vanilla until well blended.
4.) Stir the sour cream mixture into the flour mixture.
5.) Using an electric mixer on medium speed beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
6.) Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
7.) Sprinkle evenly with half of the topping.
8.) Cover evenly with the remaining batter.
9.) Sprinkle evenly with the nuts, gently pressing them into the batter, then cover with the remaining topping.
10.) Bake until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
11.) Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes.
12.) Remove the sides of the springform pan.
13.) Serve the cake warm or at room temperature.

"Fudge is a noun, a verb, an interjection, and delicious!"
-Jessi Lane Adams

Silly Joke of the Day:

What do you do when your chair breaks?
....Call a chairman.

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Tasty Tuesday!

Hello Tuesday! Wishing everyone a wonderful day!

If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.
-George Bernard Shaw


Apple Crisp



Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

* 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
* 1-1/2 sticks chilled, butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
* 6 apples (honey crisp) peeled, cored, sliced thin
* Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Directions:

1.) Blend 1 1/2 cups flour and brown sugar together in medium bowl.
2.) Add butter and blend in with fingers until moist clumps form.
3.) Mix in pecans and cover topping.
4.) Refrigerate until ready to use.
5.) Blend sugar, 3 Tbsp flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in large bowl.
6.) Mix in apples to form filling mixture.
7.) Spray 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
8.) Place filling mixture into baking dish and cover with the topping.
9.) Bake until apples are tender and top is golden, about 1 hour.
10.) Let rest 8-10 min and serve warm.


It is, in my view, the duty of an apple to be crisp and crunchable, but a pear should have such a texture as leads to silent consumption.
-Edward Bunyard



Honey Crisp Apples:



Honey crisp apples are very crisp and juicy. The flesh of this is cream colored and coarse. Honey crisp apples have scents that are mild to strongly aromatic, depending on how long they have aged on the tree. This apple has consistently ranked as one of the highest quality apples in sensory evaluations. Honey crisp apples can be stored up to four months in the refrigerator.

Mangia Monday!

"What is food to one man may be fierce poison to others."
-Lucretius




Melt-Away Cookies

Servings: 13 dozen

Ingredients:

* 1 batch vanilla kipferl Dough (recipe below)
* Vanilla Powdered Sugar (recipe below)
* All-Purpose Flour

Gadgets needed: Large baking sheet, parchment paper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Divide dough into thirds. Transfer one third to lightly floured work surface, replace remainder in fridge until you're ready to work with it. Cut working dough into approx 1-inch squares; gather up a handful and knead this briefly on work surface to soften.

2. Using lightly floured hands (dip in flour, then clap off excess), roll dough into a 12 inch rope (about 3/8-inch in diameter). Cut into 3/4-inch lengths; roll segments into small round balls.

3. Arrange about 1/2-inch apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

4. Bake on center rack of oven 8-9 min until edges begin to brown slightly (do not over-bake). Let cool on baking sheet 1-2 min, then, while still warm, carefully toss cookies in vanilla-flavored powdered sugar to coat entire surface (I put the powdered sugar in a paper bag, add the cookies and lightly shake).

5. Transfer to separate (cool, not warm) baking sheet to cool completely. Store in a covered container at room temperature.


Tip:

* This very soft dough should be kept cool while working with it for as long as possible for ease of handling and successful results. Use only enough flour as needed to be able to roll and handle the dough without it sticking to the work surface.



Vanilla Kipferl Dough

* 4 sticks (1 lb) unsalted butter
* 1 cup plus 1 Tbsp Powdered Sugar (un-sifted)
* pinch of salt
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1 large egg yolk
* 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
* 3 cups plus 2 Tbsp (16 oz) all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup finely ground nuts (slivered almonds or chopped hazelnuts)

Gadget Needed: Electric Mixer

1. Cream butter, powdered sugar, salt and cinnamon on MEDIUM until combined, scraping bowl and paddle as needed.

2. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.

3. Stop mixer; add flour and nuts. Mix on LOW just until flour and nuts are combined.

4. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; form into rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Dough will be soft. Wrap with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.


Tip:

* Dough can be frozen for up to 2 months. Be sure to wrap well and date. Thaw frozen dough overnight in refrigerator.



Vanilla-Flavored Sugar

Serving: 2-3 cups

* 1 Whole vanilla bean pod, split in half lengthwise
* 2-3 cups powdered or granulated sugar

1. Split vanilla pod in half lengthwise. Scrape seeds out with the tip of a paring knife; reserve seeds for other uses (see tip).

2. Bury empty pod in container of sugar (either powdered or granulated). Store covered at room temp 1 week before first use of sugar.


Tips:

* Vanilla seeds can be used to flavor sauces, icings, etc.

* Tip: Replenish sugar as needed to keep vanilla sugar on hand. It is delicious in coffee or tea, use to top muffins, french toast, etc. Refresh pod as needed. Dried-up pods can be ground with spice grinder and added back to sugar container.


"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."
-Virginia Woolf

Until tomorrow: Go Ahead and Indulge!