TWD Rewind- Mini Brown Sugar-Apple Cheesecakes

This week we were given the chance to go back and make any Tuesday's with Dorie recipe that we wanted. I made the Brown Sugar-Apple Cheesecake, but in mini form for a dinner party.

This recipe was the 6th recipe chosen for Tuesday's with Dorie, back in February 2008. It is a wonderful, light cheesecake, flavored with brown sugar & cinnamon which also has apples that are sauteed in butter and brown sugar layered in between the cheesecake.

This cheesecake was amazing. Flavor, texture- everything.
I topped the mini's with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and they were enjoyed by everyone.

Go check out what everyone else picked to make for this week's Tuesday's with Dorie rewind!


You can find the recipe in many places, like HERE on The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Spice-rubbed Pork Loin with Acorn Squash

(The MSC Bonus Cupcake post is below this one)

I am not usually excited about making recipes that have a big piece of meat as the star of the show, but for some reason this pork loin and squash recipe really caught my eye. I saw it in the November issue of Everyday Food and both parts look amazing. The caramelized squash just looked so delicious and the spice combination sounded perfect for the pork.
I used a smaller pork loin than the recipe called for and for that reason, did away with one of the steps, which I noted in the recipe below.

The squash was so tender and delicious, it was simply amazing. The best acorn squash I have ever had.
The pork was an absolute hit. My hubby declared it the best meat he has ever tasted and my kids went crazy for it. The perfect combination.
Plus, I had enough pork and squash leftovers to make 2 other meals later in the week. That was even better.
You must try this recipe, I promise you will love it.

Spice-rubbed Pork Loin with Acorn Squash from Everyday Food November 2009

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder or other single chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 pounds acorn squash, seeded and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
• 1 boneless pork loin (3 pounds), tied (I used a 1.5 pd pork loin, not tied)
  
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425. In a large bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons oil, sugar, chile powder, cinnamon, cumin, and 2 tablespoons water. Add squash and toss to coat. Set aside.
2. Generously season pork with salt and pepper.( Heat a cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan over high. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat. Cook pork on all sides until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes total. Place pork on a rimmed baking sheet; pour oil from skillet onto sheet and spread evenly. I skipped this step because my pork loin was smaller and I knew it wouldn't take as long to cook in the oven. I just added a little oil to the sugar mixture that I used on the squash)
3. Arrange squash around pork. Brush pork with sugar mixture from bowl. Bake until pork is cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted in center should register 135 degrees), 40 to 45 minutes, brushing meat with sugar mixture and turning squash every 15 minutes. Tent pork with foil and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Easy Pumpkin Ice Cream

Happy Halloween!
I love pumpkin anything. One of my favorite things is pumpkin ice cream.
I saw a really easy, non-custard recipe for pumpkin ice cream on Simply Recipes and decided I wanted to make it.
I bookmarked the recipe and when I was ready to make it, I went back to the link and it was gone!
I remembered the recipe in my mind and decided to make it anyway.
It was really easy- just 4 ingredients, that you mix up, chill and churn.
I remember the recipe said it was best served the day it was churned.
I let it set up in the freezer for a couple of hours and then let my kids try it. They really liked it-we sprinkled some chocolate chips on top.
I tried a bite and thought it was a little bit too creamy (Wierd, but that's what I thought).
I think it would taste better as a layer to a chilled pie maybe, with a gingersnap crust.
We enjoyed it and it was fun to make!
Easy Pumpkin Ice Cream as remembered from Simply Recipes
1-15 oz can pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, about 1 3/4 cups
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbls pumpkin pie spice

Combine all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Chill mixture until cold and transfer to ice cream maker. Churn according to ice cream maker directions. Freeze for a few hours until firm.
This ice cream is best enjoyed the day it is made.

Roasted Peach Ice Cream with Cardamom

A couple of weeks ago, I saw some tweets going around about ice cream making.
Tracey chose the flavor-Roasted Banana Ice Cream from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop, , and a couple of us joined in- Kayte , Margaret and me.
Except, I didn't have any bananas, so I made Roasted Peach Ice Cream instead.
It is pretty fun to bake/cook/ice cream make along with other people who are on twitter. You can share pics (like the delicious one Tracey took of her bananas getting ready to roast, covered in brown sugar) and talk about how the process is coming along.
This recipe was fairly simple. You roast the peaches or bananas with brown sugar in the oven, blend the fruit with whole milk, lemon juice, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Then you let the mixture chill in the fridge and then you churn. I added a dash of cardamom because I love it and also because I had just made Dorie's Dimply Peach Cake which combines peaches and cardamom and they go great together.
I took the pics before the ice cream had firmed up all the way, so the scoop is looking pretty messy. oh well- this was delicious ice cream!
The roasted banana flavor got mixed reviews- mainly that it was really banana-y. Needed some kind of topping, like peanut butter or something. I might just have to make the banana version-sounds like a pretty good excuse to make peanut butter ice cream topping!

You can find the recipe for Roasted Banana Ice Cream on Tracey's blog

One Year Ago-Fresh Peach Ice Cream in Cinnamon Sugar WonTon Cups

Dimply Peach Cake with Lime Curd Swirl

So, I found myself with a little leftover lime curd from the Tiramisu cake and millions of options of what I could do with it were going through my brain. Cakes, muffins, cookies, ice cream- really the possibilities seemed endless, and then I saw the very ripe peaches that needed to be used too.
Dorie's Plum (but in this case, Peach) Dimply Cake is one of my favorite recipes. I made it the first time for myself for Mother's day-check the post out HERE and found the combination of cardamom, orange zest, brown sugar and fruit to be wonderful.
It wasn't too long before someone chose it for TWD and unlike some things that I decide not to make again, I made this cake again and this time made 2 different variations- nectarine with orange zest and peach with lemon and basil- check out the post HERE.

This time I decided to make the cake with peaches, lime zest, cardamom, and then, swirl lime curd into the batter.
Good choice.
I used a jumbo muffin tin and got 6 cakes. I swirled about a Tablespoon of lime curd into the top of each cake and then added 3 peach slices. I baked them for 25 minutes and they weren't done yet, so I kept adding 5 more minutes, until they were finally done.
We ate these for breakfast on a Sunday and my husband loved them! He actually ate 2. There is just something about this cake. It is delicious!

There was still a little bit of lime curd and I turned it into lime curd ice cream, but you will have to wait a couple days to see it- it was fabulous.

Hope you don't mind the little hands- there is always someone trying to steal the food I am taking pictures of!
One Year Ago-Rhubarb Filled Cupcakes, Rhubarb Mini Turnovers, Rhubarb Galette, and Rhubarb Coffeecake

Craving Ellie- Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Rub and Herbed Lentils with Spinach and Tomatoes, plus Barefoot Bloggers- Chinese Chicken Salad

Today's Craving Ellie in my Belly recipe, Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Rub, was chosen by Lobster and Fishsticks. The recipe that you can print from the Food Network showed the salmon served over Herbed Lentils with Spinach and Tomatoes, also by Ellie. The combination looked so delicious, that I decided to make the lentil dish alongside the salmon.
My kids absolutely love fish. I wasn't sure if this rub was going to be a little too spicy for them since it had 1 whole Tbls of chili powder. I decided to broil 2 extra salmon fillets and leave them unseasoned, just in case. Good thing I did. They all tried it with the rub and wanted to eat the plain fillets. Except my 2- year old. She ate more salmon than anyone else at the table.
Overall, everyone really liked the salmon, especially paired with the lentils. I thought the rub was a little on the sweet side. Just a bit too sweet for me. No one else seemed to mind. To see what the other Ellies' thought, check out the Craving Ellie blogroll!


This weeks Barefoot Bloggers recipe, Chinese Chicken Salad, was chosen by McKenzie, over at Kenzie's Kitchen. It was very yummy.
Shredded chicken, blanched asparagus, and red pepper strips with a peanut dressing. Very spring-y.
I changed the dressing just a little bit. I don't use vegetable oil and I usually cut back the oil in dressing recipes, so I used canola and cut it by half. I also reduced the salt and peanut butter based on things that other Barefoot Bloggers had mentioned who made it ahead of time.
I also didn't toss the chicken and veggies with the dressing. I let everyone dress their own salad. I like less dressing than more and can't stand it when salads have more sauce than salad.
For the kids, I put a little bit of the dressing in a small bowl by their asparagus, bell peppers, and chicken, and let them dip away. It was a silverware-less night for the kiddos.
This was a really tasty salad. To see what the other Barefoot Bloggers thought, check out the Barefoot Blogroll!

Salmon with Sweet & Spicy Rub 2007 Ellie Krieger
Serves: 6 servings, serving size: 1 salmon fillet
Ingredients
Cooking Spray
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin and any pin bones removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
Coat your grill or a grill pan with cooking spray and preheat over medium heat. While the grill is heating, combine the brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Brush each salmon fillet with 1/2 teaspoon of the oil, then rub each fillet with about 1/2 tablespoon of the spice mixture.
Grill the salmon, flesh side down, until charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook another 5 to 6 minutes for medium doneness. For well done fish, cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to a platter and serve immediately.

Herbed Lentils with Spinach and Tomatoes 2007 Ellie Krieger

Serves: 4 servings, serving size 3/4 cup
Ingredients
1 cup French lentils
2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons diced shallots
3 cups baby spinach leaves (about 3 ounces)
1 cup halved grape tomatoes (about 1/2 pint)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Place the lentils in a pot with the water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes, until the lentils are tender but still retain their shape. Drain any excess water from the lentils and set them aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until they are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, lentils, basil, parsley, and mint to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper and serve.

Chinese Chicken Salad 2001, Barefoot Contessa Parties! Serves: 12 servings
Ingredients
4 split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound asparagus, ends removed, and cut in thirds diagonally
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
2 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted
For the dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/4 cup canola oil)
1/4 cup good apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil (I used 1 Tbls)
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter (I used 3 Tbls)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (I used 1 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub with the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large bite-sized pieces.
Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain. Cut the peppers in strips about the size of the asparagus pieces.

Combine the cut chicken, asparagus, and peppers in a large bowl.
Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the scallions and sesame seeds and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Up Next- 2 more Rice Puddings!

Tuesdays with Dorie Rewind-Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Mari, who runs the beautifully delicious Mevrouw Cupcake chose Creme Brulee for this week's Tuesday's with Dorie recipe. I really wanted to make this and do a pumpkin version, but I don't have a torch and didn't know if I wanted to try out the broiler, plus I have been making treats like crazy and so when we were given the choice to do a rewind, I decided that is what I would do.
I decided to try the Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies, which was the first recipe chosen when TWD started. These little cookies were tricky! I made sure not to handle the dough too much and also chilled it for a day, but some of them still spread and got really crunchy. I had about 2/3 that turned out right, so I guess that is something to be happy about. They were really delicious and lucky I was able to take them to a gathering so that we didn't end up eating them all. Go check out all the other Creme Brulee and Rewinds, by visiting the Tuesday's with Dorie Blogroll!

Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies
(Source: Dorie Greenspan “Baking: From My Home to Yours” p.127)
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground cloves
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup finely ground pecans
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)


Directions:
1. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt and cloves.
2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Add the pecans and give the mixer a couple of turns, just to get the nuts into the dough.
3. Using a rubber spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9×10-1/2-inch rectangle that’s 1/4-inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.
4. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets wiht parchment or silicone mats.
5. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1-1/2 inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.
6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale - they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack.
7. If you’d like, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving