apple goat cheese crisp

There is a bakery in New Orleans that makes apple-goat cheese king cake, which I love.  I was speaking of this and a coworker brought me an apple-goat cheese croissant, which was such a lovely gesture.  And then Braeburns were on sale for a good price and I grabbed a backpack full (only slight exaggeration), and I have Costco goat cheese as I wanted it for a recipe and now I have approximately 26 pounds left.

And so I contemplated how I wanted to eat this apple-goat cheese dish, and I read approximately 8,000 recipes.  Nothing clicked.  Truth is, I don't much care for flaky doughs, so filo isn't really for me.  What I really wanted was a kuchen, but I needed something strong to make sure the goat cheese wasn't too overwhelming.  I looked up and thought of a lot of doughs, but nothing was really striking me.  The kuchen problem is that I lived in Germany for a couple of years and ate SUCH great desserts that inspire me but I remember them through 30 years of distortion. 

And then yesterday I went to a talk and the artist served a kuchen with rhubarb and gooseberries, and that sort of satisfied the kuchen, so I realized I wanted something else strong ... like pecans. 

So I came to this recipe, and it's very nice.  The only bummer is that I wish I'd had maple syrup (how do I not?!) and used less sugar (I already cut it, but I think it should be cut more).  Because it is between the apples and the pecan-oat layer, the goat cheese works really well. 

Ingredients

TOPPING

• 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (recipe calls for 1/2 c)
• 3/4+ cup coarsely chopped pecans (recipe calls for 1/2 c)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted

FILLING

• 5 baking apples such as Granny Smith or Braeburns; I chopped into chunks
• 1/4 or less cup packed light brown sugar (recipe calls for 1/3 c)
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or some honey)
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces goat cheese cut into small pieces
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 6-8 slices

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Position a rack in the middle of the oven.

TOPPING

• In a small bowl, stir together the oats, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and salt until completely combined.
• Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture and stir until butter is evenly dispersed and all of the oats are moist. Set aside.

FILLING

• In a large bowl, combine the apples, brown sugar, maple syrup, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir together until everything is evenly dispersed. There will be a lot of liquid at the bottom-- this is ok. Set aside.
• Heat a 9" cast iron dutch oven over medium-high heat. When skillet is adequately heated, pour apple mixture evenly into it. When apples begin to steam, begin stirring to evenly distribute the brown sugar sauce. It will start to thicken. Cook while stirring until sauce is thick and evenly coats all of the apples, approximately 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, but leave the skillet on the burner.
• Place the butter and goat cheese pieces over the top of the cooked apples, trying your best to evenly distribute them. Top everything with the oat topping
• Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until crisp and brown on top, an additional 20-25 minutes. After that time, turn off the oven and allow crisp to sit in the oven with the door cracked until the sugar stops bubbling and you can safely handle it.

sauerkraut rye bread

Too much sauerkraut in fridge, rye berries in cupboard.  This is being made.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tsp Yeast
• 3/4 cup Water (I substituted 1/2 c. yogurt for water) 
• 1 cup sauerkraut drained and chopped 
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Molasses
• 2 cups Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour (I used 1 c. whole wheat freshly ground) - 120 grams
• 1 cup Organic Dark Rye Flour (freshly ground rye berries) - 102 grams 
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt (adjust based on salinity of sauerkraut)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Tbsp Caraway Seeds

Instructions

1. Over 1/4 c. warm water, sprinkle yeast.  Let it "bloom" (about 5 minutes).  Add molasses and brown sugar.
2. Add melted butter and rest of liquid to yeast water.
3. Combine in separate bowl all other ingredients.  Add in yeast mixture and mix well.
4. Knead 8-10 minutes.
5. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (approx. 1 hour). 
6. Punch down, cover and let rise until doubled again (approx. 30 - 40 min). Form loaf and place in a greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch bread pan. Lightly grease top of loaf. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (approx. 45 minutes). 
7. Bake at 375°F for about 45-55 minutes. Thump top of loaf. A hollow sound indicates a properly baked loaf. Turn out of pan, cover with a towel and cool before slicing.

oatmeal cake

This is a favorite cake from my childhood, and I like this recipe as it's for a smaller pan.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups boiling water
• 1 cup (97g) rolled oats (old fashioned)
• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (105g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/3 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)

Topping

• 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
• 3 Tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (105g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup (85g) sweetened shredded coconut (or unsweetened)
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 by 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray (a 7 by 11-inch dish would work as well).
2. Add oats to a medium mixing bowl the pour boiling water over oats, let rest until cool.
3. Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer (or use electric stand mixer), whip together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Mix in eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg then mix in cooled oat mixture.
5. Sprinkle baking soda and salt across top then pour in flour and mix until combined.
6. Pour into prepared baking dish, bake in preheated oven until just cooked through, about 30 minutes.
7. Meanwhile in a medium mixing bowl stir together melted butter, milk, vanilla, brown sugar, coconut, and pecans.
8. Remove cake from oven once cooked through and pour and spread mixture evenly over top.
9. Preheat oven to broil then return cake to oven (in center) and broil until mixture is bubbly and coconut is just starting to toast on ends, about 1 - 2 minutes (don't walk away from it while broiling!).
10. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes then cut into slices and serve.

Meyer lemon pudding cake

This is really tasty.  I picked up a bag of Meyer lemons at Costco because I wanted to make preserved lemons (and lemons are expensive here), and a friend was coming over for tea so I wanted to make something with the leftover lemons.  This really hit the spot, and it has an interesting custardy texture.  I like it!

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest (or more)
• 1/3 cup of Meyer lemon juice
• 1-1/2 cups whole milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine sugar, flour and salt in a small bowl, whisk together and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, butter and zest. Then pour the lemon juice while whisking until blended. Alternate between adding the dry ingredients and the milk, stirring after each addition until combined.
4. Whip egg whites until stiff and fold them in gently with the lemon mixture. Pour into either an 3-1/2 quart baking dish or 6 to 8 individual ramekins.
5. Set the baking dish into larger roasting pan and fill the large pan with hot water so it comes up 1/3 of the way on the baking dish.
6. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with fresh berries if desired.  (Also good with thawed frozen berries, without any sugar needed.)

king cake

Making this tomorrow because it will be Twelfth Night!  Of course I'm not including the raisins it listed because ... blech.

Ingredients

PASTRY:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup melted butter

FROSTING:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon water (or milk or lemon juice)

Directions

1. Scald milk, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of the white sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. When yeast mixture is bubbling, add the cooled milk mixture. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the remaining white sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat the flour into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. When risen, punch down and divide dough in half.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
5. To Make Filling: Combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans, and 1/2 cup flour. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over the cinnamon mixture and mix until crumbly.
6. Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (approximately 10x16 inches or so). Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough and roll up each half tightly like a jelly roll, beginning at the wide side. Bring the ends of each roll together to form 2 oval shaped rings. Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet. With scissors make cuts 1/3 of the way through the rings at 1 inch intervals. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Push the doll into the bottom of the cake. Frost while warm with the confectioners' sugar blended with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.

potato canned salmon dish

This is quite tasty!  The reviews on the post said it was bland, but I wonder if that depends upon the quality of the salmon - and what I have is great.  I did also have a heavy hand with the salt and pepper, and I don't know how it will be as leftovers.  But, it's very nice when from oven.

Ingredients

1 14.75-ounce can pink salmon (with bones), drained
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup milk
4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet)
3 tablespoons (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped green onions (1 bunch)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Oil pan (pie plate or oval baking dish).  Separate salmon into chunks, leaving bones intact (bones are very soft and will blend into potato mixture). Remove black pieces of skin; feed to dog. Set salmon aside.

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Transfer potatoes to large bowl. Mash.  Add milk and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in eggs. Stir in salmon and green onions. Transfer mixture to prepared dish.

Bake casserole until golden and heated through, about 30-45 minutes.

dutch baby

For when there is a surplus of Meyers lemons to squeeze over the top!

From the NY Times, here.

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons butter
• sweet lemons, syrup, preserves, confectioners' sugar or cinnamon sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine eggs, flour, milk, sugar and nutmeg in a blender jar and blend until smooth. Batter may also be mixed by hand.
3. Place butter in a heavy 10-inch skillet or baking dish and place in the oven. As soon as the butter has melted (watch it so it does not burn) add the batter to the pan, return pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake five minutes longer.
4. Remove pancake from oven, cut into wedges and serve at once topped with syrup, preserves, confectioners' sugar or cinnamon sugar.  (I like it best with a lemon squeezed over the top and sprinkled with powdered sugar.)