Apple Harvest Blondies

2/3 cup butter
2 1/4 cups packed brown sugar, divided
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 medium-large Paula Red apples, peeled, cored and chopped
3 ounces block cream cheese
2 ounces chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Place cream cheese in freezer for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Remove from burner and stir in 2 cups brown sugar and stir thoroughly. Add the eggs, flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla extract and stir until well blended. Fold in chopped apples and pour the mixture into an ungreased 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

Chop the cream cheese into small pieces and mix with the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture on the batter and bake for 35 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.

apple harvest blondies

Categories:
cookies
blondies

Oat Shortcakes

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups flour
1 cup quick oats, uncooked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until fluffy. On low speed, gradually beat in 1 cup of the flour until well mixed.

With a wooden spoon, mix oats and remaining flour until mixed and a soft dough forms. Divide dough into thirds. Place two dough pieces on one large cookie sheet and the other piece on a small cookie sheet. Pat each to about a 5 1/2-inch circle. Pierce each dough circle with the tines of a fork to form 8 equal wedges. Press back of fork around edge of dough circles to decorate. Bake 25 minutes or until cookies are firm. Cool on cookie sheets on wire rack. Break apart into wedges.

oat shortcakes

Categories:
shaped cookies

Apple Tart with Marzipan Crumble

Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons whipping cream, chilled
1 large egg yolk

Crumble
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 ounces almond paste
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Filling
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Crust: Blend first four ingredients in processor until nuts are finely ground. Add butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cream and yolk. Blend, using on/off turns, until dough comes together. Press over bottom and up sides of 11-inch diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Pierce all over with fork. Chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake crust until golden, pressing with back of fork every 5 minutes if crust bubbles, about 25 minutes. Transfer crust to rack; cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Crumble: Blend flour, almond paste and sugar in processor until almond paste is finely ground. Add butter and blend, using on/off turns, until coarse crumbs form. Transfer crumble to bowl; mix in almonds.

Filling: Combine all ingredients in medium bowl; toss to blend well.

Sprinkle 3/4 cup crumble over cooled crust. Top with apple mixture. Sprinkle with remaining crumble.

Bake tart until top is golden, about 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Push up pan bottom to release tart. Cool. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Serve warm or cold.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 511 Calories from Fat: 50% Protein: 8g Carbohydrate: 58g Cholesterol: 68mg Sodium: 244mg

apple tart with marzipan crumble

Categories:
tarts

Hot Tamale Meat Balls

4 cups tomato juice, divided
2 tablespoons cumin, divided
2 tablespoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound bulk pork sausage

In a bowl, combine 1/3 cup tomato juice, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, garlic and cayenne. Add the cornmeal, beef and sausage; mix well. Shape into 1 1/4-inch meatballs.

In a Dutch oven, combine remaining tomato juice, cumin, chili powder and salt. Bring to a boil, add meatballs. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

hot tamale meat balls

Categories:
meat ball

Towering Praline Carrot Cake

3 cups sliced carrots
2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
6 eggs
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup flaked coconut
2 recipes Cream Cheese frosting
1 recipe Praline Sauce

Grease and lightly flour three 9 x 1 1/2-inch round baking pans; set aside.

In a covered medium saucepan cook carrots in a moderate amount of boiling water about 20 minutes or until very tender. Drain. Cool carrots slightly; coarsely mash with a potato masher.

In a very large bowl stir together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Add vegetable oil, eggs, pineapple, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until all ingredients are combined. Fold in mashed carrots, pecans and coconut. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.

Remove from pans; cool completely on racks. While layers are cooling, prepare Cream Cheese Frosting.

To assemble, place one cake layer, top side up, on a cake plate. Using about 1 cup of the frosting, pipe or spoon a rim about 1 inch wide and 1/2 inch high around outer edge of layer. Spoon about 2 tablespoons frosting into center, leaving an unfrosted ring. Spread about half of the Praline Sauce into the unfrosted ring (sauce will not fill ring). Add second cake, top side up; repeat frosting and filling steps using another 1 cup of the frosting and remaining Praline Sauce.

Add third cake layer, top side up. Frost top and side with remaining frosting. If desired, garnish with additional chopped pecans. Cover; store in refrigerator.

To Serve: Let refrigerated cake stand, covered, at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Or thaw frozen cake, covered, in refrigerator overnight. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.) If desired, garnish with additional chopped pecans.

Praline Sauce
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In small saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and whipping cream. Bring to full boil, stirring constantly; reduce heat. Boil gently 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in vanilla extract. Cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (16 ounce) box confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
8 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add cream cheese and vanilla extract. Beat until fluffy. Stir in chopped pecans. Use pecan halves for garnish if desired.

towering praline carrot cake

Categories:
cakes
Easter

Smoked Gouda and Caramelized Onion Quesadillas

Source: Bon Appetit magazine - September 1995

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups grated smoked Gouda cheese
4 (10-inch diameter) flour tortillas
2 ounces sliced prosciutto, chopped
Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F for 15 minutes before baking.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion, brown sugar and vinegar; saut? until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes, lowering heat if necessary to prevent over-browning. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.

Sprinkle cheese over half of each tortilla, dividing equally. Sprinkle prosciutto and saut?ed onion over cheese. Season with pepper. Fold other half of each tortilla over cheese mixture. Brush tortilla with some of melted butter.

Brush heavy, large skillet with some of melted butter. Place over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook quesadillas just until brown spots appear, brushing skillet with butter between batches, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer quesadillas to heavy large baking sheet. Bake until tortillas are golden and cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Transfer quesadillas to work surface. Cut each into 6 triangles. Arrange on platter and serve hot.

Yields 6 servings.

Nutritional information: 331 calories, 10.8 grams protein, 25.6 grams carbohydrates, 19.6 grams fat, 723 milligrams sodium

smoked gouda and caramelized onion quesadillas

Categories:
sandwiches

Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches

1 (5 pound) rump roast or brisket
1 can beer
1 can beef broth
1 envelope onion soup mix

Put meat in crockpot; top with other ingredients; cook on HIGH for 5 hours.

Serve on hoagie buns.

Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches

Categories:
sandwiches

Pumpkin Butter

3 1/2 cups fresh ground pumpkin or canned pumpkin pur?e
2 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 lemon, juice and grated rind
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice

If using fresh pumpkin, mix with sugar, lemon, ginger, cinnamon and allspice in a large bowl. Let stand at room temperature 8 to 10 hours

Transfer to a heavy saucepan, add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat, stirring often, for 40 to 60 minutes, to desired consistency. (With canned pumpkin, mix ingredients in heavy saucepan; bring to a boil and simmer on low about 20 minutes, to thicken.)

Pour mixture into hot, sterile, 6-ounce canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal with sterile, 2-part lids and rings, as manufacturer directs, processing 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Cool; adjust seals.

Makes five 6-ounce jars.

pumpkin butter

Categories:
preserving
canning

Xochimilco Mexican Restaurant Pork Tamales

Source: Xochimilco Mexican Restaurant, Sacramento, California

Meat Filling
1 pound lean boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed
    of excess fat and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 1/2 cups water
4 large dried New Mexico or California Chiles (about 3 ounces)
    or 3 to 4 tablespoons ground chile powder
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Mix all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. (Pork simmered in red sauce is Mexico’s traditional filling for tamales.)

Masa Dough

Whip 1 1/3 cups lard, left over pork broth, or solid shortening until fluffy.

Blend in 4 cups dehydrated masa flour (corn tortilla flour); 2 teaspoons salt, if desired, and 2 2/3 cups warm water. Mix until dough holds together. If made ahead cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days and bring to room temperature before using.

Basic Tamales

Use 1 (8 ounce) package dried corn husks. Sort through dried corn husks, discarding silk and other extraneous material. In large roasting pan, cover husk with warm water and let stand until pliable (at least 20 minutes) or until next day. Drain and pat dry when ready to use.

For each tamale select a wide pliable husk and lay flat, with tip pointing away from you. Spread evenly 2 tablespoons of the masa down the center of the husk forming a rectangle that is flush with one side of husk, an 1/2 inch from opposite side, an 1/2 inch from bottom and three inches from tip. If husk is not wide enough, use some masa to paste another husk onto back of first. Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling in center of masa. To enclose filling, fold husk so masa edges meet, wrapping plain part of husk around outside of tamale, fold bottom end of husk over body of tamale; then fold in tip. Place seam side down on a tray cover with a damp paper towel.

To steam, place a rack in a 12-to 14-quart pan and pour in boiling water to a depth of an inch (water should not reach tamales). Stack tamales in steam loosely so steam can circulate. Bring to boil and keep at steady boil adding hot water as needed until masa is firm and doesn’t stick to husk. Open on from center of pan to test about one hour.

Serve tamales hot or keep warm in steamer. To serve peel husk and of chile bean with cheese.

NOTE: We at Xochimilco’s offer a chile sauce with melted cheese or Chile Colorado Beef with our own special gravy sauces.

xochimilco mexican restaurant pork tamales

Categories:
restaurant

Blue Cheese Steaks

4 individual serving-size steaks
1 clove garlic
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces blue cheese
4 teaspoons plain yogurt
2 teaspoons minced green onions
Dash white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat grill. Rub both sides of each steak with garlic clove and set aside.

In small bowl combine cream cheese, blue cheese, yogurt, onions, pepper, salt and parsley. Set aside.

Grill steaks for 6 minutes on one side. Flip and top each steak with the cheese mixture. Grill second side for about 7 minutes or until done to your taste.

Serves 4.

blue cheese steaks

Categories:
fourth of July