As the holiday season approaches, and the invitations to pot-lucks, company parties, and family dinners begin to circulate, we often find ourselves searching our repertoire for crowd-pleasing recipes. I have found that winning dishes for these occasions are those that offer an element of tradition, but also have the ability to surprise us.

This holiday apple tart recipe does just that. It is apple pie’s more sophisticated and better looking older sibling. And the merits don’t end there. The design also allows for a more consistently crisp crust, and is more fool-proof for the novice baker. We have all cut in to an apple pie to find a filling that is too liquid to be eaten with a fork. The open top allows the steam to escape freely, which results in a pleasing, thick, molten filling.

This tart recipe makes a wonderful vehicle for all kinds of dishes. I would recommend trying different fillings. It would be delicious with pears, or with a mixture of apples and berries. Try mixing nuts or raisins in with the fruit. Or, try using a savory pastry crust and using blanched squash, onions and rosemary as your filling.  Once you have the dough making down, your imagination is the limit, and you will never have to stress over what to bring to your in-laws again!

To make the pastry dough:

(Makes enough for two-three tarts, freezes well!)

• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting, rolling
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. good quality cold butter, cut into cubes
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 large eggs
• a splash of milk

Sift the flour and the sugar into the food processor.   Add the butter and pulse until the mixture becomes crumbly and fine.  Add the lemon zest.  Pour in the eggs and the milk.  Pulse for a few more seconds until the mixture comes together.   Flour your work surface and gently work the dough together until it is in a ball.  Do not overwork.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

To make the filling:

• 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. lemon zest plus 1 tsp. juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• (Optional) 2 tablespoons sprinkling sugar
• 1 egg white mixed with a splash of water for an egg wash

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix all of the above ingredients well, except for the sprinkling sugar and egg white.

Dust your work surface with flour.  Cut your dough into two or three pieces, depending on how large of a tart you want.  Hand roll the cut dough into a ball, and roll out with a rolling pin into a circle that is about 18″ in diameter, turning frequently to make sure it is not sticking.  Sprinkle more flour as necessary.  Trim the sides to make a pretty even circle and place it on the baking sheet.

Pile the filling high in the middle (it will shrink), leaving about 3 inches around the edge.  Fold the edge over the filling, overlapping as necessary, folding and pinching layers to make a tight edge.  Brush  the edge with the egg wash and sprinkle with the sugar.

Bake the tart at 400 degrees until the crust is golden and and the apples are tender, about 55 minutes.  Carefully transfer to a rack to cool.  Slice into wedges and serve with fresh whip cream or ice cream.

There are few treats from Mother Nature that are sweeter and more pleasing than a plum. Plums have such a beautiful balance of sweet and tart, which makes them a refreshing snack all on their own, or a nice addition to a variety of entrees and desserts. I had a surplus of plums on hand from my last visit to the farmer’s market and a pot luck lunch at work to prepare for, and I decided I wanted to make a plum cake. Not only would it promise to be delicious, I liked that it wasn’t a mainstream dish.  I thought it would be sure to impress the coworkers.  Because I was feeding a larger crowd, I went with a full cake, but you could half this recipe and use a pie or round cake dish for fewer servings, but I’ll warn you now that you might regret it.

This cake is prepared in much the same way as a pineapple upside down cake, and can just as easily be made with many different kinds of fruit, including pears, cherries, apples, berries, and peaches, depending on your preference and the time of year. Whatever fruit you choose, this method involves placing it on the bottom of the dish, covering it with a layer of caramel, topping that with cake batter, baking it, and inverting it to serve.  This leaves you with a beautiful presentation, as the fruit is visible as you serve.  I suggest you try your favorite, but the plums really do add a nice tartness and a beautiful color that is both festive and rustic.

The cake batter in this recipe does not call for any baking powder because I find the texture to be a better compliment to the softness and the moistness of the plums.  Let me know what you think!

Ingredients

• 10 plums, black or gold
• 1  1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (12 tbsp), room temp., plus extra for greasing the pan
• 4 extra large eggs, room temp.
• 3 cups of granulated sugar, divided in half
• 2/3 cups milk
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2  1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• Whipped cream or ice cream (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your oven safe, 9 by 13 inch baking dish.  Cut your plums in half and remove the pits.  Place them cut side down into your baking dish.

In a small nonstick sauce pan, heat 1  1/2 cups of sugar with 1/2 cup water over high heat.  Don’t stir, but swirl the pot around from time to time while it boils until it becomes a dark amber color.  You may do other things while this happens, as long as you don’t leave the kitchen and you keep an eye on it, as it can go from clear to burned quickly.  Pour the caramel over the plums.  It will harden as it hits the baking dish, but it will turn to liquid again when you bake it.

In a kitchen mixer at medium speed, cream the butter and the remaining 1  1/2 cups of sugar until it becomes light and fluffy.  Beat in one egg at a time.  Add the milk, lemon zest, salt, and vanilla and continue to mix until they are well incorporated.  Reduce the mixing speed to low and add a little bit of the flour at a time until it is all incorporated.

Pour the batter over the plums and caramel and smooth it out in an even layer.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the cake becomes golden and a cake tester comes out clean.  Cool for 15 minutes and invert onto a large platter or baking sheet.

Serve alone, or with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.  Makes 15-20 servings.  Refrigerate after 24 hours.

Grapefruit is the last citrus fruit that I usually think of – it sort of gets lot in the fuzz among the stars: lemons, oranges and limes.  This is unfortunate though, as I absolutely love the flavor of grapefruit, especially when the bitter flavor is mixed with sugar and sweet ingredients.  This cake was a rather odd recipe that really stuck out in the Ad Hoc cookbook from Thomas Keller’s restaurant in Napa Valley.

Part of the draw of this cake for me was the way that you were supposed to bake the cake first, then poke holes all over it and brush it with a grapefruit syrup (a good amount too).  Doing this reminded me of a Tres Leches cake – trust me, every cake should be infused somehow with liquid – you just can’t deny the moisture it adds. I thought when I was adding the liquid that it was going to turn the cake into mush, but trust me, keep going and add all of the syrup the recipe calls for, you’ll like the results.

I topped the cake with some simple powdered frosting, packed it with grapefruit zest and served it up and it was a hit.  If grapefruit isn’t your think, try using another citrus fruit like lemon or lime.  The other benefit of this cake? It’s totally simple to create.  Here’s what to do:

Wet Ingredients:

• Zest of 1 whole grapefruit – around 2 Tbsp. diced up
• 1 cup of grapefruit juice (fresh squeezed – you’ll need around 2-3 grapefruits total here)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup + 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla paste if you can find it

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 and 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt

Grapefruit Frosting Ingredients

• 3/4 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
• 2 Tbsp. fresh grapefruit juice

Method

Again, the cake is fairly easy to produce.  Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Start by bringing together all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl – sift them together.

In a separate bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the 2/3 cup of sugar and eggs and mix together with the whisk attachment (or your whisk) for a few minutes until well combined.  Whisk in the milk, then the oil and finally the vanilla and grapefruit zest.  Whisk all together until well combined, then lower the speed of your mixer and add the dry ingredients in three parts, one at a time, until well incorporated.  The cake batter will be fairly wet, this is to be expected.

Lightly oil a loaf pan or other cake pan (7 cup capacity) and pour in the batter.  Cut a small length-wise slit down the cake with a paring knife before placing in the oven – this will create a nice crack in the cake once it’s done.  Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Then turn the cake 180 so it browns evenly, then bake for another 30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it.

While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup and the frosting.  For the syrup, simply add the cup of granulated sugar and grapefruit juice to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Let simmer until the sugar dissolves, then kill the heat and set aside for the cake to finish.  For the frosting, simply whisk or stir together the powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp. grapefruit juice.  Add some more sugar if you aren’t happy with the consistency.

Once the cake is finished, remove it from the oven and poke holes all over the cake with a small skewer (every 1/2″ or so).  Then proceed to brush all of the syrup into the cake, you may need to let it soak in for a minute before proceeding, but make sure you put all of the syrup into the cake.  Finally, remove it from the baking dish and top with the frosting before serving.  Enjoy!

Irish soda bread is a staple in my household – not because we’re Irish, but because it is so easy and a total crowd-pleaser. As far as I understand, it is not really an Irish food but an American invention reminiscent of wheaten bread, I gleaned from my real Irish neighbor as he nibbled on the batch I made this afternoon. This recipe freezes well and thus makes a great all-around snack, for hikes and afternoon coffee breaks at work.  After cooling, wrap individual pieces in aluminum foil. No need to reheat in the oven, just let thaw for a few hours before eating.

The key to cooking the perfect chewy, crunchy, crisp Irish Soda Bread is the pan. While any size or shape glass dish or brownie-type pan will do, a stoneware baking dish is the best because it cooks evenly and perfectly. This recipe is an adaptation from Mary Burke’s Irish Soda Bread recipe published in the Boston Globe Taste section in 2006 and the King Arthur Flour’s 200th Anniversary edition cookbook recipe.  It yields one large loaf (9×5) or about 8 small loaves.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons butter @ room temperature
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup sugar + little more for sprinkling
• ¾ teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ cups plain yogurt
• ¼ cup water
• 1 c. dried fruit (a mix of raisins and cranberries is my favorite)

Instructions:

Set oven to 350 F.
Butter or spray the baking dish(es) with canola oil

In large mixer or bowl: mix the flours, 1/4 cup sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Cut the butter into small pieces and mix into the dry mixture with fingertips.
In another bowl: stir together water, yogurt and egg.
Mix the wet and dry mixtures together well, stir in the dried fruit
Transfer to pans, dividing evenly, sprinkle tops with a little sugar.
Bake 40 min or until tops are golden, and a knife or toothpick comes out clean

Since the inception of this blog over a year ago now, we’ve been reluctant to feature many desserts – mainly the reason for this is simple – we don’t eat dessert a lot so therefore we don’t cook it often as an accompaniment to our dinner.  This night was different though and part of the reason was getting Thomas Keller’s stellar new(ish) book ‘Ad Hoc’ – from his restaurant in Northern California.

I’ve made a few other recipes form the book, including Crispy Braised Chicken Recipe with Fennel, Olives, Lemon and Bacon.  This one was one of the first that I noticed in the book however (c’mon – chocolate chip cookies from Thomas Keller?) – I had to try them.  They were good, though I think I probably overcooked them for 1-2 minutes, as they turned out really good when hot, but didn’t keep their chewiness as well as I would have liked.

Another interesting twist that I decided to use (ok, was forced into) was using Mexican chocolate – a bit more bitter and darker that the milk variety of typical American chocolate that you’ll find in your typical supermarket.  Our buddy Tyson (Aimee’s bro-in-law) let us know recently about a great chocolate company right here in Somerville, MA called Taza – who makes a great product and I agreed.  The chocolate was a great compliment to these cookies.  Here’s how to create them (yes, I used our new Kitchen Aid mixer – use your hands if you want, it should work just as well):

Wet Ingredients:

• 2 sticks cold, unsalted butter – cut into medium cubes
• 2 organic eggs
• 1 cup fresh brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar

Dry Ingredients:

• Around 10 oz. (8 thin disks) Mexican chocolate (try Taza!) or dark chocolate of your choice
• 2 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt

Preheat your oven to 350 F.  Making the cookies is rather easy – mix the butter in your mixer until rather creamy and soft, then add the sugars and continue to beat until well combined.  Scrape the bowl as necessary.  Add the eggs one at a time and continue to mix until everything is incorporated – continue to scrape the bowl to incorporate all of the ingredients.

Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking soda and salt through a mesh sifter into another bowl.  Chop the chocolate into medium chunks and then sift them over your sink to remove the chocolate dust from the cookies.  Add the sifted dry ingredients to the the wet while mixing on low speed.  When the batter is well combined (again, scrape the bowl), mix in the chocolate by hand – folding it in.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spoon the cookies in small balls onto the sheet, spaced out around 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for around 12-15 minutes depending on your oven – basically until you see the outer rims of the cookies begin to brown.  Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 5-10 minutes before serving (with milk of course).  Enjoy!

Growing up, acorn squash was probably my favorite vegetable.  My sister and I used to beg my mom to buy it whenever we spotted it at the grocery store, usually around this time of year.  She usually agreed, and when we got it home, she would split the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, fill it with a pat of butter and a spoonful of brown sugar and roast it for about an hour.  What emerged from the oven was a soft, caramelized, sweet and salty.  Could this really count as “eating our vegetables”?  We were sure we had pulled a fast one on her this time!

Looking back on this memory, I realize that if anyone was pulling a fast one, it was my mother.  Acorn squash is unbelievably affordable, loaded with vitamin A and C, and, when prepared as my mother did, relatively hassle free to cook.  The best part was that if she planned really well, there would be only one half of the acorn squash left after our first serving, which she could use to bribe one of us into doing the dishes.

Over the years I have learned that there are many wonderful preparations of acorn squash that don’t rely on butter or sugar.  I’ll often roast acorn squash, puree it and mix it with ricotta cheese, fresh sage, and walnuts, which makes an exceptional filling for fresh ravioli.

This acorn squash recipe is a new one for me, and came to mind because I purchased the squash from a farmer who was selling pumpkin and sweet potato pies.  The pies looked delicious, but I knew that fitting one in my reusable grocery bag which was already brimming over was an unlikely scenario, especially since my only companion was my dog, who is wonderful company but is better at occupying my hands with her leash than offering to free them up.  Then, I thought, why couldn’t I make a similar pie myself with the acorn squash that was already lingering in the bottom of my bag?

I wanted to make this pie on a weeknight, and the thought of making and rolling out pie crust was daunting enough to discourage the idea all together.  Then I spotted the apples and thought that they could add substance to the pie that might be lost without a crust.  If you prefer, I encourage you to make the filling and use it in a pie crust, but the apples truly made the dish taste like fall.

Here are the ingredients for the pie filling:

• 2 whole acorn squash
• four tablespoons butter
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• A pinch of salt
• 1 Granny Smith or Macintosh apple

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the acorn squash in half lengthwise and scoop the seeds out with a spoon.  Fill each half with 1 teaspoon of butter.  Place in a baking dish and add two cups of water.  Bake the squash for one hour, or until it is very tender when you poke it with a fork.

Scoop the squash out of it’s skin into a food processor.  Puree until very smooth.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the squash, eggs, evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and spices.  Mix well.

Peel and cut the apple into 1/4 inch slices.  Arrange them in a circle around the bottom of a well-buttered glass pie dish.  Pour the filling over the apples until it almost reaches the top of the pie dish.  Bake for 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean.

Let the pie cool for about twenty minutes before serving.  The pie will be good served cold or hot.  Serve with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.

Yesterday, Adrian and I were at the first farmer’s market of the season in Central Square, Cambridge, which is conveniently located less than a block from our house.  Since we used to live in California, where farmer’s markets are year-round, we never realized how much we would miss such easy access to fresh, local produce.  Now that we are once again limited by the seasons, by our calendar, this is when summer officially begins – it is practically a holiday!  We were there with two reusable bags and cash, and we were ready to take home a bounty of vegetables.  When we arrived, we tried to stay optimistic, despite the small number of tables and the overwhelming presence of plants for your garden rather than your refrigerator.  Looking around, there were lots of greens, as one might expect, but we had apparently missed the mark on asparagus and green garlic.  We had to face it – early season farmer’s markets in New England have a relatively limited selection.  We reminded ourselves to be grateful for whatever we could find.

After picking up some fresh local eggs and ground pork, Adrian and I passed by a table that had some delicious looking fresh spinach (stay tuned for that post), and two bunches of beautiful turnips, which we purchased.  When we took this small bounty home, I was trying to figure how I would incorporate the turnips into the dinner I was planning when it occurred to me…dessert!  I decided to build on the turnips’ natural sweet flavor to create a simple dessert that was relatively guilt free.  The result was delicious. I started roasting the turnips in the oven before I began dinner, and then put the custards in the oven before we ate.  By the time we had cleaned up after dinner, dessert was ready.  Adrian and I, who are not typically huge dessert eaters, ate every bite!  I would compare it to a lighter, less sweet version of a pumpkin pie, or perhaps a more earthy creme brulee, and with just a sprinkle of cinnamon and chopped pecans, it was a delightful weeknight dessert!

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of turnips (about 1 lb. or 1 1/2 cups) cut into a 1-2 inch dice
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Cinnamon, mint, and crushed pecans for garnish

To make the custard:

Toss the turnip pieces with the olive oil and salt and roast at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until they are soft and slightly golden.  Put the roasted turnip pieces in the food processor to cool for about ten minutes.  Add the milk to the turnips and puree until smooth.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla with a whisk.  Add a pinch of salt.  Stir in the turnip puree.

The consistency will be quite thin at this point.

Pour the custard mixture into two small ramekins.  Place the ramekins in a roasting pan, and create a water bath by filling the roasting pan with about two inches of water.  Place the custards in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.  The custard should become a light golden brown and the custard should be set enough to hold its place in the ramekin when tilted.

Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let cool for about ten or fifteen minutes, or until the ramikens are just cool enough to handle.  Garnish with cinnamon and pecans, ice cream, or fresh whipped cream, depending on your preference, and serve.  The above recipe makes two servings, but can easily be doubled for additional guests.

I imagine that this recipe could be easily adapted to include any squash or root vegetable that is naturally sweet, such as pumpkin or sweet potato.  I would also guess that a savory version of this dish with thyme and goat cheese rather than vanilla and sugar would make an excellent side dish.  Give it a try and let me know how it works out!

Here are some more root vegetable dessert ideas:

• Maple Roasted Butternut Squash from Dinner and Dessert
• Butternut Squash Custard from Dessert by Candy

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar; plus 1/3 c. for rolling cookies
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. unsulphured molasses

Adjust racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and spices together in a medium bowl.  Set aside.  Either by hand or with an electric mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with mixer on medium.  Scrape sides of bowl with rubber spatula.  Add egg, vanilla, and molasses.  Beat until combined, about 30 seconds.  Scrape sides of bowl.  Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
Place remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar in shallow bowl.  Working with 2 Tbs. of dough each time, roll dough into 1 3/4 inch balls.  Roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart.

Bake, reversing position of the cookie sheets (from top to bottom and front to back) halfway through baking, until outer edges begin to set and centers are soft and puffy, 11 to 13 minutes.  Cool cookies on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring to cooling racks with wide spatula.
The cookies in the picture came out slightly flatter than this recipe usually makes — probably because the batter was sitting out for a bit while we waited for our very slow oven to come to temperature.  Either way, they’re delicious!!

Recently, however, various trips and family obligations have kept me from this decadent routine.  This past weekend, I stayed at a friend’s house on Saturday night, and while I knew that the sleeping-in part would not be a problem, the breakfast was up in the air.

Most everyone who loves food and eating has some sort of routine that they hold sacred.  I have my Sunday Mornings, others have “Roast Chicken Thursdays” or make their salad the same way for every lunch.  Caroline, the friend with whom I was staying this weekend, has a breakfast routine of her own.  She pours cereal – usually mixing two or three different brands – into a pasta bowl and douses it with about a quart of milk, leaving it to sit for a bit before sitting down to the table with a carton of fresh berries and diluted O.J.  Far be it from me to cast aspersions on her breakfast – everyone has their own comforting food traditions – but I was craving my own form of Sunday Morning catharsis.

As we wandered into the kitchen that morning, she went into the pantry to grab her cereals, and I went into her closet to grab the Joy of Cooking.  She shook her head at me with a smile and we went our separate ways.  As she got out a bowl and a spoon, I took down her food processor from the shelf; as she grabbed berries and milk from the fridge, I withdrew eggs, lemons and apple cider.

Eventually, my friend’s husband wandered into the kitchen and I think I lured him to my side of the battlefield, because soon he was flipping crepes alongside me.  When all was said and done, however, and I took my seat at the breakfast table, Caroline passed me a big mug of steaming hot tea and all was right with the world.

Crepes with Apple Cider Syrup, adapted from the Joy of Cooking

For the Crepes:
2 eggs
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. lukewarm water
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt

For the syrup:
1 1/4 c. Apple Cider
1 Tbs. Light Corn Syrup
2 Tbs. Brown Sugar
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Add all of the ingredients for the crepes into the bowl of a food processor or the pitcher of a blender.  Mix until fully blended and a bit frothy at the top.  If using a food processor, pour mixture into a pitcher – or leave it in the blender pitcher – and let sit for 30 minutes so that the liquids absorb the flour.

In the meantime, pour all of the ingredients for the syrup into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir until blended.  Turn the burner on medium until the mixture comes to a boil, then turn down the heat to maintain a rapid simmer.  Reduce until mixture reaches a syrupy consistency.

When the syrup is where you like it, warm a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Wrap a tablespoon of butter in one sheet of paper towel, and rub the bundle over the pan to grease it.

Pour some batter into the pan (1/4 cup should be plenty, but it depends on the size of your pan) and immediately tilt the pan around in a circle to spread the batter across the surface.  If you have a wooden crepe-spreader-thingy, all the better. 

Cook for about 1 minute or until the edges of the crepe easily separate from the pan when you pass a thin metal spatula around the perimeter of the skillet.  Flip the crepe and briefly cook it on the other side.  The crepe should be lightly browned.

Remove the crepe to a plate and drizzle with the apple cider syrup and (if you like the crunch) some demerara sugar.  Other winning toppings: lemon juice and sugar; jam of preference; and sweetened cream cheese with cinnamon or finely zested orange peel.  Then, what I like to do is fold the crepe in half and then in half again so it looks like a triangle.  Top it with some berries or whipped cream and voilà – the perfect Sunday Morning!

(This post first appeared on my other blog: http://www.frommytable.com ) check it out!

As you may know, this is my first Sugar High Friday during which I will have a blog – I feel compelled and ecstatic to (finally!) throw my hat in that ring!

The theme for this month is desserts made with Spices.  I took a look through my deep and disorganized spice drawer and was immediately drawn to one jar that still had the plastic shrink wrap enveloping the cap – cardamom.

I think I had purchased this particular (and expensive!) jar when contemplating a new recipe for ginger snaps, but eventually declined to deviate from my old standby in the Best Recipe cookbook.  I knew, therefore, that this spice was from the warm, dessert family (which I take to comprise cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, allspice, mace, and the like) and that it would be a fun experiment for this contest.

I went through many different cookbooks and magazines looking for a cardamom-based recipe and stumbled upon a coffee cake recipe in September’s issue of Fine Cooking.  Now, while coffee cake is not exactly dessert, it certainly fits into the Sugar High category based on the rich and delicious streusel alone.  But just to be certain, I decided to serve it alongside a saffron flavored ice cream.  Let the festivities begin!

First, make your ice cream.  This recipe is adapted from the cookbook “Ice Cream” by Liz Franklin, and I owe my friend Caroline a shout-out for giving me both the book and my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.

Southern Comfort, Saffron, and Ginger Ice Cream

1 1/4 c. milk
A good pinch of saffron threads
4 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 c. superfine sugar
1/4 c. orange blossom or clover honey (something lightly colored to avoid overpowering the flavor of the spices)
1/4 c. Southern Comfort (also known as a ‘nip’!)
1 c. mascarpone cheese
2 to 4 oz. crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped (I thought 4 oz. looked like a lot, even for a ginger-lover, but you be the judge!)

Pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the saffron threads.  Bring to a boil, turn off the heat, and leave the saffron to infuse for at least 30 minutes.
Put the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and beat until light in color and creamy in texture.  Return the milk to a boil and pour over the egg mixture, whisking until smooth.  Return the custard to the stove and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it has thickened, taking care not to let the mixture overheat, about 15 minutes or more – I would recommend waiting until the custard has reached the consistency of gravy and coats the back of your spoon to remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the honey and Southern Comfort.

Let mixture cool completely, then beat in the mascarpone until thoroughly blended and smooth.  For best results, cool this mixture in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before adding it to your ice cream machine.  Churn until almost frozen, then fold in the crystallized ginger.

Continue to churn until the mixture is completely frozen, then transfer to a freezerproof container and freeze until ready to serve.  In the meantime, bake your coffee cake:

Plum and Pear Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar and Cardamom Streusel, adapted very slightly from Fine Cooking issue #94.

For the Streusel:
1/2 c. Flour
1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
Heavy pinch ground cardamom
3 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

For the Cake:
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces; more softened for the pan
1 1/2 c. flour, more for the pan
2 large eggs
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. packed dark or light brown sugar

1/4 c. whole milk
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
2 firm-ripe medium plums, pitted and cut in sixths
1 barely-ripe small Anjou pear, seeds and stem removed, cut in sixths

Make the streusel: put the flour, sugar, kosher salt, and cardamom in a small mixing bowl and stir the ingredients with a fork until combined.  Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture and stir with a fork until the mixture resembles a clumpy dough.  Using your fingers, break the mixture into pistachio-size clumps and large crumbs.  If the streusel is sandy and won’t clump, add a little more melted butter, 1 tsp. at a time.  Refrigerate streusel while you prepare cake batter.

Make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375.  Lightly butter and flour an 8x8x2 straight-sided cake pan.  Beat the eggs lightly in a small mixing bowl.

Whisk in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, milk and vanilla until well blended.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, table salt, and cardamom until well-blended.  Add the butter pieces to the bowl and cut them into the flour with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles a very coarse meal strewn with pieces of butter the size of small peas and oat flakes.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture.  With a wooden spoon, fold and stir the ingredients together until it’s a thick batter speckled with visible lumps of butter, 45 seconds to 1 minute.

Scrape the butter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.  Break up the streusel mixture with your fingers and sprinkle half of it evenly over the batter.

Arrange the plum quarters and pear slices skin-side down, in any pretty pattern you like.  Push them down a bit into the batter.  Sprinkle the remaining streusel over the cake.
Bake the cake for 20 minutes and then rotate the pan.  Continue baking until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in thte center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, 10-15 minutes more.
Cool the cake in its pan on a rack for at least an hour before cutting.  The magazine recommends you serve the cake within 24 hours of baking, otherwise the fruits’ juices will make the streusel soggy.

Serve warm with the ice cream or cinnamon whipped cream alongside and enjoy!