Fall Sweetness: Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Cookies!

We are officially in the thick of Fall when the sweets start baking in the oven. There is nothing better than that traditional spice combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove. In fact, you can throw some of those spices in a pot of boiling water on the stove, in order to enjoy that scent throughout the house with less caloric intake. Hahahaha, please--'Tis the season of throwing those weighted worries out of the window, because it is time to layer up on sweet, savory, rich, buttery, warm, and happy goods that will bring you through the winter. Sweaters are stretchy...I say go for it!

Today's recipe is brought to you by the absolute necessity of chocolate and the dream of its marriage with pumpkin. I made this happen. It started with a spark, the mixture of the scents so well known to me, and I decided on cookies for the vehicle of this inspiration. I'm not alone in this inspiration for it has been done before. I used a particular reference from How Does She? who took a recipe from her own professor back in college. There are some truly genius people in this world.

This cookie is as close to a dream-state as one can achieve. Straight out of the oven, the chocolate is melted and gooey and the entire cookie separates perfectly at your will. I'm one of those people who melodramatically breaks the cookie in half to marvel at what the inside looks like, especially for a fresh batch. These cookies did not disappoint. They are far from crunchy, and I would be silly to suggest it is cake-like, but there is something about these pumpkin-chocolate concoctions that makes me believe in a different cookie. Is supple the word I want? The cookies stay soft and gorgeous for days to come, and I attribute that to using pumpkin as a moist thickener, and olive oil instead of vegetable oil. I chose to chop up my favorite chocolate bar (Cadbury Royal Dark Chocolate Bar) in lieu of chocolate chips--please, I'm so much happier with chocolate chunks. These cookies also hold their shape really well and make for an attractive cookie. Enchanting.

Well, enough of my babble--make some for yourself! This recipe yields quite a batch of decent-sized cookies, so I suggest you share them with anyone and everyone who crosses your path. You'll make tons of friends in a matter of seconds.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

 1 1/2 C Sugar

2 1/2 C Flour

1 t Baking powder

1 t Baking soda

1/2 t Salt

1 t Cinnamon

Dash of Clove

1/2 t Nutmeg

1 C Pumpkin (fresh or canned, but in a pulp either way)

3/4 C Olive oil

1 Egg

1 t Vanilla

1 C Chocolate bar, chopped

If you are in possession of a really specific oven, I heated mine to 390º. Really, that was because I know how my oven cooks, and I have noticed that it heats a bit hotter than what is marked in most recipes, so as per my experimental nature, I did that with baking (don't tell my baker roommate!). You can pump it up to 400º if you want and cook it for less time--I'm sure it's going to turn out just fine.

I mixed the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl until well combined. After that, I just threw the wet ingredients in the same bowl(save the chocolate chunks until the end) and mix with a paddle fixture. You could also mix this by hand with a spatula, just make sure that you really incorporate everything and that you don't have random bubbles of dry ingredients hanging out in your batter. Finally, fold in the chocolate chunks until evenly incorporated. When you have reached this stage, your oven should be preheated, which means it's time to drop this batter onto parchment paper on a cookie sheet. 

I dropped them in 1/4 cup scoops, and I got a cookie with a 5" or so diameter, if you want smaller ones, then use a tablespoon. You know what would be a great idea for a Halloween party? You can make these cookies with a tablespoon measure, and whip up a chocolate ganache or whipped chocolate icing, sandwich it between two of these cookies and you have Halloween colored whoopie pies! Yes! Anyways, you simply drop the cookies on the parchment paper and throw them in the oven on a center rack for about 15 minutes at 390º, 12 minutes at 400º. Cool on a wire rack and you can store them in an airtight container for about a week, if they last that long! Your result will be a scrumptious cookie full of everything you ever wished from fall. The spices are perfect alongside the chunks of chocolate, please go with dark chocolate, it really makes a difference. Also, I think it is fair to deem pumpkin as this season's fool-proof ingredient, from smoothies, to soup, to pies, to casseroles, to cookies--so take advantage of this harvest bounty! Pair these cookies with a hot cup of tea and your day will turn into something spectacular.

Spread the joy!

Listening to The Splendid Table with Lynn Rossetto Kaspar

When Life Gives You Apples, Make Apple Tarts!!!

How are apples so exceedingly beautiful? It takes incredible energy to make an apple, well really to make any fruit or vegetable. The fruit is formed to protect the seed, and when it drops to the ground, hopefully it has a chance to germinate and grow anew. Imagine having just a few resources to live and thrive on: soil, water, light, and air, and you're expected to grow up healthy, reproduce, and now to feed entire populations of hungry people. I obviously taught this lesson when I was teaching bilingual Science classes in Spain, and this is how I went about it. Now, it is what I think about when I am creating something out of what most would view as an average apple--the energy from that apple is going to fuel me for the rest of the day, so I am going to celebrate it as well as I can!

Today's recipe is super simple, yet endlessly rewarding. Four ingredients and a couple spices will take you to otherworldly status. Not only will it transform the atmosphere in your kitchen with the warm, enveloping scent of baked apples and autumnal spices, but when you take that first radiant mini tart in your hand and you sink your teeth into its soft, yielding apple-happiness, your day will notably improve. Just take a look at the mouth-watering photos; they make me want to finish the plate I have sitting on the kitchen counter (now covered in foil, so as to deter overindulgence).

I used Macintosh apples for their firmness and tartness, because you do add a tad of sugar. Also, you don't have to go buy a thousand pounds of apples to make this one, I just used four fist-sized apples and I ended up with 8 or 9 mini tarts, which is plenty. Please please, use real unsalted butter for this recipe, for it will allow the flavor of the apple to shine.

MmmmmmmmMmm. I don't think I can even start to write this recipe without wanting to make another batch!

Autumn Apple Tartlets

Adapted from Epicurious Puff Pastry Apple Tarts

4 Macintosh apples

3 T Unsalted butter, melted

1/8+C sugar

Nutmeg

Cinnamon

Puff pastry or pie crust

Set your oven to 400º on bake

I happen to have access to a wealth of little poaching cups in my home, so I used those to make mini tartlets. I bet that a muffin tin would work just the same, or if you happen to have mini tartlet pan, good for you--now you can use it! If you have prepared pie dough in the freezer, you'll obviously need to thaw it out, and for those who buy it in the store (try to find one without preservatives), you have to thaw it from the freezer as well! If you want to take the challenge to make your own pie crust, I recommend Lynn Rossetto Kaspar's Pie in the Sky Apple Pie Crust Recipe from The Splendid Table (a radio show and podcast from American Public Media). Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness, and if you have individual tartlet cups, like I used with our multi-purpose poaching cups, invert them over the dough and cut about a 1/2 inch circumference around them--this will give you just enough crust to cover the inside of the tartlet...if you want to get fancy and crimp the edges or cut out ornamental leaves or something, you'll clearly have to adjust your measurements. Do what you think is fitting! Press the dough into your tartlet molds and set aside.

To prepare the apples, all you have to do is peel, core, and slice them thin. Because I had four small apples, it was a breeze, and I didn't have to adjust the size of my slices for the size of my cups because they were already small enough. And boy! The flavor explosion in those apples was mesmerizing...I was taken aback. Anyways, slice them as even as you can manage with the thinness that is asked of you. Then you take those apples and layer them directly into your tartlet crusts. I layered them in a spiral shape for most of them, but if you just want to throw the slices in there every which way, that's fine too. 

Finally, you melt the butter and sugar together in a small bowl (I just used the microwave, but over the stove would work too), it took about 30-40 seconds. Then mix it up, spice with nutmeg and cinnamon, get a pastry brush out and go to town on top of those apples. You want to brush enough of that glaze to seep down to the bottom, but don't add a ridiculous amount, you only have 3 tablespoons. When they are all arranged on parchment paper on a baking pan, set them in a 400º oven for about 20-25 minutes, but watch for burning crusts, okay? When you take them out, transfer them to a wire rack to cool, and drizzle some honey over them... yes, I said drizzle honey. Amazing.

You can serve them warm or at room temperature. As I mentioned earlier, I just kept them on the counter wrapped in foil. If you want to reheat them, I would do so in the oven. They are also lovely served next to a small spoon of ice cream, and what a dainty presentation that would make! Throw a sprig of mint on the ice cream and you are getting closer to haute cuisine than you know :)

Enjoy, and may this be the beginning to a season full of warm, comforting, and exceedingly delightful food! Bon appetite!

Strata: Layers of Italian Felicità (Happiness)

Coming back to Louisville has been a whirlwind of straight up eating out. It is a great culture of this city to go out, spend some time with your friends and family, and do so while eating delicious food. We have food from all over the world, high quality southern fare, bourbon bars, microbreweries anybody can be proud of, and specialty shops that will keep you busy for years--as they have for me. So, when I tell you have more restaurant reviews to write than recipes to share with you, you can understand my situation. I really do need to get back to the grind in the kitchen, because I do miss the sizzling in my own pans (which now cook evenly because I have good pans here in the States), chopping fresh vegetables, and spending time making good homemade food.

Today I decided to whip up a Strata, which means "layer" in Italian. I think I originally got this idea from the Everyday Italian back when I had cable, but I have been making the recipe from memory for so long I could have it confused!? Anyways, it is traditional of Northern Italy, and features that beautiful spice nutmeg, which I love for its savory side (See The Spicy Necessities section of this blog for more on nutmeg). It is a dish that uses up stale and hard bread. These recipes aren't often found on this side of the Atlantic because most people eat bread that lasts for a couple of weeks in a plastic bag. Let me tell you what you're missing out on: the smell of quality flour, salt, yeast, and water mixed together until it bakes into a crackling crust and a soft, light and airy center that gives with just a little chew. These loaves can include whole grains, dried fruits, and seeds. I have to intentionally try and save the bread to make something like a Strata because it is usually gobbled up in inhuman amounts.

Stateside, you can find high-quality bread, but you will have to pay for it. Artisan breads are worth every penny, and you will be able to taste the joy of their craft in every bite. Sometimes, when I walk down the bread aisle at the local SUPERmarket (which I am trying to make few and far between), I feel like we are losing these true culinary arts, and we aren't buying food that actually means something to the people who made it. I wish I had the talent to make great bread everyday, and attempting it myself has made me respect those craftsmen even more. The long and short of it is that you should support your local baker, and then make this recipe out of the loads of bread you buy from them!

Notes: If you do not have stale or hard bread on hand, but you are dying to try this recipe, you can simply cut some bread into cubes and dry them out in a low-heat oven for about 30 minutes, or until hard. It works just as well, and if you like a slight toast on the bread, perfect. Whatever type of bread you like should work, but I prefer a lighter bread or whole wheat as opposed to a rye or pumpernickel because of it's absorption qualities. Also, with the strata, you don't have to stick with the exact recipe for the layers. If you want to put in peppers, eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, or turkey instead of bacon be my guest--the more experimentation you do in the kitchen, the better your life will taste. Just cook what you like!

Strata

3 C Stale or hard bread

4-5 Whole bacon strips, fried until crispy

1 Onion, chopped

3 Cloves Garlic

3/4 C cheese (I used shredded Asiago, Parmesan, and Romano)

5 Eggs, beaten

Splash of milk

Butter

Olive Oil

Salt

Black Pepper

Nutmeg

This recipe needs a pre-heated oven at 350 and a butter-greased bread pan.

Reserve cubed bread in one bowl and the cheese in another bowl.

Chop the onions and garlic and sauté in a pan over medium heat with olive oil and butter. Cook until you start smelling a sweet onion aroma and the color is just about to start browning. Crumble up your crispy bacon and stir in with your onion mixture. I decided to save the bacon grease for another use because the butter really adds enough with the onion and I didn't want to weaken that gorgeous flavor combination. Reserve the bacon-onion-garlic mixture in another bowl.

In yet another bowl, beat up the eggs with a splash of milk to give it a little creamier of a color. You can also use heavy cream if you really want to go for the gold--whole milk works just fine for me. Also beat in the salt, black pepper and nutmeg at this point. Spice as you like, but don't go too heavy on the nutmeg because it can overpower.

Now it is time for assembly in your prepared bread pan. The first layer is the bread, second is the bacon-onion-garlic mixture, third is egg, and fourth is cheese. I had enough to make two layers, but you can easily increase the layers by increasing the proportions of ingredients that you use, no problem!

Most of the egg mixture should be saved until the end, when you douse that bread pan in full, golden egg glory. Let the Strata stand for about 15 minutes before you put it into the oven, so that the bread cubes can soak and become chewable again. When they come out of the oven they will be fluffy and happy and covered in cheese--what could be better, right?

The Strata should be ready in about 30-40 minutes. It will be bubbly and happy. At this point, it is advantageous to use a glass bread pan, because when it comes out you can see the layers! Yay!

Please enjoy with some friends, this can serve up to 6-7 from one bread pan. I would serve it with a light salad with a balsamic vinaigrette and a glass of wine. The nutmeg from the Strata will work wonders with a balsamic vinaigrette in the accompanying dish--and we're all about flavor fusion. It can also be breakfast for the next day-- this is another dish that can wait on the stove, covered--but if you have Home Ec-style bacteria fear, throw it in the fridge for later.

Buon appetito!