FFwD - Marie-Helene's Apple Cake

This is our 5th week of French Friday's with Dorie out of her new cookbook Around My French Table.  This apple cake was so easy to make and so impressive to look at!  It was like eating a great apple pie without the fattening crust (I almost forgot I used 1 stick of butter - ha ha).  I did have to bake my cake almost 20 minutes longer than the 60 minutes; it could be that my apples where a little bigger than the average large apple!  I used 3 Honeycrisp apples and 1 Granny Smith. 

Here are my apples with the batter ready for the oven.

Great Autumn dessert -- I even enjoyed it for breakfast!

Playing Catch Up!

 I was a little under the weather last week and was not able to make my French Fridays with Dorie recipe.  Our next recipe was Hachis Parmentier, which is a well-seasoned meat-and-mashed-potato pie.  I was so looking forward to this recipe and happy that I made it today!  It really is YUM YUM YUM!
To start out you make a beef and bouillon mixture with cube steak, onion, carrots, celery, garlic and parsley.  Next you make of filling of sweet sausage and tomato paste.  The last step is the topping (my favorite) potatoes, milk, heavy cream.  You first boil the potatoes and then run them through a food mill -- running them through a food mill makes the creamiest mashed potatoes!!  Then top off the dish with Gruyere cheese and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

 It should have been the perfect Fall day meal; maybe after a day of racking leaves... But here in Cary, NC it  was 85 degrees and most of the trees have not even thought of dropping leaves!!  But we both still enjoyed this recipe of Hachis Parmentier...aka Shepard's Pie.  We really liked the sweet sausage addition, and anything topped with Gruyere cheese would be a hit in our house!

Cooking the beef and vegetables made the whole house smell good!

We are not posting recipes with this group, but I really encourage you to buy the book Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan!  I have not been disappointed with any of the recipes!!

Popovers with the Barefoot Bloggers

 Our second recipe with the Barefoot Bloggers this month was POPOVERS!  Popovers are a real treat to me, I associate them from my childhood when my Mother would make them when she made a Standing Rib Roast!  I very yummy combination.  I have not made them myself in a couple of years...I had to do a little "digging" in my pantry to find my popover pan, but I found it and a couple of other items I hadn't seen in awhile.  As Ina says in the recipe, they are easier to make than you expect and a fun treat to any meal.  I did make the whole recipe, which makes twelve...wondering if anyone halved the recipe; since the popover pan only makes 6 at a time!

 Tomorrow is the BIG day....Ina's new book will be out!!  Looking forward to many more great recipes!

Popovers from Barefoot Contessa Parties!

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus softened butter for greasing pans

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3 extra-large eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 cups whole milk at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Generously grease aluminum popover pans or custard cups with softened butter.  You'll need enough pans to make 12 popovers.  Place the pans in the oven for 2 minutes to preheat.  Meanwhile, whisk together the four, salt, eggs, milk, and melted butter until smooth.  The batter will be thin.  Fill the popover pans less than half full and bake for exactly 30 minutes.  DO NOT PEEK :)

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Apples

This was a new recipe for me...yes, another Ina Garten recipe :)  I had these with a pork roast and they tasted great, they would also be great on a Thanksgiving menu.  Loved the apples on top!  However, it is not the most beautiful dish I have ever made! 

Can't wait to see what everyone else has been cooking this week!  Thanks to Michael at Designs by Gollum for hosting  Foodie Friday ! 

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Apples

• 4 pounds sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Topping

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 375.

Scrub the potatoes, prick them several times with a knife or fork, and bake them for 1 hour, or until very soft when pierced with a knife.  Remove from the oven and scoop out the insides as soon as they are cool enough to handle.  Place the sweet potato meat into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and add the orange juice, cream, butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.  Mix together until combined but not smooth, and pour into a baking dish.

For the topping, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the apple wedges and brown sugar and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned on both sides.  Place on top of the sweet potatoes.

Bake the potatoes and apples for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through.

FFwD - Gerard Mustard Tart

This is our Second recipe with FFwD!  I loved the way this tart turned out; just like the picture in the book!  I loved the tart dough recipe.  It came together very nice, and the tip on rolling out the dough between pieces of plastic wrap really worked!  The tart filling was so yummy and don't you love the beautiful colors of the carrots!  Great dish to put on your Fall menu!

Bon Appetit!

French Fridays with Dorie is a cooking group at http://frenchfridayswithdorie.com/

We are cooking and baking from Dorie's new cookbook Around My French Table.

Cheddar Corn Chowder

I am busy making soup at my house!  I love to have a freezer full of homemade soups for the busy Fall season!  This recipe comes from Ina Garten...so do you get a feeling that I really like her recipes!! :)  It makes a lot 10 to 12 servings.  Sometimes I half a recipe this size, but I wanted to have plenty to freeze!  Owning my own gift shop the next few months are very busy for me, so it helps to have my freezer full of easy things to pull out and make.

 Ingredients:

• 8 ounces bacon, chopped
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 12 cups chicken stock
• 6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
• 10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 pound sharp white cheddar cheese grated

Directions:
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes.  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve.  Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes.  Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.  If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water.  Drain.  (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.)  Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar.  Cook for 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted.  Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.  Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

 I am joining other foodies for FOODIE FRIDAY at http://www.designsbygollum.blogspot.com/ to share what we have been cooking this week.  Thanks to Michael Lee West who hosts this fun event!