Maple-Pumpkin Brûlée

My first attempt at crème brûlée was a success. And honestly, these things are the easiest and cheapest things to make, so I'm going to have a hard time ever shilling out the money for a restaurant version again.

Maple-Pumpkin Brûlée
Courtesy of CuisineAtHome.com



1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup canned pumpkin purée
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 egg yolks
1 egg
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Whisk together cream, half-and-half, pumpkin purée, 1/4 cup maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves in a saucepan. Heat over medium just until steam rises.

Whisk together egg yolks, egg, 1/3 cup maple syrup, and salt in a bowl. Slowly whisk warm cream mixture into egg mixture.

Strain egg mixture into a measuring cup with a pour spout, using a rubber spatula to press through a fine-mesh sieve for a silky texture.

Divide among six 4-ounce ovenproof ramekins. Arrange dishes in a baking pan, then carefully transfer pan to the oven. Add hot water to the pan and bake custards until set, 35-45 minutes; don't overcook.

Remove ramekins from water bath, cool, then cover loosely with plastic wrap. Chill until completely cold, preferably overnight.

Caramelize each custard before serving by burning sugar on top (recipe to follow). Let the brûlées stand a few minutes after caramelizing so the topping hardens.

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Crème Brûlée Sugar
Courtesy of CuisineAtHome.com

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Combine both sugars, then spread the mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet. After baking the brûlées, turn off the oven and place the sugar pan inside the oven for an hour to dry out the sugars.

Transfer sugar to a food processor and pulverize until fine. Store in an airtight container until ready to caramelize.

"Almost Like Thanksgiving" Soup

It's getting cooler outside, so I'm starting to look at my soup recipes again. And I couldn't be happier. I love to make soup. And this soup is particularly cozy and homey and awesome. My mom found this great soup cookbook last year from Cuisine At Home Magazine. I looked through it, found the recipes I wanted to try, and she photocopied them for me. Looking at the website, it looks like they seem to put out several different kinds of cookbooks on a yearly basis.

So I've made this soup once before and used all the called-for ingredients. This time, I thought I'd see if leaving out the turkey would make a huge difference. But I waited a little too long to make the recipe and found that my mushrooms had gone bad. So while I didn't miss the turkey, I did miss the mushrooms. Still a fabulous soup. So very satisfying. And a very good after Thanksgiving option.

"Almost Like Thanksgiving" Soup
A variation on the recipe from the 2008 Cuisine At Home Soups, Stews, & Chilies



Soup:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups leeks, sliced
1/2 cup carrot, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 cups button mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sherry
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
(2 cups cooked turkey, cubed, if using)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt to taste
Minced fresh parsley

Stuffing dumplings:
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups bread, diced, staled
2 strips thick-sliced bacon, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/4 chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

To make soup: Sweat leeks, carrot, and celery in butter in large saucepan over medium heat until soft, 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high.

Add mushrooms and garlic, and sauté 3 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle flour, thyme, nutmeg, and pepper over vegetables; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Deglaze with sherry, simmer until nearly evaporated, then stir in broth and cream (and turkey, if using). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes; season with salt. Garnish with parsley.

To make stuffing dumplings: Preheat oven to 425ºF; line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with nonstick spray.

Combine milk and eggs in a large bowl. Add bread and soak until nearly all liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally; set aside.

Sauté bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, 5 minutes; drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Sauté onion and celery in drippings until soft, 3 minutes, then fold into bread mixture with reserved bacon and remaining ingredients. Form dumplings on prepared baking sheet using an ice cream scoop or spoon, squeezing out excess moisture if necessary. Bake until dumplings brown, 20 minutes, then serve in soup.