Cider-Glazed Chicken Sausage with Butternut Mash

Really tasty stuff. My butternut squash was a bit on the bigger side (fresh from the in-laws' garden again), so there's some mash in my freezer, waiting for some delicious bangers with which to go at another time. It all went beautifully with roasted kale (chopped and then roasted at 375°F for 30-40 minutes, depending on your preferred crispiness level). Now if only the weather would cooperate and I didn't have to sweat profusely through my dinner preparations. Come on, Fall weather!

Cider-Glazed Sausage with Butternut Mash
Courtesy of Martha Stewart



2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
1 pound chicken sausages
7 fresh sage leaves
3 cups apple cider
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 small butternut squash (1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large russet potato (10 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup 2 percent Greek yogurt

In a large skillet or shallow heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and sausages and cook until sausages are deep golden brown, 6 minutes, turning sausages and stirring onion halfway through. Add sage and cider and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook until cider is syrupy and coats the back of a spoon, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine squash, potato, and apple. Cover by 2 inches water and bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high. Cook until squash and potato are tender when pierced with a knife, 15 minutes.

Drain vegetables and apple and transfer to a food processor. Process until smooth. Add yogurt, season with salt and pepper, and pulse to combine. Divide butternut mash among four plates and serve with sausages and onion.

Crispy Potato Roast

Yum yum yum. These potatoes are deliciously crispy and buttery. I couldn't stop eating them.

The only thing I did differently was use garlic instead of shallots. I'm sure it would be good either way.

Crispy Potato Roast
A variation on this recipe from Martha Stewart



3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
3 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
8 sprigs thyme

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, combine butter and oil. Brush bottom of a round 9-inch baking dish with some butter mixture. With a sharp knife or mandoline, slice potatoes very thinly crosswise.

Arrange potato slices vertically in dish. Wedge shallots throughout. Sprinkle with salt and red-pepper flakes (if using); brush with remaining butter mixture. Bake 1 1/4 hours. Add thyme and bake until potatoes are cooked through with a crisp top, about 35 minutes more.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Meh. I think I'd rather just make actual snickerdoodles. The meringue frosting is fine, but it gets funky quickly. And I didn't have time to pipe it, just kind of plopped it on, so it's not nearly as pretty as it should be. Oh well. It was worth a try.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
Courtesy of Martha Stewart



Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 teaspoon for dusting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

Frosting:
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
6 large egg whites, room temperature

Make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

Make frosting: Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar with the water and corn syrup in a small saucepan; clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling, without stirring, until syrup reaches 230°F.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With mixer running, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, beating to combine.

As soon as sugar syrup reaches 230°F, remove from heat. With mixer on medium-low speed, pour syrup down side of bowl in a slow, steady stream. Raise speed to medium-high; whisk until mixture is completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl) and stiff (but not dry) peaks form, about 7 minutes. Use immediately.

To finish cupcakes, combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar. Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip (Ateco No. 809 or Wilton No. 1A), pipe frosting on each cupcake: Hold bag over cupcake with tip just above top, and squeeze to create a dome of frosting, then release pressure and pull up to form a peak. Using a small, fine sieve, dust peaks with cinnamon-sugar. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are frosted; keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Ruguh-Love

This was my first time ever having rugelach. And now I'm wondering why I waited so long. Holy cow, these are good. I think I just generally like doughs that are made with cream cheese, but the other flavors in here make these particular cookies especially awesome.

Jillie decided she thinks we should have them for breakfast, which I think is in no small part because of the cinnamon sugar. After eating oatmeal with cinnamon and honey for the better part of the last year, I think she's conditioned to associate those flavors with breakfast. I just might take her advice tomorrow morning...

Ruguh-Love
Courtesy of Cookie Couture via Martha Stewart



For the Coating:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the Dough:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

For the Filling:
2 cups premium raspberry preserves
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chopped walnuts

Make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together butter, cream cheese, and salt on low until well combined; add flour and mix until a dough has formed. Turn out onto work surface and cut into 4 equal pieces; wrap each piece with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat; set aside.

Unwrap 1 piece of dough and place on a floured work surface. Roll into an 11-inch round and, using a pizza wheel, cut into 8 equal wedges. Repeat process with remaining pieces of dough.

To Fill: Spread 1 tablespoon raspberry preserves on each piece of dough; sprinkle 1 teaspoon nuts on the short side of each piece. Starting with the short side of the triangle, fold corners in toward the center and roll up each piece to enclose filling. Repeat process with remaining dough, preserves, and nuts.

Make the coating: In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon. Dip each rugelach first in melted butter and then in sugar mixture to coat, pressing on open ends to enclose. Place on a baking sheet 1/2 inch apart.

Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until browned and caramelized, about 35 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Asian Turkey Meatballs with Carrot Rice

This was totally delicious. I did end up overcooking the meatballs slightly because of some organization issues that led to putting the meatballs in really hot oil in a really hot pan. It didn't make a difference though. The flavors were wonderful. And I especially liked the added flavor squeezing the lime slices over both the meatballs and the rice gave the dish.

The kids weren't crazy about this dish since the meatballs had a bit of kick to them. But if you like more spice, I read in the reviews of this recipe that people had found that adding some ginger to the meatballs worked really well. I'll probably try it next time.

Asian Turkey Meatballs with Carrot Rice
Courtesy of Martha Stewart



Coarse salt
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 carrot, shredded
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 1/2 pounds ground dark-meat turkey or ground pork
3 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 teaspoons fish sauce
4 teaspoons hot-pepper sauce (preferably Sriracha)
4 teaspoons sugar
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Lime wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 450°F. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups salted water to a boil. Add rice, stir, and return to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and top with carrot. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes, then stir in carrot and fluff rice with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs and 3 tablespoons water. Let stand 5 minutes. Add turkey, scallion whites, cilantro, fish sauce, hot-pepper sauce, sugar, garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Gently mix to combine and form into 12 meatballs.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high. In batches, brown meatballs on all sides, 10 minutes total (add up to 1 teaspoon oil as needed). Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and bake until cooked through, 10 minutes. Serve meatballs with rice, scallion greens, and lime wedges.

Slow-Cooker Triple Chocolate Brownies

Hurricane Irene is making her way toward us, so what do I do? I decided to use the eggs, milk, and heavy cream in my fridge to make Hurricane Brownie Sundaes. I figured since we may lose power and those things would go bad anyway, I may as well use them in a tasty way that we could enjoy as we wait. I used my go-to vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce recipes, as well as this slow-cooker brownie recipe. I've been very curious to try this brownie recipe, but I have to say I was kind of disappointed. The brownie itself is overwhelmingly rich, so that was a bit tough to begin with. And the edges were definitely overdone, despite following the recipe perfectly. I very much prefer regular brownies and probably won't make them in the slow-cooker again. But in the meantime... Here is my sundae:



Slow-Cooker Triple Chocolate Brownies
Courtesy of Martha Stewart



Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup walnut halves, coarsely chopped
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 ounces)

Lightly coat a 5-quart slow-cooker insert with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment paper and lightly coat with spray. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

Place butter and chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted. Add sugar; stir to combine. Stir in eggs. Add flour mixture, walnuts, and chocolate chips and stir just until moistened (do not overmix). Transfer to slow cooker and smooth top.

Cover and cook on low, 3 1/2 hours. Uncover and cook 30 minutes. Remove insert from slow cooker and run a knife around edge to loosen brownies. Let cool completely in insert on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Turn out onto a work surface and cut into 14 brownies.

Strawberry Cornmeal Crumble Bars

I had some strawberries that looked like they weren't going to last much longer, so I thought I'd make a fun snack. And these are fun. And surprisingly filling. I think I could probably cut the output from 9 bars to 12 bars.

The only change I made was that I substituted strawberries for the raspberries the original recipe calls for.

Strawberry Cornmeal Crumble Bars
A variation on this recipe from Martha Stewart



3/4 cup natural almonds
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides.

In a food processor, pulse almonds until finely ground (you should have about 1 cup). In a large bowl, whisk together ground almonds, cornmeal, flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and stir until dry ingredients are evenly moistened.

Press about two-thirds the dough into dish. Scatter strawberries over top and crumble remaining dough over strawberries. Bake until top is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in dish on a wire rack before cutting into 9 (or 12) bars.

Banana Whoopie Pies

I found these on my new favorite website: http://punchfork.com/ A friend of mine pointed me in its direction, and it has given me nearly daily culinary browsing joy as well as several new recipes to try. Of which this is one. Jonathan loves bananas, and we've enjoyed the other whoopie pies I've made, so when I spied it, it was a no-brainer. The banana flavor is a little overpowered by the cream cheese filling, but when you get a bite with a good balance, it's really wonderful. But really, even when you don't, it's still super tasty.

Banana Whoopie Pies
Courtesy of Martha Stewart



2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mashed banana (from 1 large ripe banana)
1/2 cup sour cream
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Combine banana and sour cream in another bowl.

Beat butter and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed, until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, beating until incorporated. Add banana mixture in 2 additions, alternating with flour mixture.

Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip. Pipe batter into 1 1/4-inch rounds on baking sheets, spacing rounds 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake until edges are golden, about 12-15 minutes. Slide parchment, with cookies, onto wire racks. Let cool. (Unfilled cookies can be stored for up to 1 day.)

Beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Pipe or spoon 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture onto the flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve immediately.

Peach-Blueberry Pie

Meh. Not my favorite pie. I don't know if maybe it was because I had to use frozen fruit. Peaches aren't in season, and the blueberries I saw at the market looked pretty sad, so I went with frozen. It was also soupier than I like, and I think that's because of the addition of quick-cooking tapioca rather than cornstarch. I also made this strawberry-rhubarb pie this weekend, it uses cornstarch, and it held together so much better. So I've learned that if you like soupy pie, then go with quick-cooking tapioca. If you're into a more solid pie that holds together better when you cut it, then cornstarch is the way to go.

This was my first try doing a lattice crust. I really enjoyed it! I used this site to help me figure it out.

Peach-Blueberry Pie
Courtesy of Martha Stewart Everyday Food Magazine



1 1/2 cups sugar
5 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3 pounds peaches, peeled and sliced (6 cups)
12 ounces blueberries (2 cups)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
All-purpose flour for rolling
1 homemade or store-bought double-crust pie dough (I used this)
1 large egg, separated, white lightly beaten
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, tapioca, and salt. Add peaches, blueberries, and lemon juice and toss to combine; let sit 15 minutes. Lightly flour a rolling rolling pin and work surface and roll out half the dough to a 12-inch round. Place in a 9-inch glass pie plate and brush with egg white. Pour in fruit filling and dot with butter.

Roll out remaining dough to a 12-inch round and place over fruit filling (or do a lattice top). Trim excess and crimp edges to seal. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolk with 1 tablespoon cold water. Brush top of dough with egg yolk mixture. With a paring knife, cut several small slits on top to vent. Set on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is deep golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 50 minutes. (Tent loosely with foil if crust browns too quickly.) Let pie cool completely on a wire rack, about 3 hours. (Store, covered, up to overnight.)

Glazed Cornmeal Cookies

These are a lot of fun. They were fun to make and had a great savory-sweet quality that the cornmeal provided.

Glazed Cornmeal Cookies
Courtesy of Martha Stewart



2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 to 2 drops food coloring

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar on medium-high until creamy, 3 minutes. Add egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla and beat until combined. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat to combine.

Place 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl; roll dough into 1-inch balls and coat with sugar. Transfer to two parchment-lined baking sheets. With the bottom of a glass, flatten balls to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Press a 1-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter into each (do not cut through). Bake until cookies are golden at edges, 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool on wire racks.

In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 3/4 teaspoons cold water. Whisk in food coloring. With a small spoon, spread glaze inside heart. Let set 15 minutes.

Mocha Chip Angel Food Cake

Excellent twist on angel food cake. It suggests being served with a mocha ganache, but we just added some vanilla ice cream. I'll add the recipe here since I'll probably give it a whirl sometime later. How you could go wrong with some mocha ganache, right?

I cannot find a link to this recipe online, but I got it from the Martha Stewart Everyday Food Magazine.

Mocha Chip Angel Food Cake
Courtesy of Martha Stewart Everyday Food Magazine



2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
12 large egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup cake flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (6 ounces)
1 recipe Mocha Ganache (below)

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, stir together espresso powder, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon water until powder dissolves.

In a large, wide bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites on medium-high until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form, 4 minutes. Continue to beat, gradually adding sugar, until stiff glossy peaks form, about 2 minutes. (If using a standard mixer, gently transfer egg-white mixture to a large, wide bowl for easier folding.)

Place cake flour and salt in a fine-mesh sieve and sift over egg-white mixture in three additions, gently folding with a rubber spatula after each addition. Gently fold in espresso mixture and chocolate chips. Gently spoon batter into an ungreased angel-food cake pan with a removable bottom. With a knife, cut through batter to release air bubbles, then smooth top. Bake until cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed, 30 to 35 minutes.

Invert pan on a baking sheet; let cake cool in pan, 1 hour. Run a thin knife around pan and tube, then unmold cake. Serve drizzled with ganache. (Store cooled cake in pan, wrapped in plastic, up to 3 days.)

Mocha Ganache

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 ounces)
1/2 cup skim milk
2 teaspoon instant espresso powder

Place chocolate chips, milk, and espresso powder in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pot of simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. (Refrigerate up to 1 week.)