Pumpkin Gingersnap Ice Cream

This is a very tasty Fall treat. And it's a far better pumpkin ice cream than the last one I made. While the recipe note said that the gingersnaps will get soggy after a few days in the freezer, we found the kind we used stayed pretty firm. I love the flavor they give too. I decided against adding the bourbon. I'm not a big fan of alcohol in my ice cream. Plus, I figure it would be a bad idea to get the kids drunk on ice cream.

Pumpkin Gingersnap Ice Cream
Courtesy of Sunset

1 pint whipping cream 
1/2 cup milk  
1 cup packed light brown sugar 
1 cup pumpkin puree 
1 teaspoon ground ginger 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract  
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup coarsely crushed gingersnaps 
2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)

Whisk all ingredients except gingersnaps and bourbon in a bowl to blend. Strain into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Scrape ice cream into a bowl and stir in gingersnaps and bourbon (if using). Freeze, covered, until scoopable, 2 1/2 hours and up to 1 week.

Ultimate Mac 'n' Cheese

This was the least interesting/complicated mac 'n' cheese I've made in a long time, but it was super super good because of the ingredients. I tweaked the proportions a bit in order to be able to have some leftovers as well as a good ratio of cheese sauce to pasta. I also used Panko instead of using the called-for sourdough bread to make the breadcrumbs. I ran out of time to grind up some of the bread I keep in my freezer for that very reason. I prefer the crispiness that Panko gives to the top of mac 'n' cheese, so I think I'll just keep it that way for future reference. I'm very happy there's some more of this waiting for me in the fridge.

Ultimate Mac 'n' Cheese
A variation on this recipe from Sunset



24 ounces cavatappi, macaroni, or other tube-shaped pasta
1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for cooking pasta
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup finely chopped shallots
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
14 ounces gruyère, grated
6 ounces aged gouda, grated (see Notes)
4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons minced fresh chives, divided
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup Panko

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot of boiling, well-salted water until tender to the bite, 7 to 12 minutes. Drain, but do not rinse.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add shallots and cook until light golden, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle shallot-butter mixture with flour; cook, stirring often, 1 minute. Add wine and stir, picking up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil. Add cream and stir well. Sprinkle in cheeses, one large handful at a time, stirring until each handful is mostly melted before adding the next. Stir in 4 tablespoons chives, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cayenne, and nutmeg. Stir cooked pasta into cheese mixture, then pour all into a 2-quart baking dish or ramekins.

Combine Panko with remaining chives and salt. Sprinkle mixture over pasta and cheese, dot with remaining butter, and bake until top is browned and cheese is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes.

BLT Turkey Burgers

Another turkey burger recipe that I was able to use with my lovely grill. These were very tasty, but really, you add bacon and basil mayo as toppings, so how could they be bad, right?

My mom was over for dinner and helped me figure out why it was taking forever to cook anything on the grill. I'm apparently jumping the charcoal gun a bit. I don't really mind babysitting the grill because it produces such delicious food, but I'm happy to know that things will be a tiny bit speedier if I just let the charcoal heat up a bit more before putting the food on. I can't wait to try another grilling recipe soon!

Oh, the only thing I did different in this recipe was use turkey instead of chicken. And that was only because I couldn't find ground chicken at Target the day I went grocery shopping. I don't think it made a huge difference.

BLT Turkey Burgers
A variation on this recipe from Sunset



1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon each fresh lemon juice and finely shredded lemon zest
4 onion kaiser rolls, split
8 strips bacon (about 8 ounces), cooked until crisp
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
4 leaves romaine lettuce

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for medium heat (350°F to 450°F; you can hold your hand 5 inches above cooking grate only 5 to 7 seconds).

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, gently mix turkey, cheeses, garlic, salt, and pepper. Form into 4 burgers about 3/4-inch thick, making a slight depression in center of each patty (this helps keep burgers flat as they cook). Put on a plate, cover, and refrigerate until ready to grill.

In a blender, whirl mayonnaise, basil, lemon juice, and lemon zest together and refrigerate until ready to use. With a silicone brush or oiled paper towels, lightly oil cooking grate.

Grill burgers, covered, turning once, until browned and no longer pink inside (cut to test), 8 to 10 minutes total. Transfer burgers to a clean plate and place buns, cut sides down, on grill until lightly browned, 30 seconds.

Spread toasted sides of buns with basil mayonnaise. Set a turkey patty on each bun bottom and top each with 2 strips bacon, a tomato slice, and a lettuce leaf. Cover with bun top.

Chocolate-Pumpkin Marble Cake

I brought this deliciousness to my in-laws' Christmas gift exchange. And it was a huge hit. My husband, who usually can't handle too many sweet things, and certainly rarely overindulges in such things, had two pieces within a 20-minute period. Score.

Chocolate-Pumpkin Marble Cake
Courtesy of Sunset



For the cake:
1 1/2 cups (3/4 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup buttermilk

For the glaze:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon corn syrup
1/2 cup chopped roasted, unsalted peanuts (optional)

In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Scrape half the mixture into another bowl.

To make pumpkin batter: Beat pumpkin into half the butter mixture until well blended. In another bowl, stir together 1 3/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and beat on low speed or fold in with a flexible spatula just until blended.

To make chocolate batter: In another bowl, mix remaining 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the cocoa. Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk to the other half of the butter mixture (starting and ending with flour mixture), beating after each addition just until blended.

Spoon half the pumpkin batter into a buttered and floured 12-cup bundt-cake pan. Drop half the chocolate batter by spoonfuls over (but not entirely covering) the pumpkin batter. Repeat to spoon remaining pumpkin and chocolate batters into pan. Gently run the blade of a butter knife around the center of the pan several times, then draw the knife across the width of the pan in 10 to 12 places to swirl batters.

Bake in a 350°F regular or 325°F convection oven until a wood skewer inserted into center of cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cake cool 10 minutes in pan, then invert onto a rack, lift off pan, and cool cake completely.

Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler, combine chocolate, whipping cream, butter, and corn syrup. Bring an inch or two of water to a boil in a pan that the bowl can nest in or in bottom of double boiler, then remove from heat. Place chocolate mixture over water and let stand, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, about 10 minutes.

Pour warm chocolate glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Sprinkle glaze with peanuts if desired. Let stand until glaze is set, about 2 hours, or chill about 30 minutes.

Snickerdoodles

I don't know where snickerdoodles have been all my life, but I'm so very happy I've found them... These are awesome. I haven't had enough snickerdoodles in my life to know how they stack up against others, but I'm very happy with them.

Snickerdoodles
Courtesy of Sunset



1 cup (1/2 pound) butter, at room temperature
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 cup powdered sugar
2 large eggs
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, oil, 1 cup granulated sugar, and the powdered sugar until very smooth. Beat in eggs until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Stir or beat into butter mixture until well blended.

In a small bowl, mix remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and the cinnamon. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, then roll each in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place balls 3 to 4 inches apart on buttered or cooking parchment-lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.

Bake in a 375°F oven until edges of cookies are lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.

Using a spatula, transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

Baked Polenta with Sausage and Tomato-Pepper Sauce

Delish. I'd never had prepared polenta before, and I'm really digging it. I think getting basil-garlic polenta also helped to make the dish extra tasty.

Baked Polenta with Sausage and Tomato-Pepper Sauce
Courtesy of Sunset

5 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 medium yellow onion, halved lengthwise, then cut into thin wedges
1 medium yellow, red, or orange bell pepper, cut lengthwise into thin slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon each salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red chile flakes
1 pound bulk Italian sausage, sweet or spicy (or 1 lb. Italian sausage links removed from their casings)
2 tubes (16 ounces each) prepared polenta, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, drained and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

Preheat broiler to high. Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a 2- to 3-qt. saucepan set over medium heat, then add tomatoes and oregano and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and chile flakes, and stir to combine. Cover pan, lower heat to medium, and cook until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add sausage, stirring and breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon as it firms up, about 5 minutes. Cover pan and cook until vegetables are tender and sausage is cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes more. Add tomato sauce and simmer 10 minutes.

While sauce is cooking, pour remaining 1 1/2 tbsp. oil into a 9- by 13-in. baking pan and tilt to coat bottom. Add polenta slices to pan and turn to coat with oil, then arrange slices lengthwise in 3 slightly overlapping rows. Broil polenta about 4 in. from heating element until golden brown and crispy, 10 to 15 minutes.

Pour sauce over broiled polenta, then arrange mozzarella slices over the top. Broil until cheese is melted and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.