Classic Baklava

Posted on date by author

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baklava

I love baklava but I don’t make it very often. For a recent dinner with friends I decided to make it and I am so glad that I did.

Rich and sweet, small squares of baklava are a wonderful end to any meal. This is actually a half- batch. I used to make baklava with 2 pounds of phyllo, but I find this size is easier to manage. It comes together quicker. The only change I made this time is I did not cut the amount of nuts in half from the original recipe. It turns out, one of my guests, said his Greek mother also made it with more nuts. Glad I made that change.  A bi t of effort to assemble, but not hard and worth the effort.

 Baklava

1 lb. phyllo
½ lb. butter, preferably unsalted

1½ lb. pistachios, walnuts or blanched almonds, chopped fine – I used pistachios and almonds this time
¼ c. sugar
½ t. cinnamon
Syrup, recipe follows

Combine nuts, sugar and seasonings and set aside. Brush a 9×13-inch pan with butter and line bottom with 8 phyllo sheets, folded in half to fit pan, brushing each with butter as you go. Spread ½ of the nut mixture on phyllo leaves. Top with 3-4 buttered sheets of phyllo. Spread with the rest of the nut mixture. Add the rest of the leaves for the top. Brush top layer of leaves with remaining butter. With a sharp pointed knife score the top sheets in whatever shapes and sizes you want. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour. Baklava should be golden brown. Meanwhile prepare syrup. When baklava has cooled, warm up the syrup and pour over. Allow time for the syrup to soak in before cutting into squares to serve. day ahead or early in the day is best.

Syrup:
1 c. sugar
½ c. honey
1 c. water
zest of 1 lemon or orange
Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Strain and set aside.

 

 

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , , , , , |

Mushroom Dressing and Gravy – Vegan

Posted on date by author
Mushroom Dressing and Gravy

Not everyone at the Thanksgiving table will be eating turkey. If you are like me, you have friends and family who are vegetarians. That was the inspiration for this dish. Just because a person doesn’t eat meat, does not mean they can’t enjoy the other traditional foods of the holiday.

I’m not a fan of “fake meats”, so a simulation of turkey was not what I was going for.  I wanted to make a dish that was normally part of the regular menu, but minus the meat.

This is a dish everyone can enjoy together. Thanksgiving is about bringing us together, after all. I used mushrooms as the base for both the dressing and the gravy. The end result is rich and very tasty.

Mushroom Dressing and Gravy – Vegan

The Gravy:
3 T. oil
2 onions, diced
1 lb. mushrooms, cleaned and chopped- try to use a couple of different types
¾ c. diced celery
¼ c. chopped parsley
1 t. oregano
½ t. thyme
4 T. flour
2 c. vegetable broth
2 T. balsamic vinegar
Hot sauce to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

In skillet, heat oil and cook onions until golden. Add mushrooms and celery and continue cooking until mushrooms also start to turn golden. Toss in the parsley and herbs. Remove about ¾ of the onion mixture and set aside- it will go in the dressing. In skillet, with the remaining onion mixture, add the flour and stir in. Cook over medium heat for a minute or two. Add the broth and bring to a low boil, stirring often, until thickened and bubbly. Add vinegar and hot sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. You can let it simmer a few minutes longer, if you like it thicker. It cooks down quickly. Makes 2 cups.

The Dressing:

6 c. bread cubes, toasted
Reserved veggies from the gravy
½- 1 cup vegetable broth
2 T. oil
Extra parsley, if desired
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t. crumbled sage, optional

In medium bowl, combine the bread cubes with the veggies and stir to mix well. Pour the broth over the bread cubes, tossing to coat. Use more or less broth, depending on how moist you like the dressing. Drizzle in the oil and season to taste. Place in a casserole dish, cover and bake until heated through- about 30 minutes. Remove cover after 20 minutes if you like a crisper dressing.

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , , , , |

Cranberry Raspberry Salad

Posted on date by author
Cranberry-Raspberry Salad

If you are looking for a fun and tasty variation for the usual cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving, I might suggest this cranberry and raspberry version. The raspberries add a great flavor to the dish along with the cranberries and orange juice. My family has enjoyed versions of this dish every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. Yes, it it a Jell-o salad. I know, there are some of you who are already skeptical. I promise you, it is really good. Of course, if you hate the idea of a Jell-o salad, just leave the gelatin out and serve it as a relish instead. The non Jell-o version of the recipe follows, but be sure to still serve it with the dressing.

The real secret however, is the dressing. It is a creamy, slightly sweet topping, made with a fruit juice custard and whipped cream. It really changes the whole dish into something special.

I served this last night for a Friendsgiving dinner and it was really was enjoyed. Several friends asked for the recipe, so here it is.

This might be the first time people ask for seconds on cranberry sauce.

Cranberry Raspberry Salad

1 large box raspberry or cranberry gelatin or 2 small boxes

1 c. hot water

3-4 cups raspberries fresh or frozen, thawed, if frozen

1 container cranberry-orange relish*

½ c. ginger ale

Dissolve gelatin in hot water. Gently fold in berries to avoid breaking them up. Fold in relish, but mix thoroughly. Stir in ginger ale and place salad in decorative mold and chill several hours or overnight. Make dressing. To serve, dip mold in warm water to loosen it, then invert on a serving platter. Be careful not to get water in it. Serve with the dressing on the side.

*You can make your own Cranberry orange relish if you don’t want to buy pre-made. I can’t always find it and making it is pretty simple. Recipe follows.

Note: I haven’t had any big problems un-molding this dish, but you can lightly oil or spray the mold with non-stick spray before filling it.

Dressing

2 eggs
½ c. sugar
½ c. orange juice
½ c. pineapple juice
2 T. flour
juice of half a lemon
1 c. whipping cream, whipped

Combine all ingredients, except whipped cream, in a saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Mixture should coat a spoon. Cool and chill. Fold cooled mixture into whipped cream.

Cranberry-Orange Relish

12 oz. cranberries, rinsed and picked over

1 c. orange juice

1 T. grated orange peel

½ c. sugar, or to taste

Combine all ingredients, in a saucepan and cook, stirring often, over medium heat. Cook until the cranberries burst and mixture thickens, about 20 minutes, stirring more often as mixture thickens. Reduce heat as mixture thickens, to prevent scorching.  Cool and chill. Makes about 2 cups.

Cranberry-Raspberry Sauce non Jell-o Version

12 oz. cranberries, rinsed and picked over

1 c. orange juice

1 T. grated orange peel

½ c. sugar, or to taste

12 oz. raspberries, fresh or frozen ( thawed, if frozen)

Combine all ingredients, (except the raspberries)  in a saucepan and cook, stirring often, over medium heat. Cook until the cranberries burst and mixture thickens, about 25 minutes, stirring more often as mixture thickens. Reduce heat as mixture thickens, to prevent scorching. Stir in the raspberries. Cool and chill. Makes about 3 cups. Serve with the dressing on the side.

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , , , |

Mom’s Pumpkin Squares

Posted on date by author
Pumpkin Squares

This recipe has been part of our family for years now.  My mom made them for Thanksgiving every year- and I continue that tradition. Like my mom, I use fresh (or frozen) cooked pumpkin or winter squash. My mom didn’t care much for the taste of canned pumpkin. She would cut up the Halloween pumpkin, cook it, puree it and freeze it- so she could make pumpkin squares anytime she wanted.

The original recipe came from Bisquick, but it had 2 cups of sugar in it. My Mother’s sensibilities kicked in and she cut the sugar down to one cup. Great move on her part. The cake is still plenty sweet with less sugar.

It mixes and bakes up in no time. I normally top it with cream cheese frosting, but that requires refrigeration, so this time I used an ermine frosting. With so much holiday food, a dessert that does not require refrigeration is a good thing. I’m serving it later today, so I ll see what my guests think. I’ve included the recipe for both frostings. I also included a recipe to make your own baking mix.

The texture is moist and tender and I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.

Pumpkin Squares

1 c. sugar
½ c. oil
16 oz. cooked pumpkin, canned, fresh (preferred) or frozen
4 eggs, beaten
2 c. biscuit mix (homemade or Bisquick or Jiffy Mix)
2 t. cinnamon
½ c. raisins, optional
Grease a jelly roll pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat first 4 ingredients for 1 minute. Stir in mix, cinnamon and raisins. Pour in prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick. Cool and frost. Frosted cake must be kept refrigerated between servings.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese
2/3 c. butter
2 T. milk
2 t. vanilla
3 c. powdered sugar, or more
Beat together until smooth.

Boiled Milk Frosting (Ermine)

5 T. flour

1 c. milk

1 c. granulated sugar

2 t. vanilla

½ t. salt

1 c. butter, cubed, softened at room temperature about 30 minutes

In small saucepan whisk together the flour, milk and sugar.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and gets bubbly. Cook over low heat another minute. Remove from heat and cool completely before finishing. I like to put the flour mixture in a bowl and putting in the fridge until cooled down, but not cold. Once flour mixture is cooled to room temperature beat in the vanilla, salt and butter with electric mixer until frosting is creamy and smooth.

Note: If you leave the base in the fridge too long and it gets cold, let it sit at room temperature 30 minutes before beating in the butter. If you are tinting the frosting, you can add color after the butter is fully incorporated.

Biscuit Mix

8 c. flour

1 c. powdered milk

1 c. powdered buttermilk

1/4 c. baking powder

1 T. salt

1 ½ c. shortening, butter or coconut oil*

In large bowl combine dry ingredients and mix well. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Store in a tightly closed container and use in 1-2 months. Makes 10 cups.

* if using butter store baking mix in the fridge, Coconut oil is fine at room temp but in hot weather also store baking mix in the fridge.
Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , |

Easy Apple Fritters

Posted on date by author
Apple Fritters

I love apple season.  Besides eating them fresh, I enjoy cooking with apples. One of my favorite apple dishes is apple fritters.

Fritters are  similar to doughnuts. Rather than being made from a dough that is rolled and cut, like doughnuts, fritters are made from a batter. The fritter batter  is spooned into oil for frying. They are actually very easy to make.

Good fritters are light and airy inside, with a crisp outside. These are very good fritters. These fritters have diced apples and cinnamon in the batter and cook up tender and light. Fritters are good plain, but can be rolled in powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar or drizzled with a powdered sugar glaze. Unlike a lot of the giant-sized fritters I see at local orchards and farm markets this time of year, these fritters are smaller. Only a few bites each. I actually prefer that.

For my gluten-free friends, I have made these fritters with gluten free flour. They tasted great. The gluten free version seemed to brown faster, so I turned down the temperature of the oil to 350 degrees.

So enjoy one of my favorite recipes of the season, and make yourself some fritters.

Apple Fritters

2 c. flour

2 T. sugar

2 T. baking powder

1 T. cinnamon

1/2 t. salt

1 c. milk

2 eggs, beaten

2 T. melted butter

1 c. diced apples

oil for frying

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together milk with the eggs and butter. Stir in dry ingredients until just moistened and add the apples. Heat oil to 375. If using gluten-free flour heat oil to 350. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Don’t do more than 4-5 at a time. It will take about  4 minutes in total but you need to turn them to brown evenly so 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. While warm roll in powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze. Makes about 32.

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , , |

Super Seedy Crackers

Posted on date by author

Super Seedy Crackers

I saw these crackers online and knew I wanted to try them. They are very easy to make and taste wonderful. The ingredients also make them gluten free- see note in recipe.

The ingredients are mixed together and allowed to sit just long enough to hydrate. Then you spread out the batter on baking sheets and bake. Part way through the baking, you pull them from the oven and cut them into squares. For a more rustic look, you can bake them uncut, then break cooled crackers off in pieces.

They are very crisp and flavorful. I could see making them often. I’m serving them as an appetizer this weekend. They go well with cheeses and other traditional cracker toppers.

Super Seedy Crackers

½ c. ground flax seed

½ c. quick oats*

½ c. sunflower seeds

¼ c. pumpkin seeds

¼ c. sesame seeds

¼ c. chia seeds

1 T. pizza seasoning – recipe follows

¾ t. salt

¼ t. cayenne pepper

1¼ c. water

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add water and stir until combined. Let mixture sit 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. On two baking sheets, place either a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper. Divide the cracker dough in half. Spread half of the cracker dough on the baking sheet as thin as you can. I tried to keep the dough into a neat rectangle. Make sure you don’t leaves any holes in the dough. Repeat with the rest of the dough on the second baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut the crackers into small squares. Return to the oven, placing the sheets in reverse order of which baking racks they were on at first. Bake 25 minutes more. Remove from oven and allow the crackers to cool enough to handle. Break apart if they need to be separated. Makes about 70 crackers.

*If you want to be sure that these crackers are gluten free, be sure to use oats that are labeled as gluten free. Oats are gluten free, but are often grown near wheat fields. Cross contamination can happen during harvest. Oats labeled as gluten free are grown far away from wheat.

Ready to add the water

Right out of the oven

Pizza Seasoning

3 T. dried basil

2 T. dried oregano

1-T. red pepper flakes

1 T. dried minced onion

1-T. fennel seeds

1 t. garlic powder

Combine all ingredients and store in a cool, dark, dry place.

To use: Add 1-2 teaspoons per cup of tomato sauce to make pizza sauce. Also good sprinkled on bagels with sauce and cheese or added to any tomato or pepper dish. Also makes a great cheese ball. Add 1-2 teaspoons of the seasoning with a little diced sweet red pepper, a diced green onion and a few slices of cooked, crumbled bacon or turkey bacon with 8-oz. cream cheese.

I did tweak the original recipe, but it is close to the original. The original video came from tastythriftytimely. Nice website- check her out.

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , , , , |

Hazel’s Sweet Potato Pie

Posted on date by author
Hazel’s Sweet Potato Pie

I love sweet potato pie. I am always surprised when someone tells me they  have never had it. Maybe it is a north/south thing? I have made it for friends several times, and there is always someone who says they never had a sweet potato pie before. Once they taste it, they love it. We made this pie in class last night and it was a big hit. Not one of my students had ever  had it before.

I used to work with a wonderful woman named Hazel Pruitt. She grew up in Alabama and taught me so much about southern cooking. I first made collard greens with Hazel. She also taught me how to make sweet potato pie. This is her recipe and I want to share it with you. I think of her every time I make it.

We used the Martha Stewart crust recipe, but use whatever crust you like. The recipe makes two crusts, so you can use the other half of the dough for another pie or freeze for later.

Hazel’s Sweet Potato Pie

½ c. sugar

1 t. cinnamon

½ t. allspice

½ t. salt

¼ t. cloves

1½ c. cooked, mashed sweet potato, about 1 very large sweet potato

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. milk or half and half

2 T. melted butter or 2 T. olive oil

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust

Combine sugar with seasonings. Stir in remaining ingredients and combine until smooth. Pour into pie crust and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 40 minutes, or until filling is set.

Martha Stewart’s Pie Crust Recipe

2½ c. flour

1 t. salt

1 t. sugar

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, very cold

About 6 T. ice water

Combine dry ingredients and cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Using a fork to mix the dough start to add the ice water a tablespoon or 2 at a time until mixture just holds together. Wrap and chill until ready to use. Makes 2.

 

Hazel’s Sweet Potato Pie
Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , , |

Roasted Curry Cauliflower Soup

Posted on date by author
Roasted Curry Cauliflower Soup

This may be one of my favorite soups yet. Creamy and flavorful it was a big hit at dinner a while ago. This recipe was inspired by what I had on hand and a dinner planned with friends. It started with this enormous cauliflower I had picked up at a produce market. I knew I wanted to use it. I had thought of just roasting it and having it as a side.

I also knew we needed a soup for dinner. Ended up roasting the cauliflower anyway but using it as part of the soup.  Added other veggies for color as well as flavor. I also made sure to get it really smooth. I used an immersion blender but it could have been processed in a blender.  We topped it with croutons, but it could be served without, if you prefer.

Roasted Curry Cauliflower Soup

3 onions, peeled and sliced
1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
3 T. oil
salt
6 c. stock- chicken or veggie- or more if needed
2 medium or 1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can ( 13.5 oz.) coconut milk
1 c. half and half- or more coconut milk, if you prefer
2 T. curry powder
2 t. turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degree. Place onions in and cauliflower in roasting pan and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle on some salt and place in oven. Roast until veggies are turning golden brown, stirring occasionally. This will take about 20-30 minutes. Place cauliflower mixture in a crock pot and add the stock and other vegetables and cook on high for at least 4 hours. Add remaining ingredients and puree soup until smooth. Adjust seasonings. You can add more stock if soup is too thick. Serve as is, or top with croutons when serving. Serves 6-8.

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , |

Halloween Candy Mini Cheesecakes

Posted on date by author
Cookies and Creme Mini Cheesecakes

I am posting this as a public service to those of you with leftover Halloween candy.

Sometimes you end up with leftover Halloween candy. You could just eat the candy- or you can transform it into a dessert.

The idea I came up with was mini cheesecakes. I’ve made them before, so I used my recipe, and just folded in crushed candy bars. Once the cheesecakes cool they deflate a little, so I also added some crushed candy bars to the top to make them look nice.

Only change from the original recipe was a slight decrease in sugar, to compensate for the extra sweetness of the candy. I went down to 1/3 cup of sugar. I think 1/4 cup would also have been enough.

I am sure a lot of different candy bars would work. I used a small food processor to really crush up the candy bars. I made 2 batches, one with cookies and cream candy bars and the other with Kit Kat bars.

Since the candy will keep, you could use the candy in a Thanksgiving dessert. Of course, the candy might not last until Thanksgiving.

Kit Kat Mini Cheesecake

Halloween Candy Mini Cheesecakes

12 vanilla wafers
2 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
2 eggs

2/3 c. crushed candy bars plus 1/4 c. crushed candy bar, for topping

Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 wafer in each. Beat together remaining ingredients (except candy)  for 1 minute with an electric mixer. Fold in candy. Divide this mixture in the muffin tins, filling each 3/4 full. Bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees. Cool and decorate with extra crushed candy. Makes 12. These can be frozen.

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , ,
Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , , |

Liz’s Birthday Baklava Cheesecake

Updated on date by author

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baklava Cheesecake

 

 

I was talking about baklava with a friend and he suggested I make a baklava cheesecake. It sounded fabulous, but I didn’t know where to start. I started looking online and ended up with a recipe that was a mix of a couple I’d found. The crust is where the baklava comes in, with layers of buttered phyllo dough and nuts. After the cheesecake filling is baked, it is finished with a  traditional honey syrup. Decadent and actually fun to create.

Since a dear friend’s birthday was coming up, I decided to  make it for her birthday party. So I made it. And I was happy with how it looked. Fingers crossed, they’d like the taste, too. It was a huge success. I was worried about how it would slice. I had placed a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the springform pan and I was worried it would tear and end up in the slices I was serving. It worked fine, although a small amount of the crust stuck to the parchment. the parchment did not get into the pieces I served. I think the next time I make one I’ll either leave the parchment out and grease the pan or grease the parchment.

The layering of the phyllo was also pretty easy. Once you get your rhythm it goes pretty fast. The goal is to get the sheets evenly distributed in the pan with the extra brought up around the cheesecake after the filling is added. I hope I described it clearly in the directions. This is clearly a dessert for special occasions and for the special people in our lives. Well worth the effort.

So here is the recipe. Happy birthday to Liz.  Special thanks to David for the inspiration and helping me serve it.

 

Baklava Cheesecake

Crust:

20 phyllo sheets

1 c. (2 sticks) melted butter

1 c. pistachios finely chopped or ground

1 c. almonds finely chopped or ground

½ c. brown sugar

2 t. cinnamon

 Filling

1 lb. cream cheese, room temp

1 c. sugar

½ t salt

1 T. vanilla

½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt, room temp

1 T. lemon juice

zest of a lemon

two large eggs, room temperature

Honey Syrup

½ cup sugar

¼ cup water

¼ cup honey

Pinch of salt

1 t. lemon juice

Topping

2 T. chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 325 F. Prep a 9 or 10- inch springform pan by lining it with a sheet of parchment paper. You can also lightly spray the pan (bottom only) or spray the  parchment with cooking spray for easier release. I had some issues with a little of the bottom crust sticking to the parchment. Most of the crust came out just fine, but I might not use parchment the next time. Mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon and ground nuts and set them aside. In a bowl, beat together the sugar, vanilla, salt and cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream and lemon juice and zest and beat until smooth. Add the eggs and mix in to just combine. Set aside. Make the crust. Melt the butter. Get your prepared pan. Then begin layering the first ten sheets of phyllo: place the first sheet so it mostly covers the bottom of the pan but also comes up and folds over the side of the pan. Brush with butter all over then place the second sheet so it also covers the bottom but only partially covers the top part, covering the first sheet only halfway. Do this with ten sheets for the bottom layer, arranging each a bit over the sheet before covering the whole pan as evenly as possible.  After you have the tenth sheet down, brush with butter and sprinkle on half the nut mixture. Layer 5 more sheet of phyllo on top like you did with the first 10 sheets still brushing each layer with butter and layered a bit over each time to cover the whole pan evenly. Sprinkle remaining nut mixture then repeat the process with another 5 sheets of phyllo. Pour the prepared cheesecake filling into the center of the unbaked phyllo crust. Bring up the sides of the phyllo that were laying over the edge into a ruffled shape If it tears, it’s fine. Don’t cover the whole cheesecake. Just around the edges. You want to see the filling in the middle. .

Bake the cheesecake on a sheet pan to capture potential spills. Mine didn’t leak, but play it safe. Bake until the cheesecake only jiggles a bit in the center, for about 60-70 minutes. While the cheesecake is baking, make the syrup: in a small pot set the water, sugar and honey (and a pinch of salt if you are like me and can’t help yourself) to cook on medium low heat. Stir so the sugar dissolves then cook it for about 5-7 minutes, until it is slightly thickened (but still pourable). Off the heat, add  lemon juice. On a personal note here, for some reason I used the smallest sauce pan I own and the syrup boiled over. I had just cleaned the stove top to make it more upsetting. Don’t be like me. Use a small saucepan, but at least a 1 quart capacity.  When the cheesecake comes out of the oven, pour the syrup over the cheesecake around the sides rather than the center of the cheesecake. Add the chopped pistachios to the top of the pie. Let cool and then chill in the fridge overnight. Store in the fridge, serve cold. Serves 10 easily.

 

Sliced baklava cheesecake

layering the crust

ready to bake

right out of the oven

 

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , |