Chocolate Chip Banana Pound Cake

Happy Father's Day!

My Dad loves bananas and I think at this point I've worn out every banana bread recipe out there! So... I made him a pound cake! I've never made pound cake before and since I only had enough bananas to make one loaf, I didn't get to actually taste it. So, I'm not sure how it turned out. However, it smelled divine and was very heavy so I think it was a success! My mom said the term "pound cake" comes from an old recipe which literally called for one pound of butter, one pound of sugar, one pound of flour, etc... Lucky for my Dad's arteries this cake does not contain a pound of butter! Although, like I said, it was certainly heavy! I will have to wait for the reviews to see how it tastes...

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

adapted from Martha Stewart's Rhubarb Raspberry Recipe

Round two of Rhubarb! I decided to make a quick and simple compote which can be served warm or cold, over ice cream, yogurt, toast, oatmeal, or by itself with a spoon... :) It's perfect and VERY easy!

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar (could have used even less; original recipe called for 1 cup)
1/2 pound fresh rhubarb (sliced in 1 inch thick pieces)
1 pint strawberries (halved or quartered, depending on size)

Directions
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring 1/2 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar and the rhubarb to a simmer. Cook until rhubarb is tender, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Fold in strawberries. Let stand until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Yum!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

One of my favorite combinations- strawberry and rhubarb! The grocery stores around here have been stocked full of rhubarb the past few weeks and I have lots of plans for these long, red stalks while I can get my hands on them!

I decided to start with an oldie but a goodie!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 pint strawberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine rhubarb, strawberries, granulated sugar, and orange zest and juice in a large bowl. Stir to combine.

In another bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Rub butter into flour mixture with your fingers until it is well incorporated and large crumbs form. Add oats to combine.

Pour rhubarb mixture into a baking dish and cover with crumb topping. Bake until topping is brown and crisp and juices are bubbling, about 45 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Spring Chicks

adapted from Martha Stewart Living

These cute little guys made an appearance at my parents house over Easter! My sister came up with the idea to make them as a surprise dessert for everyone. While I thought she was overestimating how easy they would be, we definitely had a lot of fun making them! It also helped that my Mom had homemade vanilla cupcakes in freezer which we could use. They didn't look as pretty as the ones on Martha Stewart's website (will we ever learn?!?), but they were definitely a hit!

Ingredients

6 homemade vanilla cupcakes
Vanilla icing (we used two containers of Betty Crocker, shh... don't tell Martha!)
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
3 Twizzlers, cut into pieces
6 whole almonds
Dark chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips would work)

Directions

Spread a thin layer of frosting on top of a cupcake and then turn the cupcake upside down on a plate or shallow bowl. Using a small offset spatula, spread frosting thickly on the sides, and then mound more on top to create a dome shape. Next, sprinkle toasted shredded coconut over the frosting, pressing and patting down into the frosting to create "feathers." Place the "eyes" (small peices of chopped chocolate) on the chick. Use a whole almond for the beak. Finally, place three pieces of red licorice on top of the head, and then another three pieces on the bottom for each "feet." Just push the licorice into the frosting by hand. Display and serve on a glass cake plate for maximum effect! Ta da!

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

adapted from Cookie Madness

Tony turned the big 3-0 this past weekend! We celebrated with family a week earlier and out with friends the night of, so instead of baking a cake for just the two of us I had the perfect idea to make a GIANT chocolate chip cookie cake! Tony loves chocolate chip cookies and this way he could (a) have a cake and (b) break off pieces and enjoy cookies all week long (or however long it lasts...). It turned out great! I was most concerned with the shape and it surprisingly came out perfectly round. The cake/cookie was soft and definitely more "cake-like" than a traditional chewy or crunchy cookie. This would probably work with any standard cookie recipe. The possibilities are endless. I would say, having a round pizza stone definitely helped- not sure if it would have turned out as pretty if done free form!

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
8 oz unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 bag semi-sweet or regular chocolate chips (2 cups)
1 regular size bag plain M&M’s

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 12 inch round pizza stone with a circle of parchment or non-stick foil. Mix flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside. Cream butter and white and brown sugars with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. When well mixed, add flour mixture and mix until blended. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour the batter onto the prepared pizza stone and press it into a circle (I found using a spatula around the edge helped create the circle shape). Stop the circle about 1 ½ to 2 inches from the rim. Press M&M’s decoratively into top.

Bake on center rack for 35 minutes or until cookie is golden around edges.

Dark Gingerbread Pear Cake

Gourmet, October 2008

In my search for the perfect gingerbread recipe this holiday season I came across this recipe from Gourmet. I think we have a winner! It dries out pretty quick, so after a day or two it tastes best warmed in the microwave for a few seconds (and really, when isn’t a cake better warmed?). I enjoy my gingerbread with a cup of coffee in the morning sitting by the fire… but it’s also great for dessert topped with whipped cream.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
3 large eggs
1/4 cup grated peeled ginger (or substitute powdered ginger)
1 Bosc pear

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan, knocking out excess. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Melt butter with water. Beat together brown sugar and molasses with an electric mixer until combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well. Beat in flour mixture at low speed until just combined. Add butter mixture and ginger, beating just until smooth. Pour into cake pan. Peel pear and cut into 3/4-inch pieces. Scatter over batter. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly.

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients

10 oz. (1 bag) chocolate chips (dark, milk or semi-sweet)
5 oz. (1/2 bag) white chocolate chips
4 candy canes (crushed)

Directions

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Place candy canes in a freezer bag and crush with a meat pounder or other heavy object. Melt dark chocolate (in the microwave or using a double boiler). Pour chocolate onto lined baking sheet, using a spatula to spread evenly. Melt white chocolate (either in microwave or double boiler). Spoon white chocolate over dark chocolate. Drag a toothpick from one end of the baking sheet to the other and then drag a toothpick across the baking sheet, creating a swirl pattern. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over the chocolate, making sure to press down the larger pieces into the chocolate. Set aside to cool (about 30 minutes). When the bark is set, use your hands to break apart into random pieces. Enjoy!

Pfeffernusse

adpated from Martha Stewart Living

I made these cookies for a holiday cookie exchange. They are simple and delicious! They are a German spice cookie, similar to gingerbread, that look like little snowballs. They taste like winter to me and go perfectly with a cup of milk or hot chocolate.

Ingredients
Makes 3 dozen

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the confectioners' sugar in a brown paper bag.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and baking soda. Set aside. Place butter, brown sugar, and molasses in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture; beat until just combined. Pinch off dough in tablespoon amounts; roll into 1 1/4-inch balls. Arrange balls 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. (Dough can be frozen at this point, covered tightly with plastic wrap, up to 1 month.)

Bake until cookies are golden and firm to the touch with slight cracking, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Working in batches, place cookies in paper bag; shake until well coated. Let cool completely on wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Gingerbread

adapted from Martha Stewart

Each year my friends and I got together for a "Fall Pie Baking" night. This year we did it so late in the season I decided to forgo the pie altogether and make gingerbread. Gingerbread is my one of my favorite holiday desserts and I am always looking for the perfect recipe. This was good, but I found it to be a bit dry. The other recipe in this blog for Pear Gingerbread is a better gingerbread in my opinion. I cut them into bars- on the far right in the picture bellow.


Ingredients
(Makes 16)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1 large egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom with a strip of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter paper. Dust paper and sides of pan with cocoa; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, ginger, pumpkin-pie spice, and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and sour cream until smooth. Add flour mixture; stir just until moistened (do not overmix). Stir in chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Using paper overhang, lift gingerbread from pan. Transfer to a cutting board, and cut into 16 squares. Before serving, dust bars with confectioners sugar, if desired. (To store, keep in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.)

Peanut Butter Blondies

Happy Birthday Regina!

Since I couldn't make it up to NYC for her actual birthday, I decided to send up some baked goods in my place! And what better choice than a dessert from the famous NYC Magnolia Bakery?! I got this recipe from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, who adapted it from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook. I made some further adaptations and the result was quite tasty! (I haaaad to sample one :)

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans (omitted)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate (omitted)

Directions
Preheat oven to 325F. Grease and lightly flour and 8 inch square baking pan.In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter with the peanut butter and the sugars until smooth about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Stir in chocolate chips (reserve 2 tbs). Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the reserved chips evenly over the top and, using a spatula, gently press into the batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean with moist crumbs attached. Do not overbake! Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting and serving.

Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars

We are back from an amazing vacation in Italy where we trekked around Rome and ate and drank our way through Tuscany! There will be a lot more about the trip to come…

For now, I was in need of a quick and easy (but tasty!) dessert for Family Dinner so I decided to make these Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars. I was in the mood for a cookie/bar type dessert- something everyone could eat out of their hands while we gathered around the TV to look at pictures from our trip! Plus, the marshmallow/chocolate combination made me think of s’mores and therefore an appropriate homage to the final days of summer. I found this recipe on one of my new favorite food blogs Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. The great recipes, witty life musings and gorgeous photographs make this one of my favorite sites (ahem… see new feature to the right- “My Favorite Websites”). I adapted her recipe by using boxed brownie mix (gasp!) since I was in a pinch for time. I couldn’t taste the difference!

Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars

adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Brownie Ingredients: (I used Betty Crocker Triple Fudge Brownie Mix)
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping Ingredients:
7 ounces mini marshmallows
1 ½ cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup Jif peanut butter
1 TBSP unsalted butter
1 ½ cups Rice Krispies

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan (I used a 9X9 inch pan). Make brownies according to directions on the box… OR…..

In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate, butter, and ¾ cup of the semisweet chocolate chips on medium heat. Stir occasionally while melting. Set aside and cool for 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, place the eggs and whisk thoroughly. Add in the sugar and vanilla. Stir the melted ingredients into the egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in the dry sifted ingredients and mix well. Fold in the remaining ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and even with a spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the corner of the pan comes out with moist crumbs.

Remove the brownies from the oven, and immediately sprinkle the marshmallows over them. Return the pan to the oven for 3 more minutes. While the brownies are baking, place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat, add the cereal, and mix well. Allow this to cool for 3 minutes. Spread the mixture evenly over the marshmallow layer. Refrigerate until chilled before cutting. Makes 12 3×3-inch bars or 9 large bars!

Happy Anniversary!

Three years ago (wow! THREE!) Tony and I got married on August 5, 2005. It was a spectacular day filled with amazing family, friends, dancing and food! followed by an even better marriage :) Our anniversary fell on a Tuesday this year- not the most exciting day of the week. So we decided to have a quiet dinner at home and get LOBSTERS! This has sort of become a tradition... encouraged by the really fun lobster tools and gadgets we were smart enough to register for and received as gifts! So our delicious anniversary menu included:

Champagne (Prosseco)

Steamed Lobster

Baked Potatoes with Chives and Sour Cream

Steamed Asparagus with Lemon Juice

Molten Chocolate Babycakes

Since we had to make dinner after both coming home from work that night, we kept the menu quite simple. The only recipe I used was for the Molten Chocolate Babycakes (I made these in exchange for Tony going to pick up the lobsters on his way home from work!). I was originally just going to get some strawberries and chocolate for dessert (keeping with the low maintenance menu) but I was at my friend Stephanie's house the night before and she was planning to make these cakes for her new boyfriend. She promised me they were simple to make and delicious and she even gave me two ramekins to make them in. With Tony standing there drooling as she described them, how could I say no?

Well.... I probably should have! The actual batter was very easy to prepare. The only problem was the execution. They took longer than I thought to bake and then these bad boys did NOT want to come out of the ramekins, resulting in a heaping pile of chocolate mess on the plate instead of a cute, dainty, individual cake. They were DELICIOUS! But definitely not pretty, and we certainly did not look pretty eating them! (hence the lack of photographic evidence). Anyway, here is the recipe, dare I ever try to make these again!:

Molten Chocolate Babycakes
(adapted from Nigella Lawson: How To Be A Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking)

Ingredients

(Serves 6, but I cut the recipe in half and made only 2)

¼ cup soft, unsalted butter (plus more for greasing)
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate
½ cup sugar
4 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400° putting in a baking sheet at the same time
2. Trace custard cup on baking parchment, cut out 6 disks and press them into the base of the custard cups
3. Melt chocolate and let it cool slightly
4. Cream together the butter and sugar and gradually beat in the eggs, salt and then vanilla
5. Add the flour and when all is smoothly combined, scrape in the cooled chocolate, blending it to a smooth batter
6. Divide the batter between the 6 custard cups
7. Take baking sheet out of the oven, arrange the custard cups and replace it in oven
8. Cook for 10 (if you make the batter ahead of time and refrigerate it, bake for 12 minutes) (Cooking time for 2 was more like 15-20 minutes)
9. Tip the babycake onto a small plate or shallow bowl as soon as you take them out of the oven (GOOD LUCK!)
10. Serve with whipped cream, crème fraîche, custard or ice cream

Heaven!

Blueberries are one my FAVORITE foods, if not my absolute favorite. So imagine how excited I was to come home and find that Tony had bought TWO POUNDS of these!:

Now all I have to do is figure out the best way to use them!

Happy Birthday to Me!

My parents gave me this wonderful gadget for my birthday this year:

Behold the Cuisinart Griddler!I have been eyeing my parents’ Griddler for awhile now, and the last time I was at their house they took note! This guy does everything! There are four separate cooking options: closed Grill, a Panini Press, or an extended double Open Grill or Griddle. I’ve only touched the surface of its possibilities. So far we have grilled vegetables, meat, fruit and made paninis. We have yet to use the “open griddle,” but there are definitely some pancakes in our near future.

Tomato, Eggplant and Mozzarella Panini

Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream

Giant Oatmeal Drop Cookies

adapted from Cooking Light!

I have been craving oatmeal cookies for awhile so I finally decided to make these. They are a “healthier” version of the original (and much larger!) so there is less guilt in making a whole batch just for two people :) I usually don’t like the way cookies turn out using applesauce, but there were great. Even Tony loved them- which is a true testament because he hates when anyone tries to doctor a classic recipe to make it “healthier.” I did make half the batch with chocolate chips (for him)- and the other half with raisins (for me!).

Ingredients

1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, softened
1/2 cup applesauce
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups regular oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat sugar and butter at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add applesauce and egg; beat well. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until well-blended. Stir in raisins, walnuts, and vanilla. Using 3 level tablespoons per cookie, drop dough 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray; flatten slightly. Bake at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.
Yield: 15 cookies (196 calories each)

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Martha Stewart Living

Gingerbread and chocolate= two of my favorite things! I made these for our annual Christmas cookie exchange. I was really happy with the way they turned out. The cookies were really moist and actually quite chewy! It was also the first time I used my Kitchen Aid mixer and since I made 4 dozen- it really made things a lot easier!

Ingredients

7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions

Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.

In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

Pear Gingerbread

adapted from Annie's Green Living at www.care2.com

I made this recipe twice over the Holiday season- once for friends and again for Christmas with family. Each time it came out great- it's the perfect holiday bread that you can eat for breakfast or dessert!

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 firm but ripe, large pears (Bosc, Comice or Anjou) peeled, cored, thinly sliced

1 cup dark brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup molasses

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tablespoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups boiling water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

1. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a 9-inch square cake pan (flameproof) over medium heat. Add ½ cup granulated sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar melts and turns light brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the pear slices in a decorative pattern and remove the pan or skillet from the heat.

2. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the remaining 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter and 1 cup brown sugar until light. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the molasses.

3. In another bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Fold the dry mixture into the creamed mixture, along with the boiling water, stirring only until all the ingredients are combined. Be careful not to overmix.

4. Smooth batter evenly over the decoratively-arranged pears and bake in preheated oven around 35 to 40 minutes. Cake should feel springy to the touch when done. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

5. Run a table knife around the edge of the pan and shake it to make sure the cake is not sticking. (If it is, set the pan over low heat and heat for 1 to 2 minutes, gently shaking it until the cake is free.)

6. Place a serving plate upside down on the pan. Wearing oven mitts, invert the plate and pan together. Lift off the pan. Cut into squares and serve, with whipped cream.

Serves 8 to 10.

Pumpkin Pie

adapted from Martha Stewart Living

The perfect pumpkin pie recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 ½ pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 ½ cups evaporated milk (1 can)
1 frozen 9-inch pie crust

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree and eggs. Beat well. Add evaporated milk and combine.

Fill pie shell with pumpkin mixture. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30 minutes more. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes.

Baked Apples

adapted from Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients

8 large red apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, cut into pieces
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup rolled oats
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup raisins
8 whole cinnamon sticks
½ cup apple cider

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice about ¼-inch off the top of each apple. Scoop out the seeds and core of the apple to make a pocket. Peel off about a ½-inch band of the apple's skin along the upper half of the apple with a vegetable peeler. Brush the peeled part of the apple with lemon juice.

In a small bowl combine the butter, lemon juice, brown sugar, oats, nutmeg, cinnamon and raisins. Stuff each of the apples with the mixture. Place the apples in a large baking dish just large enough to hold the apples upright. Pour the apple cider in the bottom of the dish (I sprinkled some extra cider into the apple pockets too). Bake until the apples are tender, about 30 minutes.

Serve with a cinnamon stick inserted in each apple and with whipped cream or ice cream.