I’ve accepted that this just won’t be the year to try yet another way to mash and flavor potatoes with the likes of parsnips or roasted garlic, white truffle oil or black truffle shavings.  I won’t have to wonder why a stuffing recipe calls for freshly made cornbread that has to sit on the counter for a day before it can be cubed and tossed with other ingredients to make an herby stuffing.  And I’ve decided that deep-frying a ton of microscopically thin onion rings to flavor a new spin on the classic green bean casserole won’t be happening, either, even though it was quite a fabulous recipe.  No, we’re going to be relatively conservative this year which is why I was able to spend some time in the kitchen today trying a new recipe with some of my favorite flavors:  apples, pecans, and cinnamon with a hint of orange.

David Guas’ Spiced Upside-Down Apple Bundt Cake was perfect from the moment I saw it in Food & Wine’s “Last Bite.”  Even though I’ve never owned a bundt pan, it was the least of my worries because the recipe calls for buttermilk.  Whenever I buy buttermilk,  it gets pushed to the back of the fridge and is forgotten until long after the date stamped on it, then ends up down the drain.  Not this time!   I found it with a day to spare — not that I could tell given its characteristic pungent smell.

How does one tell whether buttermilk is sour when it always smells badly?  It’s a very good thing that it works so nicely as a cooking ingredient, don’t you think?

Spiced Upside-Down Apple Cake

The recipe can be found here in the November 2009 issue of Food & Wine.

Make the streusel first and make sure to add the pepper.  Yes, it’s unusual, but it’s very nice with this cake since the apples are sweet.  They compliment one another well.

The spiced apples are so tasty I had trouble keeping myself from spooning them right into my mouth.  Make sure you saute them only until just beginning to soften and then spread them out on a baking sheet to set in the fridge to cool.

The cake batter is thick and easily spooned over the cooled apples in the generously oiled (Pam) cake pans.

The brioche tins baked for 45 minutes, and the 6″ round cake for 1 hour.   Test for doneness with a wooden skewer.  After they come from the oven, let them sit for 5 minutes before turning them upside-down on a baking rack positioned over a baking sheet.  You may have to rescue a few apples stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Just add them to the top of the cake.

Divide the streusel evenly over the cakes, pressing gently into the apples.  They’re quite moist so let cool an hour before serving.

Notes:

• I used cardamom in the streusel instead of cinnamon. I couldn’t resist. Its somewhat citrusy taste had me thinking of lemon pepper, but that didn’t quite pan out.  Although I could taste the pepper in the streusel when eaten alone, it was less noticeable when I sampled the finished cake.  I’d definitely add more pepper next time.
• I didn’t have Calvados so used Laird’s Applejack instead.  No, it’s not quite French apple brandy from Normandy, but it worked out quite well in this cake.  There is no boozy taste at all — something I don’t enjoy in baked desserts.  If you’d rather not use alcohol, apple cider will work just fine.
• Fuji apples were substituted for the Granny Smith’s because I was out of those as well.  Fuji’s aren’t as tart, but they held up well and the flavor was excellent.
• We enjoyed this cake.  It’s super moist and surprisingly light in texture with hints of orange laced through it.  The streusel topping provides a perfect crunch.  Although pecans are ground in the streusel, I think next time I’d enjoy chopping a few more to add to the apples before spooning the mixture into the pans.
• Raisins or dried cranberries would be a nice addition to this cake as well.
• Definitely a keeper!
• Oh — of course you can make this with one 10-inch bundt pan.

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Picture this:  my husband and I pass through the house each morning getting ready for work and I begin to think about any excuse not to have to stop at the market on the way home.  I mull over the contents of the veggie bin while I’m brushing my teeth, and search my fuzzy memory for ingredients  that may be languishing in the pantry.

“There are carrots I could make some soup with,” I begin staring into my mirror.

“That would be good,” he mutters, peering into his mirror,  busy with his own routine.

“And there are those apples you forget to eat on a regular basis.  I saw a recipe for a salad I want to try — but I’m not quite sure what condition the celery is in.  Do we have lemons?”  I call from the closet as I’m trying to figure out what to squeeze myself into for the day.

“Anything you make will be good,” he says from his side of the closet, “and I have been eating an apple a day.”

I head down the stairs, give a quick look in the fridge, and grab my coffee before running out the door and calling my goodbyes feigning success in the accomplishment of a dinner plan.

Jump ahead 11 hours.  It’s about 6PM and we’re both home.  Our son has come downstairs to graciously share himself with us, then flops on the couch to figure out what we’ll watch that evening.  My husband and I start peeling and chopping, sauteeing and blending.  On most days within an hour of arriving home — give or take a half hour for diversions — we’re all in the family room  talking about the day, slurping soup, eating salad and enjoying a DVRd show one of us has lobbied for.

On one such night, we tried a new spin on an old classic:  Waldorf Salad.  When I think of why I’ve never liked it, the mayonnaise would be the reason.  As much as I enjoy most salads, slathering a fatty dressing on one has never appealed to me.  If you’re like me or at least interested in something seasonal, but more healthy, try this.  It will be a part of our Thanksgiving dinner this year.

Waldorf Salad sans Mayo

1/2 c. walnuts, toasted lightly and chopped
1 T minced shallot
zest of 1/2 lemon, finely grated
juice of 1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed
1 T white wine vinegar
1/8 c. fruity extra virgin olive oil
2 T walnut oil
dash ground cumin
salt & cracked pepper to taste
mache or other soft salad greens
2 lg. radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced thinly
2 ribs celery, sliced
hand full of golden raisins
1 crisp apple such as Braeburn, Fuji, or Granny Smith
crumbled goat’s cheese
(cored and sliced into thin wedges)

Toast the walnuts in a skillet over medium low heat, tossing occasionally to avoid burning.  Remove from skillet and set aside when they become aromatic.

Make the dressing by combining the shallot, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vinegar.  Add the oils in a slow drizzle, whisking as you go.  Add the cumin, salt and pepper, then taste and correct seasoning.

On a large platter or individual salad plates, create a bed of the greens and set aside.   Toss the apples, celery, radishes, and onions with enough of the dressing to coat the vegetables, but reserve a bit to pour on later.  Pour the mixture over the bed of greens, then top with raisins, walnuts, and sprinkle with goat’s cheese.

Enjoy a perfect bite loaded with each of the flavors and textures of this great salad.

Notes:

• This recipe was adapted from Food & Wine’s “Lemony Waldorf Salad” which appeared in the November 2009 issue.
• The original recipe calls for twice the oil and canola instead of the extra virgin olive that I used, but I have trouble adding that much oil to any salad and don’t love canola.  Walnut oil has a distinctive flavor which adds a pleasant taste to this salad.  Add a bit at a time to the dressing if you’ve not tried it before.  I use La Tourangelle brand walnut oil which I am lucky to find at my local market.  It’s not as expensive as hazelnut oil which is fabulous.
• Mache is a lovely, delicate salad green with a taste not unlike greenleaf or butter lettuce.  It’s my favorite and can be found at Whole Foods or, if you’re lucky, Trader Joe’s.
• I included the goat’s cheese to provide not only a bit of tang, but hint toward the creaminess in the traditional Waldorf — which actually included only mayonnaise, celery, and apples served on a bed of lettuce.  Don’t even tell me you use Miracle Whip in salad.  Please.
• Some may want to pass on the raisins, but they truly add a pleasant flavor to this.  Give them a try.
• To make ahead, prep all the veggies and make the dressing.  It’s easy to plate when everything is ready at the last minute.
• We never had salad for Thanksgiving when I was growing up — unless you count jello salad as salad.  I added non-giggly salad to our menu when my boys were quite little hoping to slow the meal down a bit to enjoy courses.  We still do that and enjoy it quite a bit.  I could be convinced to try something giggly again, however.

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I’m never out of garlic, and yet yesterday when I wondered about what would go in the potato leek soup we made for dinner, I found I had only the shriveled remnants of my normally plump reserve.  There were no shallots, and I couldn’t find an onion, either.  Cooking just isn’t the same for me without these flavors.  I roast garlic and smear it on crostini, flavor oil with it to drizzle over roasted vegetables, saute it with almost everything, smash it and sprinkle on some sea salt to make a paste, mince it, cook whole heads in their papery skin, and wince when I find I’m out.

Have you had your garlic today?

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A friend of mine gave me a bag of small, crisp red apples the last time she came for dinner and somehow, I’d lost track of them.  I should have known they’d been sitting in the fridge, waiting for me to get around to making something with Fall written all over it.  Would it be apple nut muffins, a new take on a Waldorf salad, or perhaps an apple butternut squash soup?  I couldn’t decide until last weekend when I knew I’d be in the kitchen making macarons and decided to treat the menfolk to breakfast.  I’m not the one who normally makes breakfast on Sunday, so my offer was met with surprise and instant nods of, “Yes, please!”  Neither my husband or son would turn down pancakes even if they had a healthier twist than those my husband usually makes.  Besides, I knew I’d get to experiment a bit and it’s always fun to find out just how a particular recipe will end up.

If you have a jar of dulce de leche sitting around, it’s amazing what a little bit of it can do to a nice stack of hot ones on a cool Fall morning.  Initially, it was to have ended up filling the macarons, but it didn’t make it past the pancakes.

Who knew?

Apple Walnut Pancakes

1-1/4 c. buttermilk

2/3 rolled oats

1 lg. egg

3/4 c. grated apple, well squeezed

2 T brown sugar

1/2 c. stone ground whole wheat flour

1/2 c. pastry flour

1 tsp. cardamom

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3 T walnut oil

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

2 T mascarpone

dulce de leche to taste

Soak the rolled oats in the buttermilk while you’re preparing the batter and topping.  To make the topping, stir the room temperature mascarpone until soft, then add enough dulce de leche to lighten and flavor the cheese.  Set aside.

Grate the apple using a large grater.  Squeeze the grated apple to remove as much juice as possible.  In a large bowl, mix the egg, apple,  and brown sugar.  Then add the flours, cardamom, baking soda, salt and oil, mixing well before stirring in the buttermilk mixture and walnuts.

Spray a skillet with cooking oil and heat over medium high until a drop of water skittles across the bottom of the pan.  Ladle the batter into the hot pan and allow to cook until bubbles begin to appear.  Flip each pancake and continue cooking until the center has puffed up, about 2 minutes for each side.

To serve, spread a bit of the dulce de leche mascarpone spread on each pancake, drizzle with maple syrup if you wish and enjoy.

Notes:

• These pancakes are relatively low in fat until you add the mascarpone topping.
• I used reconstituted powdered buttermilk because I have a horrible time keeping it in my fridge.  I purchase a pint when I see a few recipes that call for it, and before I know it, I have to pour it down the drain.  I’d love to know who makes the decision about what size container to put it in because a cook may need a couple of cups at most, but rarely a pint and that’s the size I’m always forced to purchase.  If I was intelligent, I’d divide the pint into freezable containers…yadda, yadda, yadda.
• I adapted this recipe from a book I love called The Enlightened Eater’s Whole Foods Guide by Rosie Schwartz.  The recipes in the book are organized into sections following information about the benefit of phyto foods and are extremely healthy.  I’ve many of them several times — rare for me — and they’re always excellent.
• This recipe made about 9-10 4″ pancakes.
• The dulce de leche mascarpone spread is AMAZING on sliced apples when you’re trying to figure out what to fill macarons with.  Swoonworthy, actually.

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Even after I’d begun to realize that macarons were a fascination for many and saw them in every imaginable color and flavor, it wasn’t until a year ago that I tasted my first:  antique rose in color, delicately crisp, and oh so sweet, it tasted of rose as well.  For someone used to sinking her teeth into a nice bran muffin, I was a bit perplexed and beginning to understand what all the fuss was about.  There didn’t appear to be much to the tiny thing, and yet I knew it was quite the opposite.  A paradox.

I’ve wanted to make macarons for quite a while now, and yet I’ve procrastinated.  Instead of delving into the endless recipe variations, comparing quantities of ingredients, and analyzing techinque, I’ve gazed at the beautiful the colors and admired perfect the shapes.  Finally, I was forced to consider not only how a macaron is made, but to make them along with countless other bakers this month.  The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

After a few days of reading everything I could find about macarons and sifting through the forum comments and advice at The Daring Kitchen, I decided to devote a Sunday to the task.  Not a frilly person by nature, I skipped the gorgeous pinks and bright greens and headed straight for the sturdy, practical flavors of chocolate and peanut butter.

In a house full of men, what would you expect?

Chocolate with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Buttercream

Makes 12 filled macarons

3 egg whites
50 gr. granulated sugar
200 gr. powdered sugar (minus 2 T)
110 gr. ground almonds or almond meal
2 T unsweetened cocoa

The day before you plant to make the macarons, place the egg whites in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap letting them sit at room temperature for 24 hours.  If you prefer, you can do this in the fridge as well.  In fact, you may also use fresh egg whites if you put them in the microwave to dry them for about 15 seconds on 50% power.

Prepare 2 large baking pans with silicone liners and position the oven racks in the center of the oven.

In the bowl of a food processor, add the powdered sugar, ground almonds, and cocoa.  Pulse to mix well and set aside.

Put the egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer and beat them just until they’re foamy.  Gradually add the granulated sugar with the mixer running on high until the meringue is glossy.  Remove the bowl from the stand.

Add the almond mixture to the meringue and give it a quick fold to incorporate the dry ingredients.  Using no more than 50 strokes in total, working quickly and gradually slowing, carefully fold the mixture until it flows in a steady, thick ribbon from the spatula.  Make sure it is not over mixed.  To test the batter, drop a small spoon full onto a plate.  If it flattens out, then it’s ready.

Fill a bag fitted with a plain tip and pipe circles about 1-1/2″ in diameter onto the silicone lined baking pans.  Set on the counter to dry about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.  Bake the macarons about 15-16 minutes.  Remove carefully to baking racks to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Buttercream

12 oz. cream cheese at room temp
1-3/4 c. powdered sugar, divided
6 T unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. chunky peanut butter

In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and 1-1/4 c. of the powdered sugar until creamy.  In a separate bowl, whip the cream to medium peaks, and gradually beat in the remaining powdered sugar.  With the mixer on medium high, add the cream to the butter mixture in three parts.  Finish by adding the peanut butter in several large dollops until well blended.  Chill for 1 hour before filling the completely cooled macarons.

To assemble the macarons, spread about 1 tablespoon on one macaron held in the palm of your hand.  Top with a second macaron and gently twist.  Refrigerate the macarons at least one day for best results.

Kelly’s Notes:

• The chocolate macaron recipe I used after much deliberation is one of Tartelette’s.  This would be called an infraction and I expect either Lis or Ivonne to incarcerate me momentarily.  I will say, however, that Helen’s recipe actually made me feel as if I knew what I was doing.  Call me a coward.
• I purchased a carton of egg whites for this challenge expecting to screw up several times and ended up using fresh egg whites instead.  Helen’s microwave technique to dry the egg whites works!  In the meantime, I am drying out egg whites to give the challenge recipe a go next weekend.
• Reading like a crazed woman about how to fold the macaron batter must have paid off.  They ended up looking like macarons.
• I read so many conflicting bits of advice regarding oven temperatures and settings, I decided to use convection since it’s what I most often use. Unfortunately, the baking time of 8-10 minutes suggested wasn’t nearly enough and I had to pop the macarons back into the oven twice.  I think in the long run, they still weren’t quite done.  Note the shriveled tops on a few as evidence as well as my fingernail pockmarks from handling them too much.  Poor things.
• The buttercream recipe was adapted from a recipe I found a Epicurious and I have tons left over.
• I refrigerated my macarons overnight before tasting them.
• The flavor verdict is good:  I’m not a big peanut butter fan, so I’m pleased to say the flavor is mellow and blends quite nicely with the chocolate.  Overall, it’s a good flavor.  The exterior of the macaron is crisp, provides a nice crunch, and becomes more chewy as you work through the center.  I know.  Not quite done, right?

• Claudia Fleming’s challenge recipe that all the “real” Daring Bakers made (instead of fudging like I did) is as follows:

Mandatory Challenge Items:
-Make Claudia Fleming’s recipe for macaroons
-Fill and sandwich the macaroons

Optional:
-Flavor variations and decoration
-If you have a nut allergy, find a good nutless meringue cookie recipe but you must make them into cookie sandwiches with some kind of filling

If you are vegan, I don’t know what you can use as an egg substitute. Suggestions are welcome.

Preparation time: Not taking into account the amount of time it takes for you to bring your egg whites to room temperature, the whole baking process, including making the batter, piping and baking will probably take you about an hour to an hour and a half. How long it takes to make your filling is dependent on what you choose to make.

Actual baking time: 12 minutes total, plus a few minutes to get your oven from 200°F to 375°F.

Equipment required:
• Electric mixer, preferably a stand mixer with a whisk attachment
• Rubber spatula
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper or nonstick liners
• Pastry bag (can be disposable)
• Plain half-inch pastry bag tip
• Sifter or sieve
• If you don’t have a pastry bag and/or tips, you can use a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off
• Oven
• Cooling rack
• Thin-bladed spatula for removing the macaroons from the baking sheets
• Food processor or nut grinder, if grinding your own nuts (ouch!)

Ingredients
Confectioners’ (Icing) sugar: 2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.)
Almond flour: 2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.)
Granulated sugar: 2 tablespoons (25 g , .88 oz.)
Egg whites: 5 (Have at room temperature)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.
2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.
4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.
5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).
6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored.
7. Cool on a rack before filling.

Yield: 10 dozen. Ami’s note: My yield was much smaller than this. I produced about two dozen filled macaroons.

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You’re wondering what peposo is, right?  Or perhaps you know what peposo is and you’ve already wondered how it ended up in a sandwich.  If you’re like me, you may even just want to take a big bite of it right now because it’s dinnertime and it would be much easier to have a savory Italian sandwich magically appear instead of needing to make dinner.  Oh, how I wish that might be so tonight.

This sandwich has quite a long story behind it, so I’ll share it soon — along with the recipe for the peposo, the roasted pepper salad, and the focaccia.  But it’s Wednesday, and I’m supposed to be wordless — or nearly so.

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