Autumn Sausage Medley

I'm thinking it's definitely past Autumn in most parts of Canada now 

but the ingredients of this dish still speak to me of crisp Fall days.

Farmer Sausage, Butternut squash, apples flavoured with a touch of Rosemary - what's not to like?

• 1-2 cups butternut squash, cubed
• 2 apples, cubed
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 small can sliced water chestnuts drained (optional)
• 1 red pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
• 6 large mushrooms quartered
• 1 link Farmer Sausage cut into 1 inch pieces (you can use garlic or Kielbasa sausage if you like)

 Sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup apple juice

2-3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons chili sauce

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 cups apple juice

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1. Saute' apple and squash in 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan until lightly browned.  Remove to 3 or 4 cup casserole dish.
2. Place onion, red pepper and mushrooms in pan, and saute' until wilted adding more oil if needed.
3. Remove to casserole dish. 
4. Add sausage pieces.
5. Mix cornstarch and 1/2 cup apple juice in a small bowl.  Set aside.
6. Add remaining sauce ingredients to pan  stirring well until sauce boils. 
7. Add cornstarch mixture and stir and cook until sauce returns to a boil and thickens. If you like a sweeter sauce, feel free to add more honey. Add more cornstarch mixed with a bit more apple juice if you'd like the sauce a bit thicker.
8. Pour sauce over ingredients in casserole dish and bake at 350˚ for 30- 45 minutes or until squash and onion are tender.
9. Serve over rice or noodles.
10. Serves 4-6.

Butter Tart Squares

We are celebrating Thanksgiving in Canada today, enjoying turkey with stuffing and serving pumpkin pie for dessert. Although there won't likely be room for butter tart squares on today's menu, they are a perfect all-Canadian fall treat. Butter tarts are unique to Canada, a rich shortbread crust with a creamy caramel raisin and nut filling. Here is a recipe for butter tarts made easy...the square version.

 
Crust:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1. Combine flour and sugar. 
2. With pastry blender, cut in butter until crumbly. 
3. Press into cookie sheet (10" x 15"). 
4. Bake at 350° F for 15 minutes.

 Topping:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1. Mix together butter and sugar.
2. Blend in eggs.
3. Add flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla.
4. Stir in raisins and pecans.
5. Pour over base.
6. Bake at 350° F for 20 to 25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched.
7. Allow to cool; then cut into squares.

If you can't finish off the whole pan at once, they freeze well and even taste great partially frozen!

Florence's Carrot Cake ~ Flashback Friday

I received this recipe from a neighbor of mine many years ago. And I am sharing this with you again today.  Just recently she called me and could not believe that her Mom, Florence's carrot cake recipe was on our blog post. 

It's fall time, and on this beautiful day, you can hear the tractors and machinery tilling up the land, planting winter wheat.  What better treat than to serve a fresh piece of moist carrot cake loaded with almonds and a fresh cup of coffee?  We don't know how long the weather will last.

Florence's Carrot Cake

• 3 cups of raw carrots, grated, set aside
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups salad oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups white flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups chopped almonds

Follow normal cake making directions.

1. Mix sugar, oil, and eggs. Add vanilla and the combined dry ingredients and nuts.
2. Add the carrots to the batter and stir well.
3. Bake in a well greased 9 x 13 pan at 350 F for 45 minutes.

Frosting

• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1. Soften butter, add cream cheese and blend until smooth. 
2. Add powdered sugar and spread on cake when cool.  
3. Sprinkle chopped almonds on top.  

This cake becomes better with age and freezes so well.  This cake will be going along on a road trip to visit family for Thanksgiving weekend.

Molasses Kissed Pumpkin Pie

I first posted this Pumpkin Pie in 2013.  It's still our favourite and I think you will find it easy to put together for your family too! 

There is no need to buy pumpkin pies from a bakery when they are really so simple to make.

If you don't have time to make your own pastry, purchase a package with two frozen deep dish shells and use one of the shells to cut out little leaves with the thawed pastry for garnish.

• 1 9 inch deep dish pie shell or make your own  (this can be done ahead of time)
• 1 3/4 cups pure pumpkin puree (about 1 -  15 ounce /398 ml can)
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups sweetened condensed milk  (can sizes vary between US and Canada)
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon*
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger*
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves*
• dash nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Adjust oven rack to second lowest level. Line a 9 inch deep pie plate with pastry. Decorate edge with leaf cutouts or crimp with your fingers or 
2. Whisk together the pumpkin with the remaining ingredients until smooth. If you have a blender, put all the filling ingredients in there and process until smooth.
3. Pour carefully into the pastry crust.  To prevent the crust edges from becoming too dark, use kitchen shears to cut out the inside of an aluminum pie plate and cover the pie as shown in the photo.  
4. Bake at 425 F. for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 F and bake an additional 35 minutes.  Test by putting a sharp knife an inch from the edge. It should be clean.
5. Cool on rack.  Only refrigerate the pie if it is not being served the same day it is baked.  Serve with sweetened whipped cream.  Refrigerate leftovers. 

*if the cinnamon, ginger and cloves are not spices you use often, purchase pumpkin pie spice and use 2 teaspoons. 

Whoopie Pies - Gluten Free

Since I bought a Whoopie pan some time ago, even though I bought it for an unrelated use, I thought I should try the Whoopie pie recipe that came with the pan.
I'm not familiar with Whoopie pies, except from books set in the South, where Whoopie pies seem to be considered the ultimate treat.
I adapted the recipe to be gluten free and was quite happy with how they turned out.  I made my own marshmallow creme and I found that the top Whoopie pie did not want to sit still on top of the crème.  Maybe the commercial product is more stable, or maybe I should have refrigerated them until set.
But since mine slid I decided to make a chocolate sauce to drizzle over them and pretend I wanted them to slide and served them as a dessert -  my guests were lavish with praise and I didn't tell them about my less than successful attempt at assembling them.   Good way to cover a failure, right?   Just pretend you meant it to be that way!  smile

So here is my recipe for both the gf Whoopie pies

• 1 3/4 cup Julie's Flour Mix 
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup white sugar 
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder 
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 1 tsp soda 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp xanthan gum 
• 1 egg 
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup milk 
• 1tbsp  yogurt

1. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy 
2. Sift dry ingredients together 
3. Add alternately with milk/yogurt
4. Mix until well blended 
5. Drop 2 tbsp batter in each whoopie cavity (makes 24 cakes / 12 whoopie pies) 
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes 
7. Let cool completely then put two cakes together with marshmallow crème (make your own marshmallow creme - lots of recipes online -  or buy ready made from grocery store)  

Dessert Crepes

When we toured the little town of Hyeres, France, we stopped at a sidewalk cafe and had the most amazing crepes! I decided that we would have to try these when we got home. I used an old stand by pancake (crepe) recipe from the Mennonite Treasury (p 15) and poured them a tad thicker than I would for "sugar roll up" type pancakes.  Dessert pancakes are not a lot of work and can be a fun to do around the table. I will post a banana hazelnut spread version, but the filling options are limitless.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups flour
• hazelnut spread, sliced bananas and whipped cream

Method:

1. With hand mixer, beat eggs, milk, flour and salt, until fairly smooth.
2.  Pour about 1/3 - 1//2 cup of batter into hot, lightly buttered 8-inch griddle.
3. Cook both sides and stack on serving plate. Butter griddle as needed.
4. Prepare filling and topping: sliced bananas, hazelnut topping in piping tube and whipped cream. When served, each guest can spread hazelnut topping down center of crepe, top with bananas, fold over and top with whipped cream. Hazelnut - free options to have on hand as well could be steamed, sliced apples or any fresh or cooked berries.

Cheesy Onion Rolls

Last summer, while in Winnipeg for some Celebration book launch events, we enjoyed some wonderful cheesy onion rolls made famous by a local bakery.  I came home with the recipe and am sharing my copykat version with you today.  The yeast dough I used is not the bakery original, but my favorite refrigerator yeast dough. 

Yeast Dough:

• 2 cups very warm water
• 1/4 cup potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes)
• 2 tablespoons yeast (instant, fast rising)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup butter (or margarine)
• 6 - 6 1/2 cups flour

1. Stir together the water, potato flakes and sugar. 
2. Add eggs, softened butter, and yeast mixed with 3 cups flour. 
3. Beat with mixer on high speed. 
4. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until a soft but knead-able dough is formed. 
5. Knead well. 
6. Place in a greased bowl.
7. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. (About an hour in a warm place.)

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

 Directions:

1. Punch down dough, and divide in half.
2. Roll each half out to form a 16 x 12 inch rectangle.
3. Brush each piece with half the melted butter; sprinkle each rectangle with half the cheese and poppy seeds.
4. Beat egg, and brush lightly over long edges.
5. Starting at one long side, roll up tightly, pinching seam to seal.
6. Cut thick slices (about 1 1/2") and place on parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. 
7. Press buns to flatten to about 3/4" thick.
8. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
9. Brush lightly with beaten egg.
10. Top each roll with onion slices. 
11. Add a dollop of mayonnaise on top of each bun (about 1 teaspoon).
12. Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
13. Cool on racks.

Yield: 20 large cheesy onion rolls.

*Here's what I love about this dough.  It is a wonderful refrigerator dough...and keeps well for several days in the fridge in a sealed container.  It is a simple thing to use half the dough for cheesy onion rolls today...and refrigerate the rest to use for cinnamon buns or more onion buns tomorrow (or the tomorrow after that!). 

Served alongside a salad...these cheesy onion rolls have been a lunchtime favorite in recent months.

 

Pumpkin cheesecake

Pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust is one of my favourite desserts that can easily be made anytime of year but is saved for special occasions in fall like Thanksgiving.

Crust

• crisp purchased gingersnap cookies to make 1 1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs 
• 4 tablespoons melted butter

Pumpkin Filling

• 3 packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 15 ounce /  398 ml can pure pumpkin
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 500 F.
2. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the base of a 9 inch springform pan and then add the sides of the pan and tighten, allowing excess parchment paper to be pinched between sides and bottom.  This will make it easy to remove cheesecake from the base to a serving plate once the cheesecake has chilled.  Spray the sides of the pan with cooking spray or grease well. 
3. Pulse gingersnap cookies in food processor to make fine crumbs. Add melted butter and process to combine.
4. Press crumbs into the bottom of the springform pan.
5. In a large mixer, beat cream cheese and brown sugar together on high speed until smooth and light.
6. In another bowl, beat together pumpkin puree, eggs, sour cream, flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt and vanilla until smooth.  
7. Add pumpkin mixture to cream cheese mixture and mix on low speed until well combined.
8. Pour filling into prepared pan. 
9. Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 300 F and continue to bake for another hour. 
10. Remove from oven and if necessary, immediately run a sharp knife around the edge to keep the cake from cracking in the center. 
11. Allow to cool to room temperature and then chill. 
12. Serve with whipped cream and caramel sauce. 

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is my all time favorite pie in October. In Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving in October and pumpkin pie is a must for that meal. I have tried different recipes for pumpkin pie and I always come back to this one. I like using evaporated milk for a richer, creamy taste.

• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup evaporated milk 
• Unbaked pie shells

1. Mix all ingredients until well blended.
2. Pour into unbaked pie shells.
3. Bake in a 400º oven for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 375º and bake for another 25 minutes.
4. This is enough filling for three 8" unbaked pie shells depending on how deep you like your filling. If you like the filling deep you will get two 8" pies.
5. Serve cooled with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon. And if you like, cut out and bake leaf shapes from leftover pie dough scraps for added decorations.

Marble Cake

I have this recipe from a neighbor I got together with for coffee many years ago. I love it because it’s so plain, but so moist . . . and very good with a cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup baking cocoa

Method:

1. Prepare a tube or Bundt pan for the whole recipe. For a small 9x9 inch pan, use half the recipe.
2. Mix sugar and butter well, beating in the eggs, then the whip cream and sour cream.
3. Mix dry ingredients, then add to batter alternately with milk, until smooth.
4. Pour 1/2 the batter into greased pan.
5. Mix the rest of the batter with cocoa and pour on top. You can just leave it or run through it with a knife (once around the circle in a tube pan).
6. Bake tube pan at 350° F about 55 - 60 min. Small recipe about 35 – 40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Cool in tube pan for 10 minutes before removing. Dust with icing sugar when cool.