Fall and Food

 
Well, it looks as if there won't be much in the way of colorful leaves when the National Fall Foliage Week begins the last Sunday of this month. Although there are a few vibrant leaves and quite a collection of them drifting down to my pool(I made a huge mistake placing my pool under the largest elm tree on my property), it is still a great time of year to get on outside with your kids, sans the cell phone. 

See more here about this New England-inspired holiday week. 

In the meantime, we will ease into using the oven now that the cooler fall weather has hit us here in the Northeast. 

Bacon-Jacked Jam   

A friend of mine(actually family)who owns the IGA in Orono, Maine advertised Bacon Jam on sale last week and it was the very first time I have ever seen it for sale. If you haven't ever tried it, you are in for quite a pleasant surprise. 

This jam is the perfect addition to a gooey American/mild Cheddar cheese sandwich or simply slathered on a homemade English muffin sandwich. This is truly for all bacon lovers.

 

8 ounces bacon, chopped small

1 apple, peeled, cored and small diced

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 cup each maple syrup and apple juice

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Apple Jack, or bourbon, optional 

Add bacon to a saucepan or large skillet and cook over medium heat until as crispy as desired. Carefully drain fat, keeping bacon in pan. Add next 5 ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring well. 

Reduce heat to low and simmer until most liquid has been absorbed, leaving just enough to hold the jam together. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar and Apple Jack, if using. 

Use while warm or transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate until needed.

Puffy Chicken and Dumplings  

One of the most sought after recipes has got to be Chicken and Dumplings. But isn't leftover turkey just as good? I think so! No matter what time of year it is, people have an affinity to this comfort classic, but they also want a simple and economical recipe, especially if uses leftovers. These are the softest dumplings you will ever make. If you have any leftover cooked vegetables, by all means add them right before the dumplings.

Nonstick cooking spray

1 pound cooked chicken(or turkey), chopped

1/2 small onion, minced

2 potatoes, peeled and diced

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon each salt and black pepper

1/2 teaspoon each dried thyme and rosemary

3/4 cup milk

4 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

4 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons cornstarch

In a medium saucepan, coat bottom with nonstick cooking spary and place pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until the onions have softened, stirring often. Add turkey, potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, make dumplings.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, thyme and rosemary. Stir in the milk and melted butter. Set aside. Make cornstarch slurry by mixing water and cornstarch until smooth; set aside. When broth is boiling, cook potatoes until they are just beginnning to soften, called crisp tender. This will take only 10 minutes or so, according to the size of your potatoes. Stir in the cornstarch slurry(see NOTE) until broth has thickened and it is smooth. Reduce heat to low. 

By the rounded tablespoon, dot the top of the stew with dumpling mixture. They will stay floating. When the entire surface is covered with dumplings, place tight-fitting lid over the top and simmer about 12-15 minutes, or until the dumplings have puffed up and are light as a feather when cut open.  Remove cover and serve immediately. 

NOTE: As you can see, I used cornstarch slurry instead of roux(melted butter and flour)as a thickener. I do this because using unlike roux, slurry does is easily and completely stirred into broth to thicken, unlike roux which is almost impossible to stir the clumps smooth when you have other items in the liquid.

Enough for 4 servings(or 1 hungry sole)

Apple Fritter Coffee Cake   

Ever wanted that great taste of apple fritters that you can simply mix, pour and bake? Here you have all that and more! Reminding me of banana bread, this perfect Sunday morning sweet bread can only be topped with that hot cup of coffee. It's Just That Simple!™

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 cup(1 stick)butter or margarine, softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs 

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large apple

1/2 cup raisins

Grease a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. 

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy. Add milk, eggs and lemon juice, continuing to beat until well blended.

In a separate bowl, blend flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Add dry to wet. 

Peel, core and dice apple. Add to flour and butter mixture along with the raisins and continue beating, on low speed, until everything is thoroughly mixed. It does not have to be smooth.

Pour into prepared pan and bake 45-50 minutes, or until cracked on top and it bounces back in the middle when lightly pressed.

Remove from oven, cool slightly, loosen the edges and invert onto a large platter or serving dish.

Hearthside Apple-Sugar Cookie Tart 

Sweetly crisp and reminiscent of the coming Holidays. But why wait? Especially with apples ripe and ready to pick now.

Sugar Cookie Crust:

4 tablespoons butter or margarine, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1 beaten egg

1 teaspoon rum extract or vanilla

1 cup flour

Powdered sugar, as needed

Caramelized Apple Topping:

1 large or 2 small apples

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Cinnamon 

Nonstick cooking spray

Make Sugar Cookie Crust

In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar. With a stout spoon, mix very well. It doesn't have to be smooth and fluffy, just combined well. Add the egg and rum extract, continuing to mix thoroughly. Add the flour and mix until well incorporated. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on a work surface, transfer cookie dough and knead for 30 seconds,  continuing to add powdered sugar as needed to prevent sticking.

 Roll out to about a 1/2-inch thick and large enough to fit into a 9 or 10-inch nonstick, oven-safe skillet. If you don't have nonstick pan, a cast iron pan will work just fine.

Place rolled cookie dough on a sugar-dusted plate and put in refrigerator until needed.

In the meantime, preheat oven to 375-degrees F.  and peel, core and wedge apple(s) to 3/4-inch in thickness; set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter into your 9-10-inch nonstick, oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. When melted, sprinkle both sugars over the butter evenly. Let cook until it becomes a light brown, or amber-colored. Keep an eye on this because once it starts to brown, it can burn in a matter of seconds, and you think baked-on lasagna is hard to clean........

Remove from heat and lay apple wedges in a circular pattern carefully into this sugar syrup using tongs if needed, reduce heat to medium, place back on burner and cook apples for 5 minutes. Carefully flip each apple wedge over, dust with desired amount of cinnamon and  cook an additional 5 minutes. Grab your sugar cookie dough and carefully place it over the apples, pricking the top of it for steam venting. Immediately put the skillet into the oven and bake 12-14 minutes, or until the cookie is starting to brown on top. Immediately remove from oven to rest for 1 minute, NO LONGER. Grab a plate the same size or larger, and immediately before the sugar begins to harden, very carefully invert your creation onto the plate. Spray a pizza cutter with nonstick cooking spray, or use a sharp, non serrated knife that has been sprayed, and cut into wedges. Enjoy while warm or let it cool to form an amazingly crispy, sugary, caramelized crust.