Sherry-Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup Sherry
1/3 cup water
1 ½ cup brown sugar
1 ½ cup granulated sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
Dash salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, butter, water, sherry and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Stir the dry ingredients and cranberries into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Savory Roasted Butternut Squash Puree

Butternut squash is a fall staple. Hearty and slightly sweet, it can be used in countless ways, though the most popular preparation is roasted. This roasted butternut squash puree recipe makes for a savory side dish or a luscious filling for a delicious ravioli.

Savory Roasted Butternut Squash Puree

1 butternut squash
2 tbs of butter
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 sprigs of rosemary
salt
1 shallot, minced
1 tbs butter
3 tbs cream

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Rub the butter onto the squash halves and place cut-side up on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Sprinkle with ground nutmeg and salt and place one spring of rosemary on each half. Bake in oven for 45 minutes to one hour, or until squash is tender.

Allow the butternut squash to cool completely. Remove the skin and cut into chunks. Place in a food processor and blend until smooth.

In a large saute pan, over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the shallots and saute for 1 minute. Add the squash puree and cook until the mixture is slightly dry, about 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cream and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in additional nutmeg and salt, to taste.

Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown-Butter Herb Sauce

Ingredients

1 recipe Savory Roasted Butternut Squash Puree
1 recipe pasta dough, rolled out into wide ribbons, about 1/4-inch thick (5 on pasta machine)
12 fresh sage leaves
8 tbs unsalted butter
ground nutmeg
salt and ground white pepper
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Grated Parmesan

Directions

Using a 2" ravioli stamp, mark out the borders of your ravioli. Place 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of each pasta square. Place a second sheet of pasta dough over top, and with the stamp, cut and seal each ravioli. Add the pasta to pot of boiling salted water. Cook until al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes or until the pasta floats and is pale in color.

Remove the pasta from the water and drain well. Season the pasta with salt and pepper.

In a large saute pan, melt the 8 tablespoons of butter. Add the sage to the butter and continue to cook until the butter starts to brown. Add the ground nutmeg. Remove from the heat.

Place some of the pasta in the center of each serving plate. Spoon the butter sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle the cheese over each plate and garnish with parsley.

Makes approximately 35 raviolis.

AlleyKat's Favorite Chocolate Cake

Everyone loves chocolate and there's no indulgence we crave more than chocolate cake. This is my favorite recipe -- it makes a moist, chocolately chocolate cake. If you want a layer cake, it goes great with a berry filling or a whipped chocolate ganache.

AlleyKat's Favorite Chocolate Cake

2 cups + 1 tbs boiling water
1 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract



DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 - 9 inch round cake pans (or a bunt pan, if you prefer not to serve it as a layer). In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

Curried Quinoa

Quinoa is my favorite grain. It's quick to cook and tasty, makes a great side dish or vegetarian main. This recipe has a mild curry flavor and cashews which enhance the quinoa's natural nuttiness.

Curried Quinoa

1 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth

1 sweet onion chopped
3 carrots roughly chopped into smaller pieces
1 cup chopped spinach
1/3 cup currants, soaked for several hours
1/3 cup cashews

1/2 - 1 tsp curry powder
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
fresh cilantro
1 tbsp olive oil + some to saute vegetables

Saute onions and carrots in olive oil until onions have begun to caramelize. Add 1/4 tsp curry powder, a dash salt and continue to cook until onions are browned.

Combine water and chicken broth in pot and bring to boil. Add quinoa and reduced to medium. Quinoa takes only about 15 minutes to cook. While there is still some liquid in the pot, add the chopped spinach, cilantro and the curry powder.

Once cooked add the onions and carrots, currants and cashews. Toss with olive oil and lime juice. Serve as a side or as a main.

Pegu's Earl Grey MarTEAni

Audrey Saunders is the mixologist at Pegu -- the hottest place to get a drink in Manhattan. She knows how to make her cocktails. I found this recipe in New York Magazine and am republishing it without their permission, but this drink is too good not to share.

Audrey's Earl Grey MarTEAni

Ingredients
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup (1:1 sugar-to-water ratio)
1 1/2 ounce Earl Grey tea–infused Tanqueray gin (see recipe below)
1 egg white
Garnish: lemon twist

Instructions
Measure all the ingredients into a mixing glass. Add ice, and shake hard to a 10-second count. Strain into a chilled martini glass, 1/2 rimmed with sugar, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Earl Grey Tea–Infused Tanqueray Gin
1 750 ml bottle of Tanqueray gin (for its flavor and high proof)
4 tablespoons loose, Earl Grey tea

Measure tea into bottle. Cap and shake, and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Strain through a fine sieve or coffee filter into a bowl. Rinse out bottle to remove loose tea, and pour infusion back into clean bottle. Will store indefinitely refrigerated.

California Fried Egg Sandwich

Eggs are great any time of the day. They're an inexpensive protein that can be easily dressed up and that keep you running long into the day. This sandwich is one of my all time favorites and is quick to assemble -- the caramelized onions are often left over from dinner the night before and I always have an avocado on hand in my kitchen.

California Fried Egg Sandwich
Serves 1

1 egg, fried in extra virgin olive oil
1/4 mashed avocado, seasoned with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lime
balsamic caramelized onions
2 slices toasted San Fran Sourdough bread
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Spread the mashed avocado on each slice of toast. Pile on the egg and onions. Drizzle with basalmic and cap with second slice of toast.

Rhuberry Cake

This Strawberry Cake with Rhubarb filling is perfect a refreshing and well-balanced dessert for the springtime. The cake is flavourful and moist; the rhubarb just a little bit tart; the whip-cream frosting just sweet enough.

Rhuberry Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup puréed fresh or frozen and thawed strawberries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped strawberries
1/2 cup buttermilk
slices strawberries for garnish

For Filling:
3 stalks of Rhubarb, cut into pieces
1/2 cup strawberries, cut
1/4 c. sugar (or to your liking)
2 tbs cornstarch
1/4 c. water

Frosting:
1 pint whipping cream
1 tbs vanilla extract
2-3 tbs sugar


For Filling (make first):
Add rhubarb, water and sugar to saucepan and let cook until rhubarb becomes soft. Add strawberries and cornstarch and cook until the rhubarb falls apart and the fruit mixture thickens. Pour into bowl and let cool in refridgerator for 2 hours before using.

For Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or one 9- x 13-inch cake pan. Set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, 1/2 cup of the butter, 1 cup of the puréed strawberries and milk, then add to bowl with flour mixture and beat with a wire whisk until combined.

Pour batter into prepared cake pans. Sprinkle the chopped strawberries over the batter in each pan and give a quick stir. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until done when tested with a toothpick. Set aside to let cool slightly, then invert cakes onto a cooling rack and set aside to let cool completely.

Level bottom layer of the cake with a knife. With the whipped cream in a pastry bag, create a wall for the filling on the base layer. Add the rhubarb filling, top with second cake and frost top with whipped cream. Garnish with strawberries.

One Pot Chicken Dinner

Sometimes, I like it when my dinner makes itself -- which is exactly what happens when you throw all your veggies, potatoes and chicken into a le crueset dutch oven. Clean up is easy and everything is flavourfull. The amount of vegetables can be adjusted to suit your party.

One Pot Chicken Dinner

1 small roasting chicken (around 6 lbs)
fresh herbs -- thyme, rosemary and parsley
1 bunch carrots, chopped
1 stalk of celery
2 onions -- 1 quartered, 1 roughly chopped
12 button mushrooms
12 crimini mushrooms
12 small red potatoes
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

rub the chicken with olive oil, fresh herbs and salt and pepper. Inside cavity, place the 1 quartered onion, a few of the diced carrotes, the chopped celery stalk, and some more fresh herbs, salt and pepper.

line the bottom of a dutch over with the remaining carrots and onions. Place the chicken on top. Place the potatoes around the chicken. Pour the white wine in the bottom.

Cover with the lid and put in the oven at 350DegreesF and cook for one hour. Add the mushrooms and allow to cook until the chicken is done (about another 30minutes). Everything in the pot goes on the dinner plate!

Fiddleheads with Lemon Brown Butter

Every spring I look forward to Fiddleheads -- baby ferns that taste like a cross between a french bean and an asparagus. I particularly like them served along side fish, they are perfect paired with some wild salmon (which you can start to get in the market around mid-april).

Fiddleheads with Lemon Brown Butter

1 1/2 lbs fiddlehead ferns
3 tbs. unsalted butter
1 shallot, diced
1 small clove of garlic, sliced
1 tbs lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Clean the fiddleheads by rubbing them gently between your hands to remove any brown scales. Trim off any brown ends and before cooking, rinse the fiddleheads in cool water and drain.

In a small saute pan, melt butter over medium hear. When the butter starts to bubble, lower heat and cook, stirring until the butter turns a light brown and smells nutty (3-4 mins).

Immediately turn off the heat and add the shallot and garlic. Stir for 1 minute and add lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. keep warm.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. add the fiddleheads and cook until tender, but still crisp -- about 4-5 minutes. Drain and immediately toss with the brown butter.

Serves 6

Hot Crossed Buns

Nothing says spring and Easter to a Catholic like Hot Crossed Buns. I think these sweet, airy, fruity buns are great year round and are a perfect accompaniment to a hot cup of tea in the afternoon. This is a traditional recipe and does require a bit of time to let things rise, but the finished product is delicious. The hardest part is finding the citron!

Hot Crossed Buns

1/4 Cup Lukewarm water
1 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp yeast
1 1/2 cup scaled milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
4 1/3 cups all purpose flour, sifted
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup currants
1/3 cup citron, finely diced

Glaze
Melted Butter
Honey


Icing
2 tbsp hot milk
icing sugar, to thicken
zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 400degrees F

1. Add lukewarm water to a small bowl and dissolve 1 tbsp of light brown sugar. sprinkle with yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes, until frothy and be sure to keep away from drafts

2. Scald the milk and add the butter, sugar and salt.

3. beat the eggs until they are light and combine slowly with the milk mixture and the yeast.

4. Sift 3 cups of flour and combine with spices in a mixing bowl.

5. Add the yeast mixture and beat for 4 minutes to form a sponge.

6. toss the currants and citron with 1/2 cup of flour and mix it with the sponge. If necessary, add more flour to make a firm dough. Beat well.

7. Set the dough in a pan of warm water to rise, covered with a towel.

8. When dough is light, push it down and form into 2 dozen balls. Place them in a well greased pan, loosely covered with a towel, to rise again. This will take about 45 minutes.

9. bake in over for about 20 minutes. Remove and brush with mixture of melted butter and honey.

10. mix hot milk with powdered sugar and lemon zest to make a thick icing. fill pastry bag and when buns are cool, form crosses on the top of the buns with the icing.

AlleyKat’s Country Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie

While driving around Prince Edward Island, Canada, my family and I stopped at the PEI Preserve Company for lunch. PEI is known for its potatoes and mussels and the PEI Preserve Company is known for its delicious homemade jams, jellies, and honey... their Raspberry Cream Cheese pie is also pretty stellar. Refreshing, just the right amount of tart and sweet, this is a lovely recipe for a summer party or anytime you can get your hands on fresh raspberries.

AlleyKat’s Country Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie

Crust – can be made from scratch or purchased already made. 9-in deep dish is preferred. Pierce bottom with fork and prebake at 375 for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool.

Filling:
6-8oz Cream cheese, softened
1/3c powdered sugar (more or less to taste)
2 tsp lemon juice or ¼ tsp lemon extract
6 c. raspberries (about 1 ½ quarts)
2/3 c sugar
3 tbsp corn starch
½ c. water + 1 tbs

Beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon juice. Spread on bottom of cooled pie shell.

Mash enough berries to measure +/- 1 1/2c (about 18oz). Mix sugar and cornstarch in 2 quart saucepan/ Gradually stir in water and mashed berries. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Cool in refrigerator about 15-20 mins. Fill pie shell with remaining berries, reserving about ½ cup for garnish. Pour cooked berry mixture over top. Garnish with berries. Refrigerate at least 3 hours prior to serving.

Quiche Lorraine

Everyone loves a Quiche -- and this recipe makes the best, hands down. Severed cold in the summer, and warm in the winter, this cheesy, creamy, hearty and savory tart is an all-season delight. The bacon can be replaced with chopped asparagus spears for a lovely vegetarian version.

Quiche Lorraine

pastry for 1 9-in pie
4 strips bacon
1 onion, diced
1.5 cup shredded cheese -- split Gruyere and Ementhaler
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper

1. preheat oven to 450degrees F

2. line a nine-in pie plate with pastry and bake 5 minutes

3. cook bacon until crisp and remove it from the skillet. Pour off all but one tablespoon of the fat remaining in the skillet. Cook the onion in the remaining fat until the onion is transparent.

4. crumble the bacon and sprinkle the bacon, onion and cheeses over the inside of the partly baked pastry

5. combine the eggs, cream and nutmeg, salt and pepper and strain over the onion-cheese mixture.

6. bake the pie 15 mins, reduce the oven temp to moderate (350) and bake until a knife inserted one in from teh pastry edge comes out clean, about ten minutes longer.

Irish Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookies

These are the best oatmeal cookies I've ever eaten. They bake to a picture-perfect golden brown yet retain a light, airy texture. Choose a flavorful honey, a little better than average or something scented with lavender, to really make this cookie stand out.

Irish Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookie

3 Cups uncooked Irish-style oatmeal (Old Wessex brand)
1 cup flour
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
Dash salt
1 cup honey
¾ softened butter
½ tsp vanilla
1 egg
½ dried cranberries

Heat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheet with parchment (or lightly grease). Combine dry ingredients, mix well. Mix honey, butter and vanilla until smooth. Add egg. Blend in dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Stir in cranberries. Places rounded spoonfuls of cookie batter onto cookie sheet. Bake approx. 10 mins. Cool.

Makes 50 cookies.