I grilled the chicken long enough to get grill marks and rubbed it with a beer-honey-chipotle mixture. I put it in the oven at 350F and then worked on the compote.

The finished product was excellent. The flavors mingled well and the beer added an extra earthiness that I really liked. Use a honeycrisp or granny smith apple for this. You want the flavor to be able to hold up to the beer.

I used chicken breast but you could use a split chicken or cut up chicken. It really is versatile. I suspect that it would do as well with pork.

• 8 chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup strong honey (like organic buckwheat)
• 1 tbs mashed chipotle in adobo
• 1/2 lemon squeezed into mixture
• 1/4 cup Guinness Stout
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 honey crisp apples, washed and chopped – not peeled
• 1 purple onion, chopped
• Remainder of the bottle of beer
• 4 tbs of unsalted  butter
• 1 canned chipotle chopped (more if desired)

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Oil a grill pan and preheat it lay chicken on it to establish grill marks; turn once
3. Simmer honey, 1 tbs chipolte,  1/4 cup Guinness, and lemon until reduced and thickened slightly – about 10 minutes. Glaze chicken with mixture and place in oven. plan on cooking until 180F is reached, about 30 to 40 minutes depending on the chicken.
4. Meanwhile saute onion, remaining chipotle, and chopped apple in 2 tbs  butter in a pan until tender.
5. Pour in the remaining Guinness and simmer until the mixture is reduced to a juicy compote.
6. Stir in remaining 2 tbs butter
7. About 15 minutes before chicken is done remove it from oven and spoon compote over it.
8. Return to oven to finish cooking.

Serves 8

images : Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

I put a layer of streusel on the bottom as well as on the top for added texture and sweetness. I really like the result.

This is a great, comfort food type dessert but would also work well on the Thanksgiving dessert buffet. It is just different enough to be awesome but familiar enough to  make you feel cozy.

Vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream would be great with this. It is so easy to make, takes very little time…and is amazing. How can you resist?

Cooking the berries before adding them to the crisp allows the juices to thicken and so the bottom layer doesn’t turn to mush. In every bite you have the contrast between crunchy, chewy, tart, sweet, and tender. Every bite gives you intense flavor. This is a new favorite. I loved it.

Cranberry Crisp

• 2 bags cranberries
• 2 cups of sugar or to taste
• 1/2 cup fruity red wine
• 4 tbs unsalted butter
• Water if needed

Cook the ingredients together, stirring, until cranberries pop open and liquid thickens. You may need to add water to keep it from sticking. This will take about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, add butter.  Set aside.

Streusel

• 1 cup chopped almonds
• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 half cup unsalted butter

Mix together with fingers until crumbly.

Assemble and Bake

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Grease a 9 inch square pan and sprinkle half the crumbs in the bottom
3. Spoon the cranberry on top
4. Sprinkle the rest of the streusel over the top
5. Bake for about 40 minutes or until done.

serves 6-8

images: marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Now, usually when I am making a pumpkin pie I stick with the Libby’s recipe. I know, I know…in a rut..but there is just not that much that can be improved there for a traditional pumpkin pie. This time, though, I wanted something that was sultry, and smooth, and sophisticated…sort of like the Libby’s recipe wrapped up in black leather, you know?

You have to start with a fresh pie pumpkin for this recipe. There is just no other way to do it. You are going to roast that pumpkin until the natural water in the flesh is mostly gone and it is dark, intense, and the very essence of pumpkin. I found that when I used pumpkin from that state the texture of the whole pie was different, still creamy but thicker and more like a ganache in texture, although not in taste of course!

Perfect with an espresso.

You are going to roast the pumpkin much like I showed you in the Pumpkin Smackdown post. Remove the seeds and as much of the stringy stuff as you can.  Instead of roasting it at the 375F recommended in that post you are going to bump the oven temp. up to 400F.  Place it on a cookie sheet flesh side up but don’t oil it. You want it to caramelize. Now, this is tricky, but you are going to roast it for about 2 hours, depending on the size of the pumpkin. You will have to check it often to make sure that it doesn’t go from caramelized to carbonized.

Take it out when it looks like this and let it cool.

Once it has cooled remove the blackened parts. Scoop the flesh into a …a….one of these (I can’t remember what it is called, this one was my mom’s and it is OLD)

You could probably use a food processor but the texture will be different. If you don’t have one of these unnamed old objects then mashing by hand would be your best bet.

The resulting pie is spicy and smooth, intensely sweet but not cloying. Give it a try; I think it would be amazing in small tarts.

Pumpkin Pie Noir

• 1 9 inch crust, unbaked
• 1 cup of roasted, caramelized, sieved pumpkin
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbs bourbon
• 4 tbs unsalted butter, melted and allowed to brown to a dark brown
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon ( I used vietnamese)
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• pinch of Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Candied ginger and confectioners sugar for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 450F
2. Add ingredients in order and beat well
3. Pour into pie crust and bake 15 minutes
4. Reduce the heat to 375 and continue to bake about 30 minutes or until pie tests done. A knife inserted just to the left of center should come out clean
5. Allow to cool and serve with candied ginger.

Serves 8-10

images:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Yeah. You want this cake.

Now that you know how easy it is to roast your own pumpkin you can create magic in the kitchen with this recipe.  And…did you know…Pumpkin and vanilla are supposed to be very…VERY attractive scents to men…you must keep that in mind and use this recipe responsibly.

This is super moist and will serve 12-16 easily. You can serve it as is, add some vanilla ice cream, or maybe a soft whipped cream. It is incredible in the afternoon with coffee or tea, and if there had been some left I could have told you it was good for breakfast, too.

All right. First, let’s spice it up…

I love the smell of cloves!

Ginger? Yes please!

Freshly grated nutmeg has so much more flavor. Just try it!

Spice are important. They have more flavor the fresher they are. I buy mine in bulk at a local store and they are so fresh sometimes the entire kitchen will smell like a Moroccan market when I bring them home. Nutmeg should always be freshly grated. Really, there is no good excuse not to. It is easy as long as you keep your fingers out of the way…

Always mix the batter gently so that the flour doesn’t develop gluten. That is what makes it tough. Just get all the ingredients mixed in.

Gently! Gently! Gently!

I think that the cooking sprays with flour work the best on my bundt pan. You can use whatever you want to grease the pan but I have had the very best results with cooking spray with flour added. Spoon the batter in to the pan lightly and then drop it on the counter once to get the bubbles out. You want this cake to be a little dense…(I will not make a blond joke here…)

Make sure the bundt pan is well greased.

This will cook for about an hour. Start checking it at 50 minutes though. There will be just a few moist crumbs clinging to a toothpick that is stuck halfway between the side of the pan and the center tube.

Yummy....

This has a moist, velvety texture.

Browned Butter Pumpkin Bundt Cake

• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and allowed to turn golden brown then cooled
• 2 1/4 cups organic all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups  pumpkin
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2  teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Grease pan
3. Mix dry ingredients together and set aside
4. Beat cooled butter and sugar until well mixed. Beat in eggs one at a time.
5. Beat in vanilla
6. Fold in pumpkin
7. Add flour and buttermilk alternately and mix until smooth
8. Spoon into baking pan
9. Bake at 350F until done, about 50-65 minutes
10. Allow to rest for 5 minutes and then remove from pan to cool

Brown Butter Glaze

• 1 stick of unsalted butter, melted and allowed to turn golden brown
• About 3 cups of confectioner’s sugar, or enough to make a thick glaze
• 1 tbs bourbon if desired
• 1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients until smooth. Spoon over warm cake. Sprinkle on almonds if desired.

Serves 12-16

images:maryeaudet

Post from: Baking Delights

Poulet au Bonne Femme was a recipe long before Julia Child wrote her amazing version. I think that we can get stuck in a recipe rut, afraid to deviate from what someone else has done. I hear from women all the time who feel that there is some insurmountable difference between a “foodie” and themselves.

I used to tell people that the only real difference between a chocolate pudding and a chocolate mousse is that you fold the whipped cream into the mousse and you put it atop the pudding. Most of the time it is the little details that make the difference in the dish. If you have been holding back because you are afraid of moving out of the hot dogs and beans rut…well try jumping in with this dish…simple, homestyle comfort food.

A slow simmer keeps your kitchen smelling fabulous. Seriously, Yankee Candles should have one that smells like this. I used dried trumpet mushrooms and I do suggest dried mushrooms for this dish. Why?

Well, when you are making a stew type dish, with a long simmering time the dried mushrooms will give a richer, more intense flavor than fresh. It is just that simple.

You can make this on top of the stove or in a crock pot. Super autumn comfort food! Sorry about the images. We are having lots of dark, dreary days and I haven’t gotten a light box yet. With 11 ft ceilings the lighting is less than optimum!

Need a menu? Try this…

Poulet au Bonne Femme Menu Suggestion

Rice (I used jasmine and flavored the cooking water with a little truffle oil)

Autumn Salad

Baguette

Walnut Genoise with Ganache

Poulet au Bonne Femme

• 6-8 boned chicken breasts, cut in chunks
• 4 slices bacon
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 6 carrots peeled and sliced
• 4 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 oz dried mushrooms (I used trumpet)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup chardonnay

1. Bring stock to a simmer and put the mushrooms in to rehydrate, set aside
2. In a large saute pan saute the bacon until it is done and the fat is rendered
3. Remove bacon from pan and set aside
4. Add onion, celery, garlic and carrots to the pan; saute until tender but not colored
5. Remove from pan
6. Add chicken and brown in the remaining bacon fat, you may need to add a little olive oil if there is not enough fat
7. When chicken is golden brown add the stock with mushrooms, chardonnay, vegetables, and herbs
8. Cover and simmer on low for an hour and a half, adding stock as necessary to keep from going dry but not so much it is soup. If you use a crockpot, 6-8 hours should be perfect
9. Serve with the crumbled, cooked  bacon sprinkled over top

Makes 8 servings

images:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

I used her Double Apple Cake as the basis for my cake. It was moist and full of autumn flavor: apples and spice. Among the other changes I made I substituted dried cranberries for the raisins called for. I think for best flavor you should use an heirloom type baking apple or a granny smith. Something with a tart, apply flavor. Make sure to let the cake stand, well wrapped, overnight because the flavors really do change. I served it with a smear of dulce de leche, sliced granny smith apple, and a sprinkling of pecans and dried cranberries. Vanilla ice cream or a nutmeg spiced whipped cream would be nice as well.

Since this is an easy, make-ahead dessert it is perfect for making on the weekend and having during the week. It is very sweet so a few slices of a tart apple on the plate are a welcome garnish.

Moist Double Apple Bundt Cake

• 2 cups of flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp  cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (seriously, grate your own…it is easy and it makes a huge difference in flavor)
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 10 tbs butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1 tsp maple flavoring
• 1 cup apple butter
• 2 apples grated – don’t peel if they are organic
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Grease and flour a bundt cake  pan
3. Sift the flour, spices, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together. Set aside
4. Beat the butters and sugar at medium speed about 3 minutes.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time beating for a minute or two after each addition
6. Add the flavoring and switch mixer speed to low
7. Spoon in the apple butter slowly, mixing all the while
8. Add in the grated apple
9. Still on low mix in the sifted dry ingredients mixing only until blended
10. Fold in the pecans and cranberries carefully.
11. Spoon into bundt pan, smooth the top and back for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted between the metal tube and the outside edge comes away clean. Time will depend on moisture content of the apples. My cake took 70 minutes to bake
12. Allow to cool in pans for 5 minutes, turn out and finish cooling completely
13. Wrap tightly and hold overnight

Serves 10-12

Post from: Baking Delights

The salad that I did for the church luncheon on Saturday was full of fall flavor. I used a bed of baby lettuces and arranged maple caramelized pear slices on one side and two wedges of white New York sharp cheddar on the other. It balanced the plates visually but also the tastes balanced out. The pears were very sweet, the cheddar very tangy. I finished the salad with dried cranberries, toasted pecans and a cranberry vinaigrette that was not only pretty it was delicious. I think I like this better than the Raspberry Lime vinaigrette I did last summer…I am not sure.

If you are looking for a starter course for Thanksgiving dinner I think this would be awesome. You can easily arrange it ahead of time and have it on the table.

Caramelized Pear-Cheddar Salad

for each salad you will need:

• 1/2 cup lettuce or baby spinach leaves – I had both in a mixture. I like the lettuce because some of it was a nice burgundy red and so complimented the fall theme nicely.
• 1/2 caramelized pear, sliced into a fan – just slice up through the pear lengthwise but not all the way to the top
• 2 tbs dried cranberries
• 2 tbs toasted pecans
• 1 1/4 inch thick slice Sharp Cheddar cut in wedges

Just place the salad on a plate and arrange the pear and Cheddar on the side. sprinkle with the cranberries and nuts.

Cranberry Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup cranberries
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup vegetable oil (try walnut oil for this)
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1 tbs maple syrup
• 2 tbs red onion, chopped
• 1 orange grated, juice added to vinaigrette
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Blend all ingredients except the grated orange zest to a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Add the orange peel and let stand for 30 minutes for flavors to blend.

Caramelized Pears

• 1 pear for every 2 servings
• 3 tbs sugar
• 2 tbs maple syrup
• 2 tbs butter

1. Preheat your oven to 375F
2. Glaze pears with maple, sprinkle with sugar
3. Melt the butter over medium heat
4. Place pears in butter cut side down
5. Cook about 3 minutes or until the cut side is beginning to brown.
6. Add to greased pan and bake 30 minutes

image:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Autumn is my favorite season of all. Back in the day when women were having their colors done I found that I was an autumn, with near black hair that was actually the darkest of dark auburns, extremely light skin and green eyes that I like to describe as the color of fresh cow manure.  Romantic, huh?

I always loved spicy perfumes, spicy scents, and autumn colors so I suppose I am autumn right to the center of my soul. The things I like the best are the easy recipes of the fall season.

Braised Chicken with Farfalle Is Autumn Easy
This recipe is so perfect for those autumn days when you would just rather be outside than cooking. You can make it as a slow cooker recipe and allow the flavors to simmer all day. Be warned though – when you open the door you are going to be smacked in the face with the most intoxicating scent since that amazing fresh from Heaven new baby smell.

This recipe is based on a recipe for braised rabbit in my CIA cookbook. I changed it up and slow cooked it so it was butter tender and perfect for serving over whole wheat farfalle for a rustic, filling meal. Serve it with a simple salad, rosemary-cracked pepper bread, and maybe a baked apple or poached pear for dessert. A glass of Chardonnay was just right with this.

This braised chicken with farfalle is my entry to this weeks Presto Pasta Night. This week it is hosted by Ruth, the Pasta Diva herself.

Braised Chicken with Farfalle

• 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups shallots
• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 1 cup celery
• 1 cup canned plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers
• 2 cups white wine
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 springs fresh rosemary
• 4 cloves
• 1 tbs culinary lavender buds
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Flour for dredging
• 2 lbs of chicken breast, cut in large cubes OR 2 chickens quartered
• 2 lbs of whole wheat farfalle, cooked in salted water

1. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and brown on all sides in the olive oil about 10 minutes.
2. Remove the chicken from the oil and add the shallots, mushrooms, and celery. Saute until vegetables begin to soften.
3. Add broth and one cup of the wine to a slow cooker turned on medium. Add all of the rest of the ingredients except the pasta.
4. Slow cook for 6 to 8 hours, until chicken is very tender.
5. Add the remaining wine and cook 15 more minutes
6. Serve in shallow bowls over buttered Farfalle, sprinkled with grated Parmigiano Reggiano

serves 8

image:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Slow Cooker Red Cabbage and Sausage

• 1  head red cabbage, shredded
• 4 tart apples, cored and diced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup Chardonnay or Gewürztraminer
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• Black pepper to taste
• 1 orange, sliced
• 1 pound kielbasa sausage, cut into pieces

Toss it in the slow cooker and let it cook on low for 6- 8 hours. The house will smell great.

Serves 6-8

image:MaryeAudet

Post from: Baking Delights

The thing is that I have been getting behind on grocery shopping. We have pretty much had to make do with the scraps and bits left on the empty pantry shelves. In fact, the refrigerator echoed the other day. I swear it did. No reason for me not to go, just still run down from the surgery and then the potassium issues. I am so blessed with work right now that it is easy to get behind on things like groceries! That is how I found myself with a group of intense faces in front of me and a clock behind me that said “SUPPERTIME!”

Oops.

Grabbed a can of pumpkin and the thing of flour and started throwing things together and this is what happened:

Look at the colors in that! The dish is Autumn personified. I love it. I wanted a smoky flavor that would reflect all that is Fall. Spicy, earthy, and easy. I think I got it. And this is my entry to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted this week by Sara of I’m a Food Blog

Applewood smoked bacon, onions, roasted red peppers, chipotle, and smoked olives are sauteed in olive oil and finished with just a splash of maple syrup. Diced fontina gets sprinkled on top and the whole thing takes less than 30 minutes.

The roasted red peppers were commercial, as were the smoked olives. I got mine at the grocery store but if you can’t find them I think Amazon carries them. I also found these chipotle smoked olives which sound amazing.

You can make these a day ahead and store them in the refrigerator for a really quick meal.

Need a menu? Try this:

• Pumpkin Gnocchi with Smoky Chipotle Sauce
• Baguette
• Sauteed Lemon Brussels Sprouts with Pistachio
• Pecan Praline Cheesecake

I hope you like this as well as I do.

Pumpkin Gnocchi

• 1 (15 oz.) can solid pack pumpkin or two cups of homemade pumpkin puree, drained
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 3 cups flour or enough to make a soft dough
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Mix together until you get a soft, kneadable dough. You want it to be the texture of soft Play-do.
2. Cut in about 5 or 6 parts and roll each part out into a 3/4 inch thick rope
3. Slice in pieces about 1/2 inch thick
4. You can use a fork to make a design, or not as you wish
5. Spoon gnocchi into water that is at a slow boil
6. Cook until done, it will come up to the surface and float there. Just take that batch out with a slotted spoon and add the next batch until all are cooked.
7. Toss with Smoky Chipotle Sauce

Smoky Chipotle Sauce

• 1/2 cup smoked green olives, sliced
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
• 6 slices of applewood smoked bacon
• 1 tsp of dried chipotle, more or less to taste
• 1 onion chopped
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 1/4 cup olive oil, smoked olive oil if you have it
• 2 tbs of maple syrup (more or less to taste)
• 4 oz fontina, diced

Directions:

1. Simmer everything but the maple syrup and fontina in a pan on low heat until the onions are cooked
2. Stir often, don’t let anything caramelize
3. Stir in the maple syrup and simmer for another minute or two. Taste and adjust seasonings
4. Pour over cooked gnocchi and toss
5. Sprinkle with fontina

Serves 6-8

Post from: Baking Delights