Author Archives: Stef

Stef's avatar

About Stef

Family: Husband (Tom) and little man Lincoln James. Dwelling: A 1967 Ranch home that changes every day. Homemaker tip: Don’t be afraid to fail. A bad meal can always be fixed with a frozen pizza, a dead plant can be replaced and paint can cure a room. I consider my style: Contemporary with a vintage flair. I love a sleek piece of furniture with the contrast of an old vase or a stack of old used books. I cannot live without eating: Italian Beef sandwiches. I am Chicago-bred and love a good beef with sweet peppers. Pizza is a close second. Three foods you will always find in my pantry: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Crushed Tomatoes and Chicken Broth. My cooking mantra: Even foods that were destined to be bad for you can be recreated in a healthy way.
by | November 18, 2011 · 9:16 am

Leftover Turkey Panini

Thanksgiving is great, but leftovers can be even better. To me, there are few things tastier than a sandwich with nice thick cuts of leftover turkey. This year in anticipation of leftovers, I’ve created a panini with a mixture of all the wonderful tastes of Thanksgiving. This leftover turkey panini mixes cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and turkey combined with the smooth texture of brie to make for a fabulous day after Turkey Day meal.

In this recipe, I made a homemade cranberry chutney, but feel free to use any leftover cranberry sauce in its place. Or make this recipe for chutney on Thanksgiving and use it for your post-Turkey Day panini.

Leftover Turkey Panini with Cranberry Chutney
Leftover turkey meat
Sourdough bread
1 sweet potato, thinly sliced (I used my Kitchen Aid Slicer attachment, a mandolin would work great too)
1/4 C olive oil, plus extra for bread
1 small package Brie cheese
Coarse ground black pepper
Sea salt

Cranberry Chutney
12 oz whole fresh cranberries
1 TBSP orange zest
Juice of one orange or 1/4 C orange juice
1 C Sugar
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 small fresh rosemary sprig, or 1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves

In a medium sauce pan add cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, sugar, apple cider vinegar, rosemary, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until cranberries burst and sauce thickens, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. The chutney can be made in advance and kept in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

In a skillet, heat olive oil. Generously season thin slices of sweet potato with salt and pepper and place in skillet. Fry until brown and crispy on both sides, approximately 3 minutes. Pat dry on a paper towel.

Lightly brush olive oil on the outside of bread slices. Layer brie on the bottom of the bread slices. Stack 5 or more sweet potatoes slices, turkey and chutney. Place a few more slices of brie on top. Set the sandwiches in heated panini press or pre-heated grill pan. Grill for 5 minutes, or until heated through.

I like to heat my turkey in the microwave for a just a little bit before placing it on the bread to make sure that the whole sandwich is heated through.

As an aside, I’m in love with these sweet potato chips. They would make a great stand alone side dish to any panini or barbecue meal.

There it is folks! An entire Thanksgiving meal in a sandwich that leaves your waistband feeling the same as when you started (unlike your meal the day before).

Leave a comment

Filed under Cook, Main Dish, Thanksgiving

Tagged as , , , , ,

by | November 10, 2011 · 8:01 am

{Thanksgiving Potluck} Roasted Potatoes & Yams

Today we are happy to have the oh-so-adorable and always entertaining Erin from Hot Dinner Happy Home to share a Thanksgiving potato dish with you! Here are a few fun Thanksgiving tidbits about Erin and her delish dish for Roasted Potatoes and Yams:

Favorite Thanksgiving Dish and/or Tradition? I think Thanksgiving is the one meal of the year where everything tastes better if it’s touching on the plate. A little stuffing with some cranberry sauce, turkey topped with mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes crowned with green bean casserole. Mmmmm… And although I love it all, nothing says “Thanksgiving dinner” to me like stuffing.

Pumpkin Pie or Apple Pie? Pumpkin. And can I be specific and request Pumpkin Praline?

What is your cooking mantra? I write a little blog called Hot Dinner Happy Home. My mission there, and in life, really, is “Turning home into a haven, one meal at a time.” My mom, a very wise woman, always taught me that home should be your refuge. Cooking a meal (what my husband and I jokingly refer to as “hot dinner”) is one great way to help create that safe place, where you don’t need to change your shirt if you happen to spill gravy down the front. So, I hope that by sharing with you folks today, I can help you get one little step closer to turning your home into a haven.

What are you thankful for this year? Oh, geez. There are so many things to be grateful for. I know this is going to sound completely cliche, but I am so thankful for the love and support of my family and friends. Knowing that you’re going at life as part of a team, and not as a lone soldier, is so comforting.

Thanksgiving is in two weeks. Have you broken out in a cold sweat thinking about your Butterball? Given over to apple pie anxiety? Mumbled your menu in your sleep?

Well, step back for a moment from the Thanksgiving stress that tends to overwhelm as the end of November nears. Take a deep breath and relax. Your mother-in-law might tisk-tisk if your gravy has lumps, but she’ll forget in time. Are you a bit calmer yet? Good. ‘Cause I’m gonna tell you the story of the best Thanksgiving ever.

Turn back the clock a few years to November 2009. The husband and I are hosting our traditional “Transplant Thanksgiving” for those of us who don’t have immediate family in the area. The air is permeated with the perfume of the holiday: savory stuffing, sugary sweet potatoes, the spice of cranberry sauce and cider.

The men are out in the garage where I relegated them with the turkey fryer and a bunch of beers. (“No, you cannot fry that thing in the house. I don’t care if it’s an electric fryer. It’s not safe. And it smells. No, seriously, take it outside. AND DON’T FORGET YOUR EYE PROTECTION!”) The ladies are in the kitchen, drinking wine and playing oven Tetris to make sure everything stays warm until the bird is carved.

Finally we gather in the dining room. The table is bedazzled with plates and a mish-mash of silverware. The old folding chairs creak as we settle in, and I admire the happy commotion in my home: My sister and brother from out of town, friends we’ve grown to love like family, a co-worker rescued from heat-lamp turkey in the work cafeteria. It is group committed to loving each other, taking care of each other, and, today, feeding each other. This is Thanksgiving, and it is perfect. Tears spring to my eyes, and I’m like my mom during a Hallmark commercial, blinking hard, hoping no one sees me fix my running mascara.

We shoved our faces full of food until everyone was uncomfortable. We circled the table and shared what we were thankful for. We poured each other drinks, even when our cups were full. And then we did the Cupid Shuffle in my living room with the blinds open.

It was the best day of my life.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Roasted Potatoes & Yams
Serves: 6

Can’t decide between white potatoes and sweet potatoes? Why not serve ’em both up this year? Partially cooking your spuds in the microwave will save valuable oven time. Also, this recipe cooks at 375 degrees, so it plays nice with other Thanksgiving favorites.

Ingredients:
3-4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 3/4″-1″ chunks
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4″-1″ chunks
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, combine Yukon Gold and sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Microwave for 5 minutes, until potatoes are just barely starting to soften.

Place partially-cooked potatoes on a very large (or two small) baking sheet with the garlic cloves. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with thyme, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix everything together so the potatoes are evenly coated with oil and spices. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove the garlic cloves and serve.

5 Comments

Filed under Cook, Sides, Thanksgiving

Tagged as , ,

by | November 7, 2011 · 7:50 am

{Thanksgiving Potluck} Maple Bacon Brussel Sprouts

It’s that time of the year again! Thanksgiving Potluck is back and this year we have five new fabulous bloggers to share their savory and scrumptious Thanksgiving dishes with us. So…welcome to our 2nd Annual Haute Apple Pie Thanksgiving Potluck table, we can’t wait for you to dig in!

Sharing our first side dish is Gina of The Tastetress and founder of food focused company, Starting From Scratch. Sometimes brussel sprouts get the short end of the stick, but Gina is here to tempt us with a maple bacon version that even the most finicky of eaters will devour! So let’s learn a little bit more about Gina and the lovely dish she prepared:

Favorite Thanksgiving dish and/or tradition: My favorite dish & tradition at Thanksgiving has & always will be…THE BIRD!  I love Turkey more than most, and so does my family, so much that we always make 2 Birds to ensure we have plenty of leftovers to share!  Of course the day of the Turkey is delicious, but there’s nothing I anticipate more than the late night Turkey Sandwich I make …thick sliced white bread, creamy mayo, crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and you can not forget the sides….potato chips & a few dill pickles!  Can’t wait!

Apple Pie or Pumpkin Pie? You may as well be asking me to choose a favorite child!  I am and always will be a Pie Girl, in fact, you can keep your Birthday Cake & put my candle in a pie!  Apple Pie a la mode, sweet & creamy Pumpkin Pie…I’ll take one of each & take my chances on a stomach ache.

Cooking Mantra: My mantra is and always….Don’t be scared to Start from Scratch!

What are you most thankful for this year? This year I am most thankful for family.  I just got married to the love of my life this summer, and I must say it has been a year of excitement.  I am thrilled to learn & share new traditions with his wonderful family, as well as start our own.  We have a lot of love to give & are excited for the next step…our own family!  Have a blessed Holiday Season everyone, hope you enjoy my recipe!!

Maple Bacon Brussel Sprouts

Something about nearing Thanksgiving always makes me crave the best flavors of fall…and there is nothing I enjoy more than a big bowl of Brussel Sprouts! These pretty little green veggies have made their way to being the next best thing to Broccoli, and I have a recipe that even the pickiest eaters can’t help themselves but be interested in. Once your guests have a bite of these sweet & savory sprouts, they’ll be ready to make a bee line for the brussels every time!

2 lbs. Brussel Sprouts
4 Slices of Thick Cut Bacon
2 TBS Grade A Maple Syrup
1 TBS Melted Unsalted Butter
1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Start by cleaning your brussel sprouts & slicing a small amount off the ends. Be sure to dry them off well and put aside while you prepare the rest of your ingredients. Slice your bacon into 1/4 inch thick lardons and set aside as well. Next in a small bowl melt your butter, and then add your olive oil, maple syrup, salt & pepper before whisking together. In a large bowl toss your brussel sprouts with the bacon & the remainder of your ingredients from the small bowl.

Line a large sheet pan with heavy-duty foil to save yourself the trouble of scrubbing yet another pan, and carefully spread out your brussel sprout mixture & put them in the oven.

Be sure to check your sprouts after 20 minutes to see how they’re doing & give them a toss, this will assure they cook evenly & don’t get too brown on one side. Depending on the size of your sprouts and the heat of your oven, they take about 30-45 minutes to cook through, create a syrupy coating, as well as get that bacon crisp & candy like. Serve warm with your TDAY spread & be sure to save yourself a little seconds, because sprouts like this don’t last for long! Happy Holidays Haute Apple Pie, ENJOY!

8 Comments

Filed under Cook, Sides, Thanksgiving

Tagged as , , ,

by | November 1, 2011 · 8:08 am

Cauliflower and Chicken Gratin

Let’s get real. Cauliflower tends to be the ugly stepsister to broccoli. I rather like cauliflower and wanted to try making a main dish where cauliflower takes center stage. This Cauliflower and Chicken Gratin is creamy in texture, making it a perfect meal for a cold fall or winter night. Paired with a nice glass of crisp white wine, like a Sauvignon Blanc, cauliflower finally gets its chance to steal your heart.

Cauliflower and Chicken Gratin

3/4 lb chicken thighs
2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 head cauliflower, stems and leaves removed, roughly chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP flour
3/4 C whole milk
1 6-8 oz. fresh mozzarella, diced
3/4 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 C Panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 425. In a cast iron skillet, heat olive oil. Add chicken thighs. Cook through, turning after each side is browned. About 5 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside. Add onion to skillet. Cook until browned, about 6-8 minutes. Add cauliflower, thyme and salt. Cook until cauliflower browns, about 8 minutes. Add chicken. Spoon flour over cauliflower and chicken mixture and stir. Slowly add milk, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Evenly spread mozzarella over skillet. Sprinkle Parmesan and Panko crumbs over the top. Bake until cheese bubbles and bread crumbs brown, 18-22 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

If you don’t have a cast iron skillet or other oven-safe skillet, you can transfer the mixture to a casserole dish before putting on the cheese and panko crumbs.

Try some other dishes where cauliflower gets top billing on Food Network’s Fall Fest:

The Sensitive Epicure: Cauliflower Souffle
 CIA Dropout: Cauliflower Squash Soup With Creme Fraiche
Daily*Dishin: Tender Roasted Cauliflower
Virtually Homemade: Cumin Crusted Beef Tenderloin With Cauliflower Puree
What’s Gaby Cooking: Cumin Roasted Cauliflower
Thursday Night Dinner: Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower
Cooking Channel: 4 Ways to Cook Cauliflower
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Painted Cauliflower
FN Dish: Roasted Cauliflower 5 Ways
Big Girls Small Kitchen: Cauliflower Soup With Sharp Cheddar and Thyme
Dishin & Dishes: Cauliflower Gratin

12 Comments

Filed under Cook, Main Dish

Tagged as ,

by | October 25, 2011 · 8:00 am

Pumpkin Bread Parfait

We are not shy at HAP about our love for all things pumpkin. Last year I purchased some pumpkin butter at a local store and loved stirring it into my little Jello vanilla pudding cups. I’ve been dreaming up this dessert ever since and just had the chance to make it for a get together with friends. It is the perfect combinations of sweet and savory flavors and smooth and crunchy textures. Don’t skip out on the candied pecans on top, they make the dish!

I made my own pumpkin bread using a recipe from my church cookbook, similar to this recipe. You can use your own favorite pumpkin bread recipe, or if you are short on time, purchase one at your local grocery store or bakery.

Pumpkin Bread Parfait 

1 large box instant vanilla pudding mix
2 TBSP pumpkin butter
2 C heavy whipping cream
3 TBSP powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 loaf pumpkin bread, cubed

Candied Pecans
1 egg white
1 TBSP water
1 tsp salt
1 lb shelled, unsalted pecans
2/3 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 250. Whip egg white, salt and water until frothy. Coat pecans in mixture. In a separate bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar. Shake over pecans and mix with hands to coat. Spread on rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 250 for 1 hour, turning pecans every 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, make pudding according to packaging directions. Allow to soft set. Mix in pumpkin butter.

In a cold metal bow, whip heavy cream on high speed until light and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar and cinnamon.

In a parfait dish, wine or martini glass or clear, plastic punch cup, place a couple spoonfuls of pudding. Layer 2 spoonfuls of whipped cream. Sprinkle a handful of cubed pumpkin bread. Spread another layer of pudding, topped with another layer of whipped cream. Top with candied pecans.

I made each component ahead of time and brought them to our friend’s house in separate containers. This way, the pumpkin bread doesn’t get too soggy sitting in the dish. I love homemade cinnamon whipped cream, but if you are super short on time or don’t want to pull out your mixer, add a dash of cinnamon to some Cool Whip and use as your whipped layer.

The candied pecans alone are a great gift. Wrap them up in a cute tin with a homemade tag or ornament attached and you have a great Christmas gift!

Check out these other great pumpkin recipes from other bloggers on Food Network Dish’s Fall Fest!

What’s Gaby Cooking: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
The Cultural Dish: Pumpkin Waffles
Cooking With Elise: Pumpkin Chip Scones
And Love It Too: Creamy Pumpkin Fruit Dip
CIA Dropout: Pumpkin Panna Cotta With Gingerbread
I Am Mommy: Pumpkin Pancakes
Dishin and Dishes: Maple Pumpkin Creme Brulee
Virtually Homemade: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins With Pumpkin Seed Streusel
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Pumpkin Pizza
Daydreamer Desserts: Pumpkin Fattigman
From My Corner of Saratoga: Baking Pie In The Pumpkin
FN Dish: The Ultimate Pumpkin Soup
Cooking Channel: Pumpkin Risotto
The Sensitive Epicure: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies With Molasses Marshmallows
Daily*Dishin: Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake
ZaikaZabardast: Pumpkin Jalebi
Mooshu Jenne: Pumpkin Nutella Bread
Big Girls Small Kitchen: Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Loaf

16 Comments

Filed under Fall, Treats

Tagged as , , , ,

by | October 21, 2011 · 8:19 am

{Haute Destination} Baltimore

The fam and I recently made a trip out to the east coast to visit friends and family. We found ourselves spending a rainy day in Baltimore. Before making the 45 minute drive up from the DC area, we did a little online research to see if we could find ourselves some culinary delights. And culinary delights did we find.

Our first stop was to Chap’s Pit Beef, a little shack nestled in an industrial part of town right in front of a lovely gentleman’s club. The area felt plenty safe when we arrived at noon and people flocked. The line was out the door, in the rain, filled with people of all kinds waiting this pit barbecued beef. Tom and I both ordered the straight beef sandwich (their claim to fame). You are able to order the beef how you like it, so we chose medium rare. You are able to top your sandwich with condiments lined up on the counter. We stuck with Guy Fieri’s version from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with adding horseradish and onion. Ladies and gents, this beef was delicious.

In between eats, we made our way over a few miles into the city to the Baltimore Children’s Museum, Port Discovery. We were pleasantly surprised and wowed by this museum. Lincoln had an absolute blast, crawling up cargo nets from level to level of the museum and strapping on a raincoat and Crocs to play in the awesome (and educational) water room. The museum was great for Lincoln who is 20 months old, but would be great for older children as well. If traveling in Baltimore with kids, definitely worth the stop!

Our last stop for the afternoon was to a place close to my heart, a pie shop. I couldn’t make it out of Baltimore without hitting up the highly praised bakery Dangerously Delicious Pies. Accurately described by its skull and cross-bones pie logo, this shop in the adorable Camden neighborhood is filled with 6 ft plus tall men with tattoos, baking pies. The pies range from sweet to savory, with items like “White Trash” Creme Brulee Pie, Crab and Cheddar Quiche and Tomato Fennel Pie. The pie shop was rather crazy being the last couple days left from their Living Social deal, so the options were rather limited and the atmosphere was a bit chaotic. We still got our pie.

We picked up a very warm whole Baltimore Bomb pie that we shared with friends and family. The pie contained a Baltimore favorite Berger cookie (a cake-y cookie covered in fudge) which are melted down in a custard filling. I’m not a chocolate eater, so I cannot comment, but the comments from friends and family said it all. They were obsessed.

I ordered myself a slice of Coconut Chess Pie. Chess pies are a southern pie with a very sweet custard filling. This pie was sweet and delicious, especially being so warm right out of the oven.

A family function was beckoning us that evening, so we did not spend our evening dining at any other Baltimore foodie joints, so no Maryland crab for me. But these two places are definitely worth a trip if you are looking for casual and hearty delicious dining.

Stay tuned for my attempt at making a Southern chess pie sometime soon!

4 Comments

Filed under Haute Destinations

Tagged as , , , ,

by | October 7, 2011 · 8:09 am

Cinnamon Apple Soft Pretzels

The smell of Auntie Anne’s wafting through the mall always gets me. After our recent trip to Peck & Bushel and my new crop of Honeycrisps, I was inspired to combine apples with my favorite mall treat.

If yeast intimidates you, don’t let it! Using yeast for homemade dough is really very simple. You just need a little extra time for the dough to rise (I use that time to clean my kitchen!)

Cinnamon Apple Soft Pretzels

1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 C warm water
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 C cake flour
1 3/4 C all-purpose flour
1 large apple, peeled and finely diced (about 1 cup)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 TBSP baking soda
2 C hot water
4 TBSP melted butter
1/2 C sugar

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir until fully dissolved. Add brown sugar and salt and stir. One cup at a time, add cake flour, stirring well until incorporated. Add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Slowly add AP flour, until soft dough forms. Knead dough with hands in bowl for 5 minutes, until smooth, making sure all flour is incorporated into the dough.

Place dough in a greased bowl, turning over to coat. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Punch down dough. Split into about 10-12 balls. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-15 inch strip.

In a bowl, mix hot water and baking soda until dissolved. Dunk each strip into the baking soda water and dab dry with a paper towel (the baking soda will give the pretzel a golden, crispy crust!). Grab the dough by each end and twist the corners inward, crossing them over each other to form a pretzel shape. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Melt butter in microwave. Mix sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon in a bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush pretzels with butter. Using a spoon, shake cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the pretzels. Shake to remove access topping.

Serve warm.

These pretzels are delicious right out of the oven. If cooled, I suggest microwaving them for 30 seconds before eating.

We hope you enjoyed apple week on Haute Apple Pie! What kind of apple recipes have you been dishing up this fall?

6 Comments

Filed under Cook, Treats

Tagged as , ,

by | September 30, 2011 · 7:50 am

{How to} Fold a Fitted Sheet

There are many great wonders the world may never have the answer to: How was the Earth created? How did they build the pyramids? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? And…how in the WORLD do you fold a fitted sheet?

I have been asking myself this question for years and have tried various methods. Each and every time I’ve failed. This week, I took it upon myself to do some research and practice. I will now share this amazing new skill with all of you. Gone are the days of balled up, unruly sheets. Now your fitted sheets can fold nicely next to your bed sheets in your linen closet with nary a wrinkle.

1. Lay your fitted sheet on the floor, bed or table, elastic side up. Stand at a lengthwise side of the sheet.

2. Take the corner at the seam from the lower right and bring it over to the bottom left corner, tucking right corner into the left corner.

3. Repeat step 2 for the top corners. Straighten and smooth sheet.

4. Take the corners you folded into each other at the bottom by the seam and fold them up into the top corners.

5. Your sheet should now be folded into a rectangle, with an elastic edge rounding out one corner. Straighten out the edges so that you have smooth lines on each side.

6. Fold in half, then in half again.

And you are done! It took me a few times of practicing exactly how neatly you need to place the corners into each other before my folded sheets looked nice and crisp. The total crispness of the fold will depend on your type of sheet. I tend to buy super soft sheets that often wrinkle up a little bit more, but a nice crispy starched sheet folds even better.

The less than half an hour of practicing and folding this took me will save me time and frustration for the rest of my life. I hope it does the same for you!

5 Comments

Filed under Home, How To

Tagged as ,

by | September 23, 2011 · 1:18 pm

And the winner is…

Thank you to everyone for participating in our blogversary week and helping us celebrate with West Bend Housewares on their 100th anniversary! We’ve enjoyed reading all of your yummy suggestions for slow cooker meals.

A winner has been chosen at random…drumroll please…

Congratulations to Suzanne of the blog Expecting Hope. You are the brand new owner of the West Bend Versatility Slow Cooker!

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

3 Comments

Filed under Giveaway

by | September 23, 2011 · 8:23 am

Pumpkin Pecan Ice Cream

It is always hard to say goodbye to summer, but I do embrace fall. I recently blended the best of both summer and fall to make a delicious Pumpkin Pecan ice cream. I love experimenting with ice cream flavors. This blend of pumpkin and spice along with the crunchy pecans and caramel swirl is the perfect early fall treat.

Pumpkin Pecan Ice Cream

2 C whole milk
6 egg yolks
3/4 C sugar
2 C heavy whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1 C canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)
1 TBSP cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/3 C brown sugar
1 C packaged caramel topping

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat whole milk until very hot, but not boiling, stirring continuously. Remove from heat.

In a stand mixer with a wire whisk, mix egg yolks and sugar for about 30 seconds, or until well blended and slightly thickened. At Speed 2, gradually add hot milk until blended. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly. Return mixture to medium saucepan and return to stove top on medium heat. Heat through, stirring continuously until small bubbles form around the edges. Transfer mixture into large bowl. Add heavy cream. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Using your at-home ice cream maker, add mixture and stir until frozen. In the last 2 minutes, slowly add pecans. Layer ice cream into container, drizzling caramel over ice cream after every layer. Return to freezer.

Enjoy!

3 Comments

Filed under Fall, Treats

Tagged as ,