Sautéed Fall Orchard Fruit
Kissed with fragrant cinnamon and brown sugar, these are sublime on waffles, pancakes or crêpes.
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 pears, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
Method:
1. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the fruit slices and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the sugar and cinnamon, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is softened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes longer. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Apple Cider Syrup
Try it drizzled on apple pie!
Ingredients:
¾ cup apple cider
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon lemon juice
Small pinch each of cinnamon and nutmeg
Method:
1. Combine apple cider, brown sugar, butter, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
3. Remove from heat. Let cool for at least half an hour before using. Serve warm. (Syrup will thicken as it cools. If you’d like a thicker syrup, simmer it longer.) Refrigerate any unused portion in a sealed jar/container.
Baked French Toast
This homey recipe from The Pioneer Woman can easily be done a day ahead and chilled until ready to bake.
Ingredients:
1 loaf Pain au Levain bread
Butter, for greasing the baking pan
8 whole eggs
2 cups whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Topping:
8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
½ cup flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
Method:
1. Cut the bread into ¼-inch slices, then overlap the slices in rows in a well-buttered baking dish. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon, then pour the mixture evenly over all the pieces of bread, soaking the bread as much as possible.
2. To make the topping, combine the butter, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and cut it all together with a pastry cutter. Sprinkle the topping all over the casserole. Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate it for several hours or overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake the French toast for 45 minutes to 1 hour for a softer texture, or longer for a firmer, crisper texture. Cover with foil for the first 30 minute of baking, then remove it for the remaining baking time. Serve with raspberry preserves or Cara Cara orange compote (see recipe for details).
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Wonderful tossed in salads, or just for snacking, these seeds are both salty and a little sweet!
Ingredients:
Seeds from 1 Winter Density or other pie pumpkin
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2-3 teaspoons sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 300°.
2. Using a spoon, scrape the pulp and seeds out of your pumpkin into a bowl. Separate the seeds from the stringy pulp, rinse the seeds in a colander under cold water, then shake dry. (Don’t blot with paper towels; the seeds will stick.)
3. Spread the seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet and roast 30 minutes to dry them out.
4. Toss the seeds with olive oil and brown sugar and a generous sprinkling of sea salt. Return to the oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 20 more minutes.
