Spiced apple cupcakes filled with cream cheese frosting and topped with a thick caramel sauce. They're definitely time intensive, but they're more interesting than your average caramel apple--which people seem to like the idea of more than actually eating them. Here's a link to the recipe. Just a few side notes: I used melted butter instead of oil, seven not-huge apples for a doubled recipe (and could have used another one or two), and cider instead of trad. apple juice. 
A whole forest of caramel-apple cupcakes. I doubled the recipe for nine and ended up with 24. Even with the burned fingers, I'm not complaining about the extras.
Chocolate caramels. I went on a caramel-making binge today, and one of the recipes I tried was this one, from Jacques Torres.
Marcella's bolognese, the next night. It's even better reheated, served atop soft polenta with parmesan.
Here's a link to the recipe, which is from Marcella's Essentials (vs. her Classic, which has a slightly different recipe.) In case you're tempted to start substituting things--don't do it. Marcella would not approve. The recipe serves four -- six would be stretching, I think. The polenta is based on a Martha recipe and uses four parts liquid to one part polenta. I used half milk and half chicken broth, with a little salt, parmesan, and butter stirred in at the end.
My mother's pumpkin chocolate-chip cookies. Not my mother, but someone's mom somewhere. The recipe was published in the Boston Globe.
Warm turtle brownies, the stuff food porn dreams are made of. The recipe is adapted from America's Test Kitchen, and while time-intensive for a brownie, I'd say it's definitely worth it.
Ultimate Turtle Brownies
Makes 25
Adapted from The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2007.
For the caramel:
1/4 c plus 2 Tbs heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c water
2 Tbs light corn syrup
1 1/4 c sugar
2 Tbs unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
For the brownies:
3/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
8 Tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used bittersweet choc. chips)
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 eggs, at room temp.
1 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 c chopped pecans, plus 25 pecan halves, toasted, for garnish
1/3 c semisweet chocolate chips
To make the caramel: Combine the cream and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan with a lid, combine the water and corn syrup. Add the sugar to the saucepan and mix, taking care not to let sugar stick to the sides of the pan. Cover, bring to a boil over med-high heat and cook for 3 to 5 min., without stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the liquid is clear. Uncover and cook for 3 to 5 min., without stirring but swirling the pan occasionally, until the liquid is a pale golden color. Reduce the heat to med-low and cook about 1 to 3 min., swirling occasionally, until the caramel is a light amber color and is about 360 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully add the cream-salt mixture to the center of the pot (the mixture will bubble and steam vigorously). Stir with a whisk until the bubbling subsides. Add the butter and vanilla, stirring to combine. Transfer to a measuring cup or bowl and set aside.
To make the brownies: Adjust an oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9-inch-square baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing the extra foil to hang over the edges of the pan. Lightly grease the foil-lined pan with nonstick spray. Combine the flour and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside. Melt the butter and the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely bubbling water, stirring occasionally until smooth; set aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar, salt and vanilla. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. Add the flour mixture and stir until almost combined. Add the chopped pecans and chocolate chips, and mix.
To assemble: Spread half of the brownie batter in the prepared baking pan. Drizzle 1/4 c of the caramel over the brownie batter. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter over the caramel; spread evenly into the corners of the pan. Drizzle an additional 1/4 c caramel over the top. Using the tip of a knife, swirl the caramel and batter. Bake for 35 to 40 min. (it took me about 55 min.), until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. If necessary, heat the remaining caramel (you should have about 3/4 c) in the microwave on high for 45 to 60 sec. until it is hot and pourable but still thick, stirring once or twice. Pour the caramel over the brownies and use a spatula to spread the caramel evenly. Refrigerate the brownies, uncovered, until they are fully chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove from the baking pan by lifting the foil extensions. Cut into 25 evenly sized squares. Press a pecan half onto the surface of each brownie. Serve chilled or at room temp.
Apple-chicken risotto with fresh sage and crispy shallots.
Ask and you shall receive ... here ya go!
1 -2 Tbs olive oil, plus 1-2 tsp (for crispy shallots)
2 small shallots, minced, plus 2 more, sliced (for topping)
1.5 c pearl (Israeli-style) couscous or Arborio rice
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/4 c Calvados
4-5 c chicken stock, almost simmering in a separate pot
1 c med. diced cooked chicken
1/4-1/2 of a Granny Smith apple (depending on size), med. diced, skin on
8-10 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1/4 c smoked Gouda, grated OR 1/4 c Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
salt and pepper
1 Tbs butter (opt., but good)
In a large pot, heat 1-2 Tbs olive oil and then add the minced shallots. Let them soften and caramelize a bit, stirring occasionally, and then over med-low heat, add the couscous or Arborio rice. You want the grains to glisten and toast a little in the pot. Stir in the dried sage (building the base flavor), then add the Calvados, and stir til the liquid is absorbed. Over medium heat, add about 1/2 c of the chicken stock and stir til the pan is almost completely dry. You don't need to stir constantly, but you don't want the grains to stick to the bottom of the pan. Keep adding the broth in 1/2 c increments and then letting the liquid get absorbed, til the grains are tender and their starch has made a creamy glaze. This will take about 20-22 min. in all. Fold in the chicken, apple, and fresh sage leaves. Add the cheese and then adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Just before serving, gently stir in the butter, which will just make it even creamier.
For the crispy shallots, heat 1-2 tsp olive oil in a small frying pan and then add the sliced shallots. Let them cook slowly over medium heat til they're lightly brown and crispy. You want to do these either before you start the risotto or at the same time--just not after, as the risotto should be served immediately.
It's cold and rainy today, perfect for a big bowl of Bumblebee soup, aka chicken soup with homemade noodles. The chicken cooked for four hours--in my beautiful new Le Creuset French oven--with onions, garlic, carrots, and celery, and was then combined with thin curls of fresh pasta. The noodles cooked in the broth, absorbing its rich flavor and becoming deliciously tender. The original recipe suggests serving this all over mashed potatoes--which, admittedly, is carb-intensive but a surprisingly fabulous combination. It works just as well without noodles, if you want to cut back just a little.
