2008 October 12 | dinner with Julie

Archive for October 12th, 2008

Day 286: Leek & Potato Soup, Roast Turkey, Stuffing, Acorn Squash, Mashed Potatoes, Honeyed Carrots, Brussels Sprouts with Almonds, Cranberry-Rhubarb Sauce, Pumpkin Pie and Apple Browned Butter Bliss

I didn’t think I ate too much until I went and listed it. No wonder I’ve managed to fill out even my PJ pants. As usual, I ate too many warm, puffy-white Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (this is the only night we have them) between oven and table before I even started on dinner. (As I was rolling them up, I snuck a chunk of my Dad’s 70% cocoa Lindt chocolate into the middle of one I then arranged crookedly in one corner of the cookie sheet so I could distinguish it from the others. Kind of a lowbrow chocolate croissant.)

Everyone contributed something: I did the soup (threw all the ingredients, including two leeks the size of baseball bats, in the slow cooker last night and left it, then pureed with a hand-held immersion blender right in the pot), cranberry-rhubarb sauce and dessert, and nothing was that elaborate, really; even the squash was just thrown in the microwave and the baby carrots quickly steamed and drizzled with honey. My sister cut simmered Brussels sprouts in half and browned them with some sliced almonds, and my mom did the turkey and plain old bread, onion and sage (the very best kind) stuffing.

I had to make the requisite pumpkin pie, but also made another browned butter bliss: apple this time, as it’s the season for them, and I didn’t have the gumption today (after teaching a hands-on risotto class) to make pumpkin and apple pie. To make the bliss I sliced unpeeled Jonagold apples straight into a baking dish, stirred up the butter-sugar-egg-flour batter, spread it over the apples and baked it until it was bubbly; the result was fantastic rewarmed in my Mom’s oven while we ate dinner and served with softened vanilla ice cream. Next I must try it with pears. Or maybe pears and fresh cranberries.

Must go finish digesting.

Apple Browned Butter Bliss
(by way of Ligita’s Quick Apple Cake in Classic Home Desserts)

3 tart apples, peeled or not and thinly sliced
a squeeze of lemon juice
3/4 cup + 3 Tbsp. sugar (or to taste, according to the sweetness of the fruit)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (or to taste)
1/2 cup butter
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a pie plate.

Toss the apples in a bowl (or the pie plate) with about 2 Tbsp. sugar and the cinnamon; spread into the plate. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and keep cooking it, swirling the pan occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until it turns golden. Pour into a bowl.

Stir the 3/4 cup of sugar into the butter, then the eggs, then the flour. Pour/spread over the fruit (don’t worry if it doesn’t cover it completely; it will bake up to more than it looks) and sprinkle with the last tablespoon of sugar.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden and crusty, and the juices ooze from around the edges. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or thick vanilla yogurt.

Serves 8.