Harvest Margaritas

The day before Thanksgiving I was cooking away and watching Food Network's Thanksgiving Live.  The show featured recipes and tips from Rachael Ray, Anne Burrell, Sunny Anderson, Melissa d'Arabian and Bobby Flay.  I was so inspired watching these professional chefs.  What a GREAT life they seem to have!


One recipe idea that sounded good also happened to be completely out of character for me.  It was a cocktail idea.  The cocktail conversation kept coming up on the program.  Maybe they were trying to sell cocktails.  Well, they succeeded!


Bobby Flay presented his recipe for Harvest Margaritas.  About 10 or so years ago I bought some Tequila for some event.  We still have it.  Does alcohol ever go bad? Hmmm....good question.  Anyway, we just keep moving it from house to house and it sits up in the cupboard waiting for a good idea.


I looked up his recipe online and headed to the store for the ingredients we didn't have.  Bitters.  What the heck is bitters?  After arriving at the grocery and wandering down the alcohol aisle I read just about EVERY label and did not see something that read "Bitters."  I then sought the expertise of the internet. Apparently bitters used to be added to most drinks.  Interesting, but what is it?  I never found it, so I would have to improvise.  I used a couple splashes of Triple Sec instead.


Another item the store was out of was whole allspice.  Must have been a run on whole allspice for the fall holidays.  Again, improvisation was necessary.  I would leave it out.


Here's Bobby's real recipe:


Bobby Flay's Harvest Margaritas (Almost)

Ingredients

• 2 ounces tequila, such as Patron reposado tequila (I used whatever was in the cupboard)
• 1 1/2 ounces chilled Spiced Simple Syrup, recipe follows
• 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• Few dashes bitters (or Triple Sec like I used)
• Ice
• Lime wedge, for garnish
• Kosher Salt

Directions

Combine the tequila, simple syrup, lime juice, bitters and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake for 10 seconds. Serve straight up or on the rocks with a lime wedge for garnish.

Spiced Simple Syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 8 whole allspice berries
• 8 whole cloves
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

Combine the sugar, 1 cup water, allspice, cloves, cinnamon and ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar is completely melted. Remove from the heat and let steep for 1 hour. Strain into a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until cold.

How did it turn out?


We were graciously invited to enjoy Thanksgiving with some friends.  Ahead of time, I made the simple syrup.  I brought my Harvest Margarita ingredients to share and get some professional opinions.  They margaritas were a HIT!  They are super strong, so each couple just shared one.  We must be a bunch of lightweights.  It was fun to try something new.


I will keep them in mind for the future.


Thanks Bobby, for the great idea.  Maybe next time I'll need to find out what in the world bitters are.

Butter Pie Crust Dough

Butter Pie Crust Dough
from Bon Appetit/Epicurious
Makes one 9-inch pie crust.

Single crust recipe.  For a double crust, double the following:

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until coarse meal forms. Add 3 tablespoons water. Using on/off turns, blend just until moist clumps form, adding more water by 1/2 tablespoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.)

Cranberry-Ribbon Apple Pie

When I think of fall, visions of apple trees and pumpkin patches come to mind. Here are some photo memories of a trip we took to an apple farm/pumpkin patch in 2008.

Now this is a pumpkin patch

And every great pumpkin patch has a enormous corn maze

circa ~2008

Pumpkins and Apples- Fabulous Harvest

There are so many delectable apple and pumpkin recipes to choose from where does one begin?  In the last many years, I've come to appreciate Bon Appetit recipes.  I can honestly say, everything I've ever made from Bon Appetit turns out great.  My aunt is a long-time Bon Appetit subscriber and amazing cook.  She's saved all her magazines and I'm sure has quite the collection stashed away.

For our Thanksgiving gathering this year I chose to make Bon Appetit's Cranberry-Ribbon Apple Pie.  The crust is great and the pie was a crowd-pleaser.

Cranberry-Ribbon Apple Pie

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup 100% cranberry juice (I didn't have the juice on hand, 1/2 cup water worked fine)
2 cups cranberries (fresh)

2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
1 3/4 pounds Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 Butter Pie Crust Dough disks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon milk
Cinnamon/Sugar mixture

Vanilla Ice Cream

Stir 3/4 cups sugar and juice in saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add cranberries; bring to simmer.  Reduce heat; simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 25 minutes.  Cool.  (This can be made ahead of time and chilled).

Toss all apples, flour, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and sugar in large bowl to blend.

Apple Mixture

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roll out 1 dough disk.  I roll out between two sheets parchment paper.  Transfer to 9-inch deep dish pie plate.  Trim overhang, if necessary, to 1-inch.

Pie Crust

Pie crust Recipe

Spread cranberry mixture over crust bottom.   Top with apple mixture;  dot with butter.  Roll out second dough disk; drape over apples.  Trim, if necessary.  Press crust edges together to seal; crimp.  Cut 1-inch hole in center (I cut slits in top- for steam release).  Brush crust with milk.  Mix 1 tablespoon sugar and pinch of cinnamon tin small bowl; sprinkle over crust.

Bake pie 15 minutes at 400 degrees; reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake until crust is golden, about 50 minutes.  You may need to place baking sheet under pie to catch juices that may bubble out.  Also, if top of pie is golden and about 40 minutes, you can cover with foil to prevent further darkening.  Transfer to rack; cool at least 2 hours (unless your family demands to eat it while warm).  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mini Sweet Potato Streusel Tarts

A number of years ago I came across this recipe from Cooking Light.  I don't care for pumpkin pie, but this little treat is my pumpkin pie substitute.  These little tarts are bite size so if you're watching portions, enjoy one and then call it quits.  They are a bit time consuming to prepare, but I think they're definitely worth the effort. It's best if you have a mini-muffin pan to make them in.  I also have a wooden tart tamper/ mini-tart shaper.  Mine was from Pampered Chef, but I saw them online for about $4.  Since I only make them once a year for Thanksgiving, the time spent making them is actually relaxing and they're so adorable I can barely stand it!

Sweet Potato Streusel Tarts
from Cooking Light

Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (I don't use the vegetable shortening.  I end up just using 4 tablespoons butter)
3 tablespoons ice water
Cooking Spray

Filling:
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes
1/4 cup evaporated milk

Streusel:
2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans (or other nut)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Before beginning, prepare sweet potatoes.  Peel, cube, and boil sweet potato until softened.

Peel, cube, cover sweet potato with water and boil until softened.

Done; ready to mash

Ready for filling

Crust
To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife.  Place the flour, granulated sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in food processor; pulse 2 times or until combined.  Add 2 tablespoons butter and shortening, and pulse 4 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal.  With processor on, add ice water through food chute, 1 tablespoon at a time, processing just until combined (Do not let it form a ball).  Shape mixture into a 6-inch log; wrap in plastic wrap coated with cooking spray.  Freeze 30 minutes.

The worker

Pulsed

Add chilled butter

Workers

Resembling coarse meal

After chilling, shape the dough into 24 balls, and place 1 ball in each of 24 miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray.  Press dough into the bottoms and up the sides of the muffin/tart cups.

I have these handy gadgets for these little tarts.  They make this project so easy!

Ready for filling

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Filling
To prepare the filling, place syrup and next 5 ingredients (syrup through egg) in a bowl;  beat with a mixer at medium speed for 1 minute or until well blended.  Add sweet potatoes and milk;  beat until well blended.  Spoon about 4 teaspoons filling into each muffin cup.

Streusel
To prepare streusel, combine nuts and 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a small bowl; cut in 1 1/2 teaspoons butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Sprinkle streusel evenly over tarts;  bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook an additional 12 minutes or until filling is set.  Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.  Run a knife around outside edges.  Remove tarts, and cool completely on wire rack.

Fresh out of the oven

Ready to serve

Try to just have one!