Ragu alla Bolognese - Ricetta Antica

We were watching a rerun of one of Lidia's programs the other night when she started making a Bolognese sauce - with milk. It was one of those "aha" moments - as in we're going to have to make this really soon.

Really soon translated to a mere two days, and armed with Lidia's cookbook Lidia's Family Table, Victor went to work. There are two variations on the ragu - the tradizionale with wine and tomatoes that is the most common, today - and the antica - an older variation that has fallen out of favor. We went for the antica!

The process is interesting... The wine gets poured and worked into the meat before it's cooked, the pancetta and garlic get processed into a paste - a pestata - and a three hour simmer with additions of hot milk or broth every 20 minutes. It's a process - but really worth it!

Ragu alla Bolognese - Ricetta Antica

adapted from Lidia's Family Table

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 6 ounces pancetta
  • 5 large garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion minced
  • 2 celery stalks, minced
  • 1 carrot, minced
  • 1 can tomato paste
  • 2 cups of milk
  • freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 large bay leaves
  • 2 cups of beef broth
  • salt to taste
  • freshly ground pepper

Break up and mix together ground beef and pork in a large mixing bowl. Pour over wine and mix in with fingers to ensure it's evenly moistened.

Make the pestata: Roughly chop pancetta and place in a food processor with peeled garlic. Process into a fine paste.

In a large heavy pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and scrape in the pestata. Place over medium/high heat and break up with a spoon to render the juices.

Once the pestata has started rendering its fat, stir in the minced onion and cook until they start to sweat. Add the minced carrots and celery, stirring until they're all wilted and golden, about 5 minutes.

Turn the heat up a bit, push the vegetables to the side and add your meat mixture to the pan, giving it a few moments to brown on the bottom of the pan before mixing in with the vegetables. Cook on high heat, stirring frequently, for ab.out 30-45 minutes, until all all of the liquid has disappeared. Begin heating up your liquids (milk, broth) for the next steps.

Once again, push aside your meat/vegetable mixture and create a hole to place the tomato paste so it can lightly cook. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Pour in 2 cups of hot milk and stir into the meat mixture, making sure to scrape any brown bits off the bottom of your pan.

Grate the nutmeg into the pan.

Bring the sauce to a slow, steady simmer, consistently bubbling away. Cover and let cook for at least 3hrs, checking and stirring every 20 minutes. Use hot broth to maintain the sauces liquid levels throughout cooking.

To finish the sauce, uncover and allow sauce to simmer into a thicker consistency.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with your favorite pasta - tagliatelle is the traditional pasta - but use what you like. Top with plenty of freshly grated parmesan.

We used a Pipe Rigate pasta instead of the tagliatelle because Nonna doesn't do noodles of any sort. I really liked the pipe rigate, though, because the sauce went into the pasta and there were little sauce explosions in my mouth as I chewed.

The entire dish was swoon-worthy!

The recipe made a lot of sauce, so Victor froze half of it for another meal, and even after dishing out three huge portions, there's enough left for lunch, tomorrow.

We're planning a side trip to Bologna next year when we're in Milan - I want to see the huge Eataly complex - and I now want to see if they can make a sauce this good in Italy!

 

 


Thanksgiving 2017

This Thanksgiving will definitely be one for the Memory Book. November 23rd was our 23rd Anniversary! What better way for the two of us to celebrate an anniversary than with a holiday all about food?!? And food, we had.

What - or, rather, who - we didn't have, was Nonna. She spent the holiday in the hospital. She's been coughing too much and short of breath, so on Wednesday, he made an appointment with her PC Dr who said she should probably go to the ER.

And then the fun began...

NeverNeverNever let an otherwise healthy 91-year old into the clutches of the Medical Industrial Complex if you can in any way avoid it. Really. Just.Don't.Do.It. She just got home an hour ago - 4 days later - with a litany of physical therapists and home care specialists scheduled over the next few days to drive her completely crazy. And she's still coughing and short of breath.

Meanwhile, we were cooking up a storm for a festive holiday. One needs food between trips to the hospital - and food we had! And booze, of course!

Victor made Linda's Chicken Livers - and it was the best batch made - ever.

This is one of those recipes that you like even if you don't like chicken liver. We just do half-batches...

Linda's Chicken Liver Pâté

  • 4 sticks butter
  • 2 lbs chicken livers
  • 2 med onions, chopped
  • 2-4 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp marjoram
  • 1 1/2 tsp tarragon
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 – or more – tsp cognac

Melt 1 stick of butter. Add onions but do not brown.

Add other ingredients – except butter – and cover. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes.

Process in food processor with remaining butter. Add cognac, and S&P, to taste.

Serve with chopped eggs or onion and toasted baguette or crackers.

We also had cheeses, salamis, homemade baba ghanoush I made and canned with the last of our eggplants...

One of my favorites, this year, was a flatbread with a cranberry onion jam, Boursin cheese, arugula, and balsamic. I didn't get a picture of the flatbread, but this is the jam...

The recipe comes from Cooking Light Magazine - and it is pretty awesome! Make some, today!

Cranberry Onion Jam

  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 cups chopped sweet onions
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 (12-oz.) pkg. fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Step 1
Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium. Add onions and salt; cover and cook 30 minutes or until caramelized. Add honey, pepper, thyme, and cranberries; cook, uncovered, 30 minutes or until cranberries break down and mixture is syrupy.

Step 2
Remove pan from heat; discard thyme sprigs. Stir in vinegar.

And onto the dinner table...

For many years, I have made Pumpkin Rolls for Thanksgiving. I really like them, but decided something new was in order for 2017. What I ended up with was a recipe from King Arthur Flour that would rival any bakery - anywhere. These were some of the lightest, soft white rolls I have ever had - let alone made! And easy. Really, really easy!

Soft White Dinner Rolls

King Arthur Flour

  • 1 packet "highly active" active dry yeast; or 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast; or 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 7/8 to 1 1/8 cups lukewarm water*
  • 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
  • 1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes

*Use the lesser amount in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate), and somewhere in between the rest of the year, or if your house is climate controlled.

Instructions

  1. If you're using active dry yeast, dissolve it with a pinch of sugar in 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you're using instant yeast, you can skip this step.
  2. Combine the dissolved yeast (or instant yeast) with the remainder of the ingredients. Mix and knead everything together—by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—till you've made a smooth dough. If you're kneading in a stand mixer, it should take 5 to 7 minutes at second speed, and the dough should barely clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the bottom. In a bread machine (or by hand), it should form a smooth ball.
  3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise, at room temperature, until it's nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Rising may take longer, especially if you've kneaded by hand. Give it enough time to become quite puffy.
  4. While the dough is rising, lightly grease two 9" round cake pans, or a 9" x 13" pan.
  5. Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface. Divide it into 16 pieces.
  6. Shape each piece into a rough ball by pulling the dough into a very small knot at the bottom, then rolling it under the palm of your hand into a smooth ball.
  7. Place eight rolls in each of the round cake pans (or all 16 rolls in the 9" x 13" pan), spacing them evenly; they won't touch one another.
  8. Cover the pan(s) with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the rolls to rise till they're very puffy, and have reached out and touched one another, about 1 hour. While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.
  9. Bake the rolls until they're a deep golden brown on top, and lighter on the sides, about 25 minutes.
  10. Remove the rolls from the oven, and after 2 or 3 minutes, carefully transfer them to a rack. They'll be hot and delicate, so be careful. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

We had the obligatory canned cranberry sauce in Mom's crystal dish, along with homemade cranberry orange relish and homemade whole berry cranberry sauce. And an Eggplant Lasagne, because... well... because!

From eggplant to Nonna's dressing and Marie's sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans with garlic and parmesan, carrots with honey and dill - and a vat of gravy - the table was filled to overflowing.

Totally filled to overflowing...

And then, of course, we had desserts...

First up was the Maple Walnut Cheesecake I had made a few weeks ago for work. Same recipe but this time I used a sugared walnut in the topping. Yum.

Maple Walnut Cheesecake

crust:

  • 1 sleeve graham crackers
  • 3/4 cup walnuts
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted

filling:

  • 4 pkg cream cheese
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cloves
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup mascarpone
  • 4 eggs
  • pinch of salt

topping:

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 325°F / 160°. Butter or spray a 10″ springform pan.

Make crust:

Pulse together graham crackers, walnuts, and brown sugar until fine crumbs are formed. Add melted butter and pulse to combine. Press firmly onto bottom of buttered pan – a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup works well.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Make filling:

Mix cream cheese, mascarpone, spices, and pinch of salt together until creamy. Add maple syrup and mix well

Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Pour into crust and smooth top.

Bake until center is barely set – about 1 hour.

Remove from oven and cool before refrigerating overnight.

Make topping:

Mix together 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup maple syrup. Heat to boiling – stirring constantly. Reduce heat and reduce to about 2/3 cup, stirring occasionally. Stir in nuts and refrigerate.

Final assembly:

Spread cold caramel topping over cold cake almost to edge.

Slice and enjoy!

From cheesecake we went to Chocolate Cherry Mousse - in a mini Chocolate Cup. The cherries are Amarena cherries  - and if you've never had them, stop reading right now and go buy them. Really. Chocolate cups are easy - just brush melted chocolate into small molds or small muffin cups and chill until set.

The mousse is based a on Martha Stewart recipe.

Chocolate Cherry Mousse

  • 3 tbsp Amarena Cherry syrup from jar

In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 3/4 cup heavy cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until mixture coats back of spoon, 3 to 4 minutes (do not boil). Remove from heat; whisk in melted chocolate, cherry syrup, and vanilla. Strain into a bowl; chill until cool

With an electric mixer, beat remaining 1 1/4 cups heavy cream with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/3 of whipped cream into cooled custard mixture, then gently fold in the rest with a rubber spatula.

Pipe or spoon into chocolate cups and top with a cherry!

The Pumpkin Pie is our classic recipe - the same one we have made for years.

Pumpkin Pie

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
  • 1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
  • 1 unbaked 10" pie shell
  • Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 425°. Beat eggs, sugar, maple syrup, and spices in large bowl. Add pumpkin amd mix well. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into pie shell. Bake at 425° F. for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Top with whipped cream before serving.

And then a new one this year - a take-off of one of my Mom's recipes from way back when. Her original recipe was for a pecan pie with a custard topping. I turned it into tartlettes with a bourbon vanilla mousse.

Pecan Tarts with Bourbon Vanilla Mousse

  • 12 tart shells

Filling

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup dark corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 4 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups pecan pieces

Mousse

  • 3 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 egg yolk
  • pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix eggs with corn syrup, sugar, butter, and vanilla until well blended.

Divide pecan pieces among the tart shells. Carefully pour filling over pecans.

Bake about 20 minutes, or until set.

Make Mousse.

Mix 1 1/2 cups cream, bourbon, cornstarch, egg yolk, and salt in a medium sauce pan. Whisk everything together and slowly bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 1 minute and then remove from heat, stir in vanilla, place in bowl, cover, and refrigerate until set.

When set, whip remaining cream. Fold into pudding and whisk until smooth.

Pipe or spoon onto top of tarts.

Marie made two more tarts that I didn't get pictures of. Needless to say, we had enough food.

Tonight is the Turkey Soup we would have had last night if life had been normal.

Nonna's home, we're back to normal, and all is right with the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Vegetable Beef Soup

One of my most favorite meals in the world is a bowl of steaming hot soup. It really is the ultimate comfort food for me. Coming from a large family, soups and stews, casseroles and the like, were standard fare. And Mom knew how to cook 'em.

Each season has its gastronomic benefits, but I think Fall may just be my favorite because soups and stews come back into fashion. They are the perfect meal when the leaves are falling and the wind is blowing them into dervish whirls.

Soups and stews don't call for recipes where I come from - they are just made with what is in the house at that moment in time. Tonight's soup is a prime example:

  • beef round steak
  • beef broth
  • onion
  • garlic
  • celery
  • carrots
  • potatoes
  • can of diced tomatoes
  • can of yellow hominy
  • bag of frozen mixed vegetables
  • salt
  • pepper
  • oregano
  • red wine
  • hot sauce

Chop the onions, wilt them in a bit of oil, add the beef and the garlic, brown it a bit, add the wine and cook it down a bit, add the tomatoes and the broth and simmer for an hour or so until the meat starts to get tender. At this point you can add the rest of the vegetables and simmer until everything is cooked through.

Ladle into bowls, add some hot sauce and top with grated cheese, if desired. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.

That's it.

The hominy will often become a can of beans, the oregano becomes herbes d'Provence, fresh hot peppers or sambal oeleck are added if Nonna is having something else... Just stuff thrown into a pot.

It's amazing just how good - and simple - a pot of soup can be. I actually made this batch yesterday for dinner and we had it again, tonight.

It's total simplicity - and totally fulfilling.

 

 


A Lesson on Making Pumpkin Pie

A friend came over this morning with her son to get a lesson in Pumpkin Pie making... They definitely got a lesson - in paying attention!

It was Jen's and Brendan's first time making a pie completely from scratch - which amazed me since she makes such fabulous sweets and desserts - so we started off with the really simple basics of pulsing the flour with the butter, adding the ice water, feeling the dough for moisture... all of the basics of making a pie dough in a food processor. The easiest way to do it, by far!

They both got it down. We formed them into disks, wrapped them, refrigerated them, made the filling, rolled, crimped, the whole bit.

Brendan got the crimping part down really well and was able to point out holes and areas that needed to be patched. The professional-looking crimped shells were filled and then placed into the 425°F oven. Next step, set the timer for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 350°F for another 40 minutes, or so.

I've been making this pie for years. I expected nothing short of perfection.

What I didn't expect was to make a pizza while waiting for the timer to go off and then forget to lower the oven temperature when it did.

45 minutes of 425°F heat did not make the perfect pie I was envisioning.

Darn.

What it did, though, was show that even someone who {{supposedly}} knows what they're doing can screw up.

No, the pies weren't perfect. The crust on one of the pies collapsed in a section and the filling ran over it. But... That's okay. Perfection doesn't really exist outside of PhotoShop, so don't worry about it. And it showed that even a screw-up is better than not making it in the first place.

We both got pies to eat tonight - and we had a lot of fun being in the kitchen together. That's really a lot more important than perfect pies, in my not so humble opinion.

And, it was a valuable lesson in cooking and baking.

Pay Attention.

On the other hand... I redeemed myself with the pizza... it was pretty good.

My moral to the story is to get into the kitchen and cook. It's even better to get into the kitchen and cook with other people. Have fun. Laugh. Laugh at your mistakes. Stop worrying about things needing to be perfect. And then sit down and eat like you're having the best meal of your life.

Because truly, you are!

Pie Dough

for a double crust:

  • 2 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/2 lb butter, frozen
  • pinch salt
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 6 tbsp ice water - or more, as necessary

Using a food processor, add flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse to mix.

Chop up frozen butter and add. Pulse until butter is incorporated and mixture looks grainy.

Slowly add ice water. Pulse until mixed.

Turn out onto counter. Press and form mixture into 2 disks . Wrap in plastic and refrigerate about an hour to allow the flour to properly absorb the water and to relax the gluten.

Roll out crust and place in pie plate. Crimp edges and fill.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
  • 1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
  • 1 unbaked 10″ pie shell
  • Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 425°. Beat eggs, sugar, maple syrup, and spices in large bowl. Add pumpkin amd mix well. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into pie shell. Bake at 425° F. for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Make sure you lower the temperature after 15 minutes...


Cassoulet

If you have ever been fortunate enough to have a cassoulet in France, the dinner I made tonight would be un sacrilège. On the other hand, even if you have, this wasn't bad.

The classic cassoulet hails from the south of France and is comprised of white beans, duck confit, sausages, and other meats - usually pork, but also mutton. They are totally awesome. I had one in a bistro in Paris that was simply out of this world. Then again, absolutely anything in a bistro in Paris is awesome when comparing it to the ethnic wasteland that is the Philadelphia suburbs.  Location. Location. Location.

I made a reasonably authentic one about six years ago, but I generally tend to take the concept and do what I want with it. Duck legs and confit just aren't reasonably priced out here in 'burbia, and I'm actually starting to pull back on my grocery purchases, a bit, anyway. I'm finding that at 65, I really don't need duck fat and confit for a Monday night dinner. And at the prices being charged at the local grocers, I don't need 'em for most dinners.

But on to tonight's dinner...

I brined my white beans overnight in water and kosher salt. I saw something about brining beans on America's Test Kitchen - it works. The rest of the ingredients were pretty much clean out the freezer. I only used half of the 1 pound bag I brined, so the rest went into the freezer for Victor's next batch of soup. Three things out, one thing in. I'll take it.

Cassoulet

  • 1/2 lb white beans, soaked, cooked, and drained - save the cooking liquid
  • 3 strips bacon, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bulb fennel, sliced
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 2 links hot sausage sliced
  • 1 pork chop, cooked and chopped
  • 1 cup red wine
  • thyme
  • salt
  • pepper
  • garlic powder
  • bread crumbs
  • olive oil

Cook bacon and onion in a large pot until bacon is cooked and onion is wilted. Add garlic and briefly cook.

Add fennel and carrots. Cook a bit and then add the sausages.

When sausages have browned a bit, add the wine to deglaze the pot.

Stir in the cooked pork chop and add the beans, along with just enough of the cooking liquid to keep everything wet but not drowning.

Add seasonings.

Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 30 minutes.

To serve:

Mix breadcrumbs with olive oil and garlic powder. Place on top of cassoulet and bake in a hot oven until browned.

Enjoy!

I tried taking a picture of the inside. It isn't the greatest, but you get an idea of what it is...

It starts out hot and soupy and as you eat it, the crumbs mix in and it starts getting thicker and drier. There's a dozen different textures going on. It's great.

The individual casserole dishes came from a place in Wolfeboro, NH - right on Lake Winnipesaukee. It was her end of season sale and we got them for less than $5.00 each. Such a deal.

Fun fall flavors. All we need now is for Mother Nature to cooperate.


Creamy Soup and Crusty Rolls

Victor made a great batch of soup, yesterday, whilst I was at work. One of those perfect surprises after a long shift. We had broccoli and cauliflower in the 'fridge that was needing some attention, so he threw it in a pot and made it all hot.

More or less.

Soup making is a bit more involved than that - but not by much. It's a quick and easy way to use up odds and ends in the 'fridge or cupboards that just won't make it, otherwise. Just about anything can go into the pot - and around here, it usually does.

His creamy soups - butternut squash, broccoli, cauliflower, et al - are all dairy-free. He gets the creaminess from pureeing a can of beans along with whatever vegetables he's added to the pot. And he's a blender blender. I use the immersion blender. He breaks out the Real McCoy.

No amounts, since it's a clean-out-the-refrigerator soup. Use what you have, add or delete as you see fit.

And while I did say it's dairy free, he will often stir in a pat of butter at the end just because...

Creamy Broccoli Soup

  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Canned Butter Beans
  • Chicken Broth
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Cayenne Pepper

Saute onion and garlic. Add broccoli and cauliflower, broth, and beans. Bring to a boil and then simmer until veggies are pretty much over-cooked.

Cool, and then blend via your favorite blending method. Be really careful if you use a blender. I've had to clean a few ceilings in my time.

Check for seasoning and add salt, pepper, and a bit of heat - cayenne works well.

Stir in a pat or two of butter, if desired.

It really was good - and there's enough for lunch, tomorrow!

Also really good were French Rolls via Martha Stewart.

Bread in it's most basic form, is nothing more than flour, water, salt, and yeast. But how those four simple items are put together can be as varied as varied can be.

These small rolls are a case in point.

These start their journey into gastronomic delight with an overnight starter. Flour, water, and a pinch of yeast, in a bowl, covered, on the counter overnight. The following day, more water, flour, yeast, and salt are added. Several risings, foldings, shapings and the final baking take place over a few hours. It's mostly unattended time.

Martha's Recipe.

The dough is wet and sticky, but follow Martha's advice and do not add more flour. You need patience and a bit of technique but the end result is a crusty - really crusty - shell with a tender interior. A perfect French bread.

I used half of the recipe for rolls. These would be perfect as sandwich rolls with hard salami and mustard - the sandwich of my youth!

I'm going to make a baguette with the other half, tomorrow.

Another great meal...


Maple Walnut Cheesecake

You know me... any excuse for a party. And any excuse for making a wicked dessert.

This particular excuse was my friend and coworker, Fran's, birthday. With so many employees, our basic rule-of-thumb at work is we'll celebrate your day if you're actually working it, or, if it's a significant number.

Fran made the significant number rule.

Her stunning outfit was created by our Funderella Czarina, Diane - one of the best trash-to-treasure mavens on the planet.

Diane came up to me the other day while I was cashiering and the following conversation ensued...

Diane: Have I ever told you what a fantastic baker you are?

Me: Why, no.

Diane: I haven't? Gee, you're one of the best bakers I know.

Customer to me: Careful. She wants something.

After hilarity and denials, the something was something for Fran's birthday. Cupcakes, cookies, something...

As luck would have it, I was thinking of making a maple cheesecake for Thanksgiving! This would be the perfect opportunity to test it out. Of course I said yes!

And I'm glad I did - this sucker is G-O-O-D!

It's pretty much a riff on my basic cheesecake but the idea and the maple walnut caramel topping comes from Kraft.

Maple Walnut Cheesecake

crust:

  • 1 sleeve graham crackers
  • 3/4 cup walnuts
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted

filling:

  • 4 pkg cream cheese
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cloves
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup mascarpone
  • 4 eggs
  • pinch of salt

topping:

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 325°F / 160°. Butter or spray a 10" springform pan.

Make crust:

Pulse together graham crackers, walnuts, and brown sugar until fine crumbs are formed. Add melted butter and pulse to combine. Press firmly onto bottom of buttered pan - a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup works well.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Make filling:

Mix cream cheese, mascarpone, spices, and pinch of salt together until creamy. Add maple syrup and mix well

Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Pour into crust and smooth top.

Bake until center is barely set - about 1 hour.

Remove from oven and cool before refrigerating overnight.

Make topping:

Mix together 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup maple syrup. Heat to boiling - stirring constantly. Reduce heat and reduce to about 2/3 cup, stirring occasionally. Stir in nuts and refrigerate.

Final assembly:

Spread cold caramel topping over cold cake almost to edge.

Slice and enjoy!

As I said, this came out great. The only problem I had was making it at night for early morning, so it went into the 'fridge too soon and it cracked. The topping hid it, but do make sure to cool completely before refrigerating.

You could also top it with a maple sour cream and serve the caramel on the side.

No matter how you do it, though, it's going to come out most excellently!