Black Pepper Ricotta Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard in Béchamel Sauce
Soft ricotta gnocchi in a creamy parmesan béchamel sauce with fall vegetables. Rich and comforting, perfect for a cool fall or winter night.
Ingredient: butter
Vegetarian Mushroom Bourguignon
This vegetarian riff on the French classic beef bourguignon is a rich stew of mushrooms, herbs, and vegetables simmered in red wine. Once you remove the meat and serve it over quinoa it might no longer be quite as French but it still tastes great. …
Banana Bourbon Cream Pie with Bourbon Caramel Drizzle
Layers of graham cracker crust, bananas, bourbon-infused pastry cream, more bananas, drizzled bourbon caramel sauce, and whipped cream make for a delicious banana cream pie with balanced sweetness and a warm hint of bourbon.
I have always been intimidated, if not terrified, by making pastry cream. I don’t know if it’s the risk of ending up with sweet scrambled eggs, or it not setting, or needing to sieve out “lumps,” but I have generally shied away from the challenge in favor of something that I can instead just throw in the oven. I’ve told myself that I wasn’t missing out, but eventually my lie wore thin. It took me a few tries to get the result I wanted (more on that below), but the results are worth the effort, opening up endless uses and possibilities. Which brings us to today’s banana bourbon cream pie.
When learning new things, I would much rather try to run before learning to walk. Or crawl. So when I decided to face my fear of pastry cream, I went straight to flavoring the cream with something in additional to just vanilla. My first attempt at pastry cream appeared to go smoothly. I added the bourbon with the milk and vanilla, and when I tasted it before putting it in the fridge to firm up, I was in love. Three hours later, my pastry cream was still nothing more than a (delicious) liquid. I put it back on the stove, turned the heat up, and stirred constantly while adding a slurry made up of an additional 2 tablespoons each of corn starch and milk. This time, I allowed the cream to get hotter and stay hotter a bit longer before sieving the mixture into a bowl. It was much thicker, but it also lost much of the bourbon flavor. I stirred in an additional tablespoon, applied the plastic wrap, and moved it back to the fridge.
Meanwhile, I made another attempt at the pastry cream, this time, withholding the bourbon (I planned to add it at the end), only using 2 cups of milk, and using 5 tablespoons of cornstarch. Obviously I did something wrong because a bit curdled in the mixing bowl, and then the whole thing basically solidified once I got it all back on the heat. There was no way it could be salvaged, so I didn’t bother wasting the bourbon on that disaster. At this point, I called it a day. After a bit more trial and error over the following weeks, adding a couple extra egg yolks, and the help of Mary Berry’s Prinsesstårta recipe, I finally got the taste and consistency I was after. This pastry cream can be made with or without the bourbon, and can be used in all sorts of pies, pastries, and cakes.
One of the nice things about bananas, aside from potassium and other wonderful nutrients, is that they are available year round. This can be a refreshing pie for a nice summer day, or a Thanksgiving pie for when you feel like adding in something other than the classic pumpkin. And the addition of bourbon adds a pleasant but subtle surprise.
The bourbon and vanilla in the pastry cream are a match made in heaven. 2 tablespoons of bourbon result in a nice light bourbon undertone, while 3 tablespoons allow you to taste the bourbon against the bananas and cream, without it being overpowering. The pastry cream isn’t too sweet because the caramel bourbon topping adds additional sweetness, but you could certainly add a bit more sugar if you prefer a sweeter pastry cream. I don’t use banana extract in the pastry cream in favor of letting the bourbon and vanilla shine. But the banana flavor is not missed with a first layer of bananas at the bottom of the pie, a second layer over the pastry cream, and then a few more on top to garnish the pie.
Then there’s that second bit of bourbon mixed into a rich and delicious caramel sauce. Prior attempts at this pie left me feeling like something was missing. While the pie is still great without this step, the drizzled caramel really adds something and rounds out the pie. It’s easy to make, but requires your attention while it changes from sugar water into caramel sauce. Watching the pot will feel like the longest 15 minutes of your life, but you’ll be happy you did it. Last, or maybe first, is the crunch of the buttery graham cracker crust. I love the crunch that a graham cracker crust adds almost as much as I love how easy they are to make.
The combined result is a beautiful banana cream pie with a light hit of bourbon in the middle, balanced nicely by the creamy texture, caramel bourbon drizzle, and fresh bananas.
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Ingredients
Crust
- 1 3/4 cups graham crackers about 12 cookies
- 8 tablespoons butter unsalted, 1 stick
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Pastry Cream
- 600 ml whole milk (2 2/3 cups or about 20 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
- 6 large egg yolks
- 100 grams sugar 1/2 cup
- 50 grams cornstarch just shy of 7 tablespoons, but better to scale measure
- 50 grams butter about 3 1/2 tablespoons
Topping
- 3 ripe bananas thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Ingredients
Crust
Pastry Cream
Topping
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Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Melt the butter down in a saucepan over low heat. Turn off the heat once butter is melted, or mostly melted.
- In a food processor, or very diligently by hand, blitz the graham crackers until they're uniform-sized crumbs. Mix in sugar and salt.
- Stir crumb mixture into saucepan of butter. Transfer well-stirred mixture into pie pan, gently pressing the crust up the sides of the dish first, then firmly pressing in the middle.
- Bake the crust for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown. Remove to cool completely and set aside until later
Pastry Cream
- Bring milk to a light simmer.
- Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together in a large bowl.
- While continuing to whisk the egg yolk mixture, very slowly stream in about a quarter of the scalding hot milk mixture. If you pour too quickly, you could end up with scrambled eggs. Slowly pouring in the mixture will temper the eggs so that they cook slowly and evenly. Continue pouring the remaining milk while continuing to whisk it all together.
- Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the pan over a low to medium-low heat. If you want to be extra diligent, you can pour it in through a fine mesh strainer.
- While stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a simmer until it becomes really thick, about a minute or two.
- Off the heat and quickly stir in the bourbon and vanilla.
- Using the fine mesh strainer, pour the mixture into a clean bowl. Stir in the butter. Once the butter has been incorporated, cover the mixture with plastic wrap, with the plastic wrap touching the top to prevent a skin from forming.
- Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours allowing it to cool and firm up.
Caramel Bourbon Drizzle
- Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Be careful not to stir the mixture, but swirl the pot around regularly for roughly 15 minutes. Keep watching the mixture as it slowly turns from clear, to lightly amber, to darker amber shades. Once the color starts to darken, it happens quickly and you'll want to off the heat before it goes brown (burnt). Have your cream and butter ready to go.
- Once the caramel is a dark amber, slowly add the cream and butter while stirring quickly and constantly.
- Bring pan back to a low heat and add the vanilla, bourbon, and salt, cooking for another minute.
- Pour the caramel into a small heat-proof bowl to cool. The mixture will thicken as it cools, but if it is still too runny, simply put it back in the pot and cook it over a low heat for a few more minutes so that some of the moisture cooks off.
Topping and Assembly
- Slice the bananas to about quarter inch thickness. Assemble a layer of bananas on the crust and up the sides of the crust.
- Pour the pastry cream over the layers of bananas, and smooth it out to create a nice even surface.
- Assemble another layer of bananas over the pastry cream.
- Whip the cream and sugar together until soft peaks form.
- Drizzle the cooled caramel bourbon sauce over the banana layer.
- Decoratively pipe the whipped cream over the top of the banana and caramel layer, or smooth it over the top with a dome in the middle if you don't have the piping tips, time, or patience for piping.
- Refrigerate for about an hour before serving. Garnish with additional caramel sauce and leftover bananas. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon and Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
Moist pumpkin and spice cupcakes with a cinnamon cream cheese and honey frosting
Protein Poppy Seed Pancakes
I confess that I generally think pancakes are pretty boring. Unless they’re covered in chocolate chips, peanut butter, fruit, and syrup, they’re pretty dull. And once you’ve covered them in all of the above, they’re far closer to dessert than breakfast. With that being said, every great once in a while I wake up craving pancakes for breakfast. This craving is then followed by an internal debate between the carb-calorie bomb known as “pancakes,” and the more responsible choice in the form of scrambled eggs. In the end, and regardless of the choice I made, I never walk feeling like the winner.
Last Sunday the pancake craving struck, followed by the typical feelings of guilt. But this time, my brain negotiated a compromise that satisfied the pancake craving, and appeased the more responsible part of my brain. Looking back, I’m surprised that the idea of adding protein powder and other tasty but healthy ingredients to the batter didn’t occur to me sooner. I’m not saying the end result is totally guilt-free. They still contain carbs and some fat, and I personally use all-purpose flour here instead of whole wheat (although I’m sure they’d also work with whole wheat). But they’re made with acai powder, Greek yogurt, milk, and protein powder, resulting in about 25 grams of protein per serving. Sprinkle some berries on top and call it a well-balanced meal.
A note on the protein powder – I would suggest one that doesn’t have a strong or strange taste. Protein powder varies wildly, and I consider myself pretty picky when it comes to the taste of protein powder. But I use Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey (vanilla in this recipe) and really like it. The taste is mild enough that I can’t even pick it out in this recipe. The last thing I want is a pancake that tastes more like protein powder than actual pancakes.
And even better, the lemon and acai add an extra pop of flavor with a mild crunch from the poppyseeds. As a result, these pancakes make a relatively well-balanced meal that doesn’t need heaps of syrup or honey poured on top. But if you still feeling like adding a bit I certainly won’t tell.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup flour about 125 grams
- 2 tablespoons sugar 25 grams
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp poppyseeds
- 1 tbsp acai powder
- 2 tbsp butter melted but not hot, plus a couple extra pats for griddle
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 small lemon zest and juiced, roughly 2 tablespoons
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 cup Mixed berries (optional)
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, poppyseeds, protein powder, and acai powder together in a bowl
- Whisk the butter, yogurt, milk, egg, lemon zest and juice together in a bowl
- Heat some butter on a large skillet or griddle at medium heat
- While the skillet heats up, combine the wet and dry ingredients until no lumps remain
- Without overcrowding the pan, dollop batter onto hot skillet
- Flip after 2 or 3 minutes, depending on the size of the pancakes. Flip again if necessary until both sides are browned to your liking
- Sprinkle berries on top and serve immediately
Recipe Notes
You can keep the pancakes warm in the oven on a plate at 190 degrees while cooking the rest.
Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Risotto
Creamy pumpkin risotto with pronounced spices, butternut squash, and parmesan cheese
Shrimp Scampi Tagliatelle
Shrimp scampi pasta in a buttery white wine and garlic sauce with shrimp and broccoli
Apple Crumble Shortbread Bars
Nothing quite embodies simplistic deliciousness like a good shortbread. It’s a decadent treat on its own, but also makes a sturdy foundation upon which to pile seasonal fruit and additional crumbly toppings.
And fortunately for me, September is here and it’s officially socially acceptable to pretend fall is upon us…even if the temperature is still in the 80s. But the apple orchard is also ready for fall and I now have half a bushel of apples and a kitchen that smells like cinnamon.
I love this recipe because it’s basically a cross between a Dutch apple pie and a shortbread cookie resulting in a delicious hand-held shortbread with a soft spiced apple topping and a crunchy top layer. And if apples aren’t your jam, you can always swap a berry or other fruit flavored topping. Regardless of flavor, they’re super easy to make; the hardest part of the recipe is waiting for them to cool.
This recipe can be made in either a 9×13 dish, or a 9×9 dish. I have made these both ways, and the only part of the recipe I would adjust is the apple topping. Too much apple topping could result in a soggy/moisture issue, too little apple topping would be sad. The layers will obviously be a bit thicker in the 9×9 dish. If you go with the 9×9 dish, I would suggest reducing the apple topping to 2 apples, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of butter and a bit less of the lemon juice, spices, and butter.
Once you hit the 40 minute mark of baking, go ahead and take a peek. It will be ready when the top is slightly browned.
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Ingredients
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Make the apple topping. In a medium saucepan at medium to low heat, combine apples, sugar (6 tablespoons), cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, and lemon juice. Stir regularly for about 10 minutes, until apples start to break down creating a slightly sauce-like consistency. If the apples release a lot of liquid, wait until some of the liquid cooks off to avoid a soggy situation.
- While the apples cook, begin the shortbread base. Use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugar (3/4 of a cup). Combine salt and flour together, then by hand, mix them into the butter and sugar mixture, just until combined. It should be somewhat of a pea-like consistency.
- Pat two thirds of the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9x13 pan lined in parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, it's not the end of the world.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Make the crumble topping. Stir the granola and sliced almonds into the remaining shortbread mixture to create the crumble topping. It's helpful here to just stir by hand creating a rough mixture. Set aside for a moment.
- When the apples appear to be ready, evenly pour the apple mixture over shortbread base, using a spoon to spread the apples and avoiding the edges of the pan so that the apples won't stick to the side. Once the apples are in place, sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples and lightly pat down so that the topping stays in place.
- Sprinkle top with a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.
- Leave to cool completely, then cut into 9 or 12 bars.