Buttermilk, orange and cardamom ice cream

There's something about the tang of this buttermilk and the fragrance of the oranges that reminds me of cheesecake.

250 ml whole milk
finely grated rind of 2 oranges
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vanilla sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 Tablespoon orange liqueur (I make my own by stuffing a vodka bottle with lengths of fragrant orange rind...)
1 whole egg
600 ml buttermilk

combine all ingredients but the buttermilk in a medium saucepan. Use a heavy duty immersion blender to thoroughly blend everything. If you use a wimpy one, the egg won't get totally combined with the milk and you'll end up with lumpy custard. Heat over medium low heat stirring frequently, until it begins to thicken. Pour in the buttermilk and thoroughly blend again. Continue to heat for a few more minutes, blending at the end.
Pour into a metal bowl and apply cling film to the top of the mixture. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing pan
1 cup self-rising cake flour plus additional for flouring pan
1 cup pitted dates (5 oz), finely chopped
1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour an 8- by 2-inch round cake pan.
Simmer dates in 1 cup water in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, covered, until soft, about 5 minutes. Let stand, covered, off heat 5 minutes.
Beat together 1 stick butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in egg until combined. Add flour and 1/8 teaspoon salt and mix at low speed until just combined. Add dates and mix until just combined well.
Pour batter into pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt remaining stick butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat and stir in remaining cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup water, and a pinch of salt. Boil over moderately high heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and sauce is reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, 2 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cover.
Transfer pudding in pan to a rack and poke all over at 1-inch intervals with a chopstick. Gradually pour half of warm sauce evenly over hot pudding. Let stand until almost all of sauce is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Run a thin knife around edge of pan. Invert a plate over pudding and invert pudding onto plate. Pour remaining warm sauce over pudding and serve immediately.

Teriyaki

1/2 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
2 oranges, juiced
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 cup scallion, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 1 hour. May also be used as a great marinade for chicken, shrimp or beef.

miso glazed salmon

1 lb of Salmon Fillet
3 Scallions Chopped
1 cup White Miso
1/2 cup of Sake
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon of Mirin Vinegar
1 Teaspoon of Sesame Oil

In a saucepan, heat all ingrediants together and bring to short simmer. Turn heat off and let stand until cooled.Rub salmon with 1/4 teaspon of sesame oil and set aside.Once cooled, put 1/2 cup of marinade aside pour sauce over the salmon and place in a shallow dish in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours (may be made a head of time and marinated for up to 6 - 8 hours)Pre-heat broiler. Add salmon skin side down in the broiler and brush or spoon the set aside marinade onto the salmon.Broil for 7-8 minutes, pouring the rest of the marinade onto the salmon. The salmon should have a dark glaze on the top.Take out of the oven and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve with Coconut Rice and Asian Cucumber salad.

Creme Fraiche

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon buttermilk

Note: If possible, use pasteurized heavy whipping cream, as ultra pasteurized will take longer to thicken.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, warm the cream to 105 degrees F (40 degrees C). Remove from heat and stir in the buttermilk. Transfer the cream to a large bowl and allow this mixture to stand in a warm place, loosely covered with plastic wrap, until thickened but still of pouring consistency. Stir and taste every 6 - 8 hours. This process takes anywhere from 24 to 36 hours, depending on your room temperature. The creme fraiche is ready when it is thick with a slightly nutty sour taste. Chill cream, in the refrigerator, for several hours before using. Creme fraiche may be made and stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days

Creme Fraiche Frosting:
In bowl of electric mixer, with whisk attachment, beat the Creme Fraiche with 1-2 tablespoons (14-28 grams) of granulated white sugar until stiff peaks form. Can be used in desserts instead of whipped cream.

Traditional Indiana Persimmon Pudding

• 2 cups persimmon pulp
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 6 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, stir together the persimmon pulp and eggs using a whisk. Stir in sugar. Combine the flour and baking soda; stir into the persimmon alternating with milk until smooth. Pour into a large greased crock or casserole dish. Drop dabs of butter on top.
3. Bake for 2 hours in the preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes. Pudding will be dark brown when finished. Serve hot or cold.

Tasty Bacon Floss. Yum!

http://www.mcphee.com/items/11847.html

Heather's Momma's Killer Pumpkin Pie...

This is the best Pumpkin Pie I have had to date. Thanks Ladies!!!!!!!!

Preheat oven: 425

Combine:
1 15oz can pumpkin
1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each: ginger, nutmeg, salt
Mix well and pour into prepared (uncooked) pie crust;
Bake for 15 minutes, take pie out of oven and add topping (below).

Reduce oven heat to 350

Mix: 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespons flour, 3/4 teasponn cinnamon; cut in 2 tablespoons cold butter; stir in 3/4 cup chopped pecans and crumble all over pie.

Bake 40 mins or until set.

Roasted Pecan, Cranberry & Sausage Dressing

Serves 8-10

Watch the top and edges of the brioche so the dressing doesn't get too dark. You can cover with foil until the dressing is moderately warm, then remove the foil to crisp the top.

• 7 to 8 ounces unsalted butter
• 2 loaves brioche, about 1 pound each
• 2 to 3 tablespoons turkey fat reserved from gravy or substitute butter
• 1 pound uncased mild pork breakfast sausage
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 8 ounces celery, about 6-8 stalks, peeled and finely diced
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 ounces pecans, about 1/2 cup, chopped
• 4 ounces dried cranberries, about 1/2 cup, chopped
• -- Large pinch Bell's Seasoning or other poultry seasoning
• -- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• -- Leaves from 1/2 bunch parsley, minced
• -- Leaves from 1/2 to 1 bunch sage, minced
• -- Leaves from 1/2 to 1 bunch thyme, minced

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350º. Heavily coat a 9-by-13-inch ovenproof casserole dish with 2-3 ounces of the butter; set aside.

Cut brioche into 1-inch cubes.

Add reserved turkey fat or butter to a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add sausage and brown, breaking sausage up into very small pieces. Add 4 ounces butter, cut into pieces. Add onion and celery and cook until soft, stirring frequently. Add the milk, chicken broth and remaining 1 ounce of butter; bring to a simmer. Stir in brioche cubes, pecans and dried cranberries. Season to taste with the poultry seasoning, salt, pepper and herbs.

Firmly pack into the buttered baking dish. Bake until hot and crisp, about 30-40 minutes.

Pumpkin Custard Pie with Green Cardamom Ice Cream

Serves 8-12

• The pie dough
• 21/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 pound cold butter, cubed
• 1/4 pound shortening
• 1/2 cup ice water
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• The pumpkin filling
• 2 cups pumpkin puree, fresh or canned (if fresh, finely pureed and passed through a food mill or strainer)
• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 11/3 cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 5 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/3 teaspoon ground ginger
• 11/3 teaspoons cinnamon
• -- Green Cardamom Ice Cream (see recipe)

For the pie crust dough: Preheat oven to 350°. In a small mixing bowl, add flour, butter and shortening. Mix with a fork until you achieve a cornmeal-like consistency. Add ice water and salt, and mix together with hands until combined. Turn out onto a flour surface, form dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Allow to rest for 1/2 hour.

Roll out dough to about 1/8-inch thick and place into a 9-inch pie pan, crimping the edges decoratively. Cut parchment paper into a circle the size of the bottom of the pie pan and place on top of the dough. Fill pan halfway with dried beans. Bake in the oven until crust is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Remove the parchment and the beans and allow the crust to cool completely.

For the pumpkin pie: Heat the pumpkin puree in a stainless-steel pot over medium-low heat. Add maple syrup, cream and milk, and stir until combined. Bring just to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until well combined. Add flour and spices and whisk all lumps out. Slowly add the warm pumpkin mixture, whisking constantly. Pour into the prebaked pie shell and cook at 375° for 45 minutes or until outside is set and middle is a little jiggly. Serve with Green Cardamom Ice Cream.

Per serving: 475 calories, 7 g protein, 47 g carbohydrate, 30 g fat (14 g saturated), 147 mg cholesterol, 401 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

Green Cardamom Ice Cream

Makes about 1 quart

Green cardamom pods can be purchased in Asian markets such as 99 Ranch. The ice cream base can be made a day ahead, then churned in an ice cream maker on Thanksgiving Day.

• 1/4 cup green cardamom pods
• 6 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 10 egg yolks

Instructions: Toast cardamom in a pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until fragrant; set aside.

Combine cream and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, and add cardamom and vanilla. Remove from heat and steep for at least 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk yolks until smooth. Slowly pour cream mixture into the yolks in a steady stream, whisking constantly, then return the entire mixture back to pot, whisking. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Pour through a strainer and into a container. Cool down either in an ice water bath or off the heat, stirring occasionally. Once it has reached room temperature, place in the refrigerator to cool completely.

Place in ice cream machine and process according to manufacturer's instructions. Store in freezer if not serving right away. Serve with Pumpkin Custard Pie.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Spiced Candied Kumquats

The sprouts can be prepared ahead, then reheated, covered with aluminum foil. Add kumquats just before serving.

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 red onion, sliced thin
• 2 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane
• 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon grated star anise
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt + more if needed
• -- Spiced Candied Kumquats (see recipe)

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large ovenproof saute pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender and caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 3 minutes. If vegetables get too brown, lower heat, add a little water and cook, stirring. Add Brussels sprouts, star anise and salt, and stir to combine. Roast in oven for approximately 30 minutes, until sprouts are tender. Season with salt to taste.

Transfer to a serving dish. Allow to cool or serve immediately, topped with kumquats (spoon out kumquats only and not syrup).

Per serving: 160 calories, 4 g protein, 29 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat (3 g saturated), 12 mg cholesterol, 697 mg sodium, 6 g fiber.

Spiced Candied Kumquats

Use to top Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 kaffir lime leaves, bruised
• 1 Hunan chile
• 1 teaspoon green cardamom pods, cracked
• 1/2 inch ginger, peeled, sliced and smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups kumquats, sliced

Instructions: Combine sugar and 1 1/2 cups water in a saucepan. Add the kaffir lime leaves, chile, cardamom, ginger and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and allow syrup to steep for 15 minutes. Add kumquats to syrup, return the pan to the heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool in liquid. If preparing in advance, cover and store in the refrigerator.

Hoisin Glaze

Makes about 2 cups

This can be made several days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) is available at Asian markets.

• 1 cup sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
• 1/2 cup black bean paste
• 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated on a microplane
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sriracha sauce (hot sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated ginger (best done on the microplane)
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup lime juice, to taste

Instructions: Combine all ingredients, except sugar and lime juice, in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until mixture is reduced by half. Whisk in brown sugar. Add lime juice to taste. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Strain three times through a fine chinois, discarding solids. Transfer glaze to a jar or container, cover and refrigerate.

Quince Cobbler with Ginger Ice Cream

Serves 8-10

The quince and streusel can be prepared a day or two ahead. Refrigerate until ready to use.

• The poached quince
• 5 cups sugar
• 3 to 4 medium quince
• -- Lemon juice
• The almond streusel
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• The cobbler
• 1/4 cup butter + more for baking dish
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tablespoon dark rum
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• -- Ginger Ice Cream (see recipe)

For the quince: In a large pot, make a simple syrup by combining the sugar and 5 cups water. Cook over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved, 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

Peel and core a quince. Reserve the peels and core, and thinly slice the quince about 1/4-inch thick, and place the slices in a bowl of water with a few squirts of lemon juice to avoid oxidation. Repeat with remaining quince.

Place reserved peels and cores in a cheesecloth and tie the ends with twine. Add to the pot with simple syrup and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a low simmer and cook until the liquid becomes light red in color, about 45-50 minutes. Discard the cheesecloth pouch. Strain syrup though a fine-mesh sieve or clean cheesecloth.

Quickly rinse quince slices, then transfer to a large pot. Cover with the quince syrup. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer. Poach quince until tender but not mushy, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer quince and syrup to a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice to stop the quince from cooking further.

For the streusel: Melt the butter in a microwave or small saucepan, and set aside. Combine the sugar, flour, almond meal and salt. Stir in half the melted butter, and mix in until it begins to clump, then add the rest of the butter, and blend with your fingertips until little crumbs form. Set aside until ready to assemble cobbler.

For the cobbler: Preheat oven to 350°, and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a portable mixer), cream 1/4 cup butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Lower speed to medium and add the egg, mixing until well incorporated. Add rum and increase speed to high and cream until fluffy again.

In a separate bowl, combine almond meal and flour. With mixer at low speed, add the almond meal mixture to the butter mixture in thirds, scraping down the bowl between each addition.

Spread batter about 1/2-inch thick in prepared baking dish. Strain quince, reserving syrup. Layer quince evenly over the batter. Scatter streusel over the top.

Bake cobbler until golden, about 30 minutes. Serve warm with Ginger Ice Cream and a drizzle of reserved quince syrup.

Ginger Ice Cream

Makes about 1 quart

The ice cream base can be made a day ahead, then churned in an ice cream maker on Thanksgiving Day.

• 3 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup peeled, minced fresh ginger
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 large egg yolks

Instructions: In a small nonreactive pot, bring 1 cup milk and the cream to a boil. Turn off heat and add ginger. Steep for 2 hours then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small nonreactive bowl and reserve. Discard ginger.

Add remaining milk, sugar and salt to a heavy-bottomed nonreactive pot; scald by bringing just to the boiling point, then immediately remove pot from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks. Slowly pour half the hot milk mixture from the pot into the yolks in a steady stream, whisking constantly, then return the entire mixture back to the pot, whisking.

Simmer mixture over low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until temperature reaches 168º on an instant-read thermometer.

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a nonreactive stainless steel or ceramic bowl that is set into an ice bath. Stir occasionally; when mixture is cool to the touch, add ginger-infused milk.

Refrigerate until very cold. Place in an ice cream machine and process according to manufacturer's instructions. Store in freezer if not serving right away. Serve with Quince Cobbler.