Orange Cream Pie

I love fall desserts.  Hearty cheesecakes, cinnamon apple crisps, and pies as far as the eyes can see is my dream of autumn.

One fall flavor I don’t love: pumpkin.  I wish I did love pumpkin.  Everywhere I see recipe after recipe featuring pumpkin that I have to pass up.  Pumpkin muffins, pie, cake, cheesecake, ice cream, cupcakes, frappacinos…everyone always raves about them, and I feel like I am missing out.

This year I plan to try pumpkin again to see if maybe I was wrong all these years and unconsciously love the orange gourd.  But until then, I still want an orange dessert for October & Halloween.  Enter oranges.  I made this dessert for half-Christmas as my first attempt at any type of pie.  I was very apprehensive making the cream part of the pie, and as I was cooking I was certain that just a few ingredients were not going to come together and thicken.  But lo and behold, they did, and it was wonderful!

This pie tastes light and fresh.  The orange flavor isn’t in your face but subtle and delectable.  The graham cracker crust is perhaps my favorite part- it’s sweet and buttery and crumbles in your mouth.  With a hint of cinnamon, it really is fall-ish.

Happy Halloween everyone!

ORANGE CREAM PIE

Slightly Adapted from Joy the Baker

INGREDIENTS

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter, melted

For the Orange Custard:

3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted

1 cup granulated sugar

1-2 tablespoons orange zest

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

3 egg yolks

1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter

1 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter.  Stir until combined.  Press evenly into a 9 inch pie plate.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Cool completely.

For the Orange Custard:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine cornstarch, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, egg yolks, and milk. Whisking constantly, cook until thickened.

Remove from heat and whisk in butter until incorporated.  Cool for 15 minutes.  Fold in sour cream.  Pour mixture into cooled graham cracker crust.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

Serve with whipped cream.

Cinnamon Butter Gnocchi

Watching the Food Network is a form of torture sometimes.  Watching while hungry makes me jealous of all those well stocked kitchen and all those delicious dishes.  I have learned never to watch it before a time when I can’t eat, such I have to go to class and can’t eat for several hours.  Otherwise, I spend the class daydreaming of Ina’s tarts and Rachel Ray’s voice saying EVOO.

That aside, I love the Food Network.  Watching it exposes me to types of food I have never heard of before.  Gnocchi was something foreign to me, and after hearing about it in a few recipes, I decided I had to know what this potato like pasta tasted like.  I considered making it from scratch myself, but I didn’t have the time to make something so time intensive when I wasn’t sure if I would like it.  Plus our World Market was selling them for extremely low prices- so why not try it. 

So I had my gnocchi from the store, and I immediately began searching for the perfect first recipe to try it out on.  I came across this recipe from Giada and was hooked.  Cinnamon sugar on pasta? Was it dessert, was it dinner?  I don’t know, but I love anything sweet.  I especially love cinnamon, sugar, and butter together.  I loved the sauce, and I love the texture of the gnocchi!  Soft, tender, and light. It was a nice change from normal pasta.  Definitely going to have again (and soon since I still have leftovers).

And since this was like eating dessert for dinner, I ate it with some broccoli.  That counts, right?

CINNAMON BUTTER GNOCCHI

Slightly Adapted from Giada’s Everyday Italian

INGREDIENTS

2 cups uncooked gnocchi

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook gnocchi for 2-3 minutes or until they float.  Drain and set aside.

In a small skillet, melt butter.  Let cook for 5-10 minutes until  butter turns a light tan color.  Stir in sugar and cinnamon.  Add gnocchi and cook until warmed through.

Serves 4 as a side.

Pineapple Fried Rice

I love pineapple.  It’s sweet, juicy, and acidic.  When I buy a pineapple, it’s usually intended for a a variation on Hawaiian pizza.  Then I am left eating the rest of the pineapple for a few days afterward.  Pineapple by itself is delicious, but I wanted a way to jazz it up, give it a feature role in a dish, make it a star! (Read this with a Hollywood agent voice)

I searched through my fridge and found some rice, and brilliance hit me: fried rice! Fried rice is a perfect way to use up leftovers.  This was a great side dish and could easily be made a main dish if you tossed in some shrimp (or dare I say Spam).  Pineapple, welcome to the limelight.

PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE

From Cinnamon Freud

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 cups cold rice

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon hoisin sauce

1/2 pineapple, chopped

2 scallions, chopped

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat sesame oil.  Add cold rice and toss.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, until rice begins to brown.  Stir in soy sauce and hoisin sauce.  Stir in pineapple.  Cook for 3-4 additional minutes.  Remove from heat and top with scallions.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

Some pasta tastes light and fresh- you eat it and feel refreshed.  Some pasta does not.  This pasta is the latter. It’s thick and creamy, and you can feel it sticking to your bones.  In a good way.

When I started cooking for myself, I promised myself that I would try more types of food, including re-trying food that I didn’t like and thus hadn’t eaten in years.  Meet ham, a former mortal enemy of mine.  I have never liked ham (except for ham lunch meat sliced so thin it becomes translucent).

I started out by trying Canadian bacon, thinking my subconscious wouldn’t think I was eating ham since it is labeled as bacon.  So first I tried it on my pizza.  Not only did it not make me gag, I loved it.  But I questioned whether it was my love of pizza, pineapple, and cheese that made me tolerate the ham or not.  So I decided to try it with pasta.

So now I have developed a tentative relationship with ham.  This dish was good, but it was a little too hammy for my personal taste.  People who like ham and chicken cordon bleu will like this pasta.  It is a good hearty pasta for fall.

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU PASTA

Adapted from Cooking Light

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces linguine
Olive oil
8 ounces chicken breast, sliced
5 ounces Canadian bacon, chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 ounces blue cheese
1 cup green peas

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook linguine according to pasta instructions.  Drain and set aside.

Heart skillet over medium heat.  Add olive oil to coat pan.  Cook chicken breast for 6-7 minutes.  Add Canadian bacon and continue to cook until bacon browns, 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

In a small saucepan, whisk together flour and 1/4 cup milk.  Cook over medium heat, whisking in remaining 1 3/4 cup milk and Dijon mustard.  Cook for 6 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken.  Add blue cheese and stir until melted.  Remove from heat.

In a large serving bowl, combine linguine, blue cheese sauce, peas, Canadian bacon and chicken breast.

Serves 4.

Cranberry Chicken Pizza

It was only a matter of time before I put cranberries on pizza.

I debated how I wanted to feature cranberries on one of my favorite types of food.  I considered creating a Thanksgiving pizza (which I resolve to do sometime) but was too lazy to make stuffing and go out and buy turkey.  So, I combined a few simple flavors that all shine on their own.  This is nothing like your typical tomato sauce pizza, and it is not for those unnatural and misguided people who don’t like cranberries.

Homemade pizza is delicious, so go make your own and come up with your own concotions!

CRANBERRY CHICKEN PIZZA

From Cinnamon Freud

INGREDIENTS

For the Pizza Dough:
1 package active yeast
1/2 cup water, 110°F
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Cranberry Sauce:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar sugar
2 cups frozen cranberries

For the Pizza:
Pizza dough
Olive oil
Cranberry sauce
8 ounces cooked chicken, chopped
4 ounces mozzarella, sliced
Garlic Power, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste
3 green onions, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 500°F.

Dissolve yeast in water with sugar. Let sit about 10 minutes until foamy. In a medium bowl combine flour and salt. Add yeast mixture to flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until soft dough forms. Knead dough on floured surface for about 5 minutes.  Let rise 30-40 minutes in a warm place, covered.

In a small saucepan, combine  water and sugar.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Add cranberries and let cook until cranberries begin to split and sauce thickens, about 10-20 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.  Transfer to bowl and refrigerate.

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray or prepare a pizza stone.  Roll out pizza dough to desired thickness.  Spread a little olive oil over pizza.  Spread cold cranberry sauce on top.  Add chicken and mozzarella.  Season with garlic powder, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.  Bake for 8-12 minutes, until edges are golden brown.  Top with green onions.

Serves 2-3.

Sour Cream Spice Cake

Many years ago, it was my sweet sixteen.  My friends threw me a little surprise party.  The best part of the party (besides spending time with good friends of course): the cake.  I had no idea what kind of cake it was, just that it was cake.  I asked no questions, just ate cake (a good rule of thumb). It was delicious.  Since I was the birthday girl, I was given leftover cake to take home.  Surprisingly, a non-chocolate birthday cake became a huge hit with the family.  The mystery cake the bewitched us all was spice cake.

Since then, I have talked about making another cake.  It took over five years, but once again spice cake has graced our family’s table, this time for Allison’s 18th birthday.  A perfect autumn birthday cake.

This was my first attempt at a layer cake, so I was a little intimidated.  The cake was delicious and came together with a little work.  The icing, however, was not as successful.  My cream cheese frosting came out runny and thin.  After refrigerating it thickened enough to eat, but it led to a sweet and soft but messy cake.

So first layer cake: not a complete success, not a complete failure. Just ignore the cream cheese disaster.

SOUR CREAM SPICE CAKE

Slightly Adapted from Taste of Home

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

3 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons all spice

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

Cream cheese frosting

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.  

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Add egg yolks one at a time, fully incorporating the yolk before adding another.  Add vanilla extract and combine.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, all spice, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.  Alternating between sour cream and dry ingredients, mix until just combined.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with hand mixer or whisk until stiff peaks just begin to form.  Carefully fold egg whites into batter.  Divide batter between two cake pans.  Bake 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes.  Run knife along edge and invert cake pan on wire rack to remove cake from pan.  Let cool to room temperature.  Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Orange Cranberry Cookies

What- you don’t have a constant supply of frozen cranberries in your freezer or fridge?

Morale of this recipe: you should.

I love cranberries all year round, but there is something very reminiscent of this time of year when the seasons begin to change.  The summer produce of corn and berries start to be replaced with hearty vegetables like squash and pumpkins and winter fruit like plums and apples.  And of course cranberries, one of the season’s best offerings.

These cookies are a nice, autumn variation.  They are sweet and tart.  I have made these with both cranberries and craisins.  Both types are good, but the one with the craisins is sweeter like a typical cookies and the one with cranberries…well tastes more like cranberries. Also I think some white chocolate chips would make these cookies extremely decadent.  Or add some nuts.  No wrong choices here.

ORANGE CRANBERRY COOKIES

Slightly Adapted from All Recipes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 1/2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped cranberries/dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, ream butter, sugar, and brown sugar together.  Add egg and combine until incorporated.  Mix in orange zest and orange juice.  Add flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir until just incorporated.  Fold in cranberries. Drop by the tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake 13-16 minutes until edges begin to brown.  Cool for 3 minutes on cookie sheet then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes 48 cookies.  Visit the recipe source if you’re interested in adding a glaze.

Herbed Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce

For you poor lost souls who don’t like Thanksgiving food, I am sorry.  I have probably already chased you off with my Cranberry Sauce, or my Thanksiladas, or my No Turkey Required Stuffing, or my Open Face Turkey sandwich. You are missing out.

I absolutely love the taste of Thanksgiving flavors.  I was having a stressful night earlier this week, so I decided I need a nice, autumn dinner.  I would cheer myself up with Thanksgiving food.  So, I opened my cinnamon apple air freshener and got to work.  These meatballs are an easy dinner for during the week.  They would be great served with mashed potatoes or stuffing if you have the time.

HERBED MEATBALLS WITH CRANBERRY SAUCE

Adapted from Pink Parsley

INGREDIENTS

For the Cranberry Sauce:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
2 cups frozen or fresh cranberries

For the Herbed Meatballs:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
10 mushrooms, chopped
16 ounces ground turkey
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoon parsley
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 cup bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425°F.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and water.  Bring to a boil and add cranberries. Cook for about 15-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cranberries begin to open and sauce thickens.  Remove from heat and transfer to serving bowl.  Cool to room temperature.  Chill until ready to eat.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Melt butter.  Add onions and celery and cook 5-7 minutes, until softened.  Add mushrooms and continue to cook 5-7 minutes until vegetables are softened.  Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine onion, celery, mushrooms, ground turkey, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, and bread crumbs.  Mix together.  Form approximately 20 small meatballs and place on baking sheet.  Bake meatballs for 10-15 minutes.  Serve with chilled cranberry sauce.

Serves 4-5.