I served this syrup on top of my Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes, and it complemented them beautifully. It would also taste good on just about any sweeter brunch item... plain pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, etc... and my kids even wanted it over ice cream!
This recipe is VERY easy, though it may appear to be time consuming. It really isn't - you only have to stir it occasionally while it's simmering, and then you just leave it alone for at least 30 minutes before serving, so that it can thicken up. It stores well in the fridge, too - just gently warm on the stovetop before serving.
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup apple cider or juice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup (or substitute, such as honey)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
In a large saucepan, combine the syrup ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until slightly thickened. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes
These pancakes were a big hit at our house! I modified a recipe found in Taste of Home magazine, and everyone loved them. Try serving them with the Warm Apple Cider Syrup recipe, or just good old fashioned maple syrup... they're yummy either way!
I doubled the recipe to feed our family of 5, and we had just 5 pancakes left over for lunch the next day... If you have leftovers, too, just cover them and chill (or freeze) until you're ready to use them. Then just pop them into the toaster for a minute or two to warm through, and you're good to go. :)
Since I'm always looking to save time, I know from experience that you may be tempted to skip the egg separation step, and just throw the eggs into the wet ingredients without beating the whites to soft peaks first - but really, they won't get the heavenly light and tender texture that they do from that little step. It only takes a couple of minutes to beat the white to soft peaks and it is SO worth it. (To test the peaks, turn your mixer off and lift the beaters straight up. The egg whites should be able to stand up in peaks, but the tops of the peaks should kind of curl over - sort of like the top of soft serve ice cream. :) ) Then gently fold them into the rest of the batter. Believe me - you won't be sorry that you included that step!! :)
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (almond extract would also be great)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons melted butter or mild vegetable oil
Directions
In a large bowl,combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, vanilla, pumpkin and butter until smooth. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter.
Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot greased griddle. Turn when bubbles begin to form on top of pancakes and underside is golden. Cook until second side is golden brown. Serve with butter, syrup, and whipped cream if desired.
Yield: approximately 15 pancakes
I doubled the recipe to feed our family of 5, and we had just 5 pancakes left over for lunch the next day... If you have leftovers, too, just cover them and chill (or freeze) until you're ready to use them. Then just pop them into the toaster for a minute or two to warm through, and you're good to go. :)
Since I'm always looking to save time, I know from experience that you may be tempted to skip the egg separation step, and just throw the eggs into the wet ingredients without beating the whites to soft peaks first - but really, they won't get the heavenly light and tender texture that they do from that little step. It only takes a couple of minutes to beat the white to soft peaks and it is SO worth it. (To test the peaks, turn your mixer off and lift the beaters straight up. The egg whites should be able to stand up in peaks, but the tops of the peaks should kind of curl over - sort of like the top of soft serve ice cream. :) ) Then gently fold them into the rest of the batter. Believe me - you won't be sorry that you included that step!! :)
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (almond extract would also be great)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons melted butter or mild vegetable oil
Directions
In a large bowl,combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, vanilla, pumpkin and butter until smooth. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter.
Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot greased griddle. Turn when bubbles begin to form on top of pancakes and underside is golden. Cook until second side is golden brown. Serve with butter, syrup, and whipped cream if desired.
Yield: approximately 15 pancakes
Friday, September 10, 2010
Apple Custard Pie
One of my family's favorite fall desserts is this easy but scrumptious apple custard pie that I adapted from a recipe originally found in Taste of Home magazine. One of my brothers-in-law once commented, "Even the smell of this pie just screams 'fall.' " I couldn't agree more. :) It is simply fantastic.
INGREDIENTS:
Pastry for a single-crust pie (store-bought is fine, though I'll be posting my tips for homemade crust soon!)
3 cups peeled, sliced tart apples (about 4 medium)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
CUSTARD:
1 cup heavy cream (or evaporated milk)
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
(If you like a more "custardy" sort of pie, as I do, double this part of the recipe and fill up the pie crust almost to the top with it. There will usually be a tad leftover that won't fit into the crust... maybe a few tbsp or so... but I find it worth it. :) It will add about 5-10 min to the second baking time.)
1) Place unbaked pastry into a deep-dish, 9-inch pie plate. (Most Pyrex pie plates sold in stores today are deep-dish.) Arrange apples over the crust. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over apples. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, for custard, whisk milk, egg and sugar in another small bowl until smooth. Pour custard over the partially-cooked apples.
3) Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.
4) Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.
Refrigerate leftovers.
Tastes great with a bit of whipped cream on top of each slice. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! :)
Yield: 6-8 servings.
Notes about apples for baking: I love baking with Granny Smith apples, and they work very well in this recipe. If you do use them, however, be sure to slice them pretty thinly so that they will be fully cooked and tender when the custard part is done. Golden Delicious apples, especially while they are still on the green side, also work well here, as do Empires and Paula/Ida Reds. Red Delicious apples, despite their name, are NOT delicious in most baking recipes... they're very sweet, and they don't bake up well. Macintosh work well if combined with other, firmer apples, but I don't usually use them by themselves... they disintegrate too easily when baking. When combined with two or three other varieties, however, they add a great flavor to apple pies in general.
INGREDIENTS:
Pastry for a single-crust pie (store-bought is fine, though I'll be posting my tips for homemade crust soon!)
3 cups peeled, sliced tart apples (about 4 medium)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
CUSTARD:
1 cup heavy cream (or evaporated milk)
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
(If you like a more "custardy" sort of pie, as I do, double this part of the recipe and fill up the pie crust almost to the top with it. There will usually be a tad leftover that won't fit into the crust... maybe a few tbsp or so... but I find it worth it. :) It will add about 5-10 min to the second baking time.)
1) Place unbaked pastry into a deep-dish, 9-inch pie plate. (Most Pyrex pie plates sold in stores today are deep-dish.) Arrange apples over the crust. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over apples. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, for custard, whisk milk, egg and sugar in another small bowl until smooth. Pour custard over the partially-cooked apples.
3) Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.
4) Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.
Refrigerate leftovers.
Tastes great with a bit of whipped cream on top of each slice. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! :)
Yield: 6-8 servings.
Notes about apples for baking: I love baking with Granny Smith apples, and they work very well in this recipe. If you do use them, however, be sure to slice them pretty thinly so that they will be fully cooked and tender when the custard part is done. Golden Delicious apples, especially while they are still on the green side, also work well here, as do Empires and Paula/Ida Reds. Red Delicious apples, despite their name, are NOT delicious in most baking recipes... they're very sweet, and they don't bake up well. Macintosh work well if combined with other, firmer apples, but I don't usually use them by themselves... they disintegrate too easily when baking. When combined with two or three other varieties, however, they add a great flavor to apple pies in general.
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