The Charmed Kitchen

Halloween Burger Buns

There has been some talk in the news lately about hamburger buns. Seems a fast food restaurant decided to make black hamburger buns for a Halloween promotion. Some people had issue with all the food coloring in them, specifically the black food coloring. I came up with an idea for a Halloween burger bun that I think is better. I used cooked pumpkin in the buns for a little touch of orange color and black sesame seeds on the top. You could certainly add a little orange food coloring if you want them a brighter shade of orange. Turmeric could add some natural color, too. I like them the way they are.

Halloween Burger Buns

1 c. water
1 c. cooked pumpkin or squash
¼ c. brown sugar
2 t. salt
2 pkt. Yeast
4½ -5½ c. flour
2 eggs, beaten, reserve 2 T. for brushing the rolls
Black sesame seeds

Heat together water and squash until warm. Place sugar and salt in large bowl and pour in squash mixture. Cool to lukewarm. Add yeast and 2 cups of flour. Beat at medium speed with mixer for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup flour and eggs and continue mixing. Add flour gradually to form a stiff dough. Knead on floured board for 7-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning dough to coat evenly. Cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled, about an hour. Punch dough down and divide into pieces. You should get about 18. Shape into rolls. Place on greased baking sheet and flatten a little. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30-40 minutes. Combine reserved egg with a couple of tablespoons of water and brush over the rolls. Sprinkle with the black sesame seeds. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. Makes 1 ½ dozen. You can certainly make the rolls larger, or smaller, depending on the size burgers you want. For slider sized buns, you should end up with about 30.
Variation: you can also add ½ t. ground nutmeg, 1-2 T. chopped chives or 1 T. parsley flakes or ½ t. cayenne for a little different flavor.

Fried Brown Rice with Veggies

 This might not be what comes to mind when you think fried rice. I love fried rice from the local Chinese restaurant, but I like this recipe so much better. For starters, it is made with brown rice, which I really prefer. It also has a lot more veggies in it than more traditional fried rice. The additional veggies add a lot of flavor and texture and also makes it a pretty dish. I make it often, swapping out veggies based on what I have, and what is in season.  This is the version I made the other night.

Fried Brown Rice with Vegetables

3 T. oil
1 c. thinly sliced carrots
1 onion, sliced thin
1 clove minced garlic
1 large sweet pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1 c. thin sliced zucchini
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1 T. water, optional
2 c. green beans, sliced or pea pods, washed and trimmed
1 c. cold cooked brown rice
4 T. soy sauce
chopped green onion, optional

Place wok over high heat. Add oil when wok is hot. Add carrots and stir-fry 1 minute. Add onion, garlic and pepper and stir-fry 1 minute more. Add zucchini, mushrooms and beans or peas, stir-frying until vegetables are tender crisp, about 2-3 minutes more, adding water if needed. If needed, add extra oil as well. Add rice and stir-fry until just heated through. Add soy sauce and top with onions if you like. Serves 6.

Apple and Pear Cobbler

While cobblers can be made with any number of different fruits,  I really love the combination of apples and pears. It is one of the simplest desserts you can make from scratch, and one of my favorites, for sure.  In the time it takes to preheat the oven, you can have it ready to bake. This recipe calls for baking mix, like Bisquick. I make my own- recipes follows, but use what you like. The cobbler is fine served plain, or with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream. It can also be served cold, but I prefer to serve it warm.

Easy Apple and Pear Cobbler

4 c. peeled and sliced apples and pears

½ c. sugar

1 T. plus 2/3 c. baking mix (Like Bisquick or Jiffy Mix or even homemade)- recipe follows

1-2 t. cinnamon

2 T. packed brown sugar

¼ c. butter

2 T. milk

In 1-quart shallow casserole, combine fruit, sugar, 1 tablespoon of the biscuit mix and cinnamon. In medium bowl combine remaining biscuit mix with sugar. Cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Stir in milk to make a soft dough. Drop by spoonfuls over fruit mixture. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into dough comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Baking/ Biscuit Mix

8 cups sifted, all-purpose flour
1 c. powdered milk
1 c. powdered buttermilk
¼ c. baking powder
1 T. salt
2 c. shortening*
Sift dry ingredients together 3 times. Cut in shortening to resemble cornmeal. Keep in an airtight container. Store in a cool dry place and use within six months.

*You can use butter or coconut oil in place of the shortening. Just store in the fridge, if you do.

Apple and Bacon Saute

 I wanted a side dish to go with a dinner that I was having with friends. I had plenty of apples, but not much time. I also wanted something other than applesauce. I decided to saute apples with bacon. It was a big hit. The smokiness of the bacon worked great with the tart apples. We had it with roasted chicken, but I could see this dish pairing nicely with a pork roast, too.

Apples with Bacon

6 slices thick-cut bacon

7 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced – I used tart apples

1/3 c. brown sugar, or to taste

salt and pepper to taste

hot pepper sauce to taste

Chop bacon and cook in skillet until crisp. Spoon out some of the fat from the pan- leave a couple of tablespoonfuls in the pan. Add apples to the bacon in the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring often, until apples are tender and have started to caramelize. Add sugar and seasonings and heat through. Serves 4-6.

I remember having crumb cake as a kid and loving it. The tender cake and crunchy topping seemed the perfect combination to me. Even today I would rather have a crumb topping on a cake than frosting. This recipe hits all the right notes. Sweet with pear and apple chunks throughout, and that crunchy topping that I love. If you prefer, you can also make the cake with all apples or all pears- just have 2 cups of chopped fruit, in total.

Pear and Apple Crumb Cake

Pear and Apple Crumb Cake

For cake batter:

2 c. flour

2 t. baking powder

½ t. salt

½ stick (¼ cup) butter, softened

¾ c. sugar

1 egg

½ c. milk

1 c. chopped peeled, cored apples*

1 c. peeled, cored and chopped pears*

For topping:

½ c. sugar

¼ c. flour

½ t. cinnamon

½ stick (¼ c. butter, chilled and cut into bits)

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and milk. Add flour mixture gradually until just mixed in. Fold in fruit. Grease and flour an 8 or 9-inch pan and add prepared batter. Combine topping ingredients until they resemble coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter in pan and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven and bake for 35-45 minutes. Use toothpick to test.

Note: I used a 9-inch square pan and it worked fine.

*You can also use all pears or all apples, if you prefer.

Sauerbraten

I was asked to make Sauerbraten for a dinner over the weekend. It is a richly flavorful dish, that is worth the extra effort. Sauerbraten is not a spur of the moment dinner. The meat is marinaded in a combination of vinegars, wine, veggies and spices for 3-5 days before cooking. It gives the meat a unique flavor. The sauce is finished with gingersnaps. Yes, cookies in the gravy. This recipe came from my sister Cindy.

Sauerbraten

Marinade:
1 c. red wine vinegar
½ c. cider vinegar
½ c. red wine, burgundy is traditional
1 large onion, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
top from 1 bunch celery
few sprigs of fresh parsley or 1 T. dried
1 bay leaf
4 whole cloves
3 whole allspice
½ t. whole peppercorns
1 t. salt
4- 6 lb. lean boneless chuck roast
additional flour for dredging
⅓ c. oil or shortening
2 c. warm water
¼ c. flour

1 T. sugar
1 c. crushed gingersnaps
water

Combine marinade ingredients in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Add meat and cover. Refrigerate 3-5 days. Tum meat at least once a day. Remove meat from marinade and pat dry. Dredge in flour. Heat oil in Dutch oven and brown meat in pan. Add warm water and simmer, covered, for 1- 2 hours or until fork tender. Start testing meat for doneness after the first hour. Remove meat to platter and keep warm while sauce is being prepared.

For sauce, strain the pan juices and discard solids. Skim off any fat. Return the juices to the Dutch oven and keep hot. In small bowl combine the ¼ c. flour, sugar, and gingersnaps. Stir in cold water until smooth paste is formed. Whisk this paste into the hot marinade and simmer, stirring until thickened. If it’s not thick enough, make a little more paste with flour and water. Serve meat sliced thin, with sauce on the side, and hot cooked noodles, potato dumplings, or spaetzle.
Serves 8 – 12.

Caramelized Onion Relish

One of my favorite appetizers is caramelized onions. I made them recently for a party and they were a big hit. Slow cooked to bring out all the sweetness, they can be served with crusty breads, cheeses, smoked meats or crackers. I sometimes spread them on French bread and top with cheese then bake until toasty. They cook down a lot, so make plenty. I add them to pasta dishes and soups, too. You can also freeze leftovers.

Caramelized Onion Relish

2 lbs. Onions, chopped

3 T. oil

1 t. salt

2 T. brown sugar

¼ c. balsamic vinegar

Dash red hot pepper sauce

Paprika

Sauté onions in oil with salt over low heat for 35-45 minutes. Onions should begin to caramelize and brown without burning. Add remaining ingredients and cook slowly another 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings, if needed and serve warm with crusty bread, crackers or smoked meats.

Homemade Spaetzle

For a family birthday party, I had a request for an Octoberfest- themed dinner. A number of the guests asked for the recipes, so I will be sharing them. Over the next few days, I will be posting recipes for many of the dishes I made that night. I’ll start with the spaetzle.

Spaetzle are easy to make little dumplings that can serve as the noodles in all sorts of dishes. The dough is a thick batter, dropped into boiling water, and cooked until the spaetzle float to the top and simmer for 5 minutes or so. They come out in all sorts of shapes, which adds to the charm. Serve as is, or you can brown them in a little butter first.

Homemade Spaetzle

3 eggs
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. flour

Combine all ingredients and let rest 30 minutes. Drop by small spoonfuls into boiling water. Cook until they float and puff up, about 5 minutes. Serve with soups, stews sauces. You can toss them with a little butter. I sometimes heat butter in a pan and brown them up a little. You can also add some fresh, chopped herbs to the batter.

Rainbow Marshmallows

I have posted my recipe for homemade marshmallows before. They are really easy and I make them often. For a party, I made them in assorted colors. These are for a child’s birthday party, so I went with teal and purple to match the birthday cake. Whether it is a birthday party, a holiday, or supporting a team, you can tint your homemade marshmallows almost any color, for any number of occasions. Or maybe, just tint them because it’s fun.

                       Marshmallows

1/2 c. cornstarch

1/2 c. powdered sugar

small amount of butter

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/3 c. water

2/3 c. corn syrup

1/2 t. vanilla

Combine cornstarch and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Butter an 8x8x2 inch-baking pan. Sprinkle with some of the cornstarch mixture. Reserve the rest of the mixture for use later on. Combine the gelatin, granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until gelatin is dissolved. Pour gelatin mixture into a large bowl, adding the corn syrup and vanilla.* Beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 15 minutes. Be precise on the timing. The mixture will be thick and fluffy, marshmallow cream, actually. Pour mixture into the prepared pan, spread evenly and refrigerate overnight. The next day, sift some of the reserved cornstarch mixture over the marshmallows. Sprinkle some more of the coating mixture on a work surface and turn the marshmallow out onto the prepared surface. Cut the marshmallows into 1-inch squares, coating as you go. The marshmallows are very sticky until completely coated. Allow to dry on a rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. Makes about 4 dozen candies.

You can swap out flavorings- using maybe mint or lemon in place of the vanilla. You can also add a few drops of food coloring, if you like. Oh, and when you are at the rolling the pieces around in the cornstarch and powdered sugar stage of the process- don’t wear black. You’ll thank me later for that.

*This is when you add food coloring, if desired.

Pumpkin Squares

I made this cake last night for a class at Graf Growers in Akron. While they are called pumpkin squares, truth is you can make them from pretty much any winter squash. OK, maybe not spaghetti squash, but most any other winter squash. I used Hubbard squash in this recipe and they were really great. This recipe has been part of our family for years now. The original recipe came from Bisquick, but it had 2 cups of sugar in it. My Mother’s sensibilities kicked in and she cut the sugar down to one cup. Great move on her part. The cake is still plenty sweet with less sugar. It mixes and bakes up in no time. I normally top it with cream cheese frosting, but it would be good with a simple powdered sugar glaze or even just a dusting of powdered sugar mixed with a little cinnamon. The texture is moist and tender and I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.

Pumpkin Squares

1 c. sugar
½ c. oil
16 oz. cooked pumpkin, canned, fresh (preferred) or frozen
4 eggs, beaten
2 c. biscuit mix (homemade or Bisquick or Jiffy Mix)
2 t. cinnamon
½ c. raisins, optional
Grease a jelly roll pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat first 4 ingredients for 1 minute. Stir in mix, cinnamon and raisins. Pour in prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick. Cool and frost. Frosted cake must be kept refrigerated between servings.

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
2/3 c. butter
2 T. milk
2 t. vanilla
3 c. powdered sugar, or more
Beat together until smooth.