Pear Crostata with Figs and Honey

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

Pears.  Pears and cardamom.  Have you discovered this amazing taste mixture?   I make a Pear Cardamom Butter and it flies off the pantry shelf. Never any left after a week.  Dennis will eat it on his pork, pour some on his pancakes, I saw him use it as salad dressing the other day with balsalmic vinegar.  (I’ll have to create a new recipe around that.) 

I recently saw this Pear Crostata in a Bon Appetit magazine.  It uses the same rustic crust as my Apple Pie.  I love the unfussy look of these pies.  I couldn’t resist making this! 

Filling:

1/4 Cup golden brown sugar

1/4 Cup granulated sugar

2 T cornstarch

1 tsp ground Cardamom

1/4 tsp Cloves

1/4 tsp Salt

2 1/4 pounds firm but ripe unpeeled Anjou Pears (About 4 Cups), cut into eighths

10 dried by moist Calimyrna Figs, stemmed and quartered (About 4 ounces)

Heavy Whipping Cream (For brushing crust)

Raw Sugar

2 T Honey, I got mine from this Honey for Sale online

Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Mix together sugars, spices, cornstarch and salt.  Mix in figs and pears.  Let stand while you make pie crust.

Roll out pie crust on parchment to help you move the Crostata to the baking dish. Crust should be at least 14 inches diameter or make two smaller pies.  Move parchment with pie crust to rimless baking dish (cookie sheet or pizza pan), or large round baking dish.  Mound the pear fig filling mixture on top of the crust, leaving a 3 inch border around the edges.  Using parchment paper fold over the dough up over the pear filling, pleating the edges, pinching to seal any cracks that form. 

Brush crust  edges with cream and sprinkle generously with raw sugar. 

Bake Crostata for 50-60 minutes until pears are tender and juices are bubbling thickly, cover crust with foil to prevent over browning. 

Remove Crustata from oven, and drizzle filling with honey over hot filling.  Run knife along the edges of the baking pan to loosen.  Allow to cool on parchment on baking pan for 1 hour. Transfer to platter. Serve warm or room temperature.

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Double Pork Chops and Apple Gravy

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

2 double cut thick pork chops

Salt and Pepper the Pork Chops.  Sear Pork Chops in cast iron frying pan, and then finish in a 350 degree oven. 

Make pork gravy with apple juice instead of water or broth.  Serve with hot mashed potatoes, add gravy to the plate and lay the

Pork Chop on top of the gravy leaning on the potatoes.  Your guests will love this meal.

Simple, but delicious.

Posted in Dinner Time, Pork | Leave a comment

Bread Pudding Muffins

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

Bread Pudding: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Lightly grease with butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 x 13 x 2 inch (23 x 33 x 5 cm) heatproof baking dish. Place the baking dish into a larger roasting pan that has enough room to fill with water.

For Custard: In an electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs and sugar on high speed until thick and lemon colored (about 4-5 minutes) (when beater is raised the batter will fall back into bowl in a slow ribbon). Beat in the vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. Then beat in the melted and cooled butter and half and half (light cream).
Assemble: Place the bread cubes and fruit (if using) in the baking dish. Carefully pour (or ladle) the prepared custard over the bread cubes until completely covered. Press down the bread cubes so they are covered with the custard.
Prepare a water bath. (A water bath is used to provide temperature protection for the egg custard.) Carefully pour in enough hot water so that the water is halfway up sides of the 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Another way to judge whether the pudding is fully baked, is to gently press down on the center of the pudding. If any custard comes up to the top, the pudding needs to be baked a little longer. Remove the bread pudding from the water bath and cool slightly before serving.
Can be served warm or cold with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar and a dollop of softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Makes one 9 x 13 bread pudding (serves about 8 – 10 people)

Bread Pudding:
9 – 10 cups of bread cubes, (crusts left on or removed) cut into bite sized pieces
Custard:
4 large eggs
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
1 1 /2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 cups (960 ml) half & half, milk, light cream or a combination thereof
Variation: Can replace 2 tablespoons of the milk/cream with 2 tablespoons of brandy or rum.
Note: Use breads (or a combination thereof) like French, Broiche, Challah, Croissant, Italian, or Panettone. The bread can be fresh or stale and crusts can be left on or removed. You can also use day old scones.
Fruit: (Optional)
– 1 large peeled and cored tart apple, diced
– about 1 – 2 cups of fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
– one large diced banana and 2 ounces of chopped white or dark chocolate
– 1 cup sultanas (raisins)
– 1 cup of chocolate chips

 
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Chocolate Torte – Flourless Cake

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

Use the best chocolate you can afford.

This cake is extremely rich, and tastes like the most delicious,
silkiest, most supremely-chocolate ganache you’ve ever had which is also offered and sold by some of the leading online Cake Shops similar to Anges de Sucre cake shop. As
mentioned, it’s equally good a few days later – in fact maybe better the next day.
Use ScharffenBerger chocolate for this cake, you’ll appreciate it when you taste
your first melt-in-your-mouth bite.

10 ounces (290 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
7 ounces (200 g) butter, salted or unsalted, cut into pieces
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200 g) sugar

And any of the following options:
1 T instant espresso/coffee or
1 T vanilla or
2 T Grande Marnier and 1 T Grated Orange Rind (Optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).

1. Butter a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan* and dust it with cocoa
powder, tapping out any excess. If you suspect your springform pan
isn’t 100% water-tight, wrap the outside with aluminum foil, making
sure it goes all the way up to the outer rim, you can also line the pan
with parchment.

2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler (or microwave),
stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar, then whisk in
the melted chocolate mixture until smooth.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and cover the top
of the pan snugly with a sheet of foil. Put the springform pan into a
larger baking pan, such as a roasting pan, and add enough hot water to
the baking pan to come about halfway up to the outside of the cake
pan.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

You’ll know the cake is done when it feels just set, like quivering
chocolate pudding. If you gently touch the center, your finger should
come away clean.

5. Lift the cake pan from the water bath and remove the foil. Let cake
cool completely on a cooling rack.

Serve thin wedges of this very rich cake at room temperature, with
creme anglaise, ice cream, or whipped cream.

Storage: This Chocolate Cake can be wrapped and chilled in the
refrigerator for 3-5 days.

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Pear Butter with Cardamom

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

Pear Butter with Cardamom

by Sandra Nickerson on Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 10:27am
10-12 Barlett Pears – Peel and dice
6 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
3 Cups White or Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons Cardamom powder
1 teaspoon salt

Add lemon and sugar to diced pears and let sit for about an hour. You want juice to come out of the pears. Simmer on the stove and add the Cardamom powder and salt. Boil and still, cooking the mixture down until it is thick and the consistency you want. Use a stick blender to mash up the pears once they are falling apart. (I think it is best to let most of the juice cook out before you mash, because the thicker mixer is quicker to scorch.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Can in water bath for 10 minutes.
Very nice.

Pear-Cardamom Butter

Optionally: You can use orange juice for lemon, brown sugar instead of white and nutmeg instead of cardamom. And you can even use apples instead of pears. Have fun!

Posted in Jams and Jelly, My Pantry | Leave a comment

Bistro Ham and Pepper Jelly Sandwich

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

Ham pulled into small pieces
Kaiser Roll for each sandwich – Lightly Toasted
1 T Marscapone Cheese
1 tsp Pepper Jelly
2 T Marinated Onions
4 slices of Bread and Butter pickles

Mix the marscapone cheese and pepper jelly together. This makes a great spread for many types of sandwiches.
Spread the pepper cheese on the bottom of the Kaiser Roll, top with ham, top with marinated onions or bread and butter pickles.

Very, very good.

Posted in Brunch, Ham, Sandwiches | Tagged | Leave a comment

Baked Pears with Vanilla Ice Cream

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

3 Tablespoons Walnut Oil or butter but remember the Walnut adds a richness that is exceptional.)
6 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Pears: halved, cored, peeled
1/2 C Chardonnay

Mix ingredients in an oven proof pan or frying pan.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or fork tender.
Baste several times with sauce.

Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream

Heaven, I am in Heaven

Simple, Elegant, Delicious.

Denny, I made the pears we did in the cooking class. You should definately try this recipe.
Serves 4, but very easy to double or triple this recipe. Great for a crowd.

If you have leftovers, serve over cottage cheese in the morning for breakfast.

Posted in Dessert - Eat dessert first, Life is uncertain, Fan Favorites | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Dill Pickles

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

My mother made wonderful pickles.  I remember one year she had tasted the neighbors pickles and enjoyed them so much, she used the neighbors recipe.  They turned out way so sour, too much vinegar.  She was so disappointed!  I remember her angst.  Back to her recipe, never to venture again!  Mom made artwork in a jar.  Beautiful to look at as well as to eat.

4 pounds cucumbers, about 4 inches long

1 cup Dill Seed

21 Pepper Corns

3 1/2 tsp Mustard Seed

3 Cups White Vinegar

3 Cups Water

6 T Salt

Variations:  Add one or all to your pickles above

Fresh Dill Weed, Peel Fresh Clove Garlic, Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes, 1 or 2 Bell Pepper Rings, Onion Strips.

Cut cucumbers in half and pack into pint jars tightly.  Into each jar add 2 T Dill Seed, 3 Peppercorns, 1/2  tsp Mustard Seed.  Bring the Vinegar, Salt and Water to a boil.  Ladel into hot jars over cucumbers leaving 1/4 headspace.  Seal. Process 10 minutes in water bath.  Do not over process.  

Posted in Helen's Kitchen, Pickles | Leave a comment

Eggplant Parmesan – Parmigiana di Melanzani

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

1 1/2 pounds eggplant, peeled and cut in 1/2 inch slices

Salt

Flout

1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil

2 cups your favorite pasta sauce

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

1/2 cup freshly greated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Choose a shallow 2 quart baking dish that is attractive enough to serve from and rub with olive oil.

Sprinkle both sides of eggplant slices with salt (to draw out the moisture)  and spread them out in one layer on a platter or board. After 20-30 minutes pat he eggplant dry with paper towels. dip each slice in flour and shake off excess.  In a heavy skillet, in oil, brown both sides of the eggplant. Drain on paper towels.

Pour 1 cup of tomato sauce into the oiled bake and serve pan. Spread the eggplant slices over tomato sauce, top with a layer of mozzarella and parmesan. Repeat with 1 or 2 more layers being sure to finish up with tomato and cheese on top. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake another 10 minutes.  You can place the dish under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese, but be careful not to overdo.

Posted in Dinner Time, Italian Restaurant, Vegetarian | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Meatloaf Sandwich

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Sandy

Came home yesterday and all the meatloaf was gone!  I had my mind set on a meatloaf sandwich.

A bit of mayonnaise on fresh Sheepherder’s White Bread, dill pickle slice and you have a very fulfilling sandwich – a manwich. 

If your guy is anything like mine, a piece of cheddar never hurts. 

This slice is a bit large for a sandwich, but cut one a bit thinner, heat it in your microwave and there you have it.

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