Cranberry. Asiago and Walnut Galette

This is a simple pie with big bold flavours.  The Asiago and the Cranberry flavours are very complimentary and your friends and family will love this after dinner treat.  From Food and Drink Autumn 2016

EASY BUTTER PASTRY
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (30 mL) granulated sugar
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
¾ cup (175 mL) cold unsalted butter
3 tbsp (45 mL) ice-cold water

FILLING
¾ cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
⅓ cup (80 mL) all-purpose flour
½ tsp (2 mL) each ground nutmeg and cinnamon
2 cups (500 mL) frozen cranberries, thawed in refrigerator
2 cups (500 mL) grated Asiago cheese, about 5 oz (150 g)
1 cup (250 mL) coarsely chopped walnuts
1 egg plus 2 tbsp (30 mL) water (optional)

1 Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).

2 For pastry, whirl flour with sugar and salt in a food processor until blended. Cut butter into small pieces and scatter over flour mixture. Pulse until coarse crumbs form. With motor running, slowly pour cold water through the feed tube. Whirl just until dough starts to come together. Gather into a ball. Flatten into a thick round. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes.

3 Roll dough or refrigerated pie crust into a 12-inch (30-cm) round. It will be thick. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. In a bowl, stir sugar with flour and seasonings. Add cranberries and toss until coated. Add cheese and nuts and toss with your hands to evenly mix.

4 Tumble onto the pastry round, leaving a 2½‑inch (6-cm) uncovered border of pastry. Move some cranberries to the top so they will be visible when pie is baked. Gently press cranberries into the filling. Fold uncovered pastry up over filling, overlapping edges as needed. Gently press where they overlap. About 5 inches (12 cm) of cranberry mixture will remain uncovered. Cut out a piece of parchment paper that will approximately cover the exposed filling.

5 For a shiny crust, whisk egg with 2 tbsp (30 mL) water and brush over crust. Lay parchment cut-out over filling, but don’t press onto the crust.

6 Immediately reduce oven temperature to 350°F (180°C).

7 Bake until crust is deep golden, about 1 hour. Let rest about a half hour before serving. Pie will keep well at room temperature for at least a day.

Serves 6 to 8

Pecan Pumpkin Cheesecake

A nice holiday treat and a change from the traditional pumpkin pie.  From Food and Drink 2003

1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/3 cup ground pecans or other nut
2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup pureed cooked pumpkin, fresh or canned
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tsp sugar
candied pecans

1. Line base and sides of a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper and brush sides with 2 tbsp melted butter.
2. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, pecans and remaining melted butter.  Mix together and pat into bottom and sides of prepared pan.  Chill crust in refrigerator while preparing filling.
3. Preheat oven to 350F.
4. In a large bowl or a food processor, cream butter and cream cheese together.  Scrape down sides, add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Scrape sides again and beat in pumpkin.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in sour cream, flour, vanilla, lemon zest and juice.
6. Pour filling into chilled base.  Bake cake in centre of oven for 1 hour.  Leave oven door ajar, turn off heat, and let cake sit in oven for 1 hour.  Chill and remove from pan.
7. Whip cream until soft peaks form then beat in sugar.  Pipe or dollop 10 rosettes of whipped cream around the top edge of the cheesecake.  Top each rosette with a candied pecan.  Place remaining pecans around the top of the cake if desired.

Pumpkin Harvest Cheesecake

yum!

3/4 cup chocolate wafer crumbs
1//3 cup finely chopped pecans
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
3 eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp each ground ginger and nutmeg
3 pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch

CRUST:  Heat oven to 350 F.  Combine first three ingredients and press onto bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.  Bake 10 minutes.

FILLING:  Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar and spices.  Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch; blend in pumpkin mixture.  Pour over crust.   Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until centre is just set.  Remove from oven and run knife around rim of pan.  Cool thoroughly at room temperature.  Refrigerate overnight.

**drizzle chocolate over cheesecake for a pretty effect.

Scalloped Potatoes with Porcini and Bacon

For all you healthy eaters out there, go to the salad recipe...:) this is definitely an indulgence.  Mushrooms, bacon, cheese and potatoes!  Yum!  This would be a great side dish for Thanksgiving if you are so inclined.  I did substitute the whipping cream for half and half....my system just can't handle that much cream anymore.  I also couldn't find the dried Porcini Mushrooms - I am not saying they weren't at Foodland, I just couldn't find them with a screaming 3 year old in the cart (the HUGE car cart that won't turn corners very well) so I substituted brown mushrooms and put them in with the onions.  I used some beef broth to substitute the liquid reserved from the mushrooms.  All in all it turned out beautifully!

1 pkg (14g) dried porcini mushrooms
6 strips bacon, thinly sliced
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs (1 kg) potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold
2 cups milk
1 cup whipping cream
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper
1 cup coarsely grated Gruyere cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Butter a casserole that measures about 9 inches square.  Place mushrooms in a small bowl.  Cover mushrooms with about 1/2 cup boiling water.  Let stand while preparing ingredients.
3. In a large frying pan, cook bacon over medium heat until it starts to crisp, about 5 minutes.  Add onion and continue to cook until bacon is crisp and onion is tender, about 5 more minutes.  Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.  Strain mushrooms over a bowl but don't discard liquid.  Squeeze out any liquid from mushrooms into bowl.  Chop mushrooms and stir into bacon mixture.
4. Peel potatoes and slice as thinly as possible, no thicker 1/4 inch.  Place milk, cream and nutmeg in a large wide pan.  Gradually add mushroom liquid, so that any grit at bottom of bowl doesn't get added.  Over medium heat, bring to a simmer.  Add potatoes to simmering milk mixture.  Stir.  Cook just until almost fork tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Using a slotted spoon, remove and spread about half the potatoes into prepared casserole.  Top with half the bacon mixture.  Lightly season with salt and pepper.  Spoon remaining potatoes over top.  Repeat with bacon mixture and seasonings.  Carefully pour milk mixture over top, to evenly distribute.  Bake covered, 30 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and continue to bake until golden and bubbling, about 20 to 30 minutes.  Let stand 15 minutes before serving.