A Valentine's Dinner At Home

Hello and happy Wednesday! 

This year, Boo and I decided to stay home for Valentine's Day.  We have typically celebrated with an evening out, but opted for a home cooked meal instead.  Here's a sneak peak at our evening...

I set a flower-free table, and used candles instead

water, wine and champagne glasses 

Our menu -- 

A champagne toast topped with a Simple and Crisp blood orange slice

 Garlic rubbed ciabatta with ricotta and balsamic burst tomatoes

Truffled Parmesan and lemon risotto with a seared sea scallop served with a simple mixed green salad

Individual molten chocolate cakes

What did you do for Valentine's Day?  Stay in? Go out? I'd love to hear! 

xx

Mrs. Wolf

Apple and Pear Cinnamon Skillet Cake

Boo and I received a number of really special wedding gifts. And in all my years of loving to cook, I never had a proper cast iron skillet. I've always used a Le Creuset iron pan and somehow it never really seemed to work like a traditional cast iron skillet. But, lo and behold I got a really big cast iron skillet as a shower gift.  And the rest is history...

I immediately seasoned it and have been treating it like my child ever since. Use, clean, oil. Like any good mother, we have a solid routine going.

I've been experimenting with different cooking methods. Searing, sauteing, broiling and...baking. Ding ding ding we have a winner.  This pan is amazing for baking! So today I present you with a seasonal favorite...pear and apple cinnamon skillet cake inspired by The Pioneer Woman.

Ingredients:
For fruit:

4 ripe pears or apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 stick butter, unsalted

2/3 C sugar

For cake:

1C whole wheat flour

1/2 stick butter, room temperature

1/3C sugar

2 eggs

1/2C plain Greek yogurt 

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 c milk
1 ripe pears or apples, peeled, cored and diced 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Melt butter and sugar (fruit portion of recipe) over medium heat in a 10-12"cast iron skillet 

3. Place pears tightly and evenly on the bottom of the skillet, let them caramelize while you make the batter

4. Cream butter and sugar (cake portion of recipe) with an electric mixer

5. Add eggs, vanilla and Greek yogurt 

6. Mix dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt

7. Gently combine wet and dry ingredients by slowly adding the dry to the wet, mix until combined

8. Add milk and diced apples or pears, stir to combine

9. Pour the batter over the cooked pears in the skillet, with a rubber spatula gently spread the batter evenly

10. Bake for 20-30 minutes, checking for doneness after 20 minutes

11. Once the cake is cooked, remove the skillet from the oven and let cool about 5 minutes (cast iron does an incredible job of radiating heat so the pan will be very hot)

12. Place a plate (that's about the same diameter or slightly larger) over the skillet, with good pot holders, quickly invert the cake in one flip

13. Eat immediately, served warm

beginning melting butter and sugar

arrange the fruit as tightly as you can 

this will become the top of your cake

folding fruit into the batter 

recipe testing without fruit in the batter

(better results with fruit) 

 

baked and ready to flip 

presented on a large white platter

the crispy edges are by far my favorite 

caramel apple...in a cake

texture bomb: crispy edges, soft fruit

cut yourself a big piece

you deserve it

heavenly

with a fork?

or a spoon?

This is a crowd pleasing, belly warming dish. It's best when eaten right away - the texture begins to deteriorate after a day or two.  Poor Boo (or lucky Boo...depending how you read it) has been sampling versions of this cake for weeks. But I think we've found a favorite.

You could easily use only apples or only pears, instead of combining the two if that's what you have on hand or if that's what you prefer. Also I'm imaging this cake with almonds ground into the flour.  I might have to retract my previous statement...I have more baking to do.

What's your favorite way to cook winter fruit?  I'd love to hear how you like this recipe if you try it! Hope you enjoy...

xx,

Mrs. Wolf

Chocolate Drizzled Caramel Corn

We have been having quite a winter in the northeast as of recent.  On Friday we were cozily snowed in; and it gave me a perfect excuse to make something we don't usually indulge in -- caramel corn.  Can someone please list one thing better than caramel and chocolate? Okay, maybe peanut butter and avocado.  And glitter nails.  And diamonds.  But you get the picture: good things in small packages. 

Ingredients:

4C popcorn, popped*

1/3C granulated sugar

1/3C brown sugar

3 tbsp butter, unsalted 

1/4tsp salt

1/4tsp cinnamon

1/2tsp vanilla extract

1/3C almonds, chopped (optional) 

*air popped with no added flavorings is best (cuts down on calories and fat).  plain microwaved popcorn works fine, too. 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees

2. In a heavy bottomed pot (I used this one) melt butter and sugar over medium heat

3. Add salt and cinnamon to melted sugar mixture, stir gently

4. Let the mixture come to a boil, about 3-5 minutes

5. Spread popcorn (and almonds if you are using them) evenly on a large baking sheet, using two if you do not have one large enough

6. Remove caramel from heat, add vanilla and stir gently

7. Pour caramel over popcorn, mix to incorporate evenly 

8. Bake for 20 minutes, stir well and bake another 20 minutes

9. Remove popcorn from oven, spread on a piece of parchment paper and let cool 

10. Over a double boiler, melt chocolate**

11. Drizzle chocolate over popcorn

12. Enjoy 

** if the chocolate isn't melting well, add a drop or two of vegetable oil and combine.  this should help the chocolate melt more evenly.  

what you'll need

popcorn

caramel bubbles 

caramel in action

tasty without drizzle, too

closeup 

parchment drizzle

 full frontal chocolate drizzled finished product

In the interest of full disclosure, I have made this same recipe many, many times since Friday.  I know you are thinking 'it's only been 3 days?!' But, it's that good.  Most recently without the chocolate drizzle and it was just as delish.  Tastes like cinnamon toffee. YES!

What's your favorite way to eat popcorn?  Sweet or savory?  If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear your thoughts!  Hope you enjoy...

xx,

Mrs. Wolf 

Caramel Glazed Apple Donuts

Fall is my season.  Not in a creepy, delusional, possessive way like I think I actually own fall.  I mean, if I owned fall, I would also own 37 Birkins.  Ugh, I need to figure out how that's going to work out.  Boo?

I really love fall because of the cashmere/boots/leather jackets/layering bounty of produce that's readily available.  I can get my paws on so many goodies.  Including...apples! Honeycrisp, gala, jazz, granny smith.  Apples are easily one of my favorite fruits. 

As a newly minted Registered Dietitian, I am eager to provide Boo with healthy, balanced meals.  Enter: donuts.  Here's my rationale...the ratio of batter to apples greatly favors the apples.  So, really -- we are eating fruit for a snack!  Fabulosity. Obviously totally kidding.  These are a treat, not a serving of fruit.  But come on, live a little! 

These donuts are like a softer version of candy apples (which were always my treat of choice when we would go to fairs).  Others opted for fried dough with confectioners' sugar.  But when this lady Wolf was a cub, she would make a bee line for the candy apple stall -- caramel version...I couldn't stand the red candy apples.  Tangent, sorry again. 

Ingredients for 12 donuts:
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder 
1 tsp cinnamon 
1/2 tsp kosher salt 
1 whole egg
1/2C milk (I used skim) 
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla 
2 apples, peeled diced (I used granny smith) 

Directions:
1. Combine dry ingredients 
2. Combine wet ingredients
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
4. Peel and dice apples
5. Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients, then fold in apples
6. Grease the donut pan 
7. Gently pour the apple batter into each donut cavity, being careful not to over-fill them (clean the center piece if there is overrun) 
8. Bake for 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the side of the donut comes out clean
9. Invert donuts onto a cooling rack, and repeat steps 6-8 until all the batter has been used
10. Glaze the donuts with caramel sauce, eat immediately 

Donut pan:

Glazed and ready to go:

Dig in:

Breakfast of champions:

No fork necessary:

Side note: Good non-stick pans are worth their weight in gold/diamonds/Redskins RG III gear/however you measure worth.  Mediocre non-stick pans, while cheap, don't even come close to high-quality pans.  Trust me, invest in this Wilton brand pan if you want to make donuts.  The donuts bake crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. And just popped right out of the pan, it is so slick! Works really well.  And it's coupon eligible at Bed Bath and Beyond.  Yeehaw! 

I'd love to hear from you if you make these donuts!  Did you also make yesterday's caramel sauce?  How did you serve them?  Hope you enjoy...

xx,
The Future Mrs. Wolf

The Easiest Caramel Sauce, Ever

This is not hyperbole.  It really is so easy.  And uses skim milk! We are getting skinnier already.  

Lately, I've been experimenting with this sauce: adding sea salt, vanilla beans and coffee.   And bourbon! But, this is a perfectly easy, basic recipe on its own.  Plus it can be tweaked exactly to your tastes...

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp skim milk 

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp vanilla 

Directions:

1. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat sugar and milk over medium-low heat until until the sugar begins to brown and the sauce begins to thicken, about 10-12 minutes

2. If the caramel sauce is getting too thick, but not yet brown enough, add 2 tbsp skim milk, stir well (but gently) to combine the milk, cook about 2 minutes 
3. Add vanilla, stir to combine (if you added this at the beginning, the vanilla flavor could burn off, so be sure to do this at the end) 
4. Serve immediately

I find this sauce is best when used right away.  Many caramel sauces can sit in a glass mason jar in the refrigerator until you need it.  But, since this recipe calls for skim milk, it just seems to work best when it's used right away. 

You can see the color progress as the sauce cooks longer:

What's your favorite way to use caramel sauce?  Hope you enjoy...

xx,

The Future Mrs. Wolf