Desserts - Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's double post deals with desserts, and includes Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and Caramel Apple Bars. Enjoy!

APPLE-PUMPKIN BROWN BETTY

This is from the Food Network. Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 2 hours 20 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Level: Easy

You can view this online at https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/apple-pumpkin-brown-betty-recipe-2108907.

Ingredients

1 2-to-3-pound sugar pumpkin

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup cubed bread (preferably from a baguette)

2 Gala apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup golden raisins

1 tablespoon rum (optional)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Kosher salt

Maple syrup, for drizzling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slice off and reserve the top 1 1/2 inches of the pumpkin. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 4 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the apples, brown sugar and raisins to the skillet and cook until the apples are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the rum, vanilla, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Return the bread to the skillet.

Put the pumpkin in a small baking dish and fill the pumpkin with the apple mixture. Cover with the pumpkin top and add 1 inch of boiling water to the baking dish. Cover loosely with foil and bake until the pumpkin is tender, 2 hours to 2 hours, 30 minutes. Remove the foil and pumpkin top and return the stuffed pumpkin to the oven. Bake until the filling is lightly browned, about 10 more minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and drizzle with maple syrup. To serve, scrape the pumpkin flesh and stir into the apple mixture.

APPLE-CRANBERRY DESSERT

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, and begins, “Bake someone happy with a cranberry-studded apple dessert crowned with a crunchy topping.”

Ingredients
6 cups sliced peeled apples (about 6 medium)

2/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons maple-flavored syrup

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2/3 cup quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened Vanilla ice cream, if desired

Directions

Heat oven to 375ºF. In large bowl, mix apples, cranberries, cinnamon, syrup and lemon juice. Spoon into ungreased 8-inch square baking dish.

In medium bowl, mix remaining ingredients except ice cream with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit mixture.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until apples are tender, juices are bubbly and topping is golden brown. Cool about 30 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft):

Bake 43 to 48 minutes.

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

This is from the Food Network, and begins, "Get ready to meet your new favorite fall cookie! Pumpkin and chocolate chips make a powerful pair in these cakey treats with rich pumpkin pie spice flavor and loads of semi-sweet morsels. The cookies don't spread much in the oven, so flattening the dough is key."

Active Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 55 minutes; Yield: About 4 dozen cookies; Level: Easy

View this online at https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies-8899244.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

One 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment.

Whisk the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Add the butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla and beat until combined.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto each prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Flatten each mound into a 2 1/2-inch round with slightly wet hands. The cookies will not spread much during baking.

Bake until the cookies are set and lightly golden around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

When the baking sheets have cooled completely, repeat with the remaining dough to bake more cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Cook’s Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)

CARAMEL APPLE BARS

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, and begins, “Do you have extra apples but don’t feel like making a pie? Try this easy-to-make bar with layers of brown sugar and oats surrounding apples and melted caramel.”

Ingredients

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/4 cup shortening

1 3/4 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

4 1/2 cups coarsely chopped peeled tart apples (3 medium)

3 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1 bag (14 ounces) caramels

Directions

Heat oven to 400ºF. Mix brown sugar, butter and shortening in large bowl. Stir in 1 3/4 cups flour, the oats, salt and baking soda. Reserve 2 cups oat mixture; press remaining oat mixture in ungreased rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches.

Toss apples and 3 tablespoons flour; spread over mixture in pan. Heat caramels over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted; pour evenly over apples. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture; press lightly.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender. For 36 bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows while warm. Store covered in refrigerator.

The recipe ends with, “Did You Know...

“Rolled oats are whole oats that have been steamed and flattened.

“Quick-cooking oats differ from regular—or old-fashioned—oats in that they’re cut into pieces before being steamed and are rolled into thinner flakes.”

PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

This is from Ravneet Gill and adapted by Charlotte Druckman at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Charlotte wrote, "What makes these cookies truly 'perfect' isn’t anything radical; it’s simply an attention to detail. The pastry chef Ravneet Gill was meticulous in developing her recipe, and all of her instructions exist for a reason. When she tells you to chill your dough overnight, don’t think you can skip over that. (If you do, your cookies will spread.) When she instructs you to roll the dough into balls before transferring them to the fridge to rest, do as she says, and you’ll get a nice plump, domed cookie instead of a sad flat one. Don’t go swapping in milk chocolate for dark, and chop the chocolate into large chunks for those dramatic, dense puddles of goo. One allowance: If you don’t have Maldon salt, another flaky salt or even kosher salt will do."

Time: 30 minutes, plus 12 hours' chilling; Yield: 14 cookies

This was featured in "A ‘Perfect’ Chocolate Chip Cookie, and the Chef Who Created It", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021435-perfect-chocolate-chip-cookies.

Note: The article that this recipe was in ("A 'Perfect' Chocolate…, link above) is well worth the read. Check it out!

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), softened

Scant 3/4 cup dark brown sugar

2/3 cup superfine sugar

1 large egg

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon Maldon sea salt (or kosher salt)

6 ounces dark (bittersweet) chocolate, chopped into large chunks

Preparation

Put the butter and both sugars in a stand mixer or mixing bowl. Cream together using a paddle attachment on medium speed, a handheld electric whisk or a wooden spoon for 1 to 2 minutes until paler but not fluffy. (Do not mix for too long; if you beat the mixture until super light and fluffy, that will cause the cookie to deflate later when cooking.)

Add the egg and beat over medium speed until evenly combined.

In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (all the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt), then fold into the butter mixture using a rubber spatula until combined.

Add the chopped chocolate and fold into the dough until evenly distributed.

Immediately scoop out heaping 1/4-cup portions, roll into balls and place on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 12 hours. (If space is tight, you can condense them on one sheet before refrigerating then redistribute among two sheets before baking.)

The next day, heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make sure the dough balls are evenly spaced out among two baking sheets, as they will spread. Bake the cookies for 13 minutes (or 15 minutes if baking from frozen), until the cookies are puffed and golden at the edges. You want the middle to be ever so slightly not-quite set.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet; they will continue firming up as they cool. Once cooled, eat! (These cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The balls of dough will keep for up to 2 days in the fridge or 2 weeks in the freezer.)

SIMPLE WATERMELON ICE CREAM

This is from a Publix email. Servings: 6; Active Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 6 hours, 16 minutes

To view this online, go to https://ww4.publix.com/recipes-planning/aprons-simple-meals/barbecue-cheddar-chicken-pasta-with-simple-watermelon-ice-cream. It comes with another recipe (Barbecue-Cheddar Chicken Pasta).

Note: Remove ice cream from freezer 15 minutes before serving for easier scooping.

Ingredients

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled/grated

2 cups fresh watermelon chunks

4 fresh mint leaves

3 cups heavy whipping cream

1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Plastic wrap

Directions

Peel ginger, then grate (2 tablespoons). Place watermelon in blender (or food processor); blend until smooth and pureed. Add mint leaves; blend until combined.

Beat whipping cream, condensed milk, ginger, vanilla, and salt with electric mixer on high until stiff peaks form. Slowly pour in 1 cup watermelon mixture, while continuing to beat on high, until combined.

Pour cream mixture into large loaf pan. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of cream mixture to help prevent ice crystals. Freeze 6 hours (or overnight) until firm. Serve. (Makes 8 servings.)

Taco Tuesday

If you love tacos as much as I do, you won't mind another Taco Tuesday post. Today's vegetarian tacos (yes, you can have tacos without meat!) include Black Bean Tacos with Roasted Peppers and Onions and Delicious Vegan Battered ‘Fish’ Tacos. Enjoy!

DELICIOUS VEGAN BATTERED 'FISH' TACOS

This comes from PETA. Makes 6 tacos.

To view this online, go to https://www.peta.org/recipes/fish-tacos/.

Ingredients

1 pkg. Gardein fishless filets

1 tsp. oil or lime juice

6 medium-sized corn tortillas

1/2 cup guacamole or 1 avocado, sliced

Diced onion (optional)

Chopped cilantro (optional)

Jalapeño slices (optional)

Lime juice (optional)

Instructions

Cook the fishless filets according to package directions.

Warm the oil in a pan over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan and cook, turning once, until softened.

Remove from the pan and spread with 1 tablespoonful of the guacamole.

Cut the cooked fishless filets into strips and place 3 strips on the tortilla. If desired, top with diced onion, chopped cilantro, and jalapeño slices and drizzle with lime juice.

Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Serve with salsa, vegan sour cream, or vegan tartar sauce.

SOFT VEGGIE TACOS WITH JACK CHEESE

This is from the November/December 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 41), and begins, "Red chile sauce, a spicy Mexican condiment served on enchiladas, heats up zucchini, yellow squash and cauliflower in this recipe." Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/soft-veggie-tacos-with-jack-cheese/.

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced (1 cup)

4 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 tsp.)

5 cups cauliflower florets (from 1 large head)

2 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch rounds (about 9 oz.)

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch rounds (9 oz.)

2 cups canned medium red chile sauce, such as Las Palmas

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 3 oz.)

12 4-inch corn tortillas or 6 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas, warmed

Preparation

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté 4 minutes, or until soft. Stir in garlic. Add cauliflower, yellow squash and zucchini. Sauté 2 minutes. Add chile sauce; bring to a simmer.

Cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro, and add cheese. Spoon mixture into warmed tortillas, and serve.

ROASTED ROOT VEGGIE BREAKFAST TACOS

This is from Leyla Shamayeva, MS, RD at VeryWellFit. Leyla wrote, "Enjoy a heartburn-friendly taco…for breakfast! These don’t contain a single heartburn trigger—no spicy jalapeños, chili pepper, paprika, BBQ sauce, garlic, onions, or acidic lime juice. However, you’ll still get the traditional Mexican flare from spices like cumin and coriander, corn tortillas, and lime zest."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Servings: 2 (1 taco each)

To view this online, go to https://www.verywellfit.com/heartburn-friendly-breakfast-tacos-4129420.

Ingredients

1 small sweet potatoes, cubed (1/4” - 1/2” pieces)

1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced (1/4” rounds)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon salt

Zest of 1/2 lime

1 cup canned black beans (mashed)

2 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix the sweet potatoes and carrots with olive oil, cumin, coriander, salt, and lime zest. Transfer to the baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes.

Once the vegetables are ready, spread the mashed black beans on the tortilla and top with the veggies.

See the serving tips below for additional topping suggestions.

Ingredient Substitutions and Variations

Swap in your favorite root vegetables if you’re not a fan of carrots and sweet potatoes—turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, radishes, and kohlrabi are good choices that won’t trigger heartburn.

You can also use a different kind of bean if you don’t have the black variety handy.

Cooking and Serving Tips

The roasted vegetables explode with flavor, so you can easily enjoy these breakfast tacos without anything added. They’ll feel more like breakfast topped with an egg or lime-zested yogurt though. You can add a fried egg, cooked in half a teaspoon of olive oil, and sprinkle with a little bit of lime zest for an additional 90 calories. Alternatively, top with 2 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt mixed with zest from half a lime for an additional 35 calories.

You can serve these tacos traditionally, with a double tortilla, but it’s important to keep portions in check when you have heartburn. Larger meals tend to increase abdominal pressure and force acid past the barrier between your stomach and esophagus. If you think you’ll feel full with a single tortilla layer, stick to that.

To save time in the morning, prepare the veggies and black bean mash the night before and simply assemble your taco in the morning.

BLACK BEAN TACOS WITH ROASTED PEPPERS AND ONIONS

This is from September 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 83), and begins, "For a fast meal that’s a surefire crowd-pleaser, these tacos fit the bill." Makes 8 servings in 30 minutes or less

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/black-bean-tacos-with-roasted-peppers-and-onions/.

Ingredients

Roasted peppers and onions

3 red bell peppers, thinly sliced (3 cups)

1 large onion, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)

1 Tbs. olive oil

Tacos

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)

6 cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbs.)

2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz. can diced organic fire-roasted tomatoes

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 Tbs. ground cumin

1/8 tsp. hot sauce, or more to taste

16 organic corn taco shells, warmed

Toppings

3 cups shredded lettuce

1 16-oz. container prepared salsa

2 large tomatoes, diced (2 cups)

2 avocados, diced (2 cups)

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup low-fat sour cream

Preparation

To make Roasted Peppers and Onions: Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss peppers and onion with oil on large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes, stir, and roast 15 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender and peppers are beginning to blacken. Transfer to small bowl.

Meanwhile, to make Tacos: Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute more, or until fragrant. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, and 1 cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Mash beans until filling is thickened, but chunky, and most beans remain intact. Adjust seasonings, if necessary. Transfer to serving bowl. Pass taco shells, filling, Roasted Peppers and Onions, and Toppings around the table.

VEGETARIAN TACOS WITH AVOCADO SAUCE

This comes from Jeanine and Jack on their wonderful site, Love & Lemons.

This recipe begins, "These easy vegetarian tacos are filled with black beans, roasted vegetables, and a delicious creamy avocado tomatillo sauce. Feel free to use any roasted vegetables you like here. Sweet potatoes, winter squash, poblano peppers, and/or roasted onions would all be great."

Serves 2-3

To view this online, go to https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegetarian-tacos/#wprm-recipe-container-46265.

Ingredients

1 small Japanese eggplant, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 cup chopped summer squash

1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced

extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

6 tortillas

1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed

1 avocados, diced

chopped cilantro

1 serrano pepper, sliced, optional

crumbled cotija cheese, optional

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Avocado Tomatillo Sauce

1/3 cup tomatillo salsa

1/4 cup pepitas

1/2 avocado

handful of spinach

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

lime juice, to taste

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the chopped eggplant, squash, red pepper and tomatoes onto the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper and roast until golden brown around the edges 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a food processor, blend together the tomatillo salsa, pepitas, avocado, spinach, olive oil, lime juice and pinches of salt and pepper, to taste. Chill until ready to use.

Assemble the tacos with the black beans, roasted vegetables, diced avocado, cilantro, serrano, and cotija, if using, and generous scoops of sauce. Serve with extra sauce on the side.

Notes

Store extra sauce in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

MEXICAN STREET TACOS

This comes from Chungah and her wonderful site, Damn Delicious. If you've never run across this site, I highly reecommend checking it out. Seriously. Go ahead, I'll wait…

Okay, so starts off with the disclaimer, "Easy, quick, authentic carne asada street tacos you can now make right at home! Top with onion, cilantro + fresh lime juice! SO GOOD!"

Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://damndelicious.net/2019/04/18/mexican-street-tacos/. If you're like me, you'll also enjoy the intro to the recipe. Check it out!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

12 mini flour tortillas, warmed

3/4 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, lime juice, 1 tablespoon canola oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano.

In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine soy sauce mixture and steak; marinate for at least 1 hour up to 4 hours, turning the bag occasionally.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add steak and marinade, and cook, stirring often, until steak has browned and marinade has reduced, about 5-6 minutes, or until desired doneness.

Serve steak in tortillas, topped with onion, cilantro and lime.