Apple-Cinnamon Clafoutis

Yay, it's reveal day!!!

With the wedding and honeymoon behind us it's been quite the adjustment getting back into our regular routine. Sleeping in doesn't happen when you have work to get to everyday and Tuesday night cocktails are non-existent but instead we're back to the gym and responsibilities. But there is some fun in getting back to reality, I get to get back into my cooking routine with a whole bunch of new and beautiful appliances thanks to our amazing friends and family.

Today's Hurricane Monday kicks off with one of my favorite days, Secret Recipe Club reveal. My Judy The Foodie had some amazing recipes to look through on her blog. I thought to myself if we are going to be locked in the house for the next couple of days/weeks or not going to have power for me to be able to use our pretty new appliances then I wanted to take this weekend and bake up something delicious.

When looking through all her delicious recipes I was hooked on three and it took me a while to final make my decision. I was caught between Banana-Basil Smoothie, Hurricane Hurricane Hurricane Cocktail (for obvious reasons) and then her Apple Cafoutis. I was excited to learn that just as I didn't know this name, neither did she. I liked the idea of this dessert because it was perfect for the fall season with fresh apples and it was a dessert I had never heard of before.

I love new creative treats!

Clafouti is sort of a cross between a flan and a fruit-filled pancake. Any fruit can be used in making this treat, including cherries, pears, peaches and plums, whatever the season or your stomach calls for. It puffs up dramatically during baking, then collapse. The perfect way to serve this is by letting it cool for a minute and then serve warm with a dusting of confectionary sugar. If you are having this for dessert, it would pair perfectly with a nice scoop of french vanilla ice cream or leftovers make a delicious breakfast treat.

We had these right out of the oven after cooling a minute and it was AMAZING! The consistency of the treat was perfect, almost like a puffed apple pancake...yum. 

Apple-Cinnamon Clafoutis 

Makes: 6 ramekins/ servings

Ingredients
For batter:
2 eggs
1 egg white
2/3 cup raw sugar
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup almond milk
4 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla (or almond) extract
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice

For the apples:
1 tbsp butter
4 apples
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp rum (or spiced brandy)

confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or spray 6 ramekins and then dust with a coating of sugar in the bottom of each. Whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, milk, butter, vanilla, cinnamon and lemon juice to form a pancake – like batter.

Peel, core and cut apples into 1/2 ” slices. In a large skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat and then stir in the sugar and rum. Add the apples stirring to coat with the sugar mixture. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften.

Pour 2/3 of the batter evenly into the prepared ramekins. Place the apple slices in the pie pan, reserving the liquid in the skillet to glaze the clafoutis when it’s done baking. Pour the remaining 1/3 of the batter over the apple slices.

Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until it’s golden and the centers are set. Clafloutis is done when golden brown and set in the center (will still be somewhat jiggly).

Pour reserved butter/sugar mixture from skillet over the top of each ramekin. Serve warm or cool.

Photos by A Healthy Jalapeno 
Recipe adopted by My Judy The Foodie

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Enjoy.

Harvest Butternut Squash, Bacon and Spinach Cheese Pizza

I'm BACK!!!

We put on our best, walked the isle, said "I Do", kissed and squeezed, celebrated with friends and family, drank Jack n' lemonades, devoured the Mac n' cheese bar, danced the night away, honeymooned the Cape for Oysterfest and Octoberfest and came home a relaxed, smiling and happy newlywed couple. The last month has been a whole lot of planning, planning and more planning but at the end of the day it was all worth it and we are so happy.

But now... I am back, back in the bloggin' groove!!

(a little NY Groove KISS reference there, lol)

We got home late Saturday night so that we could take our time on Sunday unpacking and watching the football games before heading back to work on Monday. Being that my mind was still on vacation mode, I wanted to end the night with the best honeymoon "harvest" Sunday-night pizza dinner.

This recipe hits every tastebud, a happy blend of sweet and savory with it's all-star ingredient, butternut squash, leading the comfort flavors for fall. We devoured this pie and it just topped off our honeymoon ending it with a smile.

Butternut Squash, Bacon and Spinach Cheese Pizza
Yield: Makes 8 slices

Ingredients
2 cups cubed butternut squash (1/2-inch pieces)
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil, divided
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 ball (16 ounces) store-bought whole-wheat pizza dough, at room temperature
2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach

4 oz fontina cheese, shredded
2 ounces crumbled goat cheese

6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp cornmeal

Heat oven to 400° and put pizza stone on bottom rack (Heating stone with the oven keeps the dough from sicking). Toss squash with 1 tsp oil, salt and pepper. On a baking sheet, cook squash until soft and lightly browned, 25 minutes, stirring halfway through; set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat remaining 1 tbsp oil. Cook onion (season with salt and pepper), stirring, until light brown. Remove from heat. 

Turn oven up to 450°. Sprinkle flour on a flat surface. Press dough into a 15-inch circle or 10" x 16" rectangle. Top with squash, onion, spinach, bacon both cheeses and thyme. Dust stone (or inverted sheet) with cornmeal; place pizza on it and bake until crust is crispy and cheese melts, 10 to 12 minutes.

Photos by A Healthy Jalapeño

Recipe adopted by Epicurious 

I am so excited to be back! My camera-baby is in the repair shop for shutter problems so please excuse my photos for the time being but I promise I will do my best to bring everything back to speed soon. 
I guess I will just have to make this recipe again, yay! :)

Enjoy!