Ginger Fusion

I think it began with ginger ale, the only soft drink my father would let us kids have and then only if we had the stomach flu.

Then came my maternal grandma’s ginger cream cookies and my paternal grandma’s ginger snaps.

Yes, I think that’s how my love of ginger started. As I became older, I realized that I not only loved ginger in sweet items--cakes, cookies and pies—but I loved it in savory dishes, especially Asian, as well.

I even own ginger-scented cologne and lotion and admit to rubbing a leftover nub of ginger root behind my ears and on my wrists.

However, recently ginger has become an obsession.

This fall I drank copious amounts of ginger tea with honey with the hope that its purported immune-boosting properties would help me fend off colds. (By the way, I didn’t have a cold this winter, so maybe it worked.)

Then I moved on to sucking ginger candy which is supposed to be good for digestion. Sensing a gifting niche, my family gave me ginger tea bags, ginger snaps, crystallized ginger, pickled ginger, ginger scones, and ginger jam for Christmas.

Of course, an all-ginger meal was inevitable. The menu that follows incorporates ginger into almost every item and crosses ethnic boundaries into Mexican, Indian, Jamaican, Chinese, and French cuisine—a perfect fusion.

(Thanks to my dear husband for playing along and doing the dishes and to my dear “neighborhood” friends for “gingerly” joining us.)

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The Menu

Sparkling Ginger Cocktails

Goat Cheese Crostini with

Cranberry-Jalapeño Salsa and Ginger Jam

Spiced Mixed Nuts

Carrot-Ginger Soup with Whole Wheat Bread

Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin

Spiced Rice with Cashews

Ginger-Garlic Green Beans

Ginger Crème Brûlée

Ginger Cream Cookies

Ginger Liqueur

The Recipes

Sparkling Ginger Cocktails

The recipe calls for one tablespoon of the syrup per cocktail, but I found that two tablespoons gave more of a ginger flavor, so I doubled the syrup recipe.

Source: Gourmet, December 2007

Yield: Makes 10 drinks

Ingredients:

¾ c. water
½  c. sliced fresh ginger (2 ounces)
¾   cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 lemon wedges
2 (750-ml) bottles chilled Prosecco or other sparkling wine

Process:

Simmer water, fresh ginger, and 1/2 cup sugar in a small saucepan, uncovered, 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep 15 minutes. Strain syrup through a sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. Chill until cold. Finely grind crystallized ginger with remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a blender or food processor, then spread on a small plate. Run lemon wedges around rims of glasses, then dip rims into ginger sugar. Put 1 tablespoon syrup into each glass and top off with Prosecco. (Syrup can be chilled, covered, up to 2 weeks.)

Goat Cheese Crostini with
Cranberry-Jalapeno Salsa & Ginger Jam

I admit I was a little stumped about how to incorporate ginger in the appetizer. I spread a little goat cheese on toasted slices of a baguette. Then I topped some of the crostini with the Cranberry-Jalapeño Salsa, garnished with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro, and some of them with a spoonful of purchased ginger jam, garnished with a sprinkling of chopped chives.

Cranberry-Jalapeño Salsa

This salsa would be good with tortilla chips or as an accompaniment to chicken or pork dishes.

Source: Southern Living, Dec. 2010

Yield: 2 cups

Pulse 1 (12-oz.) package fresh cranberries and 1/3 to ½ c. sugar in a food processor 3 to 4 times or until coarsely chopped, stopping to scrape down sides. Add 2 to 3 chopped green onions, 1 seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper, 1 T. grated fresh ginger, 1 T. fresh lemon juice, and ½ tsp. salt; pulse 3 to 4 times or until chopped. Stir in ¼ c. chopped fresh cilantro. Cover and chill 2 to 24 hours. (To make ahead, prepare recipe as directed, omitting fresh cilantro. Freeze in an airtight container up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator 12 hours. Stir in cilantro just before serving.)

Spiced Mixed Nuts

The night before the dinner party I found this recipe in a magazine and it fit in perfectly.

Source: Food Network Magazine, January-February 2011

Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients:

1¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. mustard powder
½ c. sugar
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 large egg white
4 c. mixed roasted salted nuts

Process:

Preheat oven to 250°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the spices, sugar and salt in a small bow. Whisk the egg white in a large bowl until frothy. Toss in the nuts, then add the spice mixture and toss until well coated. Spread the nuts on the prepared baking sheet; bake until dry, about 45 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet. (A similar recipe calls for a 300° oven and 20 minutes of baking. I ended up setting my temp at 275° and baking the nuts for about 30 minutes. I think 45 minutes would have been much too long.)

Carrot-Ginger Soup

Instead of garnishing with the chile butter, I topped each serving with a spoonful of purchased crème fraiche and a sprinkling of chopped chives.

Source: Bon Appétit, May 2010

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

Ingredients for chile butter:
¼ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 T. finely chopped green onions (white and green parts only)
¼ tsp. dried crushed red pepper

Ingredients for soup:

2 T. butter
1½ pounds carrots, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1¼ c. chopped onion
1 5-oz. white-skinned potato, peeled, chopped
2½ T. minced peeled fresh ginger
5 c. (or more) vegetable broth or chicken broth
6 T. unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped

Process for chile butter:

Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

Process for soup:

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, potato, and ginger; sprinkle with salt and sauté until vegetables are slightly softened but not brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add 5 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly, then puree in batches in blender until smooth. (I used an immersion blender.)  Return soup to same pot; if desired, add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin soup. Bring to simmer. Season with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with small spoonful of chile butter; sprinkle with nuts.

Easy No-Yeast Wheat Bread

Source: The Advocate (Baton Rouge newspaper)

Yield: one loaf

Ingredients:

1½ c. whole wheat flour
1½ c. white flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1½ c. buttermilk
¼ c. honey
1/3 c. cane syrup
¼ c. plus 2 T. vegetable oil

Process:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a loaf pan with 2 T. of vegetable oil. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients thoroughly using a fork. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir with a fork just enough to combine and a sticky dough forms. Turn into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Remove from pan to cool.

Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin

Source: Adapted from a recipe from my friend Robin Roberts

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1 T. finely minced fresh ginger
¼ c. dark rum
2 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. olive oil
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. soy sauce
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cayenne
¼ tsp. ground allspice
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
1-2 T. vegetable oil
2 pork tenderloins (about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds total)

Process:

Combine all ingredients except the pork in a flat baking dish. Reserve 1/3 of the marinade. Trim the pork and place in the marinade. Turn to coat well. Cover and marinate for 15-30 minutes at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350°. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy, preferably cast iron, skillet. Brown the pork on all sides. Place the pan in the oven and cook until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 150°, about 20-25 minutes. Baste with the reserved marinade during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Cover and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Spiced Rice with Cashew Nuts

I was concerned that the 3 cups of liquid was not enough for the 2 cups of rice, but it turned out great!

Source: Madhur Jaffrey’s Step-by-Step Cooking

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 c. basmati rice
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 T. vegetable oil
2 T. cashew nuts, halved
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
½ tsp. finely chopped fresh hot green chili, or pinch of cayenne pepper
¾ tsp. garam masala
Salt
3 c. hot vegetable stock or water

Process:

Put the rice in a bowl and add water to cover. Rub the rice grains gently with your hands. When the water turns milk, pour it off. Repeat several times until the water runs clear. Drain the rice and return to the bowl. Cover with 2 pints fresh water and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Drain, leaving the rice in a strainer.

Preheat the oven to 325°. Heat the oil in a heavy ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Add the cashews and fry for a few seconds, stirring all the time, until they turn golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and leave on paper towels to drain.

Fry the onion slices in the remaining oil for 2 to 3 minutes or until tinged brown at the edges. Add the drained rice, garlic, ginger, green chili garam masala, and salt. Turn the heat to medium-low. Fry, stirring, for 7-8 minutes or until the rice is translucent and well coated with the oil.

Pour in the hot stock and cook, stirring, on medium-low heat for another 5-6 minutes until the surface of the rice starts to look dry. Cover with a well-fitting lid and cook in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the rice is ready. Remove the rice pan from the oven and leave to stand covered in a warm place for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, gently transfer the rice to a warmed serving platter, breaking up any lumps with the back of the spoon. Garnish with the cashews and serve at once.  (The cooked rice will retain its heat for 30 minutes after you remove it from the oven, as long as the pan is kept covered and in a warm place.)

Ginger-Garlic Green Beans

Source: Gourmet, September 2009

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb. green beans, trimmed
3 garlic cloves
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. grated peeled ginger
2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 T. vegetable oil
½ tsp. sesame oil
1½ tsp. sesame seeds, toasted
Process:
Cook beans in a 6-15 pot of boiling well-salted water, uncovered, until just tender, 6-7 minutes. Drain in a colander, then plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain beans and pat dry. While beans cook, mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt, then stir together with soy sauce, ginger, vinegar, and oils in a large bowl. Add beans and toss. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Ginger Crème Brûlée

The recipe says this makes 4 servings, but I made 6 servings in rather shallow crème brûlée dishes. Since I was making six, I decided to broil them instead of “torching” them. Also, instead of sprinkling 1 T. of sugar on each serving before broiling, I mixed 4 T. sugar with 2 T. crystallized ginger (whirred in the food processor) and used sprinkled a tablespoon of the mixture on each serving for a little extra ginger zap. This is a great “make ahead” dessert.

Source: Vietnamese Cooking Made Easy

Yield: 4 servings (see note above)

Ingredients:

2 c. cream
2½ in. piece of fresh ginger root, peeled, then halved and bruised (I hit it with a meat mallet)
3 egg yolks
¼ c. sugar
4 T. sugar

Heat the cream and ginger in a saucepan over low heat, stirring from time to time, until the mixture almost comes to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover the pan and set aside for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the ginger pieces. Preheat oven to 350°. Mix the egg yolks and ¼ c. sugar in a large bowl until the sugar is dissolved, then gradually pour in the cream, whisking to mix well. (For added precaution, I strained the cream as I added it to the eggs.) Do not beat the cream as this will cause air bubbles in the custard.

Pour the custard mixture into 4 ovenproof bowls (each 4 in. in diameter) and place them in a deep baking dish. Carefully fill the baking pan with boiling water up to half the height of the bowls, then bake in the oven until the cream just sets in the middle, 30to 35 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. When the custard is cool, chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Sprinkle the top of each custard with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and grill under a preheated broiler for about 1 minute, until the sugar blisters and turns golden brown. Remove and set aside to cool. Return the custard to the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Grandma T’s Ginger Creams

My maternal grandma was an avid, even rabid baker. I can remember her telling me once that when she couldn’t sleep, she’d get up and bake cookies, even if that meant 3 o’clock in the morning. Her daughter, my Auntie Joyce, is also a wonderful baker, and I would do anything for her cookies and breads.

I cherish the card with the recipe for these cookies as it is in my grandmother’s handwriting. But she must have assumed that ANYONE would know how to make these as there are no instructions other than “Drop by teaspoons. Bake at 375°.” I looked at some other similar recipes to get any idea of the mixing and baking processes, and I added the nutmeg and cloves. I hope these are all right, Grandma.

Source: Mabel Rodd Teske Moyer

Yield: 6 dozen

Ingredients:

1 c. shortening
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
½ c. molasses
2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sour milk (I used buttermilk)
4¼ c. flour (I think I would only use 4 c. next time.)
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves (I added this)
1 tsp. nutmeg (I added this)
1 tsp. salt

Process:

Preheat oven to 375°. Dissolve the baking soda in the milk. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and molasses until well blended. Sift flour and remaining dry ingredients in another bowl. Alternate beating in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, ending with the dry ingredients. Drop teaspoons of the batter on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes. Let cool. Frost with powdered sugar icing.

Ginger Liqueur

Although I have had great success brewing my own liqueurs (limoncello and a wonderfully tart cranberry cordial), my attempt at making a ginger liqueur this Christmas was disastrous. So until I find a better recipe, I will settle for a “store bought” version called Domaine de Canton. Actually, I had seen it advertised in a magazine long ago, but never found it in a store until the newly renovated Cuban Liquor here in Baton Rouge reopened.

Remembering October(fest)

(I think I’m almost a Southerner! The past week of temperatures in the 40s has made me long for the balmy temperatures of October. And thoughts of October reminded me of one of the meals I wanted to post here.)

For many years, my husband and I looked forward to the local Oktoberfest that was held first in Ponchatoula and then Gonzales, small towns near Baton Rouge.

There is something so convivial in sitting at long tables with people you’ve never met, swaying in unison to “oom-pah” music as you drink beer out of steins the size of small children.

When we went to Germany in 2005 to visit my husband’s relatives (see Summer Jazz Brunch, August 2009), I bought a German folk costume which consists of a full-skirted jumper, a puffed-sleeved under-blouse, and an apron. (Think Maria Von Trapp in The Sound of Music.) Since there are not a lot of occasions to wear such a garment in southern Louisiana, I loved dressing in my trachtendirndl (folk costume) for the Oktoberfest. Surprisingly, many of the attendees also wore their dirndls or lederhosen (leather shorts with suspenders).

Sharing a deep-rooted love for German food, my husband and I also relished the sausages, schnitzel, sauerkraut and red cabbage at the Oktoberfests and always saved room for apple strudel or marzipan-filled treats for dessert.

Unfortunately, the Oktoberfest stopped being held a couple of years ago, leaving sausage-shaped holes in our hearts. So this year, we decided to hold our own, very small, Oktoberfest at our camp on the Tickfaw River. Although we neglected to break out into the “chicken dance,” viel Spass (a good time) was by all.

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German appetizers tend to be heavy and often include pickled herring (not my favorite) or sausage (which I was serving for the entrée.) Instead, I offered some large pretzel sticks with an apple-mustard dipping sauce and a wonderful cranberry-cheddar cheese with the following two items. Of course, German beers were served with the meal.

Asparagus with Black Forest Ham Bundles

German people love asparagus (Spargle), especially white asparagus. In fact, in June many restaurants feature a “sparglefest” and offer white asparagus in all sorts of dishes.

Source: original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb. each green and white asparagus (substitute green if white is not available)
8 oz. Black Forest ham, sliced thin (any good quality deli ham can be used)
prepared horseradish sandwich sauce

Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for a minute or two and then refresh in an ice water bath. Drain the asparagus and pat dry. Slice the ham slices in quarters. Wrap a strip of ham around the center of two asparagus spears to form a bundle. Arrange on a serving plate and serve with the horseradish sauce.

Korzott

This is really a Hungarian recipe, but the caraway seeds give it a distinctive German taste. Don’t omit the anchovy paste—it won’t taste fishy.

Source: Standing Ovation (Junior Board of Tri-City Symphony Orchestra Association, Davenport, Iowa)

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients:

12 oz. cream cheese
½ c. butter
½ c. sour cream
½ c. small curd cottage cheese
1½ T. anchovy paste
1 T. paprika
½ T. caraway seeds
¼ c. chopped green onions (white and green parts)
1½ T. capers
1 pkg. pumpernickel bread

Have cream cheese at room temperature; melt butter; put both into small mixer bowl with all ingredients except chopped onions and capers and blend well. Put chopped onion and capers in and hand mix. Chill for an hour or more. Serve in a mound in the center of a plate, surrounded by “fingers” of the thin pumpernickel bread.

German Sausages

For the entrée, I served four different kinds of grilled German sausages: weisswurst (a mild-flavored veal sausage), knockwurst (on the order of a wiener or ring bologna) and two different kinds of bratwurst. Three kinds of mustard and warm pumpernickel bread were accompaniments as were the following side dishes.

Nana’s German Potato Salad

This is not the version I made for our fest, but I remember it fondly from my childhood, have made it in the past, and plan to try it again soon.

Source: Olga Rohloff, my paternal grandmother, via Mary Rohloff Douglas, my mother

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

½ lb. potatoes, approx. 6-8 medium (red potatoes work best)
1 large onion, chopped
¼ to ½ lbs. diced bacon
4 T. flour
1/3 c. sugar
¼ c. vinegar
Scant tablespoon salt (might be a bit much for modern tastes)
1 c. water
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (optional)

Process:

Cook the potatoes in their skins in boiling water until tender. Drain, cool, peel and cut in cubes. Place potatoes and onion in large bowl. Fry bacon in a large frying pan. When bacon is browned, stir in the flour. In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Whisk this mixture into the fat and flour in the frying pan. Slowly add about 2½ c. water. The mixture should be the consistency of pudding. Pour mixture over potatoes and onions in the bowl. Serve warm. (My mother added the hard-boiled eggs at this point.)



An assortment of German beers



Hot German Potato Salad

This is what I did make with the main difference being the addition of chopped green pepper, celery and pimentos which did add a bright flavor and crunch.

Source: Southern Living Cookbook

Yield: 6 servings

4 med. potatoes
8 slices bacon
¼ c. sugar
2 T. flour
1/3 c. water
1/3 c. vinegar
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
¼ c, chopped celery
1 T. chopped pimiento

Cook potatoes in boiling water to cover 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool slightly. Peel potatoes; cut into ½ -inch cubes. Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, reserving ¼ c. drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Add sugar, flour, water and vinegar to pan drippings, stirring well. Cook mixture over medium heat until slightly thickened. Combine potatoes, bacon, green pepper, onion, celery, and pimiento in a large bowl; top with vinegar mixture, and toss gently.

Jan’s Daughter’s Mother-in-law’s Red Cabbage

Here, too, I’m offering two versions. The first comes from my dear friend Jan Shoemaker who graciously offered to bring red cabbage. I jumped at the offer because red cabbage is a bit labor intensive.

Source:  Jan Shoemaker, my dear friend

Yield:  8-10 servings
2-2 ½ pound red cabbages
2/3 c. red wine vinegar
2 T. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 T. lard or bacon fat
2 medium cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ⅛-inch thick wedges
½ c. finely chopped onions
1 whole onion, peeled and pierced with 2 whole cloves
1 small bay leaf
1 c. boiling water
3 t. dry red wine
3 t. red currant jelly (optional)

Wash the head of cabbage under cold running water, remove the rough outer leaves, and cut the cabbage into quarters. To shred the cabbage, cut out the core and slice the quarters crosswise into ⅛-inch-wide strips.

Drop the cabbage into a large mixing bowl, sprinkle it with the vinegar, sugar and salt, then toss the shreds about with a spoon to coat them evenly with the mixture. In a heavy 4- to 5-quart casserole, melt the lard or bacon fat over moderate heat. Add the apples and chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until the apples are lightly browned. Add the cabbage, the whole onion with cloves, and the bay leaf; stir thoroughly and pour in the boiling water. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, and reduce the heat to its lowest possible point. Cover and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the cabbage is tender. Check from time to time to make sure that the cabbage is moist. If it seems dry, add a tablespoon of boiling water. When the cabbage is done, there should be almost no liquid left in the casserole. Just before serving remove the onion and bay leaf, and stir in the wine and the currant jelly. Taste for seasoning, then transfer the entire contents of the casserole to a heated platter or bowl and serve.

The train station in my mother-in-law's hometown
 in former East Germany.

Ruth’s Red Cabbage (or Blau Kraut)

I have eaten this version for many years at my mother-in-law’s table and have made it several times. The recipe makes a lot, but leftovers are never around for long in our house.  Don't panic when the cabbage turns deep blue after the first cooking.  When you add the remaining ingredients, it returns to a more appetizing deep red.

Source: Ruth Hofbauer Demastes

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1 red cabbage, hand shredded
½ onion, sliced or chopped
2 chopped apples, cored but not peeled
3 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 T. of bacon drippings

Process:

Put the cabbage into a large pot of salted boiling water. Let the water come to a boil again, about 1 minute. Drain off most of the water. Then add one cup of cold water and the remaining ingredients. Cook all this at low temperature with the lid slightly open until tender, about an hour. Check once in a while and add a little water if necessary. (But you don’t want a lot of liquid.) At the end of the cooking, you can blend 2 T. cornstarch with a little cold water and stir into cabbage just to thicken the liquid.

Sauerkraut with Apples

I made this the day before to let the flavors meld, and they did wonderfully.

Source: adapted from a recipe in Gourmet, November 2009

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 large onion, thinly sliced
3-4 pieces bacon, chopped (original recipe called for 2 T. butter)
4 pounds sauerkraut, rinsed and drained (preferably refrigerated)
2 apples, thinly sliced (Gala, Fuji or Red Delicious)
1 c. dry white wine
1-2 T. packed dark brown sugar

Process:

Cook bacon in a 4-to 5-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned. Remove and reserve bacon. Cook onions in bacon fat until golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in sauerkraut, apples, and wine and bring to a simmer. Cover pot and reduce heat, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauerkraut is very tender, about 2 hours. Stir in 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add more brown sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in reserved bacon before serving.

Apple Kuchen

After the meal, we took a break with a long boat ride and then came back for this dessert. I topped the slices with whipped cream. The crust here is incredibly quick and easy to make and would lend itself to lots of variations.

Source: Kay Ewing’s Cooking School Cookbook

Yield: 8 servings

Crust:

1¼ c. flour
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. cold butter, cut up
2 T. sour cream

Preheat oven to 375°. With metal blade in place in a food processor, process flour, salt and butter in food processor until crumbly. Add sour cream and process only until dough starts to form a ball. Transfer dough to a greased 9-iinch tart or pie pan. Press out dough with fingers to cover the bottom and sides of the pan evenly. Place a piece of foil under the pan to catch any drippings. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool slightly.

Filling:

4 medium red delicious apples, peeled and cored (I only could fit 2 on the crust)
Juice of a half of a lemon
3 egg yolks
1/3 c. sour cream
1 c. sugar
¼ c. flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 egg white

(The instructions called for slicing the apples in the food processor, but I cut them by hand.) Slice apples lengthwise and place in a bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice. Wipe out processor bowl with a paper towel and with metal blade in place, add egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, flour and salt. Process until combined, about 15 seconds.

After crust cools slightly, brush with lightly beaten egg white to seal the crust. Arrange apple slices in concentric circles in crust and cover with filling. Bake at 375° for about 45 minutes or until custard is set and top is lightly browned. Allow to cool and refrigerate to set custard and for easier slicing.

Boo Bark

A common expression  in southern Louisiana is lagniappe, which means something extra. As a bit of lagniappe for our Oktoberfest, and with Halloween just around the corner, I gave our guests small bags of this candy. I love the combination of candy corn and salted peanuts—together they taste like salted nut rolls—and mixing them with white chocolate was ausegezeichnet (excellent)!

Source: original recipe

Yield: 3-4 cups candy pieces

Ingredients:

1-12 oz. bag white chocolate chips
½ cup (approximately) candy corn
½ cup (approximately) cocktail peanuts

Process:

Line a baking sheet with a sheet of wax paper. Heat the chocolate chips at 50% power in the microwave or in a double boiler until melted. Pour the melted chocolate on the wax paper and spread it into about a 10 X 8-inch rectangle. Sprinkle the chocolate with equal parts of the candy corn and peanuts, pressing them into the chocolate. Chill in the refrigerator until set. Break up the bark into small pieces using your hands or a knife.