Ingredients

For the crust:
1 ½ cup roasted, unsalted almonds
3 T. melted butter
3 T. brown sugar
¼ t. cinnamon

For the cheesecake filling:
3 8oz. packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups fresh pumpkin, cooked and mashed
1 ¼ cups sugar
4 eggs
1 t. grated lemon peel
½ c. crème fraiche
2 T. plain flour
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. ginger
¼ t. freshly ground nutmeg
¼ t. cloves
Pinch of salt

For the topping:
1/2 cup crème fraiche
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/8 t. cinnamon

You will also need:
9-inch springform pan
Electric mixer
Roasting pan
Aluminum foil

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350oF. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.

For the crust:
In the food processor, combine all four crust ingredients and process until the mixture is moist and sticks together. Press the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan. Bake until golden, approximately 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

When cool, wrap the outside of the pan with at least 3 layers of aluminum foil – you are trying to create a water-proof barrier so that water will not get into the pan during cooking.

For the filling:
Beat cream cheese, sugar and lemon peel in mixing bowl until smooth. Add eggs one at a time. Add pumpkin, crème fraiche, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Mix well and pour into the springform pan on top of the crust.

To cook:
Set the springform pan into a roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come half-way up the sides of the cheesecake. Place in the oven and bake until the outer edges puff and the center is set. (approx. 1 hour, 15 minutes).

Cool in the water bath for about half an hour. Remove from the water and cut around the sides of the cake to loosen. Refrigerate for several hours, preferably overnight.

For the topping:
Mix together crème fraiche, brown sugar and cinnamon. Refrigerate until serving. Spoon over the top of the cheesecake.

Serves 12.

I love the floral fragrance of warm apples. This is a very simple recipe that combines a little honey and cinnamon (if desired) with the apples. It is a great side dish for breakfast.

Ingredients
2 medium-large apples, peeled, cored and cut up
2 T honey
1 t cinnamon, if desired

You will also need:
Paring knife
Small skillet with lid
Spoon

Instructions
Place the cored, peeled and chopped apples into a small skillet. Add the honey and stir well to combine. Cook, covered, over medium heat until the apples are tender. (Depending upon the type of apples used, you will have either apple sauce texture or the apples will remain chunky.)

Stir in the cinnamon, if desired, and serve while warm.

Serves 2.

This cake is so moist!  I truly love to make it.  It is so simple – no mixer required!  And it is a small cake, so it doesn’t stay around the house forever.   I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients
1 cup Hachiya persimmon pulp
2 eggs
4T (1/2 stick) butter, melted (plus a little more for buttering the baking dish)
1/3 cup milk
1 t. vanilla
3/4 cup plain (all purpose) flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 t. ginger
1 T chopped candied ginger (optional)
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1 T brown sugar

You will also need:
Mixing bowl
Medium bowl
Large spoon
Measuring spoons and cups
Buttered baking dish (I typically use a 10″x 6″ dish but two 6” loaf pans, or one 8″x8″ pan will work fine, too.)

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).

In a mixing bowl, mix together the persimmon pulp, eggs, butter, milk and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and candied ginger.  Add this mixture to the persimmon mixture and stir to combine.  Add the chopped pecans and stir to mix well.

Pour this mixture into the greased baking dish.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cake is firm but still springy on top.  Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Just before serving, mix together the creme fraiche and the 1 T brown sugar.   Garnish the cake with this mixture just before you serve it.

This cake keeps well in the refrigerator for several days.

Note:  This delightful Pumpkin Flan has a nice rustic consistency and a wonderful Autumn flavor.  It will keep in the refrigerator (covered) for several days.

Ingredients

For the caramel:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

For the custard:
1 small fresh pumpkin
Olive oil
Pinch of cinnamon
Zest from 1 large or 2 small oranges (Note: I use a microplane zester for this.)
1 1/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream

Hot water

You will also need:
Baking sheet
Small saucepan
10-12 small (3″ or 4″) ramekins
Large baking dish (for water bath)
2 medium-large mixing bowl
Roux whisk or large spoon

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

To cook the pumpkin, slice it in half, remove the seeds and the stringy material in the center.   Rub it (inside and out) with olive oil.  Place it cut-side down on the baking sheet and bake it for about 40 minutes until the pumpkin flesh is mushy.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.  (As an alternative, you can saute the pumpkin flesh in olive oil until it is mushy.)

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Meanwhile, place the ramekins into the large baking dish and set aside.

Make the caramel by heating the sugar (3/4 cup) and the water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Cook it until the mixture turns a golden color, watching to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Pour the hot caramel carefully into the ramekins, distributing evenly.  Set aside. (This mixture will get hard as it cools so don’t worry when you see that happen.)

Scrape out about 1 1/2 cups of cooked pumpkin and place it into one of the mixing bowls.  Mash it so that most of the lumps are gone.  Add the cinnamon and the orange zest.  Stir and set aside.

In the other mixing bowl, combine the sugar and eggs and beat well by hand to combine.  Add the flour and mix well.  Stir in the cream.

Add the pumpkin mixture to the egg mixture and stir well to combine.  Pour the mixture into the prepared ramekins, filling to about 3/4 full.

Add hot water to the baking dish until it comes about 2/3 of the way up the sides of the ramekins, being careful not to get any water into the ramekins.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes until the flan is set.  Remove from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes.  Take a knife and run it around the inside of each ramekin to loosen the flan.  Let the flan cool for about a half hour on the countertop.  Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

To serve, invert the flan into a small dish.  The caramel should flow out of the ramekin to make a delicious sauce.  Serve with a nice garnish of nasturtiums, mint, fruit, candied oranges or something of your choice.

Serves 10-12.

Note:  Contact me if you would like the metric conversions for this recipe.

These chocolate-banana-cinnamon paninis are favorites of ours.  We have them a couple of times a month for breakfast, usually on the weekend.  We like to use rustic bread from the farmers market, along with Askinosie chocolate.

Ingredients
4 slices of rustic whole-grain bread
2 ounces coarsely-chopped chocolate (I use 70% San Jose del Tambo chocolate from Askinosie but milk chocolate will work fine, too.)
1 large, ripe banana, sliced into 1/4″ thick rings
2 T butter, melted
Cinnamon

You will also need:
Pastry brush
Panini maker

Instructions
Slice the bread into 1/2″ thick slices.  Sprinkle the chopped chocolate on top of two slices.  Place pieces of banana over the top of the chocolate.  Top with the remaining slices of bread.  Brush the top slice of the bread with butter.  Sprinkle generously with cinnamon.  Carefully invert the sandwiches and place them on top of the panini-maker, cinnamon side down, being careful not to disrupt the chocolate and banana inside.  Brush the top slice of bread with butter and sprinkle generously with cinnamon.  Grill on the panini-maker until the chocolate is melted and the sandwiches are golden brown.  Remove and slice in half.  Serve immediately.

Serves 2.

English-style puddings remind me of luscious fruit cakes – only much more moist.  This one is made with one of my favorite fruits, the hachiya persimmon.  There are so many persimmons in our farmers markets right now, and I am very lucky to have a tree in my yard.  I am always trying to come up with new ways in which to use them. 

Ingredients
For the pudding:
2 large ripe Hachiya persimmons
1 stick (4 ounces) butter + more for the mold
1 cup sugar (unrefined works great in this recipe)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 teaspoons bourbon
2 teaspoons baking powder, mixed with 2 teaspoons warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped raisins

For the hard sauce:
1 stick (4 ounces) butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon bourbon
2 Tablespoons persimmon puree (optional)

You will also need:
Food processor
Mixer – portable or stand mixer will work fine
Large spoon
Pudding mold with lid or metal bowl with foil, buttered well
Large pot with lid + water
Medium mixing bowl

Instructions
Cut the stem out of the persimmons and puree them in the food processor.  Measure out 1 cup of puree and 2 Tablespoons of puree and set them aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Add the flour and the persimmon puree and mix well. 

Add the eggs, bourbon, baking powder solution, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.  Mix well. 

Stir in the walnuts and the raisins. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pudding mold or metal bowl. 

Cover well with the lid or with the foil. 

Fill a large pot with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the pudding mold.  Place the pudding in the water.  Bring the water to a boil.  Reduce the water to a simmer, cover and cook for about two hours until the pudding has cooked throughout.  You may need to add water during the process as some may evaporate.   

To make the hard sauce, combine the softened butter, sugar, bourbon and persimmon puree and stir vigorously. 

When the pudding is done, remove it from the water and let it sit in the mold to cool for at least an hour.  Remove the pudding from the mold and serve it with the hard sauce.

 Serves 8.

A friend just delivered a surplus of figs – perfect for making fig chutney!  This chutney is a delicious compliment to slow-roasted pork and duck confit.  It really adds zip to hamburgers, as well.  I use Sherry vinegar in the recipe because I like the distinctive, nutty flavor it brings, but you can use your favorite red wine vinegar.   This chutney needs to cook for a couple of hours in order to maximize flavors and to reach a consistency that is not runny.  It will be worth the time involved.  You can either make a smaller batch, refrigerate it and eat it within a couple of weeks, or preserve this chutney in jars (in a water bath)  to keep on the shelf. 

Ingredients
5 cups red wine vinegar, such as Sherry vinegar
3 cups light brown sugar
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
Zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 stick cinnamon
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
3 lbs figs, cut into quarters

You will also need:
Large pot
Large spoon
Scale for weighing figs

If preserving in jars:
Large skillet for sterilizing empty jars
Water
8 oz. or smaller jars (your preference) with lids and rings
Tongs
Kitchen towel
Large canning pot for water bath

Instructions
Combine the vinegar, sugar, onion, ginger, zest, mustard seeds, cloves, allspice, cinnamon and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat to medium and cook for about an hour until the mixture is reduced to about 1/3.  It should be starting to thicken. 

Add the sliced figs.  Turn the heat up to medium high and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium.

Cook for about an hour, stirring frequently, until thick like preserves.  The chutney should be a deep brown at this point. 

Remove the cinnamon stick and discard it.  The chutney is ready to serve. 

If you are preserving the chutney for later, then follow these directions for preparing and filling the jars and processing them in a water bath.

Prepare at least five 8oz. jars by first making sure they are very clean.  I like to take them directly from the hot dishwasher.  Place about 2 cups of water into a large saute pan and bring to a boil.  Place the jars, bottom side up, into the skillet. Reduce the heat and simmer with the jars in there for about 10 minutes.   Keep hot.

When the chutney has finished cooking, ladle it while still hot into the hot jars (careful – these jars are HOT), leaving only about 1/4″ of space at the top of the jar.  Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel.

Note that it is important to seal each jar before starting on the next one.  Before putting the lid onto each jar, drop the lid into the boiling water in the saute pan for 30 seconds.

Remove the lid from the water and place it on top of the hot jar with the chutney.  Put the ring on and twist tightly to seal.  Repeat with each jar until all of the chutney is in the jars.  If you have a little bit of chutney left over, then put it into a dish, cover it with plastic wrap and have it with your lunch the next day.

Meanwhile, prepare your water bath by heating enough water in the super large pot to cover your jars. Gently place the jars into the water.  Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a medium-low boil, and cook the jars of chutney for 7 minutes.

Remove the jars from the water, dry them off and store them on the countertop.  Check them a little later to make sure that the lids have sealed.  If so, store them in a cool, dry place.  If not, then put them into the refrigerator and use within two weeks.  You can also freeze them for later use.

This coffee cake is decadent with its wealth of fruit and its crunchy topping. You can use almost any fruit in it. Feel free to experiment with strawberries, pears, nectarines, peaches, or blackberries instead of the apples and blueberries. Come up with your own favorite combinations. And, no mixer required to make this cake!

Also, a note about butter. I prefer to use European-style butter in all of my baking. It contains less water and more butter fat than regular butter. I think it yields a richer flavor and a moister texture (and flakier pie crusts).

Ingredients
1 stick (4 ounces) butter, melted, plus more for the pan
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unrefined or white sugar
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Zest from 1 large Meyer lemon
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups apples, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 cups blueberries

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick (2 ounces) butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped almonds

You will also need:
9-inch springform pan
2 large bowls
Whisk
1 medium bowl
Cake tester

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (about 175 degrees C).

Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with butter. Add a tablespoon of flour to the pan and shake it to coat the sides and bottom. Discard the excess flour.

In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Mix in the sour cream, sea salt and vanilla. Add the egg and whisk to combine.

In a separate large bowl, combine the baking soda, baking powder, lemon zest and flours. Mix well. Add the chopped apples and blueberries and toss to coat the fruit with the flour mixture. Add this to the butter mixture in the other large bowl. Stir just to combine. Pour this mixture into the prepared springform pan.

Make the topping by combining the remaining brown sugar, softened butter, cinnamon and chopped almonds. Sprinkle on top of the cake batter.

Bake for approximately 1 hour. Begin testing at 45 minutes, as ovens can cook a little differently. The top might be slightly caved in, but the cake will be done when the tester comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let it cool for five minutes. Run a sharp knife around the inside rim of the pan to loosen the cake. Open the springform latch and let the cake continue to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Slice the cake just before serving. Serves 8.