While visiting family, I took these pictures of me and G's cousin. The dark forest green with the burgundy are just perfect together. And I just love the gold accents!
Get this look
Archive for November 2012
Baking Timeout - Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
So this is one of the yummiest, but richest desserts I make. I got the recipe from Annie's Eats. I first made this dessert when I needed something to bring into the office (we have this weekly "event" where one person brings in a baked good). I wanted to try this because it looked like it had all things I love about dessert in one package.
It is almost too sweet so I wouldn't suggest having a very large serving. And because of the fresh whipped cream, it is best served cold.
Here are my pictures from my go at this recipe. The recipe follows the pics. Enjoy!
RECIPE
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- ½-¾ cup caramel
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 5 tbsp. unsalted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 5-6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 3-4 tbsp. confectioners' sugar
- ¼-½ cup caramel
- Chopped pecans
- To make the crust, preheat the oven to 375° F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Toss with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened and the ingredients are evenly mixed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan and press the crumbs in an even layer over the pan bottom and about half to two-thirds of the way up the sides of the pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden in color. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Pour a layer of caramel into the bottom of the crust and sprinkle evenly with the chopped pecans. Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the filling.
- To make the apple filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar, salt and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute, until bubbling. Mix in the apple slices and toss well to coat. Cook over medium to medium-high heat until tender and most of the liquid has been reduced, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and pour into the prepared pie shell. Set aside.
- Reduce the heat of the oven to 350° F. To make the cheesecake layer, combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix in the vanilla, egg and lemon juice until fully incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Spread the cheesecake filling into an even layer over the top of the cooked apples in the crust. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- To serve, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (being careful not to overbeat.) Spread gently over the top of the chilled cheesecake layer. Top with dollops of caramel sauce and swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with a handful of chopped pecans if desired. Slice with a long, thin knife to serve.
Decor Timeout
I have been thinking about changing a bit of the decor around my place. Sometimes living in a rented apartment comes with a subconscious feeling of transiency. This feeling has kept me from doing any real decorating in any of the apartments that I have lived in while in NYC. I always say to myself that I will decorate when I buy a house or a condo. Right now, all of the decor in my apartment reflects my taste, but everything is functional. There are few vases or things that are just there to enrich the look. But recently I have been thinking, "Why?" I do not live my life in that way. I certainly don't think of fashion and my personal style in this way. And I definitely don't go to all those shows, parks, museums, etc because I NEED to go.
So I have decided to no longer neglect my home decor. The first room I have decided to tackle is my bedroom. I picked up the items above from One Kings Lane. I absolutely love this site! So many decor goodies and there is something new everyday. The sales on the site rotate so the items above are no longer available but here are some similar items that you can pick up. (The desk is just my dream desk. How fabulous! Oh if I only had the space...)
When my items actually arrive, I will do a before and after post. Can't wait!
Designer Spotlight - Daryl K
I don't know if you've ever had that one store or that one designer where you feel like if you had the resources, you would just buy every single item. Its like the buyer or the designer reached into your head, got your personal style, took it out, and filled the store with it. (Sometimes I feel that way when I walk into Zara. Zara takes its inspiration from the runways of New York and Paris and gives us the the items that we want most... watered down a bit of course)
But this post isn't about Zara. It's about Daryl K. I recently ran across some photos of Daryl K's Fall 2012 ready to wear line and I can honestly say that I want every single item! I describe my style as downtown chic... you know, bodycon dresses (always knee length or longer of course), pencil skirts & silk blouses, no patterns unless its animal print or color blocked, fitted blazers or jackets with EVERYTHING, and always with heels (the higher the better). I will have to say that Daryl K must have had all of us downtown chic ladies in mind for her Fall 2012 RTW because each and every piece can be incorporated seamlessly into my wardrobe. Here are a few of my favorites.
Baking Timeout - Caramelized Apple Banana Nut Bread
So G's work hours have changed and usually he is out of the house before I am. So this time around I whipped up something that could be eaten as breakfast to make sure G would have something to eat in the early mornings.We had a few old bananas and apples lying around so I wanted to make something that would use them up so I wouldn't have to throw them out. So I did my usually food blog search and this recipe popped up.
I found the recipe on Buttercream Barbie but the recipe is actually from the Sweet Melissa Baking Book.
The only change I made to the recipe was that I added some walnuts to the top of the batter before baking. I just cant have banana bread without nuts.
Here are some pictures from my batch and I have pasted the recipe below the pics. Enjoy!
I used Golden Delicious apples instead of Granny Smiths
Caramelizing the apples first is really important because they have to be room temperature when you add them to the batter. This is just a bit of butter and brown sugar.
Creaming my sugar and butter
The recipe calls for freshly squeezed orange juice but I just used Tropicana.
This is after my eggs and juice have been added.
Apples are all done!
Banana mash :-)
Had to add those walnuts.
All done. Yummers!
RECIPE:
For the apples
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the banana bread
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups very ripe mashed bananas (2 to 3)
1. Before you start: Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F Lightly butter and flour a 1 1/2-quart loaf pan. 2. To make the apples: Preheat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and brown sugar and heat until bubbling. Add the apples and cinnamon and sauté until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
3. To make the banana bread: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. In a small bowl, combine the orange juice and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the orange juice mixture, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each flour addition. Stir in the mashed bananas until combined. Then stir in the reserved apples.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool further. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
