My Favorite Fall Dessert

The fruits of the season are always my favorites. The flavor, quality and price can't be beat when produce is in season so right now I am loving all the squash, the apples and pears. 

I can almost smell the fruits and the cinnamon even as I simply think about and begin to write about this Fall Fruit Bake. I hope you like it as much as I do. 

The Recipe . . .

Keep in mind that this is a guideline. Don't get too caught up in exact measurements.

Fall Fruit Bake

3 apples, any variety 
1 pear
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons water

Quarter the apples and pears, core, and dice. Place in shallow microwavable dish. Add remaining ingredients; mix. Cover the dish and microwave for 6-8 minutes until fruit is very tender.

Serve at once with ice cream.

Here's What I Do . . .

Since my family and friends enjoy this dish, I usually use 1 piece of fruit per person. If I have 2 or 3 pears that need to be used, I might use more pears than apples. If I don't have any pears I might simply use all apples. Use what you have and what you like. 

Do not peel the fruit. The fiber is good for the system and it add some texture to boot. If you use a red apple, a green apple and a yellow pear the color is wonderful, too.

I like dried blueberries, too. So, substitute for cherries if you wish. Or you could use raisins. 

Sometimes I use sliced almonds instead of the walnuts. 

I love cinnamon! I usually use at least a heaping teaspoon and I like the addition of 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg if I think about adding it, too.

If I am using a pie plate, I simply turn a plate upside down to cover. Maybe you have a covered casserole dish you could use. If not, use a piece of microwavable plastic wrap to cover your dish. You want to keep the steam in, to soften the fruit as it cooks.

Now For The Kicker!

This recipe is super as it is, but it is out of this world when served with a scoop of Cinnamon Ice Cream. Put the fruit and a scoop of ice cream (vanilla is also very good) in a dish and watch the ice cream begin to melt as you slowly savor each bite. 

Enjoying it with a good cup of coffee and the company of very good friends is one of my favorite ways to spend a fall Friday evening.

Enjoy!

Stromboli

What Is It?

It isn't a sandwich. It isn't a pizza. It isn't a loaf of bread. It is a hybrid of all those things. In the earlier years of teaching Food and Nutrition classes this recipe made a wonderful project for following directions and using teamwork to accomplish a task when the team didn't really know what the final outcome would look like. I never gave them a picture; they had to trust the process. When eateries like Old Chicago began to appear many became familiar with Stromboli. 

Here we go . . . 

When done it will be piping hot and looking like this!

And this is what it will look like on the inside, oozing with goodness!

The Dough

You can thaw a loaf of frozen bread dough or use the following recipe.

Stromboli Dough

1 ¼ tsp. yeast

1 c. warm water

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. soft  margarine

¾ tsp. salt

2 ¾ to 3 c. flour

Combine the warm water, sugar and yeast in large mixing bowl.  Let yeast mixture rest for 5-10 minutes or until foamy.  

Add salt, margarine and 1 cup of flour.  Beat until mixture is smooth.  Add remaining flour until dough forms a ball and no longer sticks to the side of the bowl.  Turn dough onto floured counter and knead for 5 minutes or until smooth and shiny.

Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until double in size, about 45-60 minutes.

Now What?

Stromboli

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed (or above recipe)

1 egg, beaten

2 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil

¼ tsp. each garlic powder, salt, pepper, ground mustard, and oregano

½ lb. ground beef, cooked and drained

2 oz. pepperoni

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

½ c. shredded cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp. chopped onion

1.  Place the thawed bread dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.  (This step is already done.)

2.  Punch down.  Roll dough into 15” x 12” rectangle.

3.  Combine egg, oil and seasonings in a bowl.  Brush over dough to within ½” of edges.  Set remaining egg mixture aside.

4.  Arrange cooked beef, pepperoni, cheeses and onion on dough to within ½ “ of edges.  Roll up jelly-roll style, beginning with one long side.  Seal edges well.  place seam side down on greased baking sheet (or lined with parchment paper).  Brush with remaining egg mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned.  Do not under bake. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting. 

 Speaking From Experience . . .

If you are going to use the frozen dough, plan ahead! You will need plenty of time to thaw it out. The above recipe was developed when I failed to plan ahead and the recipe worked so well that I've used it ever since. It is a basic white bread recipe. I have also used whole wheat flour and you can also let the bread machine mix the dough. Just don't let it bake!

The egg and oil mixture is enough for two, so if you are doubling, do not double that part.

You might think you want some pizza or marinara sauce in here, but trust me, if you absolutely must have sauce, use it very sparingly. You won't miss it and too much makes this messy and soggy. You can use the sauce for dipping at the table if you want.

Likewise, do not over-cheese this thing. When you take it out of the oven feel free to butter or oil the top a bit and sprinkle it with parmesan if you want.

When you get to the rolling up part, 4 hands work quite well, so find a friend to help you. In fact, find a friend to share the entire process. It makes things so much more enjoyable. It could easily be a child, a spouse, or anybody you enjoy being around. Let me suggest that even if it is a family member you might not feel like being around, this might just change everyone's attitudes! Working together to create good food will do that, you know.

When it is rolled into a log, sort of pinch the last edge to the log, so it is sealed. Once you get it moved onto the pan press the side of your hand firmly into the log right near each end to seal it shut, then flop that little end under the rest of the log. If it isn't sealed shut the cheese will melt and run out. Keep that yummy cheese inside!

I much prefer parchment paper on the baking sheet to greasing it. Clean up is a snap and the bottom won't burn.

One More Idea . . .

This is another of those "guideline" recipes. If you don't want pepperoni, don't use them. If you want sausage rather than ground beef, go for it! If you want to add peppers and mushrooms, do so, but chop them small. 

Feel free to experiment with fillings. The following is made with cooked chicken, steamed broccoli, a tiny bit of alfredo sauce, parmesan cheese and mozzarella.

Very good!

I have always wanted to try a Breakfast Stromboli, but I have yet to actually do it. Maybe scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, or sausage, with cheddar cheese would be good, along with a few peppers, tomatoes, and onions. I might have to give this a try!

Have fun with this wonderful recipe.

Special Dinner

One evening in the fall of 1975 Sam first came to dinner at my house. He seemed to enjoy that first dinner of steak, salad, baked potato and apple pie and, in fact, I repeated it for him every year since then during the last week of September. It was a little anniversary celebration for us each year. I was going to live without it this year, but I couldn't. 

Last weekend when I spent time with Sam's brother and his wife "down at the farm" that Sam loved so much, I had the perfect opportunity to share this favorite meal of Sam's. The good food was the perfect compliment to the gorgeous weather and the pretty view.

Sam's favorite salad dressing was Thousand Island which I often made for him. Steve and Jessie both like Blue Cheese Dressing so I made both. I like to make salad dressings. They taste so much better, more flavorful and fresh than the ones in the bottle. I urge you to take time to try some salad dressings. These are a little heavier and more rich than I make on a regular basis, but they are really good for a special dinner. I have to say we had salads delish, along with ribeyes seasoned with Montreal steak seasoning. Yum! Thanks for grilling the steaks, Steve.

Thousand Island Dressing

3 eggs, hard cooked, peeled, and chopped
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 pinch ground cloves
1 quart mayonnaise
3/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup chopped black olives
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper


In a medium bowl, whisk together the chopped eggs, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, vinegar, cloves, mayonnaise, relish, olives and red pepper until evenly blended. Chill and serve spooned over fresh greens. Store in the refrigerator.

Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

2 1/2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons buttermilk
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper

Mash blue cheese and buttermilk in a small bowl with a fork until mixture resembles cottage cheese with small curds. Stir in remaining ingredients. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. 

The perfect finish . . .

I think I have loved to bake pie ever since I baked that first one for Sam. Apple pies are always good, but fall is just the BEST time to bake an apple pie. I like to use a combination of Granny Smith apples, which are tart, and Gala apples which are crisp, but sweet. I love cinnamon and over the years I have learned to up the amount to at least 2 teaspoons, which is more than most recipes. I also use a little nutmeg in my apple pie.

The best part of the pie, besides the filling, is the crust. Years ago I settled on using half cold butter and half cold shortening for the best crust. It is crisp and flaky, but rich and buttery, too. Oh, my, I am getting hungry now!

And a little Saturday morning surprise . . .

Look closely, can you see the three deer at the top of the hill?

  

As Jessie and I were walking back "up from the lake" we noticed these three deer at the top of the hill. We stopped and watched for a while. They munched the grass and paid us no mind. Soon two of them ran off and a bit later the third bounded away. They were beautiful to watch. Sam would have loved it.