When It Gets Chilly, Make Chili

I make and eat this year-round, but it's especially comforting in the cold months. I first found a recipe on Epicurious but have tweaked it a lot, cutting down the massive size of the recipe, cooking the bell pepper at the beginning instead of the end (too raw for me), and adjusting seasonings and ingredients. Instead of biscuits or cornbread, I spoon up the chili with tortilla chips. When I cook it for my sister, she asks me to make enough for leftovers.

CHILI

1 large onion, chopped

3 tbs vegetable oil

2 carrots, sliced thin

1 tbs minced garlic

1 green bell pepper, chopped

About 1½ lbs lean ground beef

1½ tsp cayenne pepper (more to taste)

1½ tsp ground cumin

1½ tsp dried oregano

1 tbs paprika

1½ tsp red pepper flakes

8 oz can chopped tomatoes, drained

3 tbs tomato paste

6 oz beef or chicken broth

14 oz can red kidney beans

1 bag tortilla chips, preferable in the "scoops" shape

In a large pot or dutch oven, saute the onion and green bell pepper in the oil until the onion is translucent, then add carrots and garlic. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the beef, breaking it up and cooking until browned.

Add the cayenne, cumin, oregano, paprika, and red pepper flakes and stir. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth. Bring to a simmer and cover, cooking for 1 hour. Add the beans and cook 15 minutes more. Taste and add more cayenne if desired.

The Best Pumpkin Tart/Pie

This pumpkin pie is different. It's smoother and mellower than your usual pumpkin pie, and has the versatility of being dressed up as a fancy tart. I love it chilled, but some want it warm. I also make mine more festive with a few cutouts from leftover pie dough. Top it off with a dollop of freshly whipped cream, and it feels like the holidays!

Dorie Greenspan's Sour Cream Pumpkin Pie (or Tart)

9-inch single crust, partially baked and cooled *recipe below*

2 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin puree

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup (packed) light brown sugar

2 tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1½ cups heavy cream

⅓ cup sour cream

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

1½ tsp ground ginger

Pinch of ground cloves (I omitted)

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch of salt

3 tbs dark rum (I also omitted)

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 450°. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat and put the pie plate (or tart pan) on it.

Mix together all the filling ingredients, then pour into the crust. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 300° and continue to bake for 35 to 45 minutes longer (20 to 25 minutes for a tart), or until a knife inserted close to the center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

You'll have filling left over if you make a tart, but use it to make mini-tarts or possibly another tart.

I used Martha Stewart's pate brisee because I know it like the back of my hand, but here's Dorie's pie dough recipe.

3 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

1½ tsp salt

2½ sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

⅓ cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces

About ½ cup ice water

Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the fats are cut into the flour. Pulsing on and off, gradually add 3 tbs water, then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. Pulse in as much of the remaining water as necessary to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. Lightly knead the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling.

To partially bake the crust, preheat the oven to 400°. Butter one side of a sheet of aluminum foil and place that down on the crust. Fill the foil with dried beans or rice or pie weights. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and weights, and if the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon. Return the pie plate to the oven and bake for 8 minutes more, or until the crust is very lightly colored. (I skipped the 8 minutes when making the tart.) Cool to room temperature before filling.

Moosewood's Cheesy Potato Soup

My friend Jill made this soup for my birthday last year, and I had to ask for the recipe. It's hearty and just what you want as the weather gets chilly. I like to puree a little over half of the soup, so you get that creamy texture but still have some good chunks. It's easy to make, and can come together in under half an hour.

Moosewood's Cheesy Potato Soup
3 tbs butter
2 cups chopped onions
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large potatoes, peeled in large dice
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into chunks
3 cups vegetable stock or water
2 tbs fresh dill
4 oz. cream cheese
1½ cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar (3 oz.)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, saute the garlic and onions in the butter until translucent. Add potatoes and carrots and saute 5 minutes longer. Add the stock and dill and simmer until vegetables are tender (expect 15 to 20 minutes). Stir in the cream cheese and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cheddar and cook until just melted.

I throw chunks of cheddar in the food processor to shred, and then ladle about half of the soup in to puree.

Then return the velvety mixture to the pot, stir to combine, and add the cream cheese and milk.

Homemade Fried Chicken

Sometimes you just get the craving for fried chicken, and not the drive-through kind. After doing some reading on the subject matter, I threw together a simple enough flour mixture, though I admit there was a second try for some tweaking. Serve it with some mashed potatoes or biscuits, and one obligatory healthy side, and you're in heaven.

One other note: a thermometer is necessary. It takes longer than you'd think to get the oil up to temperature, and the oil needs to be hot enough and the chicken cooked long enough to get the perfect browning outside and doneness inside. A candy thermometer works great for this. I also have a deep fryer, but I find I like my enameled cast iron dutch oven better.

• About 9 chicken thighs, wings, and drumsticks
  
• 1 cup buttermilk or 1 egg plus 1 cup milk
  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tbs baking powder
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1 tsp black pepper
  
• ½ tsp ground cayenne pepper
  
• Enough oil to fill half of a large dutch oven

1. Start heating your oil to 360º (the temperature will drop to about 350º when you add the chicken, which is where you want to keep the temp). It may take more than 10 minutes to heat up.
2. Trim the skin off the drumsticks and thighs, if you'd like. Place all the chicken in a bowl filled with the buttermilk, or the egg and milk. In a shallow bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and peppers. Dredge the chicken pieces through the flour mixture and set aside.
3. When the oil comes to temperature, add your chicken pieces. Don't overcrowd the pot or they won't cook evenly; 4-5 pieces at a time is best. Cook the chicken for about 13 minutes, turning the pieces halfway through the cooking time with a handheld brass strainer like the one in the picture. The chicken should be about the color in the photo. Drain the chicken on paper towels and pat dry, and serve.

French Yogurt Cake with Toasted Almonds

I made this recently for my friend Jill's birthday. I know she doesn't like a big fuss, so a simple french yogurt cake seemed perfect. I dressed it up a bit with almond cream and toasted almonds. The birthday girl says she loved it!

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's French Yogurt Cake

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• ½ cup ground almonds (or, if you'd prefer, omit these and use another ½ cup of all-purpose flour)
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• Pinch of salt
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
  
• ½ cup plain yogurt *low-fat will work*
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
  
• ½ cup flavorless oil, such as canola or safflower
  

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350º. Grease an 8½ x 4½ inch loaf pan and place it on a baking sheet. * I used a 9-inch springform pan for a taller, traditional-looking cake*
   
2. Whisk together the flour, ground almonds (if you're using them), baking powder, and salt.
   
3. Put the sugar and zest in a mixing bowl, and with your fingertips, rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Add the yogurt, eggs, and vanilla and blend well. Add the dry ingredients, then fold in the oil. You'll have a thick, smooth batter with a slight sheen. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
   
4. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan; it should be golden brown and a thin knife inserted into the center will come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes, then run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Unmold, and cool to room temperature right side up on the rack.
   

*I then spread the almond cream on the top, followed by a sprinkling of the almonds, but you can try other combinations. It's also delicious served plain.*

Martha Stewart's Almond Cream

*You may want to double this recipe*

• 4 tbs butter, room temperature
  
• ¼ cup sugar
  
• 1 large egg *If you don't want to use a raw egg, try 2 tsp mayonnaise*
  
• ½ cup whole blanched almonds, finely ground in the food processor
  
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
  
• ¼ tsp pure almond extract
  

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Add the ground almonds and flour, and beat until combined. Stir in the almond extract and salt. Continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The almond cream can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Toasting the almonds

Pour 1 cup of slivered, blanched almonds into a dry nonstick pan and shake the pan every few minutes, until lightly toasted and aromatic. Or spread 1 cup of slivered, blanched almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast lightly in a 200º preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Worth Their Weight in Gold: Financiers

I'd been wanting to add financiers to my repertoire for a while, and Aisha from A Piece of Cake told me about this recipe for Raspberry Financiers.

I only had one tray of the mini-muffin molds the recipe calls for, and didn't want that single tiny tray baking by itself for 30 minutes, so I also used 10 tartlet molds measuring 1¾ inches across and ½ inch deep, and they worked well (same amount of time in the oven). If you have rectangular molds, you can bake them in their traditional shape resembling gold ingots. They are tasty, and perfect for teatime!

Little Next Door's Raspberry Financiers

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes plus chilling time for the dough
Servings: Makes 2½ dozen

• 4 egg whites
  
• 1¼ cups powdered sugar
  
• 11 tablespoons butter
  
• ½ cup flour
  
• ½ cup almond flour (I just ground up blanched almonds very fine in a food processor)
  
• ½ pint fresh raspberries

1. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a similar-sized saucepan to form a bain-marie or double-boiler filled with gently simmering water. Stir the egg whites and sugar with a whisk just until the whites warm slightly and the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and set aside.
   
2. In a small saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat until it begins to brown and gives off a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat to prevent the butter from overcooking. Set aside, but keep very warm.
   
3. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, begin whisking the egg white mixture at low speed. With the mixer running, gently add the flour, followed by the almond flour, and mix just to combine. Add in the warm butter in a thin stream, mixing at low speed until it is incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and continue to mix 10 seconds more to ensure the batter is completely combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
   
4. Heat the oven to 325º. Spray or butter a tray of miniature muffin molds (our molds measured 1¾ inches wide by ½ inch deep). Fill the molds two-thirds full with batter, and place a fresh raspberry on top of each. Place the tray in the oven and bake 30 to 40 minutes, until golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining batter.
   

Daring Bakers Challenge: Eclairs

My first Daring Bakers challenge! I just couldn't get them to look pretty, but let me tell you, they were tasty! Since we're a household of two, I brought most of the eclairs in to work earlier this month, and the reactions were funny. "You can make eclairs?" Some people thought they were made only in factories. They disappeared quickly, in any case. I had troubles in the beginning with eclairs that fell flat, since the instructions on sticking the spoon in the oven were confusing, but I got them to puff up all right.

I initially made both vanilla and chocolate pastry creams, since I thought that with the glaze it would be chocolate overload. But I wound up stirring melted chocolate into the vanilla cream after I tasted how divine the chocolate was. I also made the labor-intensive glaze on the first try, but swapped it out on Take 2 for a simple ganache (equal parts hot cream and bittersweet chocolate with a couple pats of butter). Now I just have to jog a million miles to work all those calories off!