Penguin.ca

Fruit:

1/2 cup (125 mL) butter
3 large apples, peeled, cored and diced
2 onions, chopped
1 cup (250 mL) water
1 tbsp (15 mL) salt
pinch pepper
1 small red cabbage, shredded
2 to 3 tbsp (30 - 45 mL) brown or granulated sugar 

In a large saucepan, brown butter over medium heat. Add apples and onions; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until apples start to soften. Add water, salt, and pepper. Add cabbage in batches, stirring and letting each batch cook down slightly before adding next. cover and cook, stirring often, for 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar to taste and sugar. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 3 hours, or until very tender

6 to 8 servings

Pastry Shell:

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/3 lb (175 g) unsalted butter
1/3 cup (75 mL) ice water

Filling:

2 lbs (1 kg) sweet potatoes, peeled
1 cup (250 mL) dark brown sugar, packed
3 tbsp (45 mL) white sugar
1/4 lb (125 g) butter softened
1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ginger
1/4 tsp (1 mL) nutmeg
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup (125 mL) freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup (125 mL) table cream
Zest of 1 small orange, finely chopped

First, prepare the pastry. Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl and cut in the butter in pieces. When the mixture is crumbly, add the ice water and mix to form a dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for about 1 hour. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut to fit a 9-inch (23 cm) pie pan. Line the pan with the pastry and set to one side.

Preheat oven to 425°F

Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan, cover them with cold water, bring to a boil and cook, loosely covered, over medium heat until soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well and transfer the sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Let cool for a minute or so and then mash the sweet potatoes, adding both sugars and the butter, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Beat this mixture to blend well. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together for a few minutes. Add them to the sweet potato mixture, along with the orange juice, cream and orange zest, beating the mixtures to blend them well. In a dry mixing bowl, beat the egg whites untill stiff, using a hand-held blender or electric mixer. Gently fold the egg whites into the sweet potato mixture.

Place the mixture in the pastry shell, gently smoothing the top. Bake for about 12 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake about another 30 minutes or so, until the pie filling is puffed up and a tester inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean. Remove the pie from the oven and let cool before serving.

6 to 8 servings

Chicken:

3 lb (1.5 kg) roasting chicken
1/2 cup (125 mL) chicken stock

Bread Stuffing:

2 tsp (10 mL) vegetable oil
1 cup (250 mL) chopped onions
1 cup (250 mL) chopped sweet red, green, or yellow peppers
4 cups (1 L) Italian bread cut in 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup (175 mL) chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped green onions
1/3 cup (75 mL) sliced black olives
1/3 cup (75 mL) dried cranberries
1/4 cup (50 mL) water
2 tbsp (25 mL) toasted pine nuts
2 tsp (10 mL) minced garlic
1 tsp (5 mL) dried rosemary
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cranberry Sauce:

1 cup (250 mL) canned whole cranberry sauce
2 tbsp (45 mL) low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp (25 mL) thawed orange juice concentrate
1 tbsp (15 mL) sesame oil
2 tsp (10 mL) brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) minced garlic
1 tsp (5 mL) minced fresh ginger

In a nonstick saucepan sprayed with cooking spray, heat oil over medium-high heat; cook onions and peppers for 5 minutes, or until softened. Remove from heat and stir in bread, parsley, green onions, olives, dried cranberries, water, pine nuts, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Transfer to food processor. Pulse on and off just until mixed. Transfer to bowl. If mixture seems dry, add a little more water. Cool.

Preheat oven to 375°F

Stuff bread mixture loosely into chicken; place remaining stuffing in a casserole dish. Place chicken on rack in a roasting pan. Spray chicken with cooking spray and rub with garlic, if desired. Pour stock into pan. Bake in centre of oven, basting with juices every 15 minutes, for 60 to 70 minutes, or until juices run clear with the thickest part of the thigh is skewered. Add more stock for basting if necessary. Cover casserole dish of extra stuffing and place in oven for last 1/2 hour of cooking time

Tent chicken with foil and let rest while making the sauce. In a saucepan, combine cranberry sauce, soy sauce, orance juice concentrate, sesame oil, lemon juice, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove and discard chicken skin before serving. Discard any pan juices. Carve chicken and serve with stuffing sauce

6 servings

Cake:

6 oz (175 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup (175 mL) unsalted butter
1/4 cup (60 mL) cake-and-pastry flour
1 tbsp (15 mL) cocoa powder
1/4 cup (60 mL) coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts
5 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp (2 mL) vanilla
2/3 cup (150 mL) sugar + salt
2 tbsp (25 mL) salt
1 1/2 (375 mL) whipping cream (35%)

Caramel Sauce:

1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream (35%)
2 tbsp (25 mL) brandy

Trace the bottom of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan onto parchment paper and cut out the circle. Fit parchment paper into pan. Melt chocolate and butter together in a double boiler. Stir until smooth. Let cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 350°F

Sift together flour and cocoa. Stir in hazelnuts. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, vanilla and 2/3 cup (150 mL) of the sugar until smooth and pale. Slowly whisk melted chocolate into yolk mixture until smooth. Fold in flour mixture.

In separate clean bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks hold. Continue beating whites while slowly adding remaining 2 tbsp (25 mL) sugar and salt. Fold whites gently but thoroughly into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake on middle rack for 40 to 45 minutes, or until firm but still spongy in the middle. Let cool completely on wire rack. (Cake will fall.) Run a knife along the sides of the pan to release cake from the edges and remove cake from pan.

To make caramel sauce, heat sugar in a narrow, heavy-bottomed saucepan with high sides. Over medium-high heat, cook sugar until it melts, tipping and gently swirling the pot preventing scorching. Cook until sugar begins to turn caramel color, 4 to 5 minutes. (Make sure caramel does not begin to smoke.) Immediately remove from heat and pour in cream. (Careful - the mixture will bubble up.) Do not stir. Let stand for 2 or 3 minutes. When bubbles subside, add brandy and stir until combined. Let cool.

To serve, slice cake and top with a dollop of whipped cream. Drizzle with caramel sauce.

8 servings