I probably drive the BF crazy [Ed. note: like no one else, and for some reason I can't help myself], but I start asking him to choose his birthday cake-dessert about a month before his birthday. Usually give a choice of some great found recipe that includes either apples, caramel, butterscotch or lemon. Love hunting for the perfect recipe, with the goal of getting his eyes to bug out.

These apple pie bars are a client favorite, and whenever I make them the BF ends up in the kitchen, plaintively staring and asking if there are "extras." [Ed. note: "Oh those were for the clients?"] Needless to say the dessert has become one of his favorites, so I decided to make it for his birthday in lieu of a traditional cake. This was a very special birthday, by the way. [Ed. note: #LOLOLD]

One of the great things about this dessert is the shortbread dough is used for both the bottom crust and crumble on top. (Meaning there's no pie crust to roll out.) As the brilliant Ina Garten likes to say, "How easy is that?"

To really send it over the top, drizzle the bars with gooey caramel (optional, but recommended). Perfectly okay to eat with your hands, or dish/bowl them up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

In addition to offering an alternative to your everyday pedestrian cookie, these bars have another perk: they travel well. Simply wrap up the baking pan and cut the bars when you get to your destination. As for optimal portion size, Garten advises, "I cut the bars in fairly large 3 x 3-inch squares if I'm serving them on a plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. If I'm serving them on a platter of small petits fours to pick up with your fingers, I'll cut them in smaller bite-size pieces."

NOTES:

• You can cut this recipe in half  by preparing it in an 8 x 8-inch pan.
• After baking, cool completely, wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to two days.  Great for birthdays, every day, and is a perfect make-ahead dessert for Thanksgiving.​

PS: Speaking of Thanksgiving, a year ago we were thinking ahead with this whipped cranberry butter (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/whipped-cranberry-butter). Also, Adam Sandler sings!

PPS: Another client-approved holiday-time dessert, your friends and family won't know this yummy mini pumpkin cheesecake is sugar-free and low-carb. That is, unless you tell them. So don't. (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/mini-pumpkin-cheesecake-sugar-free-and-low-carb)

Adapted from: Ina Garten, Cooking For Jeffrey
Number of Servings: Makes one 9 x 13-inch pan

Ingredients
Crust

• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature [Ed. note: ROOM TEMPERATURE]
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Apple Filling

• 3 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, cored, and sliced ⅛-inch thick (6 large)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

To Serve

• Vanilla ice cream
• Caramel sauce

Directions
Crust

1. Place a rack in the center of oven and preheat to 375 ºF. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper so that paper hangs over two edges of the pan by about two inches. This will make the pie bars easier to remove after it’s baked.
2. Place the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and creamy. Sift the flour and salt together and, with the mixer on low, slowly add to the butter-sugar mixture, beating until combined.
3. Scatter ⅔ of the dough, in clumps, into your baking pan, and press it lightly with floured hands on the bottom and ½ inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
4. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Set aside to cool.
5. Put mixing bowl with the remaining dough back in the mixer, add walnuts and cinnamon, and mix on low speed to combine. Set aside.
6. Reduce the oven to 350 ºF.

Apple Filling

1. Combine the Granny Smith apples and lemon juice into a very large bowl. Add granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well.
2. Melt the butter in a large (10-inch-diameter) pot, add the apples, and simmer over medium to medium-low heat, stirring often, for 12-15 minutes, until apples are tender and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
3. Spread the apples evenly over the crust, leaving a ½-inch border.
4. Pinch medium pieces of the remaining dough with your fingers and drop them evenly on top of the apples (they will not be covered). Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the topping is browned. NOTE: I sometimes place the pan under the broiler to get the topping a little more browned.  Watch carefully so it doesn't burn.

To Serve

1. Cool completely and cut into bars.
2. Drizzle with caramel and serve with ice cream, or just pick 'em up with your hands.
   

Pommes Duchesse. Sounds fancy. Looks fancy. But really, this is simply a fun way of "piping" mashed potatoes into a baking dish, just in time for the Thanksgiving countdown (in my book, never too soon).

These potatoes are an always-requested Thanksgiving staple in our household, and also a perfect accompaniment to any poultry or red meat (as one of our relatives is not fond of turkey). Another regular vegetarian guest annually asks, "You're making the potatoes, right?"

Looking more elegant than regular mashed, they work well for any special occasion, and aren't any more difficult to make. [Ed. note: Don't say this to your guests. Lie. Lie and tell them it took you months to prepare this and those ingrates should kiss the ground you walk on and okay I'll shut up.]

The original recipe calls for piping the potatoes into eight puffs of potato swirls. Those are glorious, and I've made them that way many times, but here I decided to freestyle the swirls and  just make a decorative pattern in the baking dish. Either way you decide to do it, it's good.

If you don't have a pastry bag and a piping tip, just spoon the mashed potatoes into the baking dish and create decorative swirls with the tines of a fork. The end result will still be crispy on the outside and soft and buttery on the inside.

However you decide to present them, Pommes Duchesse will be an impressive addition to any holiday (or everyday) feast.

PS: A year ago we were feeling pretty healthy with this butternut squash soup with red curry croutons (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/butternut-squash-soup-with-red-curry-croutons).

Adapted from: Geoffrey Zakarian, The Kitchen (Food Network)
Number of servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 pounds (about 4 medium) russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup heavy cream 
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the baking dish
• 2 egg yolks 
• ½ cup finely grated Gruyere cheese (if you're adverse to Gruyere, try finely grated Parmesan)
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

1. In a large pot, combine the potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until fork tender, 10-12 minutes. Drain potatoes and then press through a ricer or food mill back into the pot they were cooked in. Place over low heat for a few minutes to dry the potatoes.
2. Heat the cream and ½ stick of the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the butter melts and the cream is warm but not hot. Stir mixture into the potatoes. Mix in the egg yolks and season with salt and pepper. Add cheese and nutmeg.
3. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Grease a medium baking dish with butter.
4. Melt the remaining ½ stick butter in a small pot over low heat (or the microwave).
5. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large-star tip with the mashed potatoes. Into the prepared baking dish, pipe the potatoes in a circular motion, about 3 inches in diameter, starting from the outside and filling in a circle. Finish by piping upwards for a nice swirl on top. Repeat to fill the entire baking dish. Brush each circle with the melted butter.
6. Bake in oven until golden brown, 30-40 minutes.

Just because Mardi Gras may have passed, doesn't mean it's not too late to serve this light, brothy, hearty and incredibly flavorful gumbo. (In our household, Mardi Gras-month is always a time for celebrating everything New Orleans.) Adapted from a recipe the great Emeril Lagasse published in a dog-eared copy of the September, 1994 issue of Bon Appetit.

New Orleans is, hands down, an all-time favorite city for me and the BF. Incredible food, history, architecture and music [Ed. note: Tipitina's, represent!] everywhere you step. We never, ever tire of that city, and are lucky to have visited at all different times of the year. We also can't leave until we've had a bowl of gumbo...somewhere. A few of my favorite places to enjoy the staple are Dooky Chase Restaurant, Galatoire's and Nola's.

Come to think of it, it's been many years since the BF and I have been. Perhaps we need to head back soon? [Ed. note: Do not tease!]

NOTES:

• This is not a thick roux-based gumbo. In fact, it contains no flour at all. It's lighter and brothy, which is why I love it so much.
• This recipe makes a ton of gumbo. Personally, I half the recipe for the two of us and it produces a perfect four servings, enough for dinner for two nights. Alternatively, you can make the full amount and freeze half, or host a dinner party. This is a great to do as you can make it in advance (sans shrimp and greens). 
• Watch the salt!
• Allergic to shrimp? Leave it out. ​

A small sampling of my vast voodoo doll collection.

Until next year, Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Adapted from: Bon Appetit, September 1994
Number of servings: 8

Ingredients
Stage I

• ​3 quarts water
• 4 8-ounce bottles clam juice
• 1 ¼ pounds uncooked large shrimp, peeled, de-veined, shells reserved

Stage II

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ andouille sausage or other fully cooked smoked sausage (such as pork or turkey kielbasa), sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds
• ¾ cup chopped onion
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped 
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon dried or fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon (or more) hot pepper sauce

Stage III

• 1 bunch collard greens, stemmed, coarsely shopped (about 4 cups)
• 1 bunch mustard greens, stemmed, coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
• 3 tablespoons filé powder (a powder made from ground sassafras leaves)

For Serving

• Cooked rice (optional)
• Chopped green onions

Directions

1. Boil water, clam juice and reserved shrimp shells in large saucepan 15 minutes. Strain stock and reserve.
2. Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over high heat. Add sausage and sauté 1 minute. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, thyme, hot pepper sauce and reserved stock. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. (NOTE: can be prepared a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
3. Add all greens to soup; simmer until wilted but still bright green, about 2 minutes. Add shrimp; simmer until just tender, about 2 minutes longer. Turn off heat. Mix in filé powder. Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce. (NOTE: watch the salt.)
4. Mound large spoonful of cooked rice in center of each large shallow soup bowl. Ladle gumbo over. Garnish with green onions and serve.

PS: A year ago chocolate and peanut butter squared off and clashed in a titanic battle for the ages (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/chocolate-peanut-butter-tart), then there was an attempt to make up for that dessert bomb with some roasted shrimp and asparagus with shallot lemon vinaigrette (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/shrimp-asparagus-with-shallot-lemon-vinaigrette).

PPS: "Iko Iko" is one of my favorite songs, takes me right back to New Orleans.

Pasta. Parmesan cheese. Cream. Prosciutto. Four ingredients. [Ed. note: Can't get The Count from Sesame Street out of my head, "One, two, three, four ingredients heh heh heh."]

Make it vegetarian by omitting the prosciutto. Three ingredients. You're welcome.

An indulgent winter meal that reheats very well, I make it once a year for the BF and he goes clinically insane over it. [Ed. note: Do I need to concur? Folks, she doesn't lie.]

NOTES:

• Use good quality, salty parmesan.
• I halved the recipe and it served three people.
• Changes made include: upping the cream and parmesan a bit, crisping the prosciutto, and adding a touch of cayenne.
• This is not an alfredo. It will not be super saucy once baked. If you use good parmesan and season the sauce well, the pasta should look like a crispy, crunchy blanket, infused with flavor.

Adapted from: Gourmet, December 2006
Number of servings: 6 (main course) or 8 (side dish)

Ingredients

• 2 ¾ cups heavy whipping cream 
• 1 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano parmesan cheese (4 ounces)
• 1 pound penne
• 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
• Pinch of cayenne (optional)

Directions

1. Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 375 °F.
2. Sauté chopped prosciutto in heavy saucepan and cook over moderate heat until lightly crisp (should not take long). Remove prosciutto and place on paper towel. Wipe pan clean with paper towel to remove grease.
   
3. Using the same saucepan, bring cream, 1 ¾ cups cheese, ¾ teaspoon black pepper, ¾ teaspoon salt and cayenne (if using) just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Taste it. It might need more salt. Remove from heat.
4. Cook pasta in a 6-8 quart pot of boiling salted water, until al dente [Ed. note: Who the bleep is Al Dente?], then drain in a colander. Return pasta to pot, stir in parmesan cream and prosciutto, tossing to coat. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart shallow flameproof gratin or baking dish (about 11 x 8 x 2 inches; not glass) and bake 15 minutes.
   
5. Stir pasta well to coat evenly with sauce, then sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cheese.
6. Turn on broiler and broil pasta 4-5 inches from heat until top is lightly browned, 2-4 minutes.

PS: A year ago we stepped it up to four ingredients to satisfy the sweet tooth with this sumptuous café au lait pudding adapted from Ashley Rodriguez's Date Night In (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/cafe-au-lait-pudding).

'Tis the season for good food and great company. My wonderful cousin and younger sister, traveling from Oregon, paid the BF and I a visit, and we showed them a few of our favorite local spots. Even though I had to work for clients while they were here, we managed to squeeze in much fun.

One day, we visited the Cantor Museum and Rodin Exhibit on the Stanford University campus. On another, we walked up and down Palo Alto's University Avenue and had dinner at a delicious Menlo Park Turkish restaurant.

The last day, we took our choco-lab Marlowe and walked around Bol Park, aka "Donkey Park" (Perry was the model for "Donkey," voiced by Eddie Murphy, in the film Shrek), and ate lunch at Thai Bistro on California Avenue. In the evening we made gingerbread cake topped with eggnog whipped cream along with spiralized celeriac latkes [Ed. note: I don't think we ate it in that order?], and watched a superb documentary called Shanghai Ghetto.

When they left, while cousin and sister went up the long escalator at a local Bart station, Marlowe let out the most woeful cries as they slowly disappeared from view. [Ed. note: We'll forward the therapy bills.]

My cousin is an expert beekeeper and gifted us with the most amazing raw honey, which we can't stop dipping into. She also gave us homemade lemongrass soap and lip balm, as well as some sinfully good Burnside Distillery small-batch bourbon, which kept everybody warm! [Ed. note: Can confirm.]

My sister is very knowledgeable and talented with rocks, stones and gems. She gave us beautiful hand-engraved stones that say "Shalom" and "DZ," which now rest proudly on the kitchen window sill that I work in front of every day. More significantly, she also gave me custody of our mom's engagement ring (we trade off every year), which was was so brilliantly polished and shiny it practically glittered. She is also adept in the landscaping arts, and got to work in the backyard well before unpacking. (She makes up for my black thumb.)

Marlowe is always a happier camper when she has a "pack," and as usual the did the nighttime "rounds," visiting the visitors as they slept.

Life is good when these girls are with us. ​

And it wouldn't be a family gathering without dessert, so for December: peppermint! It just says winter to me.​

This cheesecake is almost too easy. No baking, no sugar, low carb and comes together in about 15 minutes. With a crust that tastes like Oreo cookies, it was the most popular dessert of the visit, even though we had plenty of other desserts with real sugar. There's only a slight change to the original recipe (upped the whipping cream from 2 tablespoons to 4), as I like a fluffier mousse-like cheesecake. Also added a pinch of salt to the crust. Should also note that I used my favorite brand of sugar substitute called Swerve, but you can use whatever you like.

Adapted from: All Day I Dream About Food
Number of servings: 16

Ingredients
Crust

• 1 ¼ cups almond flour (Bob's Red Mill Super Fine was used here)
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• Sweetener equivalent to ¼ cup sugar (Swerve brand was used here)
• 4 ½ tablespoons butter, melted
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Peppermint Cheesecake

• Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• Sweetener equivalent to ¾  to 1 cup sugar (I used ¾ cup)
• ½  cup sour cream, room temperature
• 4 tablespoons whipping cream, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Red food coloring to taste (use natural food coloring if possible)

Topping

• 1 cup whipping cream
• Sweetener equivalent to 2 tablespoons sugar (powdered or liquid sweetener works best)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ounce dark chocolate, melted (optional)
• 4 sugar-free peppermints, crushed (optional)

Directions
Crust

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, sweetener, melted butter and salt until well combined. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9×9-(or 8×8)-inch square pan.

Peppermint Cheesecake

1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sweetener until smooth. Beat in sour cream, whipping cream, and extracts until combined.
2. Add red food coloring and beat until desired color is achieved.
3. Carefully spread filling over crust.

Topping

1. In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream with sweetener and vanilla until it holds stiff peaks. Spread over filling.
2. Chill cheesecake for at least 3 hours, until set.
3. Drizzle with melted chocolate and crushed candies, if desired.
4. Cut into 16 bars. Or cut into smaller bites for a holiday dessert tray.

NOTE: I found it worked best if you placed individual squares of cheesecake on plates and then drizzle with chocolate right before serving. This cheesecake keeps well for three days in the fridge.

Happy Hanukkah! One of my favorite holidays to celebrate with my BF and family. It's also latke time!

I love this method for making latkes, mainly because it's baked and not fried. You use oil, but it won't splatter all over the stove.

And yes, it's parsnips instead of potatoes. Parsnips taste nutty and sweet, so to complement that sweetness you can top the latkes with tangy creme fraiche or sour cream, hot pepper jelly and chives (as shown in the photos above and below). Smoked fish or poached eggs are also delicious as a topper. The BF and I love them with mashed avocado and a poached egg, drizzled with chimichurri sauce (bottom photo). 

If you don't have a Spiralizer, don't worry, the large grate on your hand grater will work fine. The bones of the original recipe are from Inspiralized, I just changed the quantities to my liking.

Closing on a different note, my cousins in Chicago recently sent me this amazing "Bohemian Chanukah" by Six 13 (see below), and this, along with the fact the BF and I loved the film Bohemian Rhapsody [Ed. note: if Rami Malek doesn't get a best-actor Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury, the offending non-voters should be studied in a lab], reminded me that Queen is one of my favorite bands of all time.

How favorite? I actually "gave" a Queen documentary DVD to the BF as a Hanukkah gift, and he kindly reminded me that he'd actually received a press-review copy of the same film years ago when he was working as a music journalist. He offered it to me, and for some reason at the time I said no.

Sometimes you need to be reminded.

​Reminding you that we hope you are enjoying a wonderful holiday with family and friends.

Shalom.

Adapted from: Inspiralized
Number of servings: makes 5-6 large latkes or 10-12 mini latkes
​
Ingredients

• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 4 tablespoons matzo meal
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 large parsnips, peeled, Blade C, noodles roughly trimmed (or use large grate on hand grater)
• 1 onion, peeled, Blade A, noodles roughly trimmed (or use large grate on hand grater)
• 4 tablespoons (divided) extra virgin olive oil

Optional Toppings

• sour cream, creme fraiche​, chives or scallions
• applesauce, hot pepper jelly
• smoked trout, sturgeon or salmon, poached egg

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Line one rimmed baking sheet with foil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, matzoh meal, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add in the parsnip and onion. and combine.
3. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil onto the baking sheet and place in the oven for 5-7 minutes to heat the oil. Remove from the oven and place parsnip mixture in handfuls onto the oil. Flatten mixture with a spatula.
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until the bottoms are golden and crisp. Remove from oven, flip latkes over and bake for another 10 minutes or until crisp and golden on both sides.
5. When done, transfer latkes to a paper-towel-lined baking rack to drain. 
6. Wipe off baking sheet with a paper towel to remove old oil and bits and pieces. Repeat 2-5.

The Holiday season is here, with Hanukkah coming up next week and Christmas soon following. Here we're breaking out a theme most revelers get behind: gingerbread. This looks like a gigantic Hostess Ho Ho [Ed. note: DID SOMEONE SAY HOSTESS HO HO], and may initially appear imposing, but it's actually very light and fluffy, with a beautiful hint of gingerbread spice.

Now it has come to my attention from certain people [Ed. note: umm <whistling>] that some of you might want to make this more of an "adult" dessert and put a dash of bourbon or rum into the eggnog filling. Honestly, I would advise against putting more liquid into the filling; the main reason I added mascarpone cheese was to make the filling more stable. Adding more liquid could make this a bit of a messier proposition. Of course, if you want to have a drink (like a bourbon or hot toddy) with the cake, by all means do. 

[Ed. note: Don't call this a "log" for cheap comedic effect don't call this a "log" for cheap comedic effect don't call this a "log"...]

Happy Holidays! More confections to come!

Adapted from: Crazy for Crust
Number of servings: 8-10

Ingredients
Cake

• 3 eggs
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup no sugar added applesauce
• ½ cup molasses
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  
• ½ teaspoon salt

Filling

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 oz mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons eggnog

Directions

1. Line a 10 x 15 inch jelly roll pan with parchment (for easy removal). Brush it with melted butter.
2. Beat eggs at high speed for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar, applesauce, and molasses.
3. Stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and salt. Add to other mixture. Spread into pan.
4. Bake at 350 °F for 10-12 minutes. To make sure the cake is done, a toothpick should come out completely clean. For cake rolls, better to err on the side of overdone, which makes them roll easier.
5. Turn out immediately onto a kitchen towel sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar. Starting at the narrow end, roll towel and cake together. Cool completely. The cake is sticky, soft, and spongey, and it might come off a little on your fingers, but that’s okay. Cooling will take at least 2 hours. You can make it a day ahead, just wrap the cooled cake with plastic wrap overnight.
6. In a stand mixer or with hand-held beaters, beat mascarpone until light and smooth. Add cold heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add eggnog 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overwhip.
7. Once cake is cool, carefully unroll it. It might leave a little mess on the towel, but that’s okay, as long as you can peel it off. Spread about half the whipped cream over the top of the cake, leaving an edge at the end. Starting at the narrow end, re-roll the cake. As you roll it the filling will shift a little and you may need to remove some if you’ve put too much on the cake. That’s okay, just have a knife handy to scrape off any excess.
8. Wrap cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Place cake on serving plate and top with some of the remaining whipped cream and dust with cinnamon.

The BF and I recently had a wonderful dinner at a neighbor's house. Husband and wife (turns out she and the BF went to the same university and graduated a year apart) and their two adorable children. The wife made a special request for something sugar-free and low carb, something I always try to pull out of the proverbial hat over the holidays.

So besides the normal sugar-full monstrosity that sent the kids (and BF) spinning [Ed. note: GERPH SNORG FLEEGLE NOP], I presented a version of this pumpkin cheesecake to the wife.

"Honey, you have to try this," she gasped at her husband. Soon, everybody was taking a small forkful.

The husband and my BF, bless them, went from sumptuous satisfied grins to quizzical bewilderment. The husband cocked his head, "This is...sugar...free?" No wonder, it really did taste like a decadent cheesecake.

The BF likes to say these are "weapons." [Ed. note: As in, people, including or especially kids, will not question whether or not the dish has a particular ingredient until you tell them.] When time allows, I experiment and make us sugar-free-grain-free-low-carb desserts (or similarly constructed main dishes) and the BF will say, "It's okay, but it tastes healthy." Kiss of death. So when something gets the "weapon" seal of approval, it must be shared. The pumpkin cheesecake will definitely make an appearance on this year's Thanksgiving dessert table.

Many have even asked me to post more sugar-free, low carb desserts, so rest assured, there will be more to come.

A big reason why this cheesecake and other such desserts can now be made: sugar substitutes have come a long way in the last 30 years. Had never found one that I liked for baking, until stumbling on a product called Swerve (swervesweet.com/products), which comes in granulated, powdered-confectioners, or brown form. This is not a sponsored post, simply have made countless desserts with it and the performance screams "real thing." Will bet you can't tell the difference.

You can purchase Swerve online, or I have been lucky enough to find in my local grocery store. Am sure you could try a different brand, but I highly recommend this one and can't vouch for other brands in the final outcome of this particular dessert.

The original recipe for this mini cheesecake says it serves two, but for the aforementioned dinner it was cut into four small pieces and was a perfect ending to the meal. Made a few tweaks to the original recipe from the blog All Day I Dream About Food: upped the cream cheese filling just a bit and doubled the whipped cream topping.

For people who count their Net Carbs, half of this cheesecake is only 3 Net Carbs.

Number of servings: 2 large or 4 small
Adapted from: All Day I Dream About Food for Swerve, The Ultimate Sugar Replacement
(swervesweet.com/products)

Ingredients
Crust

• 3 tablespoons almond flour (Bob's Red Mill super fine was used here)
• 1 tablespoon Swerve (granular)
• 2 pinches salt
• 2 teaspoons melted butter

Filling

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 ½ tablespoons Swerve (confectioners) 
• 2 ½ tablespoons pumpkin puree 
• 1 ½ tablespoons beaten egg (reserve remaining egg for another use, like an omelet!) 
• ½-¾ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

• 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 4 teaspoons Swerve (confectioners) 
• Dash vanilla extract

Directions
Crust

1. Preheat oven to 325 °F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 4-inch springform pan. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, Swerve, and salt. Add melted butter and stir until it begins to clump together. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake 8-10 minutes. Remove and let cool while preparing the filling.

Filling

1. Reduce oven temperature to 300 °F. 
2. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sweetener until well combined. Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg, pie spice, and vanilla extract until well combined. 
3. Spoon the batter over the crust and smooth the top. Bake 20-30 minutes, until edges are set and the center just jiggles slightly when shaken. Remove and let cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate at least one hour. Run a sharp knife around sides of the pan before releasing the spring.

Topping

1. Whip the cream with sweetener and vanilla until it holds stiff peaks. Spread over the chilled cheesecake.

Well we survived midterms [Ed. note: Anyone get the license plate of that truck that hit us?] and now, more importantly, it's two weeks until Thanksgiving!

It is never too soon to plan the meal. Right now I have a rough menu outline, but so far the only certainty is that this soup will start the evening off, either in a bowl or as soup shooters (shot glass).

Have made a bazillion different kinds of butternut squash soup over the years, but this is "The One." Velvety, flavorful, filling, but not heavy. You'll swear there's cream in there. There isn't. You can even make this dairy-free/vegan by omitting the butter and substituting olive oil. Full disclosure, I tend to tinker with recipes to tailor it to my or the BF's taste, but this recipe, didn't change a thing [Ed. note: wut].

The soup works well on its own, but if you want to kick the flavor up a notch I suggest adding the red curry croutons. (Butternut squash and red curry are a match made in heaven.) Another handy tip, I find the hand-immersion blender very convenient, but if you want a truly smooth, velvet consistency, break out the big guns, your "serious" blender, and mix like you mean it.

PS: Don't want to give away any secrets, but someone's birthday is coming up [Ed. note: wut]. Last year I didn't mess around and broke out Batman and the Joker for a positively killer caramel apple cake (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/caramel-apple-cake).

PPS: Marlowe is very happy if you voted!

Adapted from: Corky, Lori, Dana and Tracy Pollan, The Pollan Family Table (soup) and Woks of Life (croutons)
Number of servings: makes about 2 quarts (4-6)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• ½ cup peeled and chopped carrots
• ​2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
  
• 7 cups peeled, seeded, and diced butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 pinches ground nutmeg
• Kosher salt

Optional Topping

• 2 tablespoons raw or roasted shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas) I like roasted, salted.

Curry Butter Croutons

• ½  loaf crusty bread, such as sourdough
• 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature [Ed. note: ROOM TEMPERATURE]
• ½-1  tablespoon red curry paste (depends on your spice level)
• ½  tablespoon honey

Directions

1. In a large stockpot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add onion and carrots and sauté until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds. Add the butternut squash and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
2. Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Remove the stockpot from the heat and allow soup to cool until no longer steaming. Working in batches, ladle the soup into a blender (place a towel on top when blending to avoid hot splashes) or food processor and blend on high until smooth. Pour pureed soup into a clean pot. (As an alternative you can use a handheld immersion blender and blend soup in the pot.)
4. Return soup to the heat and add nutmeg, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, and black pepper to taste. Stir to blend well and simmer until hot.
5. Ladle soup into individual bowls and top each serving with 1 teaspoon of pumpkin seeds and croutons (if using). 

Curry Butter Croutons

1. Preheat oven to 425 °F.
2. Cut bread into thick slices. Combine the softened butter, red curry paste, and honey in a small bowl, and mix until thoroughly combined.
3. Spread the toast slices with butter and bake until light golden brown, flipping slices once halfway through to ensure both sides are evenly toasted.
4. Cut into croutons, and serve over the soup. 

 Happy Halloween.

Adapted from: I Am Baker (blog)
Number of servings: Makes approximately 20-24 mini apples

Ingredients

• 3 large Granny Smith apples (each yielded 8 mini apples)
• 2 cups butterscotch morsels (Guittard was used here)
• 1 tablespoon shortening (can also use oil)
• Melon baller
• Cleaned twigs, sticks or cake-pop sticks
• lemon juice (optional)

Directions

1. Place parchment paper on a baking or cookie sheet.
   
2. Using melon baller, scoop out sections of the apple. One apple typically yields about 6-8 mini apples. Work quickly as you don't want the apples to brown. If you have lemon juice on hand, sprinkle it over the apples (this helps).
3. Insert the twig/stick into the mini apple, being sure not to go in all the way.
4. Melt butterscotch and shortening in the microwave. Heat for 1 minute, stir, then heat for 10 second intervals until fully melted. Transfer melted butterscotch to a tall glass. Work quickly.
5. Important: dry mini apples off with paper towel.
6. Briefly dip apples into the butterscotch, until covered. Lift up and let excess butterscotch drain off. Set on parchment-lined cookie sheet.
7. Refrigerate or leave on counter.
8. Suggestion: you can also drizzle with chocolate or colorful candy melts. Orange and black would be fun for Halloween, or if you have a San Francisco Giants fan in the house. [Ed. note: Dodgers haven't won since '88, Dodgers haven't won since '88, Dodgers...]