Monday, October 24, 2011

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey and Cinnamon


Tyler Florence’s Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey and Cinnamon are easy to make and delicious. I served these with pork chops and sautéed apples.    Sprinkle a little salt on the potatoes when they come out of the oven.


Ingredients
  • 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling potatoes after cooked
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lay the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a roasting tray. Drizzle the oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper over the potatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes in oven or until tender.
Take sweet potatoes out of the oven and transfer them to a serving platter. Drizzle with more extra-virgin olive oil.

















Full of vitamin A and antioxidants, sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious vegetables. Sweet potatoes aren't just Thanksgiving.



Sunday, October 23, 2011

Gramercy Tavern Gingerbread



There are a couple of different Gramercy Tavern Gingerbread recipes floating around out there in cyberspace.  One recipe calls for ground ginger and the other uses only dry spices. Since I didn’t have fresh ginger, I made the one that uses  dry spices. I wasn’t disappointed. The gingerbread was spicy and and moist. I used a heavy duty 10-12 cup Bundt pan and I dusted it with cocoa because I don’t like white flour  on the outside of a dark cake. Confectioners’ sugar never made it onto my cake; it just didn’t seem to need it. This is a  must make  cake now that the weather is getting cooler. Grab a bottle of Guinness Stout and start baking!

Gramercy Tavern Gingerbread Gourmet | February 2000


by Claudia Fleming
Gramercy Tavern, New York, NY
Yield: Serves 8 to 10
Active Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 3/4 hr


1 cup oatmeal stout or Guinness Stout
1 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cardamom
3 large eggs
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
Confectioners sugar for dusting

Special equipment:
a 10-inch (10- to 12-cup) bundt pan

Accompaniment:
unsweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter bundt pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
Bring stout and molasses to a boil in a large saucepan and remove from heat. Whisk in baking soda, then cool to room temperature.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs and sugars. Whisk in oil, then molasses mixture. Add to flour mixture and whisk until just combined.
Pour batter into bundt pan and rap pan sharply on counter to eliminate air bubbles. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs adhering, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.
Serve cake, dusted with confectioners sugar, with whipped cream.