This week I’m doing something a little different from the usual recipe-for-company-or-a-crowd. Instead, I’m writing on how to adapt a specific recipe with some general principles thrown in.
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Complicated-but-Good Harvest Muffins
I would highly recommend these muffins, and you could leave off the topping if you want them to have less sugar. The amount in the muffins themselves isn’t too bad. You do have to measure a fair number of spices and grate apples. I kept trying to talk myself out of putting in the apples when I made this recipe for the first time, as I didn’t want to bother, but I decided I’d better go ahead and include them and I was glad I did. The combination of the pumpkin and the apple is really good, and the apples are probably counted as part of the liquid in the recipe. So it’s kind of a pain, but worth it. These probably aren’t muffins that you’d whip up for a regular weekday breakfast, but they’re very nice for a special occasion.
World’s Greatest Thanksgiving Stuffing
I would never willingly make any other kind of dressing, or stuffing, or whatever you want to call it, for Thanksgiving. I made this for the first time at least 25 years ago, and it’s been a great favorite ever since. I’m reasonably sure that I got it from Bon Appetit magazine, but I’ve made a few changes here and there. It has Italian sausage in it, so it must be great!
An Easy, Refreshing Slaw
I first came up with this recipe for the Cherry Creek Chorale picnic that we had at our house back in August, before I started this blog. I wanted something crisp and refreshing and thought of this combination. Napa cabbage tends to come in huge heads, so two of them were enough for an expected number of 50. People don’t tend to eat a lot of salad at a buffet, I’ve found. I ended up getting someone to help me dice the apples and walnuts at the last minute, but it would work better to do them ahead of time and give the apples a quick dip into some type of acidulated water, with lemon juice or Fruit Fresh, then drain and store in the fridge. Maybe next time!
A Most Unusual Apple Dessert
I first got this recipe from some magazine or other in an article about a dinner planned by Julia Child. When I went online to check the source I found the exact same thing on the Food Network website by some other chef, so I guess it doesn’t belong to any one person. I have changed the assembly to make it easier, as I have very little patience with doing complicated things just for looks. It’s called “Gateau Mont St. Michel” because it’s supposed to be a “mountain” of crepes, apples and almond cream that’s then cut into wedges to serve. But that’s just too much work. So here’s my version, which I have titled: