Apple Almond Coffee Cake

Pumpkin, pear, apple - fall is a delightful time to bake! I made this coffee cake for a work meeting and I didn't bring any home. I guess I'll have to make it again! It is worth it (even though I HATE to peel apples!) - it's delicious and looks impressive.

Start by combining the nuts with 1/2 cup of the sugar



and cinnamon,



and stir to mix well. Set aside. For the batter, cream the butter and the remaining sugar, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Next add the almond extract.



In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.



Add the flour mixture to the batter



alternately with the sour cream.



Now spread half the batter into a greased springform pan then top with the apples.



Sprinkle with half the nut/sugar mixture,

then top with the remaining batter.



Now sprinkle on the remaining nut mixture.



Bake the cake for 40 minutes or until it tests done. Cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack before removing the sides of the pan.



Then let the cake cool completely.



Get more recipes at Foodie Friday, Food on Fridays and Friday Food.

Apple Almond Coffee Cake

1/2 cup chopped almonds
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1 medium granny smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

Combine nuts, cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter; gradually add remaining sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in almond extract. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition.

Spread half of the batter in a well greased 10-in. springform pan. Top with apple slices; sprinkle with half of the nut mixture. To with remaining batter, then with remaining nut mixture. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until cake tests done. Remove from oven; let stand 30 minutes. Loosen sides of cake and remove; cool completely on a wire rack. Serves 12.

Caramel Pear Pie

I am drawn to any recipe that has caramel - but the great news is, this pie is absolutely delicious even without the caramel topping. Pears are a great change of pace from apples for a pie with a "dutch" topping, and the caramel just takes it over the top. I've made it both with the caramel and without, though, and it gets gobbled up either way. (As you can see from the above picture, I drizzle EXTRA caramel over the pie and ice cream. I can't get enough caramel, much to my dentist's delight...)

Start by peeling, coring and slicing the pears.



Drizzle the lemon juice over the pears.



In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.



Pour over the pears



and stir carefully to coat all the pears with the sugar mixture. Let this stand for 15 minutes. In the meantime, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour and butter



in a small bowl and cut in to make streusel (just like in fruit crisp). Pour the pear mixture into the prepared pie shell



then top with the streusel mixture.



Bake the pie for 45 minutes. While it's baking, make the caramel topping by combining the caramels and milk in a small saucepan. (Opening these caramels is the most time-consuming part of this recipe! If you have little helpers, enlist their assistance!)



Put the saucepan over low heat and melt the caramels, stirring constantly. Add the chopped pecans (I just didn't have any on hand but I think it would be wonderful with them!) to the caramel sauce. After the pie has baked for 45 minutes, remove it from the oven and drizzle with the caramel.



Return to the oven and bake an additional 8-10 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly.



Get more ideas at Mouthwatering Monday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tasty Tuesday , Tempt my Tummy Tuesday and What's Cooking Wednesday.

Caramel Pear Pie

6 cups sliced, peeled ripe pears (about 6 medium)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. cold butter, cubed
18 caramels
5 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, combine pears and lemon juice. In another bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to pears; stir gently. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Pour pears into pastry shell. In a bowl, combine the oats, flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over pears. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over low heat, melt caramels with milk. Stir until smooth; add pecans. Drizzle over pie. Bake 8-10 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Serves 6-8.

Fish with Boursin Cheese and Tomato Sauce

I love fish but I do not make it often enough. But now that I've found this recipe, I think I will be making it frequently! I was looking for a dish to use up some of the Boursin I have on hand - I buy the 3-pack at Costco and just haven't used it up fast enough. Now I have a reason to buy Boursin, and not just for crackers! This fish is super delicious and it's fancy enough for a dinner party but easy enough for a weeknight. (Pictured above with garlic-herb orzo pilaf and bacon-maple brussels sprouts.)

Start by brushing olive oil on the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Arrange the fillets in the dish,



and then dry the tops with a paper towel. I used tilapia since I had it on hand - you could also use cod or another white fish. Now spread on the Boursin, which is easier said than done. I had to use a combination of a knife and my fingers!



Top the fish with the tomatoes - I pureed mine first because I don't like chunks...



Then sprinkle on the parmesan cheese.



Bake the fish for about 20 minutes or until it flakes easily with a fork. The time may vary depending on the thickness of your fish fillets.

Find more ideas at Cooking Thursday, Foodie Friday, Food on Fridays and Friday Food, Ingredient Spotlight.

Fish with Boursin Cheese and Tomato Sauce

1 tsp. olive oil
1 pounds fresh white fish fillets (tilapia, cod, etc.)
1/4 cup Boursin cheese with herbs, room temperature (about 1/2 of a 5.2 oz. pkg.)
1 - 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, drained
2 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese

Brush olive oil into baking dish to coat bottom. Arrange the fish fillets in the dish and dry using a paper towel. Spread the Boursin cheese evenly over the fillets. Pour the tomatoes over the tops. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serves 4.

Garlic-Herb Orzo Pilaf

I love finding new ways to liven up side dishes. I'm all for regular rice pilaf but this kicks it up a notch - and I love the addition of orzo. Orzo is such a fun little pasta, don't you think?

Start by peeling and slicing the garlic.




Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add the garlic



cooking and stirring for 2 minutes. Then add the rice



and the orzo



and continue to cook and stir for 4-6 more minutes until the grains are toasty. Then add the broth



and the water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and then simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the green onions,



the basil and the parsley.



(This recipe calls for fresh herbs - I think it would be even more delicious if you have fresh. I used dried for convenience.)

Stir will to incorporate the herbs and serve hot. Get more ideas at Mouthwatering Monday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Tuesday at the Table , Tasty Tuesday and What's Cooking Wednesday, Ingredient Spotlight.

Garlic-Herb Orzo Pilaf

8 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup uncooked orzo
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 - 14 1/2 oz. can chicken broth (or 1 3/4 cup)
1/3 cup water
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves (or 1 tsp. dried)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (or 3/4 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. salt

In a large skillet, heat oil and cook garlic over medium high heat for 2 minutes. Add orzo and rice; cook 4-6 minutes longer or until lightly browned, stirring often.

Stir in broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in the onions, basil, parsley and salt. Serves 4.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

For quite some time, I've wanted to try to make a cake roll but I imagined them to be too tricky. It's not! It's fun, too, and amazingly tasty. And it looks really impressive so your guests will be wowed by your culinary prowess. This has given me confidence to try other cake roll versions, but fall is the perfect time to make the pumpkin roll.

Start by beating the eggs in a large mixing bowl for about 5 minutes. Then gradually add the sugar



and beat until lemon-colored. Add the lemon juice and the pumpkin



and mix until combined. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon



and nutmeg.



Fold the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture.



Grease your jelly roll pan (this is just a 10x15 cookie sheet with rims) then line it with wax paper or parchment paper, and grease the paper (I used non stick cooking spray). I used my Pampered Chef baking stone bar pan, so I didn't grease the pan first.



Pour the batter into the prepared pan



and spread it to cover the pan (it will be thin).



If you're using nuts, sprinkle them over the cake batter now. Bake for 15 minutes. While it bakes, get your tea towel ready - place it on the counter and put a dusting of powdered sugar on it.



When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately invert the cake onto the towel then remove the paper.



The inversion of the cake is the trickiest part. Be decisive! Here's what happens when you're not:



(I then made a second cake and gave myself a pep talk before inverting it!)

Now roll up the cake IN THE TOWEL starting with the short end.



Let it cool in the towel.



While it cools, make the filling by beating the cream cheese, vanilla, butter and powdered sugar



until smooth. When the cake is cool, carefully unroll it,



and place dollops of the filling over it.



Spread the filling to within about 1 inch of the edges.



Now roll it up again, this time without the towel.



My edges weren't perfect, so I trimmed them a bit.



Place on your serving plate. (If you're not serving right away, this cake freezes beautifully. Wrap in cling wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to a month. Place it in the refrigerator the morning you want to serve it, or let it thaw on the counter for 1-2 hours.)

Dust the cake with powdered sugar



and enjoy!



Get more inspiration at the Ultimate Recipe Swap, Foodie Friday, Friday Food , Food on Fridays and Sweet Sunday.


Pumpkin Cake Roll

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs on high for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Add pumpkin and lemon juice and beat until combined.

In another bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg; fold into the pumpkin mixture.

Grease a 15x10x1 inch jelly roll pan; line with waxed or parchment paper. Grease and flour the paper. Spread batter into pan; sprinkle with walnuts.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
Immediately turn out onto a linen towel dusted with powdered sugar. Peel off paper and roll cake up in the towel, starting with the short end. Cool.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, butter, and vanilla until fluffy.

Carefully unroll the cake. Spread filling over cake to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up again. Cover and chill until serving. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar, if desired. Serves 10.