Muffin Tin Chef (16 page)

For the Candied Carrots:
Use a vegetable peeler to create long strips of carrot. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Add the carrot strips, reduce the heat to low, and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for about 5 minutes. Remove the carrot, let cool on a wire rack, then chop finely. Place about 1 teaspoon of candied carrot on each cake.

These lovely light and tangy lemon cakes will brighten up even the lousiest of days.
Serves 12 V, F

For the Cakes:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with a whisk or electric mixer on medium speed until light and frothy. Beat in the yogurt, oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently to combine. Divide the mixture among 12 medium muffin cups and bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

For the Glaze:
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and sugar until smooth. While the hot cakes are still in the pan, poke each cake several times with a toothpick and brush the tops with glaze. Let the glaze soak in and repeat. Unmold the cakes and cool on a wire rack.

For the Blueberry Compote:
Place the blueberries, 1/3 cup of the water, and the maple syrup, cinnamon, and almond extract in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, or until the blueberries have softened and begun to break down, about 20 minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining 1 tablespoon water. Stir into the blueberry mixture and heat until thickened, about 1 minute. Serve the blueberry compote with the lemon cakes.

Pureed sweet potato provides these party-size brownies with moisture, earthy sweetness, and a fudgelike consistency. Not to mention it makes them a little more guilt-free if you happen to sneak a few extra. Warning—they're habit forming!
Serves 12 V, F

Steam, boil, or roast the sweet potato until very tender, transfer to a large bowl, and mash with the butter.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the egg, cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla extract, and ginger, if using, to the potato mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. In a second large bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper, if using. Stir the sugar and potato mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until no dry parts are visible. Divide the mixture among 24 mini muffin cups. Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out nearly clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool for several minutes before unmolding.

To make the frosting, beat together the cream cheese and maple syrup with a whisk or electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread on top of the brownies and sprinkle with cocoa nibs.

 

SWEET POTATO BROWNIE BITES,
page 126

 

NO-BAKE CHEESECAKES WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE,
page 128

Here's proof that you don't need to fire up the oven to luxuriate in an ambrosial dessert.
Serves 12 V

For the Cheesecakes:
Line 12 medium muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, walnuts, maple syrup, and ginger, if using, until everything is moist. Add a small amount of additional maple syrup, if needed. In a second large bowl, use a fork to stir together the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Divide the crumb mixture among the prepared muffin cups and press down flat. Divide the cheese mixture among the muffin cups and use a butter knife to smooth the tops. Place the muffin tin in the refrigerator to chill overnight.

For the Raspberry Sauce:
Combine the raspberries, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer until the raspberries have broken down, about 10 minutes. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Add to the sauce and heat for 1 minute. Let cool before serving over the cheesecakes.

The allure of fruit pies is unmistakable. I've provided two fruit fillings that are sure to please, but certainly other classics like strawberry-rhubarb, cherry, plum, or blueberry will do wonderfully.
Serves 12 V

In a food processor, pulse together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cubes of cold butter and process in short pulses until you get a mixture that resembles pea-sized chunks. Or, use a pastry cutter to rub the butter into the mixture until crumbly. In a small bowl, stir together the ice water and the cider vinegar. If using a food processor, transfer the flour mixture to a large bowl. Slowly drizzle in the vinegar mixture. Combine with a spatula or wooden spoon until you can pinch the dough and it holds together. If the mixture is too dry, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time, being very careful not to make it too moist. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, cut in half, and flatten into two discs. Wrap the discs individually in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly butter 12 medium muffin cups. Divide one disc of dough into 12 equal pieces. On a floured work surface, roll out each piece into a 1/8-inch-thick disc, making sure the discs are big enough to fill the muffin cups with some overhang. Press 6 discs into the muffin cups and fill each with half of your desired pie filling. Place the remaining 6 circles over each pie cup and crimp the dough together around the edges to seal. Repeat with second disc of dough and remaining pie filling.

Using a small paring knife, cut four small slits in the tops of each pie to allow for venting. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool for several minutes before unmolding, then transfer to a metal rack to cool further.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Slice an X in the bottom of each peach. Place the peaches in the boiling water for about 20 seconds and remove with a slotted spoon. Slide the peels off. Dice the peaches and mix with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. If the mixture is very liquidy, drain off some of the excess (peaches vary in their degree of juiciness). Fill the pie crusts with the peach filling and bake as instructed.

In a large bowl, toss together all the ingredients. Fill pie crusts with the apple filling and bake as instructed.

Most pecan pies are sugar-and-fat bombs that can ring in at an outrageous 500 calories a slice. These are much less dangerous to your waistline and blood sugar, yet are everything you want out of a slice of pecan pie: buttery richness with tempered sweetness. The nutty butter scent that fills the house while they bake will evoke vivid dreams of autumn days.
Serves 5 V, F