Triple Apple Pie | O Brother, Where Art Thou? #FoodnFlix

This month for Food 'n Flix we watched the 2000 Coen brothers film, O Brother, Where Art Thou?  Set in rural Mississippi during the Great Depression, it's full of Grammy-award winning catchy folk tunes (I bought the cd way back when and can still sing all the songs right along with the movie), and scenes from the American South.

But did you know that it's also loosely based on The Odyssey by Homer? You know, the one that kids around the nation dread reading in school. I think that I'd heard that before, but had forgotten until our host for this month, Debra from Eliot's Eats, reminded us in her Food 'n Flix invitation. So, not only did I go back in to watch the film for the first time in years with an eye towards the food, but also on the lookout for references from the epic poem. And boy did I find lots of both!

Tropical Trail Mix

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sunsweet Growers. All opinions are 100% mine.

When I'm looking for an easy on-the-go snacking option, more often than not I will grab some dried fruit and nuts. I love the contrast of intensely concentrated sweet and juicy fruit alongside the crunchy, salty nuts. Not only is it a simple fix, it's also a nutritious fix. But the best part is that by throwing a few kinds of fruits and nuts together, you have a completely customized trail mix that can be stored in a jar on your pantry shelf and poured into a baggie or container when you need a fast snack.

Sunsweet recently launched a couple of new dried fruit flavors to complement their Philippine Tropicals line of dried fruit. Sourced from unique micro climates that have ideal growing conditions, these sweet, succulent dried fruits let you experience a burst of the tropics with each bite. Hey, if I can't be in the tropics, at least the tropics can be in my mouth.

Chocolate Fruit 'n Nut Bites

Here's the thing, I love holiday baking. The planning, the process, the wrapping, the handing out to teachers, bus drivers, neighbors, and loved ones...or at least, I used to. I'd still love it if I could only find the time to do it. For the past 5 or 6 years, it seems like I go to sleep after a satisfying Thanksgiving meal and wake up a few days before Christmas in a panic. The holidays are stressful, yo.

But I do my best to wake up in the middle of it all and actually get something done. Therefore, easy holiday baking and treat recipes are a life saver. And really, these chocolate fruit 'n nut bites couldn't be any simpler. There's not really even a recipe, but I did write down approximate amounts of what I used so that you could have a bit of a guideline to go off of.

Pomegranate Salad

Are you knee-deep in holiday sweets yet? Since it's already two weeks into December, that scenario is almost impossible to avoid. It can be easy to forget that life is not all about the butter...the sugar...the chocolate...the glacé fruit (okay, maybe nobody ever thinks it's about the glacé fruit). That is why I'm sharing this salad with you today. Okay, that and the fact that I'm today's stop for the Sharing Morocco blog tour!

The thing is, looking at this salad, you don't necessarily think healthy. You think beautiful—or at least I do. The deep, rich reds and greens that come straight from the earth rather than a tube. Busting out this salad in the middle of the holiday madness is like bringing home somebody to meet your family for the first time. Everybody's nervous and wondering if they'll fit in. But instead of being awkward, it's like they were supposed to have been there all along. They just fit.

Aside from the colors that just scream winter, I think it has a lot to do with the addition of lightly candied nuts and nature's own little sugar bursts, dates. This salad is just one of the many vibrant dishes lining the pages of the new (released in October) cookbook by Ruth Barnes, otherwise known as The Petite Gourmande.

Brown Rice Breakfast Pudding

So, I might have mentioned the fact that we eat a lot of rice pudding in this house.  You know, a few times.  Here and there.  We (and by we, I mean my husband - because he makes it 95% of the time) will switch up the liquid that we use...or the sweetener.  Most often it's plain when he makes it, but sometimes if he's feeling feisty, he'll add a cinnamon stick.

When I make it, I like to add vanilla, or some citrus zest, or maybe a splash of rosewater.  With the rosewater, I like pistachios or cashews.  With anything else (or nothing else), I like to add dried fruit - Michigan cherries being my first choice.

But you know what's funny?  Strange, not ha-ha.  Until now, I have never even tried to make rice pudding using brown rice.  Whaaaa!?  I mean, why?  Nutty, chewy brown rice is my favorite, after all.  Maybe I just figured it would take too long.  You know, somewhere in the back of my brain as my hand passed over the jar of brown rice to reach the white rice nestled behind it.

It did take a little longer, but not so much longer that it mattered all that much.  And the great thing about this recipe?  It uses not only brown rice, but also rice milk, making it dairy-free for those who allergic or sensitive to it (or just don't eat it).  It's also gluten-free.  But that being said, for those rice pudding/arroz con leche lovers out there - it's still creamy and comforting!  You don't even realize that there isn't any sort of (dairy) milk in it.

Really.  Just ask my hubby who ate all of the leftovers; he had no clue that I didn't use milk in it.  I didn't not tell him because I thought he wouldn't like it that way, it just didn't cross my mind.  He was at work when I made it, so I told him there was some in the fridge - he warmed up a big bowl (and then emptied it) with nary a complaint.

Brown Rice Breakfast Pudding

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Keywords: simmer breakfast dessert gluten-free nut-free soy-free vegan rice dried fruit pudding

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 cups uncooked brown rice, preferably short-grain
• 4 cups unsweetened rice milk + more as needed
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 4 tablespoons brown rice syrup (or to taste)
• big pinch of sea salt
• 1 cup dried fruit (I like to use a mix of cherries, apricots, cranberries, yellow raisins, and currents - I love the colors it brings to the dish)

Instructions

Combine brown rice, rice milk, water, brown rice syrup, and salt in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil, and then decrease the heat to a gentle simmer. Allow to simmer for 40 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the dried fruit and cook for 10 minutes longer.

You want it to be thick, but not stiff. If your liquid runs low during cooking, add a bit more rice milk or water. The pudding should have just enough liquid left to be "loose".

Serve with extra rice milk and brown rice syrup, if you wish.

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

notes:

You could substitute maple syrup for the brown rice syrup, if you wish.

adapted from Allergy-Friendly Food for Families

(Peated) Whisk(e)y Nut Fruitcake

Three months ago, the most I knew about whisky was, basically, Bourbon.  Back in the early noughty's, a friend introduced me to Maker's and Sprite.  It quickly became my go-to mixed drink.  Although, when I think back, my grandpa has always drinken (drank? drunk?) Seven & Seven's... and really... isn't that basically the same thing?  Of course, Seagram's Seven is not Bourbon, it is simply whisky.

Uuuuhhh...  Soooo...  Yeah.  That was about the extent of my whisky knowledge.

And then I took my very first ride in an airplane.  Ever.  It was over the Atlantic.  I'm pretty much the luckiest girl ever because: #1. Aer Lingus Business Class is the bomb.  And I am ruined for Coach from here on out (...several days later, I did take a short coach flight from Glasgow to Dublin.  Ruined, ruined I tell you.).  #2.  Looking out over the patchwork quilt of green in every shade imaginable (that would be Ireland, arriving at Dublin) is one of the most beautiful sites in the universe.

I was about to embark on a journey of whiskey.  And also of whisky.  Because, while I was starting my Whiskey Distillery tour in Ireland, I was continuing it in Scotland.  The Irish spell it "whiskey".  The Scottish spell it "whisky".  See there?  I'd already added to my whisky repertoire, and my tour hadn't even officially begun.

Fast forward to my second full day in Ireland.  Even though I was only on my third distillery, I felt like I'd tried hundreds of different types of whiskey.  In reality, it was probably more like ten.  But when you start at ten in the morning, things multiply.  Anyway.  Aside from the hundreds I'd tried at the first two distillery stops, I'd tried at least half that at the third.

But then, something happened.  Something unexpected.  As I raised another tasting glass of gold liquid to my lips, I smelled something.  Other than the sweet notes of whiskey.  It smelled smoky.  It smelled like Christmas.  And then I took a sip.  It was Connemara, and it was my first experience with peated whisk(e)y.  At first, I wasn't really sure what to think of it.  I kept touching it to my lips... tracing my tongue slowly over the slick of smoky sweetness that it left.  I knew immediately that I would be using this in a recipe.  Or five.

I said as much to one of the girls on the trip with me.  She whispered that it would be great in fruitcake.  Fruitcake!  Genius.

Little did I realize, that peated whiskies aren't the norm in Ireland.  Peating is actually more  characteristic of Scotch whiskies, as I would discover a couple of days later when I settled in to the island of Islay in Scotland.  An island where the smell of peat smoke magically clings to every nook and cranny.  Now, in short, peat is basically decayed vegetation.  In it lies the Scottish equivalent of "terroir".  In Scotland, there is moss, heather, grass, shrubs, and all other sorts of local vegetation that makes its way into this partially carbonized substance that is formed in marshes and bogs, as it forms in cold, wet, acidic areas.

The four distilleries that I toured while on Islay all had heavily peated whisky.  The way they get that peat smoke to permeate the liquid is by spreading out the germinating barley on a large, perforated floor set over a kiln that is burning peat.  They close the door on the room, and the smoke comes up through the floor and winds its way up, around, and through those grains of barley.  The peated barley is then allowed to dry before moving on to the milling, mashing, fermenting, and distilling.

Now, this is just a tiny glimpse into what I learned about whiskey.  And about whisky.  Being on an island where so much peating is going on just puts you in the mood for drinks around a peat fire.  And yes, fruitcake.  At least it put me in the mood.  There was no getting it out of my head after that first mention.   And thank goodness!  Because, while I never fell onto either side of the love vs. hate in the fruicake wars, I know fall firmly on the love-side.  But only if said fruitcake is made with peated whisk(e)y.  I mean, first of all, the fruit is soaked in it overnight.  Smoky addition number one.  And then, peated whisk(e)y is brushed onto the cake and left to seep down into its golden goodness... once a week, for a month.

The result?  A golden cake that is studded with bits of nuts and fruit with a moist, sticky layer of booze-soaked cake on the outside.  A hint of peaty smoke infuses each glorious bite. Sigh.  If I close my eyes, I'm back in Scotland.  And maybe even Ireland (since that is where peat smoke and I were first introduced).

Whisk(e)y Nut Fruitcake

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 15 minutes + up to 4 weeks (basically unattended)

Cook Time: 60 minutes - 1 hour 30 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert alcohol nuts whisk(e)y dried fruit Christmas cake winter

Ingredients (varies - see notes)

• ~6 c. mixed, dried fruit & candied citrus peel (golden raisins, purple raisins, cherries, cranberries, blueberries, apricots, pineapple, mango, lemon peel, orange peel, citron, etc.), larger pieces diced
• ¾ c. Peated Whisk(e)y + more for brushing
• 1 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature + more for greasing pans
• 1¾ c. granulated sugar
• ¼ c. light corn syrup or golden syrup
• ⅛ tsp. pure vanilla extract
• ⅛ tsp. rose water
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. fine sea salt
• ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 c. whole milk
• 2 c. roughly chopped (or whole, if smallish) nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, pinenuts, hazelnuts, etc.)

Instructions

Combine all of the fruits and candied citrus peels in a bowl and sprinkle the peated whisk(e)y over them. Toss a few times. Cover and allow to sit overnight at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Lightly grease your loaf pans and set them on a baking tray. Stir together the flour, baking powder, sea salt, and nutmeg; set aside.

Place butter, sugar, corn syrup, rose water, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat well. Beat in the eggs one at time. Beat in the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

Fold in the reserved fruit with all the liquid and the nuts.

Spoon batter into prepared pans, filling them about three quarters of the way full.

Slide entire tray into preheated oven (or larger pans without the tray, if you wish) and bake until the cakes are just tinged with golden brown and a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center of the cakes come out clean.

Approximate baking times (since ovens and pan-types vary, please start checking doneness for the larger loaves early, especially if they are starting to smell done): Start checking after ~60 minutes, but depending on size of your pans, could take up to 1½ hours.

Once removed from oven, sprinkle or brush each cake with a little more of the peated whisk(e)y while they are still warm. Set on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Tip the cakes out of their pans (or leave in if using paper pans for gift giving) and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Set on a tray and refrigerate for 4 weeks, unwrapping and sprinkling or brushing with a bit more of the peated whisk(e)y once each week. After the four weeks have passed, they are ready to eat or give as gifts.

Re-wrap in clean plastic wrap, parchment, or wax paper. If you like, wrap individual loaves in colored cello paper before giving away.

notes:

Generally, when I think of peated whiskies, I think of the type I grew so fond of while visiting the island of Islay in Scotland where peat smoke clung to the air itself (Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Bowmore). The hint of rose water in this recipe is reminiscent of the purplish-pink heather that you could see coloring the landscape in Islay, which compliments the smoky, peated whisky so perfectly. That being said, there are also some nice, peated Irish Whiskies that you could use, like Connemara (which I used in these loaves).

Yields for Different Sizes of Pans:

10 (4"x2"x2") mini loaves / 5 (5 3/4"x 3 1/4"x2") small loaves / 2 standard loaves / 1 large (10") round cake pan

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Welcome to day #3 of Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen of Juanita’s Cocina. Today’s theme for Christmas Week is “Christmas Cakes and Cupcakes”. Make sure you visit all the participating bloggers today to see what special dish they whipped up for you.

• Christmas Coconut Cake by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic
• Cranberry Coffee Cake by Jen of Juanita's Cocina
• Holly Topped White Cupcakes by Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Eggnog Pound Cake with Rum Glaze by Anuradha of Baker Street
• Christmas in the Tropics Cake by Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
• Cranberry-Walnut Coffecake by Isabelle of Crumb
• Pumpkin Dream Cake by Erin of Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Christmas Red Velvet Mug Cake by Erin of The Spiffy Cookie
• Reindeer Cupcakes by Ramona of Curry and Comfort
• Whisk(e)y Nut Fruitcake by Heather of girlichef
• Tres Leches Cake by Cathy of The Dutch Baker's Daughter
• Monkey Bar Cupcakes by Chung-Ah of Damn Delicious

Pumpkin Almond Flax Granola {12 Weeks of Winter Squash}

Am I in the minority when I say that I do not like cinnamon in my granola?  I feel like I am.  But really, I can't stand it.  It always seems to over-power everything else and make everything all cloying, weirdly-spiced, and just plain old icky.  Funny thing is, I'm not a cinnamon hater.  I like it.  In the right circumstance.  In cinnamon rolls, for example.  But keep it far away from my granola!

I also prefer my granola less-sweet.  Less sweet than what, you ask?  Well, I don't know.  Less sweet than many "commercial" granolas, I suppose.  Complain, complain, complain. I guess that's why I just have to make my own granola now, isn't it?

And in the spirit of trying to incorporate more winter squash into my family's "rotation", I figured why not stir a little bit of pureed pumpkin into this batch of granola.  The pumpkin flavor doesn't overpower everything else, rather sort of hangs back and sort of sneaks its way onto your tongue.  The addition of the pepitas amps up that flavor, as do the hints of ginger and nutmeg.  Also, using golden syrup to sweeten alongside the brown sugar, adds a layer of depth.

Plus, the golden flecks of flax seeds, almonds, apricots, and raisins and the ruby red cranberries echo the colors of the autumn that is drawing to a close.

I love all of this about it, but my most favorite part may be the fact that when you cover this crunchy granola in milk, the milk turns a lovely shade of orange.  It betrays the secret pumpkin that coats each oat flake... each nut.  And if you are craving some "sweet", you can always drizzle it all with a bit of maple syrup or honey before you take that first bite.

Pumpkin Almond Flax Granola (+ homemade pumpkin puree)

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: ~60 minutes

Keywords: bake breakfast snack vegan vegetarian soy-free almonds flax pumpkin oats fall winter

Ingredients (~9 cups)

• 4 c. rolled oats
• ½ c. coconut oil
• ½ c. golden syrup
• ¼ c. brown sugar
• ½ c. pumpkin puree, homemade or store-bought
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• 1 c. almonds (whole, chopped, sliced, slivered)
• ½ c. pepitas
• ¼ c. golden flaxseeds
• ~2 c. dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, currants, chopped apricots or dates, etc.)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine oats and coconut oil in a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until the all of the oats are coated in oil. Stir in the golden syrup, brown sugar, pumpkin, spices, and salt until well combined. Stir in the almonds, pepitas, and flax seeds.

Scoop everything out into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Slide into preheated oven and bake for 1 hour, stirring everything around a couple of times during baking. Granola should be beautifully golden.

Remove from oven and scatter the dried fruit over the top. Mix and stir everything around. Let sit until cool and crisp, stirring occasionally.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

notes:

This granola is not overly sweet, rather just kissed with a hint of golden sweetness and spice.

homemade pumpkin puree:

If you want to make homemade pumpkin puree, simply cut a pumpkin (sugar, kabocha, regular) in half and scoop out the seeds. Set cut side down on a baking tray and roast at 400° F until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 30-45 minutes. Allow to cool until you can handle it, then scoop out the flesh and place it in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge and use within a week, or freeze up to 3 months. Use as you would canned pumpkin puree.

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I'm posting a day early, butBbe sure to head on over to check out what my 12 Weeks of Winter Squash co-host, Joanne makes this week...and then leave your winter squash links below.  This is already week number 6 of our 12 weeks- can you believe it!?

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1. Pumpkin Almond Flax Granola

2. Tuscan Bean Soup with Cabbage and Winter Squash

3. Pumpkin Gingerbread Pudding

4. Kabocha Squash Millet Congee

5. Squash Gnocchi with Brown Sugared Kale

6. Gingerbread Pumpkin Bars

Planters #NUTritionPB Berry Nut {product review}

  product:  Planters NUT•rition (Berry Nut)

category:  food/condiments/spreads

packaging:  attractive - I love the colors (eye-catching)

appearance: Extremely tempting for peanut butter lovers - creamy peanut butter chock-full with bits of red, chewy cranberries and chopped, roasted peanuts.  I wanted to dive in as soon as I opened the jar.

about:  Planters NUT•rition Berry Nut Peanut Butter is made with real cranberries and Planters peanut butter.  It is made with adults in mind and is a nutrient dense source of energy to start your day with.  It is a natural source of five essential vitamins and minerals with 6 grams of protein per (2 tablespoon) serving.

There are also 2 other varieties of NUT•rition peanut butter, Cinnamon Raisin Granola Nut and Banana Granola Nut.  I look forward to trying those.

further info:  complete nutrition information | facebook | #NUTritionPB

my thoughts/review:  I should begin by saying that I am a HUGE peanut butter fan.  Any nut butter, really. I often spread it on apples or in the channel of a celery stick and then top it with raisins (ants on a raft or log).  If you're like me, you'll probably feel the same way that I do.  I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THIS STUFF. Seriously, the bright, chewy bursts of the cranberries (which I can't believe I never substituted my raisins with - they go perfectly) combined with the deep, roasted crunch of the chopped peanuts give this peanut butter an irresistible texture.

Though it's somewhat geared towards adults, the kids all liked it, too.  I'm stoked that I was sent the Berry Nut mix to try, because I predict that this will be my favorite of the three varieties (once I've tried the other two).  I will DEFINITELY be buying this of my own accord on future shopping trips.  I can see this becoming a pantry staple.

things I thought about doing with it:

~making Peanut Butter Granola

~making Peanut Butter Cranberry Cookies

~making Peanut Butter and Jelly Bread

~making Peanut Butter and Dried Fruit Rice Krispie Treats

~making Peanut Butter Cups

~making Fruit & Nut Truffles

things I actually did with it:  

~ate it from a spoon

~spread it on toast

~filled celery sticks with it

~ate it from a spoon

~ate it from a spoon

~ate it from a spoon

*I received one (12 oz.) jar of Planters NUTrition Energy Mix: Berry Nut at no charge to taste and review.  All opinions stated in this post are 100% my own.