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Ginger Cake

1.25 cups all purpose flour
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
4.5 tbsp butter, softened
1 large egg
1/3 cup applesauce
¼ cup molasses
1/3 cup flat Guinness stout
Reduced whipped calorie topping

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9 inch round cake pan with cooking spray, line with wax paper. Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a bowl, stir with a whisk.

Place brown sugar and butter in a large bowl, mixing at med speed until well blended. Add the egg and beat well. Beat in the applesauce, and molasses – batter may look slightly curdled. Reduce mixing speed to low. Add one third of the flour mixture and beat until just blended. Repeat with remaining flour mixture. Add Guinness stout and mix until just combined.

Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

Quesadilla Burger

Applebee’s New Quesadilla Burger is a *Southwest-seasoned burger topped with Cheddar and Pepper Jack cheeses, bacon, tomatoes, red onion and jalapenos—all stuffed between grilled flour tortillas. Pico de gallo, shredded lettuce and Mexi-ranch dressing complete the Quesadilla Burger.


Applebee's Quesadillas

2 (10-inch) flour tortillas
2 TBS butter, softened
1/3 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 medium tomato, chopped
2 ts diced red onion
1 ts diced canned jalapenos
1 slice bacon, cooked
* southwest seasoned burger (recipe for seasoning mix follows**)

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Spread half the butter on one side of each tortilla. Put one tortilla, butter side down in the hot pan. Sprinkle the cheeses evenly onto the center of the tortilla in the pan - but not all the way to the edges. Put the tomato, onion, bacon and jalapeno over the cheese, add the seasoned burger and cover with the other tortilla butter side up (like a grilled cheese sandwich). When the bottom side is browned, about 45-90 seconds, flip the quesadilla and grill the other side. Remove the quesadilla from the pan and, using a pizza cutter, cut through the middle like a pizza.

**Southwest Seasoning Mix
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano

Combine all ingredients and use to season hamburger.

Pico de gallo

2 cups diced very ripe tomato
1 cup diced Spanish (purple) onion
6 - 10 jalapenos, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp salt


Dice 2 large, very-ripe tomatoes and 1 large Spanish onion into 1/4" cubes.
Chop jalapenos, garlic and cilantro.
Mix all ingredients and refrigerate at least six hours.
Keeps refrigerated for 4-5 days.
Variations - Add any or all of the following:

1 tbsp lime juice
1 habanero
1/2 can whole kernel corn
1/2 can black beans

Stilton Stuffed Baked Pears

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   ½ cup packed brown sugar
   2 tbsp butter, softened
   ½ CP crumbled Stilton Cheese
   ¼ CP dried cranberries
   ¼ CP chopped pecans, toasted
   8 peeled Bartlett Pears
   ¼ CP apple juice
   1 TB port
   
   Directions
   
   Preheat oven to 375°
   
   Combine sugar and butter in a small bowl and stir until well blended. Add cheese, cranberries, and pecans. Stir well.
   
   Cut 1 inch off stem end of each pear, preserve top. Remove core from stem end, and scoop out about 2 TB pulp from each pear half to form a cup, using a melon baler or a spoon.
   
   Place the pears in a 13x9 inch baking dish. Fill each pear with about 2 TB sugar mixture and replace the top.
   
   Combine juice and port in a small bowl, mix, then pour over pears. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until tender. Serve Warm.

Rocky Road Bars

1 stick butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cut semisweet chocolate chips

1. preheat oven to 350°. Butter an 8-inch square pan. Line with parchment paper, leving an overhand on two sides. Butter the paper.

2. In a medium saucepan, place butter and cocoa; heat over low, stirring constantly, until butter has melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in sugar, egg, flower, milk and vanilla until combined.

3. Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.Remove the pan from the oven; sprinkle top evenly with marshmallows, wallnuts, and chocolate chips. Return to oven and bake until marshmallows puff, about 3 minutes. Cool to room temperature about 1 hour on a rack.

Refrigerate until topping hardens, about 1 hours. Cut into bars.

Nutritional infoFATTENING - DUH!

Cranberry Cherry Crumble

3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
3 cups pitted dark sweet cherries, thawed
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped
¼ cup dried cherries, chopped
1 tbsp all purpose flour
¼ cup slivered almonds, chopped
¼ cups regular oatmeal
¼ cup whole wheat flour
1-1/2 tsp cornstarch
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 almond extract
2 tbsp chilled butter

DirectionsPreheat oven to 375. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, tossing gently to coat fruit. Spoon cranberry mixture into an 8 inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray.Combine almonds and the next 7 ingredients in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender, o until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle with oat mixture evenly over cranberry mixture. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden.

Orecchiette with Cauliflower

1 pound orecchiette or other short pasta

1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

¼ to ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

2 to 3 anchovy fillets

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving (optional)

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 5 minutes less than package instructions for al dente; add cauliflower. Cook until pasta is al dente and cauliflower is tender, 5 minutes.

Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid. Drain pasta mixture; set aside.

In same pot, heat oil over medium; add garlic, red-pepper flakes, and anchovies. Cook, breaking up ancho¬vies with a spoon, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add pasta mixture, cheese, and 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid; season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, adding more cooking liquid if necessary to thin sauce. Add parsley; toss. Serve, topped with additional cheese, if desired.