Show - {Pumpkin Cupcakes}

I'm not particularly creative when it comes to Halloween costumes. To be completely honest, I am so bad at it that I don't even deserve the privilege of using the word "particularly" in that last sentence.True fact.I hardly remember any of my past costumes, which is probably due to the fact that the eve of October 31st is often bitterly cold and rainy in Michigan. Let me tell you something:

Pumpkin Black Bottoms

Ingredients:
for the filling:
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
6 oz miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg, at room temperature

for the batter:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
for the filling:
Cream together the pumpkin, cream cheese and sugar. Beat in egg until well mixed. Fold in chocolate chips. Set aside.

for the batter:
Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa and baking soda in a large bowl. Add water, oil, vanilla and vinegar. Beat VERY thoroughly. Line mini muffin pans. Fill pans less then 2/3 full with chocolate batter. Do not overfill. Drop approximately 1/2 teaspoon of the filling on top. Bake on the center rack for 20 minutes or until toothpick stuck in the center of a center cupcake comes out clean. Cool briefly in the pans on a wire rack. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Yield: 6 dozen

My thoughts:

Black bottoms are a major holiday tradition in my family. My mom has been making pretty much the same recipe since I was born. She even makes a double or triple batch (216 black bottoms!) and freezes and gives them away. I generally stick to the six dozen which is still a lot. They do freeze so I just stash whatever we don't eat in the freezer. Having a pan that makes two dozen at a time helps too. Anyway, I realized I hadn't made a treat for Halloween yet so I thought I'd try making a fall version of our usual black bottom. It turned out so well! Sort of a cross between the pumpkin cheesecake brownie I created a few years ago and our traditional black bottom. Delicious and seasonal.

Smoked Whitefish Spread

Ingredients:
1 lb. smoked whitefish chub
8 oz. block of cream cheese (reduced fat is fine)
1/4 cup light or regular sour cream
1/2 cup chopped green onions


Directions:
Carefully remove whitefish meat from the bones. The best way to do this is to find the spine, stick a fork into the fish on either side of the spine and gently pull the meat away from the bones. Then carefully flake the meat with your fingers. Pick through the meat and discard any bones. Mix the fish, cream cheese, green onions and sour cream in a bowl until uniformly combined.



Note: Whitefish is a very oily fish. To remove the fish smell from your hands, rub both hands with the open half of a cut lemon and then wash with soap.

My thoughts:

Whitefish spread and whitefish salad are deli staples. Smoked whitefish is smoky but not as smoky as say, lox and makes a great spread for bagels. It can  be rather expensive to buy ready made so I like to make it myself. It is somewhat of an acquired taste, whitefish spread is a bit on the pungent side but once you have it a good version of it (and  I think this is one of the best) it is highly addictive. I like it on a strongly flavored bagel like pumpernickel or everything the best.

Broccoli & Sun-dried Tomato Dip

Ingredients:
4 cups broccoli florets
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
8 oz sour cream
1/3 cup minced sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 minced shallot
2 cloves garlic
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Steam the broccoli. Drain thoroughly. Finely chop or pulse briefly in a food processor. Saute the shallot and garlic in the olive oil. Allow it to cool slightly. Add the broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, shallot, garlic, cream cheese, sour cream and spices to a large bowl. Use a mixer or spoon to combine. Use immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

My thoughts:

When I tried these Terra Chips that had carrots, blue potatoes and kobocha in them, I knew I had to make a vegetable-y dip. We had an abundance of broccoli so I steamed some up until it was tender then gave it a whirl in the VitaMix. I had some some sun-dried tomatoes so I added that along with some reduced fat cream cheese and sour cream. I mixed it together in my stand mixer using the whisk attachment and it came out really light and creamy. I normally don't use a mixer for dips but I might always now, it really combined everything in just a few seconds.

The broccoli flavor in this dip is mild and contrasts nicely with the sharp sun-dried tomatoes. I like that is so packed with vegetables because then it doesn't seem like such an indulgence to have some dip and chips with my lunch!

Shrimp & Spinach Dip

Ingredients:
5 oz cooked shrimp, divided use
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature (reduced fat okay)
1/4 cup packed, defrosted chopped spinach
1/2 cup 0% or 2% Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 shallots, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons horseradish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt
pepper


Directions:
In a food processor, blend together the yogurt, horseradish, half of the shrimp, spices, shallot, mayo and cream cheese until very smooth. Chop the the remaining shrimp. Stir in the spinach and chopped shrimp until just combined. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

My thoughts:

In the warm weather, sometimes I cheat and instead of making a side dish, I make a batch of dip and serve it with fresh vegetables or chips and pretzels. It keeps for a few days in the fridge and is perfect to have on hand, especially for days when we are grilling. I've even stored cut up carrots and celery in water filled containers in the refrigerator so all I have to do is fish them out and they are ready to go. This dip is perfect for using up a bit of leftover shrimp (or make extra the next time shrimp is on the menu) and the spinach makes it seem at least a little healthy. The horseradish and Worcestershire sauce is in there to keep it zippy without having to add aged cheese. I hate a bland dip!

Mango-Chile Ice Box Pie

Ingredients:
4 mangos (about 4 cups mango flesh)
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup tequila
juice of 1 lime
zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1 9-inch graham cracker crust

Directions:
Place all ingredients (EXCEPT the crust!) in a blender or food processor (I used my Vita-Mix) and pulse until it is very, very smooth. Pour into the crust. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.

My thoughts:

A mini-heatwave struck Baltimore this weekend bringing with it high temperatures and even higher humidity. While the weather was unexpected and unwelcome for so early in May, it did remind me that ice box pie season is here. As long time readers I know, I love ice box pies. Any dessert that doesn't require using my oven in my 1930s un-air-conditioned kitchen when it over 90� goes right to the top of my list. Over the last six years I've made and posted blueberry-ginger, kiwi-lemongrass, blackberry meringue, and perhaps the most popular ice box pie, key lime in both regular my brother's favorite chocolate pie (technically a freezer pie) and coconut versions. For this pie, I drew inspiration from spicy Mexican paletas which combine fruit or vegetables with spices for a frozen sweet-spicy treat.

Anyway! This is a super simple pie, just make sure you take the time to thoroughly blend the ingredients together, not only will the pie be smoother and more consistent but if you have a fibrous mango, you want to really pulverize it or the pie will be stringy. I loved the pie because it was creamy with a downright velvety texture without being rich and had a very pure mango flavor. The spice sort of hits you after you swallow your bite which I enjoyed but the spice phobic might want to halve the chipotle, it isn't blisteringly hot but I think a lot of people are not used to spicy pie! But please, try and make this pie, it is the best mango pie I've ever had!

Shrimp & Chive Dip

Ingredients:
8 oz small "salad" shrimp or medium shrimp, chopped
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
salt
white pepper


Directions:
In a food processor or blender (I used my Vitamix) blend together the garlic, shallot, mayo, sour cream, parsley, cream cheese, spices, zest, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup shrimp and pulse until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl. Stir in the remaining shrimp. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

My thoughts:

When I was researching recipes for '50s night I read a lot of dip recipes. Books and books worth. While doing so, I was surprised at how many recipes called for seafood of some kind. Crab dip is popular here (witness the rise of the crab pretzel), occasionally I'll see a clam dip but I have never once been to a party where a dip was served with other kinds of seafood was involved. So either it is a retro thing or a regional thing or people are making shrimp, salmon, tuna, lobster and scallop dips and not inviting me over. As it turns out, shrimp dips are pretty good. A lot of the ones I came across called for tiny shrimp suspended in a creamy mixture and that sounded fine, but I had the idea to pulse some shrimp into the sour cream and cream cheese and spread that shrimp flavor throughout the whole dip. It really worked well, there were a few shrimp chunks for texture interest but the whole dip really tasted like shrimp, not plain dip with the occasional shrimp. The chives added a light onion flavor that complemented the shrimp and kept it fresh tasting.

Rachel's Ultimate Crab Dip

Ingredients:
16 oz blue crab claw meat
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sharp cheddar
2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1 shallot, minced


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients EXCEPT the cheddar cheese until they are evenly distributed. Or, if you are like me and you hate mincing yet don't want any chunky shallot bits in the final dip or want make sure the ingredients are fully incorporated, place all of the ingredients EXCEPT the cheddar and crab in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Then stir in the crab.

Spread into a 8x8 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese in an even layer. For bonus points, shake a bit of Old Bay on top of the cheese.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Serve warm with crackers, pretzels, bread wedges, or plain Utz chips. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. Bake @ 350 for 10 minutes or so to reheat. I don't recommend microwaving.


Note: For this recipe, quality reduced fat sour cream and cream cheese will work just fine.

My thoughts:

Crab dip is serious business here in Baltimore. We are a people who like our (blue) crabs and our cheesy dips. Growing up, my family didn't do much in the way of entertaining and well, crab is pricey so we didn't make it but I loved having friends whose families would make it for holiday parties and such. Of course, it has been on the menu of nearly every locally owned restaurant and pub at some point or another. I think if it doesn't make an appearance on the menu at least once, your food permit gets yanked.

Anyway, for the perfect crab dip you need, crab, some sort of combination of cream cheese, mayonnaise (or occasionally straight mayonnaise, no cream cheese), shredded cheese and lots of Old Bay. Beyond that I've had versions with garlic or garlic powder, onions or shallots, mustard, Parmesan cheese, and crab meat of every variety of from lump to backfin. I like to use claw because it has a flavor that is stronger than lump meat (but still sweet and not "fishy") and has a good mix of big chunks and smaller bits of crab. I like how the crab is distributed in the dip if you use claw or even backfin, with jumbo or regular lump you end up occasionally getting a bite that is entirely crab free. Not a problem with the claw.

When I set out to make the ultimate crab dip I had some parameters in mind. It had to be thick, creamy but not too mayonnaise-y, and spiced but not overpoweringly spicy. I am a sour cream addict so I always have to add that to my dips. I think the slight tang keeps the dip from tasting too rich or cloying. The trick is not to use too much or the crab will be spread too thin. You want a dip that is thick with crab meat. I like the crab flavor to be the star so I only put a thin layer of cheddar on the top (not mixed in as I've seen in some recipes) and just enough spices to accent the crab flavor, not overwhelm it. I always use extra sharp cheddar but a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack (in a 2:1 ratio) is a good variation.

Crab dip is so popular here in Baltimore that it actually has spawned a spin off appetizer, the crab pretzel, which isn't quite as common but perhaps it should be, it is sort of a twist on the dip in the bread bowl fad of 30 years ago and is oddly satisfying.

Bittersweet Chocolate Cheesecake with a Speculoos Crust

Ingredients:
for the crust:
1 1/2 cups of speculoos crumbs (I used my Vita-Mix but a food processor would work)
6 tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled slightly

for the cheesecake:
4 eggs
32 oz (regular or reduced fat) cream cheese
16 oz plain Greek yogurt (full fat, 2% or 0% are all fine)
4 1/2 oz 70% dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla


Directions:
Preheat oven to 250.
For the crust- Mix the crumbs and the butter until damp. Press firmly into the bottom of 6 4 inch springform pans or 1 9 inch pan. Set aside.



For the cheesecake-
In a large bowl, slowly cream together the chocolate, cocoa, sugar, cream cheese and vanilla. Add the eggs and yogurt, mix thoroughly. Pour into pan(s). Allow to sit 2 minutes, then tap the pan(s) on the counter to encourage any air bubbles to come to the surface and burst. Bake 2 hours or until the surface is mostly set- the middle inch or so might still look even less set, almost jiggly-keeping in mind that smaller pans might require less time in the oven, perhaps. Remove to the counter and run a knife or thin spatula around the edge of the pan. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm. Refrigerate leftovers.

My thoughts:

When I was obsessively reading everything I could about Belgium in preparation for our trip (thankfully the Flemish sites always had a English section and I got a lot of use out of my HS french) I came across a mention that cheesecake in Belgium is often made with a speculoos crust. We didn't end up eating any cheesecake while in Belgium (too busy eating moules et frites, croquettes aux crevettes grises and our wonderful 10(+!) course meal at Patrick Devos) but I loved the idea and made a mental note to make it myself when we got back. It took a little while but I am glad I finally made it. The cookies make the perfect crust, crisp and flavorful. The cheesecake is really creamy and chocolate-y, not too sweet. I bet this crust would also be great with a vanilla bean or even spiced cheesecake. I may have to experiment again.

Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I used a set of Wilton heart shaped springform pans I found at Target. I couldn't find the set online, but I found what seems to be identical pans sold individually.

Nutella Black Bottoms

Ingredients:
for the filling:
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
6 oz miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup Nutella
1 egg, at room temperature

for the batter:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (sounds icky, but makes them nice and fluffy)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
for the filling:
Cream together the Nutella, cream cheese and sugar. Beat in egg until well mixed. Fold in chocolate chips. Set aside.

for the batter:
Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa and baking soda in a large bowl. Add water, oil, vanilla and vinegar. Beat VERY thoroughly. Line mini muffin pans. Fill pans less then 2/3 full with chocolate batter. Do not overfill. Drop approximately 1/2 teaspoon of the filling on top. Bake on the center rack for 20 minutes or until toothpick stuck in the center of a center cupcake comes out clean. Cool briefly in the pans on a wire rack. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Yield: 6 dozen.

Note: Resist the urge to use a standard sized cupcake pan, the ratio of chocolate to cream cheese filling gets thrown off and they just are not nearly as good.

My thoughts:

I love Nutella. When we were in Belgium this fall we brought back a huge "family sized" jar of Nutella. The customs people looked at me like I was crazy but it was worth it, Nutella is tastier (no HFCS) and cheaper in Europe. Last year for Nutella Day I made Nutella Cheesecake Squares which ended up becoming one of my most read/made recipes in the nearly six years I've been posting recipes here. I loved the Nutella/cream cheese combination so I decided to revisit it in a twist on the black bottom recipe my family has been making and perfecting since I was born. Or at least the early '80s. I can't remember a year when we didn't make a batch (and often, a double batch) of black bottoms at least once. These black bottoms lose a bit of their color contrast drama thanks to the Nutella, but they are so delicious, I don't think anyone will mind. I think of black bottoms as being a marriage between cupcake and cheesecake and these are no different, they just have shot of chocolate-y hazelnut-y lusciousness. I sent some home with my mother and she called three times to say how good they were and how everyone who tried them to loved them.


Six dozen sounds like an insane number but they are very small and take a fair amount of effort so I don't mind making a lot. I only have one mini cupcake pan but it makes two dozen cupcakes at once so it goes pretty quickly. If you make them in batches refrigerate the batter and filling between batches. While the recipe can be doubled, I do not recommend halving it. Luckily, black bottoms freeze really, really well. Since we are only a two person household, I like to make a batch and freeze some in individual portions to send home with friends when they visit and for dessert emergencies. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter. They taste best at room temperature.

Cheddar Horseradish Spread

Ingredients:
2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 shallot, minced

Directions:
Place the cheese, cream cheese, shallot, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce in a blender. Pulse until smooth. Scrape into a bowl. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Note: This would make a great cheese ball. Simply chill it for 30 minutes and then roll it into a ball. Roll in herbs or crushed nuts, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

My thoughts:

I first made this recipe as part of our 1950s night. When flipping though vintage cookbooks and my reproduction of that masterpiece, 1950's Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook. I didn't come across a recipe I particularly liked but I was pleasantly surprised by how robustly flavored cheese spreads, cheese balls and dips were. Strong mustard, cheese and horseradish were all used with great abandon. So I created a recipe that used a bunch of horseradish and my favorite extra sharp cheddar cheese. The spread is wonderful on celery sticks (as suggested by Betty Crocker), apples and of course, a variety of crackers.

Smoked Salmon & Caper Dip

Ingredients:
1/4 cup diced red onion
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
5 oz smoked salmon
3 tablespoons capote capers*
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 teaspoon white pepper


Directions:
Cube the cream cheese and place it in a food processor along with the salmon, capers, pepper and sour cream. Pulse until fairly smooth. Add the onions and pulse once. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving and refrigerate any leftovers.

Yield: about 1 cup

*These are the large sized capers. They have more caper taste and work best in this dip. If you must, substitute the smaller, nonperil capers.

My thoughts:

One of our favorite local places to eat, the Hamilton Tavern has a neat feature on their menu. Every day (week?) there is a different, often seasonal dip that is served with appropriately matched dippers like homemade potato chips, pita or vegetables. One day we went and the dip was smoked salmon. I can never resist smoked salmon anything so we ordered it and it was really good, thick and creamy with bits of salmon, capers and red onion. It was like everything I love on a bagel in a dip!

Of course they aren't in the business of handing out their recipe and I have no way of knowing when it will make its way back on the menu so I decided to create a recipe based on what I had there so I can have it whenever I want. I added more smoked salmon (more from the delicious Just Cured) than I think was in the original and thinned the cream cheese out a bit with some sour cream. It is the creamiest, tastiest dip I've had in ages. Think about your best bagels and lox experience and subtract the bagel. Smoky, salty, savory. Yum. I had it on chips because what better excuse to buy chips is there than making dip? Plus eating on chips reminded me of my childhood tendency to dip Utz chips in straight cream cheese. However, it is also really good or with crackers, celery and sesame pretzels. It is a rather thick dip and can be used as a spread on small rounds of bread

Nutella Cheesecake Squares

Ingredients:
crust:
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon salt

filling:
16 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup Nutella
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 large eggs,at room temperature

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or spray with baking spray an 8x8 inch pan. In a small bowl, add the butter, sugar, flour, cocoa, oats and salt, mix thoroughly with a fork. Press into bottom of the pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to flatten and press firmly. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the egg and flour, beat until smooth. Pour about 2/3 of the batter into the 8x8 inch pan. Add the Nutella into the remaining batter and mix throughly. Spread on top of the first cheesecake layer. Bake 25 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares.

My thoughts:

I don't tend to join in on most of the group food blogging events that seem so popular right now but I love Nutella and just couldn't resist. While the American version of Nutella is widely available, I like to go to our local Italian market and pick up a jar of imported Italian Nutella. The two are fairly similar in flavor but the Italian version doesn't have hydrogenated oil and (perhaps because of this) is a little thicker. It also seems to be a bit more chocolate-y. Anyway, I am sure whatever local version of Nutella you have available would work fine in this recipe.

I had originally came up with the recipe a couple of months ago only to find that I was totally out of Nutella and that I hadn't yet replaced the 8x8 inch pan I had dropped. The horror! Then I got distracted by other cooking and a never ending cold and forgot all about it until I saw someone mention WND on twitter. So I dragged out the recipe and made it this weekend. It was as tasty as I had hoped. The cheesecake is rich and creamy and has a great chocolate-hazelnut flavor. The bottom crust is very chocolate-y and the oats add body and crunch. The crust is also a great alternative to the more traditional graham cracker or shortbread crust which can be kind of bland or boring. In this case, the crust brings out the flavor of the bars without overpowering it.

Smoked Salmon Cheese Ball

Ingredients:
2 cups grated (extra)sharp cheddar
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 oz smoked nova salmon
1 inch chunk of shallot, minced
1/2 cup minced flat leaf parsley

Directions:
Place the cheese, cream cheese, shallot, salmon and Worcestershire sauce in a blender. Pulse until smooth. Scrape into a bowl and chill for 30 minutes to an hour. Scrape it out of the bowl and shape into a ball. Sprinkle the parsley in a shallow bowl and roll the ball into the cheese until evenly coated. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

My thoughts:

Cheese balls were quite a hit in entertaining scene during the 1960s. They continue to be a favorite because they can be made ahead of time (in fact they are better made 24 hours in advance) and really, who doesn't enjoy spreadable cheese? This one has a slight pink tint and a wonderful smoky salmon flavor. Perfect to spread on crackers or even bread.

Note: most delis and grocery stores that sell smoked salmon also sell little tubs of "ends" leftover from cutting the big sheets of lox. Often they are half the price of the regular smoked salmon and the pieces are generally quite large. They are also perfect for something like this when you need just a bit of smoked salmon.

Clam Dip, Gonna Have Clam Dip! Clam Dip!

Ingredients:
10 oz canned "cocktail" clams, drained, reserving 2 tablespoons clam juice
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons minced shallot
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
salt
white pepper
finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions:
In a food processor or blender (I used my Vitamix) blend together the garlic, shallot, mayo, sour cream, parsley, cream cheese, spices, clam juice, zest, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and pulse until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl. Stir in the clams. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Easy variation: for more clam flavor add about 3 oz of clams to the mixture when you food process it then stir in the 10 oz of clams.

My thoughts:

What '60s night would be complete without some sort of chip & dip? While clam dip wasn't exactly invented during the 1960s but that was the decade when it was in its pre-Julia Child "company food" heyday. Dip really became popular in the 1950s after the invention of California Dip which was then made even easier with the introduction of Lipton's instant onion soup mix and as the years went on, other flavors of dips became party staples. A recipe for clam dip appeared in almost every 1960s cookbook I came across.

Best served with Pringles (introduced in the US in 1968), crisp vegetables and crackers, this dip is creamy and (this version at least) has a great tangy savory flavor. I was a little skeptical about using canned clams but they were juicy and flavorful and added texture interest.

Cranberry Cheesecake Squares

Ingredients:
crust:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup light brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon salt

filling:
1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
16 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 large eggs
juice of one tangerine
zest of one tangerine


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or spray with baking spray an 8x8 inch pan. In a small bowl, add the butter, sugar, flour, oats and salt, mix thoroughly with a fork. Press into bottom of the pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to flatten and press firmly.


Bake 15 minutes or until just golden. Meanwhile, cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the egg, zest, juice and flour, beat until smooth. Pour over the crust. Dot with cranberry sauce and swirl with the tip of a knife. Bake 25 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares.

My thoughts:

My husband loves cranberry sauce. Once cranberries make their appearance in the grocery store I start making cranberry sauce with any meal where it seems appropriate. I think I've made a different cranberry sauce just about every week since late October. This leaves me with a fair amount of leftover cranberry sauce to play with. I've made yummy muffins with cranberry sauce already this year but I wanted to make a dessert with cranberry sauce that would be holiday-worthy. These are a snap to put together and can be made ahead. Prebaking the crust is a bit of a time killer but you can make the filling while it bakes and it ensures a perfect, crisp crust. I also liked using oatmeal in the crust, it is a little nontraditional but it really adds some body to the crust and actually makes the bars a little easier to slice and lift out of the pan. The tangerine flavor is present but not too strong, it just adds a citrus note to the cheesecake. I really can't say enough about this bars, they are just really good, my whole family raved over them and my mother deemed them "swoon-worthy".



Note: any whole berry (i.e. not jellied) cranberry sauce would work, even store bought (!) but I think using this cranberry-tangerine sauce would be the best.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
food coloring

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat together the vanilla, cream cheese, food dye and confectioners sugar until smooth. Add more confectioners sugar in 2 tablespoon increments if you want or need a stiffer or sweeter frosting.

My thoughts:

A basic vanilla cream cheese frosting.

Vanilla Chocolate Swirl Frosting

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla paste
1/8 cup cocoa

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat together the vanilla paste (or extract)cream cheese and confectioners sugar until smooth. Frost 12 cupcakes. Add the cocoa to the remaining icing (there should be about 1/4 left) and beat until smooth. Dip a toothpick into the chocolate frosting, thoroughly coating it. Use the toothpick to swirl the chocolate into the vanilla frosting.

My thoughts:

A subtle swirled icing. More than enough to ice 12 cupcakes or a single layer cake.

Crab Pretzel

Ingredients:
for the dip:
1 small shallot, grated
8 oz fresh blue crab meat
3 oz shredded sharp cheddar
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard


for the pretzel:

3/4 oz active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar PLUS 1/8 teaspoon
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt

pretzel topping:
sea salt
water


to sprinkle: additional shredded sharp cheddar


Directions:
for the crab dip:
Before you begin, make sure you pick out any bits of shell or cartilage that might have been over looked in the crab processing process. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Make sure all ingredients are evenly distributed. Refrigerate before use.

for the pretzels:
Dissolve yeast into water with the 1/8 teaspoon of sugar, let stand 5 minutes. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, remaining sugar, salt and butter. Add the dissolved yeast and then pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and knead until a smooth, elastic round ball forms. Add a little more flour or water a tablespoon at a time if the dough looks too wet or dry. Alternately, knead by hand on a clean, floured flat surface. Place in an buttered bowl, cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a cool place for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425. Pour the water into a shallow bowl. Stretch the dough into a long tube about 1/2 inch thick. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Fold into a pretzel shape by making a rough circle and crossing the ends inward. Brush with water and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.



Place the giant pretzel on to a parchment or silipat lined baking sheet. Allow to sit for 5 additional minutes. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until pretzel is golden brown.




Remove from the oven. Top with a generous amount of crab dip. Sprinkle with cheddar then stick the pretzel back into the oven for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve hot. I suggest placing it on a cutting board and allowing people to slice off chunks with a bread knife to eat off of an individual plate.



Yield: 1 giant crab pretzel (serves many as an appetizer)

My thoughts:

Coming back from an Eastern Shore vacation where not a day went by when blue crab didn't pass my lips, I still hunger for crab.

The crab pretzel is dish that is found on many menus throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Basically an extremely large soft pretzel covered in a Old Bay-spiked crab dip, the crab pretzel's origins are unclear although several restaurants (perhaps most adamantly, the Silver Spring Mining Company) claim to have invented it. Soft pretzels are extremely common and popular in the Mid-Atlantic and up to New York and crab dip is particularly Baltimore and Maryland favorite, though both have found national fans, so perhaps it isn't surprising some enterprising soul brought them together. I know the pairing of the two sounds unlikely but it totally works-the soft, saltiness of the pretzel complements the creaminess of the dip and is a nice alternative to crackers or chips. Some places cover the dip with a large amount of cheddar but for my homemade version I added just a sprinkle to avoid overpowering the crab. This homemade version is a bit lighter and fresher tasting than many of the crab pretzels sold in restaurants and I think, even more delicious.

I know some people find working with yeast daunting but this is really a great, soft and easy to handle dough. Practically fool-proof yet very impressive. Who makes homemade pretzels anymore much less one covered in crab?

If crab pretzels are not quite your thing the pretzel recipe is perfect for making plain soft pretzels (divide it into 4 more normal sized pretzels if you'd like) and the dip is delightful on its own. Crab dip is normally served hot so I'd spoon it into ramekins or a small baking dish, sprinkle it with cheese and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes before serving.


A note about the crab meat:
Some restaurants boast that the crab meat on the crab pretzel is "jumbo lump" which is lovely stuff but very expensive (too expensive to make dip with in my opinion) and some times hard to find outside of the region. I find that backfin/generic "lump" crab meat works just as well and frankly is what many restaurants use in their crabcakes and crab pretzels even if they do claim to use jumbo lump-they just hope you don't notice.




Interested in trying out some other Mid-Atlantic regional recipes?
Check out my recipe for Baltimore-style Sour Beef & Dumplings or the local variation on cheesecake, Smearcase. Or if you want something super simple, try lemon sticks, another Baltimore classic.

Creamy Dill-Caper Dip

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup (loose) fresh dill, chopped
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoons capers
1 bunch scallions, white and greens chopped
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt
pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until combined. Alternately, place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse a few times for a smoother texture. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

My thoughts:

What is a cookout or Summer party without some sort of dip? This dip uses in-season dill to its advantage. Low fat/high calcium yogurt replaces sour cream for a dip that is creamy yet not totally naughty. I even used reduced fat cream cheese and (as always) canola mayonnaise to reduce the fat/calorie content even more and no one noticed. It isn't totally fat free or exactly health food but it is super tasty and better for you than some of the other sour cream and cheese heavy dips out there.

Excellent on: salmon, tomato slices, cucumbers, baked potatoes, tortilla chips, celery or instead of tartar sauce.

Perfect for: parties, lunch, snacks, eating directly from the bowl.