any recipes with apple cider?

[AngelaM]

My favorite splurge this time of year is Caramel Apple Cider from Biggby. But that is an expensive habit and I figure I can make it at home for cheaper. Anyone have a recipe?

I prefer to eat fairly clean and not use any storebought "caramel topping" or what not. I am not against making my own. I am also fine with whipped cream.

[Beth]

DH is making a barbecue sauce that uses 2 cups of apple cider, but with whipped cream and ice cream mentioned, I'm not sure that is at all what you were thinking. ;)

[AngelaM]

DH is making a barbecue sauce that uses 2 cups of apple cider, but with whipped cream and ice cream mentioned, I'm not sure that is at all what you were thinking. ;)

I am hoping for a copycat of Biggby Caramel Apple Cider, but I am also looking for other recipes that include apple cider since its in season right now....the BBQ sauce sounds interesting..care to share?

[Beth]

He's busy with the book right now -- I'll try to get it later.

[amarante]

The Barefoot Contessa Butternut Squash Soup uses cider as I recall and is quite tasty.

There appear to be a fair number of Caramel Apple Cider recipes on the web including one that uses brown sugar and cream. I have no idea how they compare to the one you are looking for though.

Here are some recipes - but they only use relatively small amounts.


Chicken Cassoulet with Acorn Squash
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Recipe By: Cooking Light
Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon stick margarine or butter
2 cups chopped onion, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry Marsala or apple cider
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 cups water
2 cups diced peeled acorn squash
1 cup diced carrot
2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained
1 lb. skinned, boned chicken breast
2 bacon slices
1/2 lb. smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Directions:

Melt margarine in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 cup onion and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add Marsala, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, basil, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Spoon into a bowl; set aside.
Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 cups water, squash, and carrot in pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Partially mash the beans with a potato masher, and add beans and tomato mixture to pan. Cook over medium-low heat 30 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 325°.

Rub chicken with 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; set aside. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble bacon, and set aside. Add chicken to bacon drippings in pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from skillet; cut into 1-inch pieces. Add 1 cup onion and sausage to skillet; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the chicken, crumbled bacon, and sausage mixture to bean mixture in pan, stirring to combine.

Cover and bake at 325° for 1 hour. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.


Notes:

The squash-and-bean mixture (paragraphs 1 and 2 in the method) can be prepared a day ahead of time; cover and refrigerate.

Nutritional Information:

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 261(21% from fat); FAT 6.1g (sat 2.2g,mono 1.9g,poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 25g; CHOLESTEROL 50mg; CALCIUM 108mg; SODIUM 817mg; FIBER 4.5g; IRON 6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 27.8g



Pumpkin Cider Bread
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Recipe By: Gladia De Laurentiis - Everyday Italian
Serving Size: 1

Ingredients:

1 cup apple cider
1 cup canned pumpkin purée
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

In a saucepan boil the cider until it is reduced to about 1/4 cup and let it cool. In a bowl whisk together well the pumpkin purée, the eggs, the oil, the brown sugar, the zest, and the reduced cider. Into the bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the salt, the baking soda, the mace, the cinnamon, and the cloves, add the walnuts, and stir the batter until it is just combined. Transfer the batter to a well-buttered 8 1/2-by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan and bake the bread in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan.

Notes:

Two favorite fall ingredients are combined in the recipe below.

Spiked Pumpkin Soup
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Recipe By:
Serving Size: 9

Summary:

This silky, slightly sweet soup is a fitting starter for various holiday entrées, including roast turkey, ham, or pork tenderloin. Bourbon enhances the natural sweetness of the pumpkin.

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves, garlic minced
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/3 cup bourbon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 can (29-ounce) pumpkin
1 can (14-ounce) fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
9 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, ginger, cumin, and garlic cloves; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in cider, bourbon, syrup, pumpkin, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
Place half of pumpkin mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed mixture into a large bowl. Repeat process with remaining pumpkin mixture. Return pureed mixture to pan. Stir in milk, flour, salt, and pepper; cook until thoroughly heated (do not boil), stirring frequently. Serve with sour cream. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Nutritional Information:

CALORIES 163(19% from fat); FAT 3.4g (sat 1.8g,mono 0.3g,poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 5.1g; CHOLESTEROL 12mg; CALCIUM 119mg; SODIUM 255mg; FIBER 4.2g; IRON 0.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 24.9g


Apple Cider Donuts
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Recipe By: Eating Well Magazine

Ingredients:

Approximately 3 tbsp. sugar for preparing pans
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup apple butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 C). Coat molds of a mini-Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray or oil. Sprinkle with sugar, shaking out excess. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside. In another bowl, whisk together egg, brown sugar, apple butter, maple syrup, cider, yogurt and oil. Add dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Divide half the batter among the prepared molds, spooning about 2 generous tbsp. of batter into each mold. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched lightly. Loosen edges and turn the cakes out onto a rack to cool. Clean the mini-bundt pan, then re-coat it with oil and sugar. Repeat with remaining batter.

Notes:

SPECIAL PAN:
You will need a mini bundt baking pan with 6 or 12 cavities or
A 6 or 12 cavity donut baking pan*

[charley]

Saw a chicken recipe yesterday I plan on trying later this week ... chicken breasts in a cider mustard sauce.

[AngelaM]

Thank you for the recipes! Can you post the link to the drink you saw with brown sugar? I'm willing to try it!

All of the recipes sound wonderful. DH won't eat a pumpkin soup (although it sounds great to me), but he will certainly eat pumpkin bread. And the chicken with cider/mustard sounds awesome too.

I love this time of year for cooking with cider and maple as well. At the moment I am having a particular craving for a hot cider drink and trying not to follow a new budget which does not include regular trips to Biggby. :)

[Beth]

The barbecue sauce is simmering now. It's really tangy, inspite of the cane syrup and molasses -- more mustard than tomato (which comes from ketchup), thin so far, and it makes a LOT (over 2 qts). Not my favorite so far, but if you think it sounds interesting, I'll type it up.