Croque Monsieur

Did you know that a humble grilled ham & cheese sandwich becomes a French bistro classic if you use Gruyére cheese? Well you do now! Behold the Croque Monsieur! The best use of leftover holiday ham.

Tips:
- Don't be shy with the butter!
- Grate your cheese; slices won't melt well.
- Add a small amount of your favorite mustard.
- To melt your cheese without burning your bread grill your sandwich in a skillet then finish it in the oven or microwave.

Chris' Ultimate Pumpkin Bread

Hooray for my first Baking post!

If you're anything like me you'll agree that there is no such thing as Fall without Pumpkin. Pie, Bread, Muffins, Seeds, Ice Cream, Lattes and Coffee Creamer, Rolls, even snuck into Mac n' Cheese. Give me ALL THE PUMPKINS!!! 

This recipe is adapted and expanded from the very incomplete Bobby Flay recipe here http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500191_162-2104698.html

Preheat oven to 350

In this Pan:

• 1 Stick unsalted butter
• 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Nutmeg 
• 1/4 Tsp Ground Clove
• 1/4 Tsp Ground All Spice
• 1/4 Tsp Ground Ginger

Melt the butter on low heat and add the spices. Swirl them in the pan until your entire house is WONDERFULLY fragrant. This blooms the spices and really takes the flavor to another level. You may need to turn the heat up to medium low, butter should be warm and fragrant, not foaming. Remove from heat and let the butter cool. 

Whisk together:

• 2 Cups All Purpose Flour (10 ounces)
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 Tsp Salt

In baking it's always important to use the correct amounts of dry ingredients. It's best to weigh your flour. If you have a kitchen scale, now is the time to use it.

Whisk together: 

• 2 eggs, beaten 
• 15 ounces Canned Pumpkin
• Spiced Melted Butter, Cooled
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 Tsp Vanilla 

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir gently until just incorporated. Pour into a buttered and floured 9" loaf pan and bake at 350 for about 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool 1 hour. Or as long as you can stand ;) 

Awesome bonus: Store the bread in a airtight container and it will actually become MORE moist and sweet overtime thanks to the brown sugar!

OH, and did I mention my wife's HONEY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING?!?!
Just blend Cream Cheese, Honey and Powdered Sugar.

Pizza Margherita

Behold! The mother of all Pizzas! Classic, thin, simple pizza that is strikingly similar to the "real" pizza they make in Italy (or Brooklyn). If this recipe sounds good you should also check out my Calzone post (Click Here) and also my Veggie Pizza post (Click Here).

 Since this is a very simple dish with a very short ingredient list, quality ingredients are paramount. Use San Marzano tomatoes, Fresh Whole Mozzarella, Fresh Basil and good quality Olive Oil along with your preferred Pizza Dough. 

All Purpose Pizza Sauce: In a food processor, process a few tomatoes with a pinch of salt, a small crushed clove of garlic and a tablespoon or so of olive oil.

Bellisimo!

Pizza Tips: 

• Rest your dough! Even if you're using fresh store bought dough it's always best to let it rise and relax in a warm area for as long as possible. The texture will be better and it will be easier to roll/stretch out. 
• Make/buy your dough ahead of time! You can freeze it!
• Make your sauce ahead of time! You can freeze it!
• Don't over sauce your dough or use too many toppings with a high moisture content, such as fresh veggies. The top of your crust will be doughy and underdone.
• When using pepperoni: place between layers of paper towel and microwave for a short time (30 secs to a minute). You'll be amazed how much grease comes out. Added bonus: your pepperoni will be nice and crisp when they come out of the oven.
• Use plenty of olive oil on your pizza pan. It tastes great and will keep your pizza from sticking. 
• Cook your pizza on a lower oven rack at a high temperature, 400-500 degrees.

Presto!

If this recipe sounds good you should also check out my Calzone post and also my Veggie Pizza post.