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My family loves any excuse to get together for a lovely evening and celebrating something - anything really.  Halloween happens to be one of my favorites and we created a tradition a few years ago with this delicious Roasted Potato Soup; new this year - my Pumpkin Walnut Cookies...

Recipes:

Roasted Potato Soup {serves 6-8}

~ 6 large Russet potatoes {cubed}

~ 1 T. olive oil

~ 2 cloves of garlic {minced}

~ salt & pepper

~ 1 stick of butter

~ 1 small white onion {chopped}

~ 6 c. chicken stock

~ 2 c. heavy cream

~ 8 oz. cheddar {shredded}

Begin by tossing the chopped potatoes in the olive oil, garlic and a bit of salt and pepper; pour onto a baking sheet and roast at 425 for 20-30 minutes or until golden.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large stock/soup pot.  Add onions and saute until they begin to turn a deep golden color; add chicken stock and let simmer for 15 minutes.  Add heavy cream and cheese - whisk in and bring to a slow boil - turn heat down and simmer for 30 minutes.  When the potatoes are done - add them to the soup {it doesn't matter at what point they go in - just keep in mind the earlier they go in, the softer they will be in the end}.  If you prefer a thicker soup, add a slurry of milk and cornstarch.  Serve with toasted baguette slices and garnish with shredded cheddar.

Pumpkin Walnut Cookies

~ 2 sticks of butter

~ 1 1/2 c. sugar

~ 2 eggs

~ 1 t. vanilla extract

~ 1 c. canned pumpkin

~ 3 c. flour

~ 2 1/2 t. baking soda

~ 1 1/4 t. cinnamon

~ 1/4 t. nutmeg

~ 1/8 t. cloves

~ 1 c. walnuts {finely chopped}

Preheat oven to 350.  Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy; add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.  Add pumpkin and mix well {batter will look broken - don't worry - it's not}.  In another bowl mix all of the dry ingredients - slowly add to wet and then fold in walnuts.  On a prepared cookie sheet lined with parchment - scoop out dough into 1 1/2 inch balls - do not flatten the dough.  Bake for 15 minutes and let cool for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack.   These are best served warmed as they have a wonderfully light, cakey finish - warm in the toaster oven and serve with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream...

At least once a month we try to come together as a family to take a slow meal by the Sabbath lights.  Laughter and song fill the air and we take joy in just being together.  Last night happened to be one of those special nights.  For the occasion, I made a delicious Apple-Brandy Roasted Chicken {an idea that came to me after my Dad gave me his insanely yummy Thanksgiving turkey recipe several years ago - more to come on that}, Roast Potatoes and Apples with Tarragon {Mom's ingenious idea to toss apples into the mix} and Chocolate Cinnamon Walnut Mandel Bread {or Mandelbrot - basically Jewish Biscotti}...

Note:  If you plan on replicating this whole menu, start with the Mandel Bread either earlier in the day or even the day before.

p.s.  forewarning - this recipe is not exactly kosher - but neither are we...

Recipes:

Apple Brandy Chicken {serves 6}

~ 4-5 lb. organic whole roasting chicken

~ 8 oz. butter

~ 1/2 c. apple butter {jarred or your own - recipe for this coming soon}

~ 1/2 c. brandy

~ sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine apple butter, 4 oz. of butter and brandy on stove top to melt or in microwave - heat until just melted and whisk until combined - set aside.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper rubbing all over the skin.  Gently slip hand near neck cavity of the chicken and begin to slowly and carefully separate the skin from the body - you are not removing the skin, just creating a pocket to add flavor.  Work the entire topside of the bird including the leg area  - be very careful not to tear the skin. 

Place a large pot on your strongest burner - melt the remaining 4 oz. of butter over the heat.  Stand the chicken up on it's legs and pour about 3/4 of the apple brandy mixture into the envelope you have created.   Once the bird is full and the butter has melted, place the bird topside down into the pot.  The butter should be hot enough that this contact results in delightful sizzling and popping sounds.  Brown each side for a few minutes {3-5 min}.  When all sides have been browned, baste the bird with some of the remaining sauce and place the entire pot into your oven uncovered.  Due to the sugar content in the brandy and the apple butter, it will brown {sort of caramelize} quite quickly.  Keep an eye on it and cover the pot with tin foil once it has achieved your ideal for color.  Baste every 20 minutes or so - roast for 1 hour 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160.

Roast Potatoes and Apples with Tarragon {serves 6}

~ 5 large red potatoes {washed and chopped into large chunks}

~ 3 Gala apples {cored and sliced}

~ 2 t. cinnamon

~ 1 T. finely chopped tarragon

~ sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

~ 2 T. olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 {or add to oven while chicken is roasting}.  In one bowl, combine potatoes, 1 T. olive oil, tarragon, salt and pepper.  Toss well until potatoes are completely and evenly coated.  In another bowl add apples, 1 T. olive oil and cinnamon - toss until evenly coated.   Pour potatoes onto a baking sheet and roast in oven for 15-20 minutes {until they just begin to soften}.  Remove from the oven and place in large bowl, add apples to this bowl and toss everything together until well combined {potatoes should now have a bit on cinnamon on them - apples of bit of tarragon}.  Pour entire contents of bowl back onto the baking sheet and return to oven.  Bake for additional 25 minutes or until golden.

Chocolate Cinnamon Walnut Mandel Bread

~ 3/4 c. sugar

~ 1/2 c. canola oil

~ 2 eggs

~ 2 t. vanilla

~ 1 1/2 t. baking powder

~ 2 c. flour

~ 1 T. cinnamon

~ 1/2 c. walnuts {finely chopped}

~ 2/3 c. semi-sweet baking chocolate {chopped}

Note:  I prefer to use chopped baking chocolate as opposed to chocolate chips as the varying sizes of the chopped chocolate lend themselves beautifully to the dough - some are so small they dissapear into chocolate ribbons in the cookie - others remain as tempting chocolate chunks.

Preheat oven to 350.  Whisk sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in bowl.  In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Combine and mix thoroughly - fold in walnuts and chocolate.  On a baking sheet covered with parchment, create a long log shape with the dough - flatten it slightly.  Place in oven for 25 minutes.  Pull from oven and let cool for 15 minutes and turn oven down to 325.  After the cookie has cooled a bit, carefully lift the parchment paper from the baking sheet onto a large cutting surface.  Place a new sheet of parchment on the baking sheet.  Using a serrated knife, cut the log into pieces - carefully sliding each one on the knife {as not to break} and returning to the baking sheet.  Once all pieces are on the baking sheet, return to oven for 7 minutes.  Pull from oven and carefully turn each cookie over - bake additional 7 minutes.  Let cool for at least 30 minutes before eating or 1 hour before storing.  Absolutely delicious dipped into espresso and cappuccino. 

Last night we spent the evening with our close friends celebrating the Jewish holiday, Sukkot - which among other things, is a celebration of the harvest.  This gathering of food and loved ones under the most beautiful of Sukkah, seemed like an ideal evening for my Chocolate Challah Bread Pudding... {I love to tear the bread by hand as opposed to cubing it with a knife - the result is a much more rustic and beautiful looking dish.  Traditionally Challah is always torn and never cut no matter what you are doing with it!}

Recipe:  Chocolate Challah Bread Pudding

~ 3 c. heavy cream

~ 1 1/4 c. half & half

~ 1 12 oz. bag of the most sinful semi-sweet chocolate you can find

~ 1 t. cinnamon

~ 1/2 t. cloves

~ 1/8 t. ginger

~ 1/8 t. sea salt

~ 3 whole organic eggs

~ 3 organic egg yolks

~ 1/2 + 2T sugar

~ 1 loaf of semi-stale challah torn into good size pieces

~ vanilla ice cream

Place chocolate in a very large bowl and set aside; whisk eggs, yolks and sugar together in another bowl and set aside.  Heat the heavy cream and half & half together until it just begins to boil.  Keep a close eye on this as you do not want the cream to curdle - whisk it frequently.  When it just begins to bubble, remove from heat and pour over the chocolate - whisk until the chocolate is completely melted.  Begin to temper with the egg mixture {this means add a bit of the egg mixture to the cream/chocolate mixture and whisk together - then add the cream/chocolate to the egg mixture and whisk - then add the remaining egg mixture to the bowl of chocolate again - this prevents the possibility of introducing too hot a liquid to the eggs and thus cooking them - ew!} .  Add the cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt and whisk until everything is well combined.

Add torn bread to the mixture a bit at a time ensuring you are submerging each piece.  Let the bread soak for 20 minutes.  Place in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Let stand for 15 minutes before serving warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

{Note:  this is another great dish that can be made ahead for guests - simply let cool for about 30 min. and refrigerate overnight - reheat in a warm (180 degree) oven for 30-40 minutes.}