Spiced Applesauce Cake

adapted from Smitten Kitchen
For cake
3 cups (13.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 stick (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce

For frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup (6 ounces) confectioners sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter a 9 x 13-inch cake pan. If you don’t have a nonstick cake pan or are a little nervous, line the bottom with parchment paper and butter that too.

Make cake: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined. The batter will look a little curdled and uneven but it will bake up perfectly.

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Re-invert cake onto a rack to cool completely.

Make frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Sift confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated. Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.

Do ahead: kept for three days . Keep frosted cake in the fridge. If you’d like to bake the cake further in advance, wrap it well and freeze it until the day you need it. Leave it out on the counter to defrost and frost it up to a day in advance.

Overnight yeasted waffles

2 1/2 cups whole milk
12 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
3 cups (14 oz) whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. instant yeast
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over med-low heat until the butter is melted, about 4 min. Let cool until warm. Meanwhile, whisk flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl.

Whisk the warm milk mixture into the flour mixture and continue to whisk until the batter is smooth. Whisk eggs and vanilla together in a small bowl until combined, then whisk into batter until incorporated.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Heat waffle iron. Remove batter from refrigerator (batter will be foamy and doubled in size). Whisk the batter to recombine (it will deflate). Bake according manufacturer's instructions (about 1/2 cup for 7 inch round iron and 1 cup for 9 inch square iron).

Can hold waffles in a 200 degree oven, on a wire rack set above a baking sheet, covered with a clean kitchen towel. Remove the towel to let the waffles crisp for a few minutes while the last waffle is in the iron.

adapted from The Best Make-Ahead Recipe

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

adapted from The Best Make-Ahead Meals

1 lb. whole wheat elbow macaroni
6 Tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups chicken broth (low-sodium)
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1 lb. (about 4 cups) Colby-jack cheese, shredded
8 oz. (about 2 cups) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Bread crumbs

Cook macaroni until just beginning to soften. Drain and leave in colander.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pot. Stir in the garlic, mustard and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until large bubbles form on the surface and the mixture is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the cheese until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir the drained pasta into the cheese sauce until well combined. Pour into one 9 x 13 inch or two 8 x 8 inch baking dishes and sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Bake immediately at 400 degrees until bubbling, 25-35 minutes for large or 20-25 minutes for small.

Or refrigerate for a few days and bake covered: 40-45 minutes for large dish, 20-25 minutes for small until hot. Remove foil and continue to bake until crumbs are crisp 15-20 minutes longer.

Or freeze for a month. Thaw completely in refrigerator 24 hours or more. Bake according to refrigerated instructions.

Granola

6 c. rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 c. wheat germ or bran (or mixed)
1 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 c. flax seeds
1/2 c. dry milk powder
1 c. brown sugar
1 t. salt
1-2 T. cinnamon

Mix the above dry ingredients together in a large bowl, breaking up any clumps of brown sugar with your fingers.

1 c. melted butter or canola oil
1 c. honey
1/3 c. water

Heat the above liquid ingredients together in a small saucepan until they are combined.

Drizzle the liquid gradually over the dry ingredients, stirring after adding each third. Coat as thoroughly and evenly as possible, using your hands to finish incorporating the two. As you mix, squeeze handfuls together, which will create clumps of various sizes.

Divide the granola onto two cookie sheets (greasing optional), and squeeze or press to create more clumps. Bake in a 275-degree oven for 20 minutes. Add 1 cup of dried fruit (I use a mix of raisins, cranberries, dates) per pan and stir gently. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool for 15 minutes, then use a spatula to stir, breaking up large clumps and getting it off the bottom of the pan before it's stuck. Let it continue to cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

Caramel Corn

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
5-6 quarts popped popcorn (2/3 cup unpopped)

Preheat oven to 250 F. Place popped popcorn on 2 cookie sheets, making a pile in the center.
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil undisturbed 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. Pour over popcorn and stir to coat.

Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. After the first 15 minutes the caramel will be quite soft and can be distributed more evenly over the popcorn, it will be more brittle and not adhere as well after that. Let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Coleslaw

Dressing: 2 parts sugar
2 parts vinegar
1 part canola oil

Blend well.

Pour over sliced cabbage combined with any of the following: grated carrot, sliced bell pepper, green onions. Add dried cranberries or cherries, and sunflower seeds. This keeps well. I like to add the seeds and fruit later if I am making it in advance.