Fruit-and-Egg Muffins Baked in Tomato Cups

    Serves 10

    ½ cup organic mixed dried fruit, such as raisins, cranberries, chopped apricots, chopped figs, et cetera

    10 large tomatoes

    Salt and pepper

    8 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

    ¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour

    ¼ cup all-purpose flour

    6 tablespoons turbinado sugar, plus more for sprinkling

    1 tablespoon orange zest

    ¾ teaspoon baking powder

    ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

    ⅛ teaspoon baking soda

    ⅛ teaspoon salt

    5 medium eggs

    6 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt

    ½ teaspoon dried herbs, such as oregano, chervil, basil, or sage

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.  Place dried fruit in heatproof bowl.  Cover with boiling water, and let stand 5 minutes to plump fruit.  Drain, and set aside.  Slice tops off tomatoes, and scoop out seeds and pulp.  Place tomatoes in shallow baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray, and sprinkle cavities with salt, pepper, and pinches of cheese.
2. Combine flours, sugar, orange zest, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Whisk together eggs and yogurt in separate bowl.  Stir egg mixture into flour mixture.  Fold in fruit.
4. Fill tomato cups with batter.  Sprinkle tops with salt, pepper, herbs, remaining sugar, and remaining cheese.  Bake 20 minutes.  Cool 5 minutes in pan and serve.

Salted Potato-Caramel Cheesecake Gratins

Serves 10
1 medium baking potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices (about 1½ cups)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices (about 2 cups)
1 quart no-salt-added chicken stock (such as Swanson)
15 vanilla wafers
2 tablespoons canola oil
1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¾ cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 thyme sprig
³⁄₈ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
¹⁄₈ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ ounces aged Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 6 tablespoons)
Cooking spray
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
6 ounces ⅓-less-fat cream cheese, softened
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¹⁄₈ teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, divided
¾ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon water
½ tablespoon butter
¼ cup evaporated milk
½ ounce fresh Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about ¼ cup)
¼ teaspoon flake salt

1. Preheat oven to 325˚.
2. Place potatoes in a large stockpot; cover with stock.  Bring mixture to a boil; cook 4 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Carefully remove potatoes from pot using a slotted spoon, reserving cooking liquid.  Arrange potato slices in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan; set aside.  Strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl; reserve ½ cup cooking liquid.  Discard solids and remaining cooking liquid.
3. Place cookies in a food processor; process until finely ground crumbs measure about ½ cup.  Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add oil to pan.  Sprinkle over oil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Add garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Combine milk and reserved cooking liquid.  Gradually pour milk mixture into flour mixture in pan, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Add thyme sprig to pan.  Bring mixture to a boil; cook 4 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat.  Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl, reserving liquid; discard solids.  Stir ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, pepper, cookie crumbs, and Gruyère cheese into milk mixture.
4. Coat a 10-cup muffin tin well with cooking spray.  Evenly divide ½ cup crumb mixture among muffin cups, reserving the rest; press crumb mixture firmly into bottom.  Bake at 325˚ for 7 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven; cool.
5. Wipe food processor clean.  Place brown sugar, yogurt, and cream cheese in processor; process until smooth.  Add vanilla, potatoes, table salt, and egg; process until smooth.  Spoon batter evenly between muffin cups.  Sprinkle evenly with remaining kosher salt, ½ tablespoon chives, and chopped thyme.  Bake at 325˚ for 18 minutes or until centers of cheesecakes barely move when pan is touched.  Remove pan from oven; cool on a wire rack to room temperature.  Cover pan; refrigerate cheesecakes 3 hours or until well chilled.
6. Combine granulated sugar and water in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until suhgar dissolves, stirring gently as needed to dissolve sugar evenly (about 3 minutes).  Continue cooking 12 minutes or until the color of light brown sugar (do not stir).  Remove from heat; carefully stir in butter, remaining crumb mixture, and evaporated milk (caramelized sugar will harden and stick to spoon).  Place pan over medium-high heat until caramelized sugar melts. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute.  Remove pan from heat; cool caramel to room temperature.  Cover and chill 1 hour or until slightly thickened.
7. Spoon sauce mixture evenly over cheesecakes. Sprinkle with Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese.  Bake at 325˚ for 1 hour or until cheesecakes are tender when pierced with a knife.
8. Remove cheesecakes from oven.  Preheat broiler to high.
9. Place cheesecakes in oven.  Broil cheesecakes 3 minutes or until browned.  Run a thin knife around outside edge of each cheesecake.  Carefully remove cheesecakes from pan; place on a platter.  Sprinkle with flake salt and remaining chives.  Chill cheesecakes until ready to serve.

Pineapple-Pumpkin-Mojito Chiffon Cake

            Serves 10

            ½ cup flour

            14 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

            ½ bunch fresh mint, stems discarded

            ½ tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

            ½ teaspoon baking powder

            1 lime, chopped

            ¼ teaspoon salt

            ½ cup pineapple juice

            2 eggs, separated, plus 3 egg whites, at room temperature

            ½ cup canned crushed pineapple

            ½ cup canned pure pumpkin puree

            ½ cup light rum

            2 cups ice cubes, divided

            ½ cup club soda, divided

1.      Preheat the oven to 325°.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 10 tablespoons granulated sugar, mint leaves, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, lime, and salt, making sure to crush the mint leaves.  In a medium bowl, combine the pineapple juice, egg yolks, crushed pineapple, pumpkin puree, and rum.  Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture until smooth.

2.      Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the 5 egg whites at medium speed until foamy, about 2 minutes.  With the machine on, gradually whisk in the remaining sugar; increase the speed to high and beat until stiff but still moist, 1 to 2 minutes.

3.      Add one-quarter of the egg white mixture, ½ cup ice cubes, and 2 tablespoons club soda to the pumpkin batter, folding with a rubber spatula just until no streaks remain.  Repeat with remaining egg white mixture, ice cubes, and club soda.  Pour the batter into a 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom.  Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, 55 minutes.

4.      Let cool for 5 minutes, then invert the pan onto a narrow-necked bottle; let hang upside down until completely cool, about 1½ hours.  Place the cake right side up and remove the pan.  To serve, dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Raspberry-Roasted Tomato-Pecan Blondies with Pesto (I like to call them "Redheads")

Serves 10

BLONDIES:

½ large red bell pepper

1 pound tomatoes

1 cup canned tomato-vegetable juice (such as V-8), divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped

1½ green onions, chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled

Pepper

2 cups all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg

½ cup coarsely chopped pecans (about 1½ ounces)

½ ½-pint basket fresh raspberries

PESTO:

½ cup (packed) fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon pine nuts

1 garlic clove, peeled

8 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. FOR BLONDIES: Preheat oven to 350^o F. Line 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan with aluminum foil, extending foil over sides by 2 inches.
2. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Lightly oil grill rack. Cut 1-inch-wide slice from top and bottom of bell pepper and reserve. Cut pepper open lengthwise and press flat. Cut off ribs and remove seeds; discard. Grill tomatoes, flattened pepper, and top and bottom slices of pepper until skins are charred, turning occasionally, about 7 minutes for tomatoes and 10 minutes for pepper; transfer to plate to cool. Peel tomatoes and pepper; coarsely chop pepper.
3. Puree tomatoes, pepper, ¼ cup juice, vanilla, cucumber, onions, and garlic in processor until almost smooth. Add remaining juice; season to taste with pepper.
4. Butter and flour aluminum foil in baking pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, then tomato mixture. Add flour mixture and beat until ust blended. Stir in chopped pecans. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle raspberries over top.
5. Bake until top is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack.
6. FOR PESTO: Finely chop basil leaves, pine nuts, and garlic in processor. With machine running, add oil and puree until almost smooth. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper. (Blondies and pesto can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
7. Cut blondies into 10 squares. Top each with ½ spoonful pesto. Serve.