Today’s recipes are from Foodland Ontario www.foodlandontario.ca

SQUASH BROWNIES WITH CHOCOLATE SWIRL TOPPING

Makes 24 squares

Brownies:

  • 1 cup mashed cooked Ontario squash
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup each: buttermilk** and oil
  • 2 Ontario eggs, well beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon each: baking powder and cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon each: ground ginger and baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon each: nutmeg and salt
  • ½ cup toasted chopped nuts

Chocolate Swirl Topping:

  • 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 Ontario egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

**or ¼ cup milk mixed with 1 teaspoon vinegar; let stand 15 minutes

1. Chocolate Swirl Topping: In small bowl, cream together cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla; stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.

2. Brownies: In large bowl, stir together squash, brown sugar, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla.

3. In separate bowl, stir or sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, nutmeg and salt; stir into squash mixture until combined. Stir in nuts. Spread in greased 13 x 9-inch pan.

4.Topping: Drop Chocolate Swirl Topping by heaping tablespoons onto batter. Swirl into batter with knife.

5. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 35 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool. Cut into 24 squares.

Variation: I made these brownies gluten-free by replacing flour with gluten-free all-purpose baking mix.

CARROT BUNDT CAKE WITH MAPLE GLAZE

Serves 16

  • 4 large Ontario carrots, peeled, grated to make 4 cups grated
  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • ¼ cup rum or water
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon each: baking soda, ground ginger, nutmeg and salt
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 Ontario eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 ¼ cups lightly packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup finely chopped glace cherries (optional)
  • 1 cup toasted chopped almonds
  • Maple Glaze (recipe follows)

1. Generously spray or oil a 10-inch Bundt pan.

2. Combine raisins and rum in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on High for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave 30 seconds more. Stir; set aside.

3. In large bowl, whisk flour with baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, salt and allspice.

4. In separate large bowl with an electric mixer, beat oil with eggs and vanilla. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat for 2 minutes more. Gradually beat in flour mixture. It will be very thick.

5. Stir in carrots, raisins and any liquid, cherries if using, and nuts. Scrape into prepared pan. Smooth top.

6. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes. Run knife around edge then turn out onto rack to cool completely before icing. Cake will keep well at room temperature for several days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Maple Glaze: Place ½ cup Ontario maple syrup in medium bowl. Sift 2 ½ cups icing sugar. With electric mixer, gradually beat icing sugar into maple syrup to make thick but pourable glaze. If too thick, beat in 1 tablespoon milk. If too thin add more icing sugar. Slowly drizzle over top of cooled cake. Garnish with chopped nuts if desired.

 

APPLE CRANBERRY CRUMBLE PIE

Serves 8.

  • 1 deep 9-inch pie shell

Streusel Topping:

  • ¾ cup quick cooking oatmeal (not instant)
  • 1/3 cup each: all-purpose flour and brown sugar
  • ¼ cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Filling:

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 6 medium Ontario apples, peeled, cored, cut into ¼-inch thick wedges
  • 1 cup Ontario cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. If pie shell is frozen, thaw for 10 minutes. Set pie shell on baking sheet to catch any drips while pie is baking.

2. Streusel: combine oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon in medium bowl Add butter. Using fingers or pastry cutter, cut butter into oatmeal mixture just until fine crumb consistency. Set aside.

3. Filling: In small bowl stir together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside. In large bowl, combine apples and cranberries until mixed. Stir in sugar mixture and coat fruit well. Spoon into pie shell. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over filling.

4. Bake on lower shelf in centre of oven for 10 minutes. If topping is browning too quickly, cover loosely with a piece of foil. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to bake until apples are tender, filling is hot and topping is a deep golden brown, about 50 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and let stand at least 10 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Note: This pie can be made ahead and frozen unbaked, or baked and frozen. Simply thaw and reheat before serving.