And then, there’s cheesecake. This recipe, courtesy of Cabot Creamery, comes from Jacques and Pauline Couture of Missisquoi Valley Farm in Westfield, Vermont. The farm is a winner of Vermont’s Outstanding Farm of the Year.

While Jacques runs the dairy farm, Pauline is busy managing their maple syrup business and bed and breakfast. This Maple Cheesecake is one of the many delightful treats prepared for their overnight guests.

The Coutures make this recipe with Cabot Creamery’s salted butter and cream cheese.

Make the effort to use maple sugar instead of table sugar: You’ll be pleased with the difference. (Check out the different types of sugar.)

We also like to garnish the top of the cake with maple candies, shaped like maple leaves. They’re available in hard, clear amber leaf or a semisoft, opaque beige leaf.

Prep time is 20 minutes, cook time is 55 minutes.

Maple cheesecake. Photo courtesy Cabot Creamery Cooperative.

Ingredients For 12 Servings

• 1 sleeve graham crackers (9 whole crackers)
• 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup granulated maple sugar (or substitute white sugar)
• 3 packages (8-ounces each) cream cheese at room temperature or softened in microwave (you can substitute reduced fat cream cheese)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup (see the different grades of maple syrup)
• Optional garnish: maple leaf candies in maple syrup or maple sugar

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Wrap the bottom and sides of a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with aluminum foil (to prevent leakage while baking).

2. PLACE the graham crackers in 1-gallon zip-close bag; crush into fine crumbs with rolling pin or heavy pan (you will have about 1-1/3 cups). Combine in a bowl with butter and sugar, stirring until well blended. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom and partly up the sides of the pan.

3. COMBINE the cream cheese and eggs in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the maple syrup and process until combined. (Alternatively, in large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time just until blended, then beat in the maple syrup.) Pour the mixture into the crust. To ensure no cracks on the top of the cheesecake, create an optional bain-marie: Place cheesecake in large roasting pan and add boiling water partway up sides before baking.

4. BAKE for 45 to 55 minutes or until set nearly all the way to the center. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool, then cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Remove from pan, garnish with candies around the top rim and serve.

WHAT IS MAPLE SUGAR

Maple sugar was the preferred form of maple by First Nations/Native American peoples. Unlike the sap or syrup, the sugar could easily be transported.

It is produced by evaporating the sap of the sugar maple tree (and some other maples). The sap is boiled until almost all of the water has been removed and the remainder has crystallized solid (the same process is used to boil sugar cane sap into table sugar).

Maple sugar has a strong maple flavor and aroma, just like maple syrup. It sold in pressed blocks, granulated in bags, or molded into small shapes like maple leaves, to be enjoyed as candy.

Maple sugar can be used in recipes in the same way as cane sugar is used, but is almost twice as sweet—so plan accordingly in recipes. A rule of thumb: When using maple sugar, use slightly more than half the amount specified for cane sugar.

We enjoy using it:

• In baking (it’s a nice surprise in a pie crust)
• In coffee or tea
• On oatmeal
• In meat rubs

Every kitchen has a standard vegetable peeler to slice the skin from carrots, cucumbers, potatoes and other veggies.

But there’s also a serrated peeler, which works better on softer produce like mangoes, nectarines, peaches, plums and that toughest of peeling challenges, tomatoes.

Most home cooks who have both use the word “love,” as in, “I love the serrated peeler!”

Of course, you can use a serrated peeler where you’d use a conventional peeler, on anything from asparagus to zucchini. But we use both, so we don’t dull the serrated blade on potatoes when we want to keep it sharp for those pesky tomatoes.

The standard technique to peel thin-skinned produce is to blanch the item in boiling water, then chill it in ice water, then remove the skin with a sharp knife or fingers. A serrated peeler is the better way.

Peeling tomatoes, bell peppers and mangoes is easy with a serrated peeler. Photo courtesy Crisp.

And instead of charring bell peppers over a flame to remove the skin, just use a serrated peeler.

How can you resist?

• The angled-head serrated peeler from Crisp is $8.99 at CrispCooking.com. It also has an “eyer” at the top.
• The highly regarded Messermeister serrated swivel peeler is $7.95 at Amazon.com.

[1] Fondue with a south-of-the-border accent can be used to dip churros or anything else (photo © McCormick).

[2] The recipe at the right is only for the fondue. Here’s a recipe for baked churros. We also have churro “substitutes” that are easy to prepare (photos #2 and #3 © The Baker Chick).

[3] In fact, we like baked churros even better (no oiliness!).

[4] Depending on how you serve them, churros can be a casual snack (previous photo) or a fancy dessert (photo © Tina Dawson | Unsplash).

[5] A guajillo is the dried form of mirasol chile. It is the second-most commonly used dried chile in Mexican cuisine after the ancho, which is the dried form of the poblano chile (photo © Rancho Gordo).

[6] The recipe uses peanut butter, but if you don’t like it you can substitute another nut or seed butter, Nutella, cookie butter, or one of the other substitutes we’ve provided (photo © Jif).

[7] This creamy dark chocolate peanut butter is less peanutty than regular PR while still adding something extra to the flavor profile (photo © Peanut Butter & Company).

[8] A hack to save time: Start with a jar of chocolate fudge sauce and add in the other ingredients. This is our favorite brand (photo © Somebody’s Mother’s).

[9] One of our easy substitutes for churros: cinnamon roll dough (photo © Pillsbury).

For Día de los Muertos, celebrated today and tomorrow, serve something with a south-of-the-border theme. We’ve got an exciting chile mole fondue; use churros (South American crullers) for dipping. There’s more about Día de los Muertos below.

This recipe, uses three types of chilies—guajillo, chilies de arbol and chipotle—to give this Mexican-inspired dessert fondue a smoky kick. Bittersweet and semisweet chocolate, nutty peanut butter and warm cinnamon make it a luscious complement to churros, fresh fruit or assorted cookies. You can also try pumpkin tortilla chips, which have matching spices and a touch of sweetness.

Here’s a recipe to make classic deep-fried churros. You can also buy them in Latin American grocery stores.

But we prefer the recipe for baked churros shown in photos #2 and #3.

> National Churro Day is June 6th.

> The history of churros is below.

> So is the history of El Día de los Muertos.

> Plus, check out the substitutes you can use instead of deep-frying churros.
 
 
RECIPE: THREE CHILE MOLE FONDUE (SPICY FONDUE)

In addition to churros, you can use this spicy chocolate fondue with anything you like. Check out this selection of chocolate fondue dippers.

Note that the serving size in this recipe (which is from McCormick) is 2 tablespoons—enough for a mouse! If you want a larger portion, double the recipe.

Note also that this recipe is only for the fondue. You need to make or buy the churros separately.

Tips

 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. HEAT a medium saucepan on medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the chiles; toast 30 seconds per side or until they begin to blister and change color slightly.

2. LET the saucepan cool slightly. Add 2 cups water to cover the chiles and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to low; simmer 30 minutes until the chiles soften.

3. REMOVE the chiles with kitchen tongs to a blender container. Add 1/2 cup chile soaking liquid from the saucepan; cover. Blend on high speed until smooth. Discard the remaining soaking liquid in the saucepan.

4. STRAIN the chile purée through a large mesh strainer into the saucepan. Stir in the cream and corn syrup. Bring just to boil on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

5. ADD the remaining ingredients; stir until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
 
 
MORE CHURROS RECIPES

 
 
ABOUT EL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS

Since pre-Colombian times, Mexicans have celebrated El Día de los Muertos, a ritual in which the living remember their departed relatives.

From October 31 through November 2, graves are tended and decorated with ofrendas, offerings, and families expect a visit from loved ones who have passed.

Ofrendas dedicated to the deceased, usually foods and beverages, are also put in homes on elaborately decorated altars with glowing votive candles, photos, chocolate and sugar skull heads (calaveritas).
 
 
THE HISTORY OF CHURROS

The churro is often thought to have originated in Spain, but it may, in fact, have come from China.

It is similar to a savory Chinese pastry (no sugar), dough sticks called youtiao, which are fried in oil. The result is a crispy outside and tender crumb. Here’s a recipe.

Portuguese explorers, who traded with China as early as 1514, may have brought youtiao back to Portugal.

From there, it hopped the border to Spain, where it evolved into the sweet, cinnamon-accented pastry we know today.

Churros were introduced to Mexico and South America during the Spanish exploration and conquest in the mid-1500s.

This was about the same time that the Spanish returned to Europe from Mexico with cacao…and ultimately, Spanish cooks turned that turned into hot chocolate and chocolate sauce.

In Spain, the pastry got its from being piped through a churrera, a syringe-like utensil that features that unique shape. Churros can either be straight or spiral-shaped. The churrera (an inexpensive tool) comes with different attachments, so choose whatever you like!

(You can use the churrera to make cookies as well. Its design is similar to a spritz cookie press.)

After frying or baking, our modern churros are rolled in cinnamon sugar.

While churros are served as a dessert in Mexican-American restaurants, café con leche and churros are popular breakfast items in Latin America.

While traveling from country to country, the churro was enhanced, from guava-filled churros in Cuba, the dulce de leche-filled churros in Mexico, and cheese-filled churros in Uruguay.

Dulce de leche, a popular sauce for churros, was invented in Argentina in the 19th century. The first historical reference to the Argentinian dessert comes from a peace meeting between military leaders in 1829.

According to legend, dulce de leche was produced by accident when the maid was cooking some milk and sugar and was unexpectedly called away. Upon her return, the mixture had transformed into a thick, brown consistency (not very different from caramel sauce, which is made with sugar, cream, and butter).

The “new dessert” was called dulce de leche, a milk sweet [confection]. Today it is usually made with sweetened condensed milk (which did not exist at the time).

Contemporary creative churro bakers have made churros in different flavors, made them hollow to be stuffed with different fillings, made them into jumbo-sized loops, made them mini-bite size, and continue to work their magic on an already-magical magical pastry.

Check out these rainbow-colored churros for Pride Week.
 
 
SUBSTITUTES FOR CHURROS

Making churros from scratch, with star-tipped piped pastry fried in hot oil, may be too much for most of us. Here are easier alternatives to dip in that delicious sauce, that deliver the same warm, cinnamon-sugar flavors.
 
The Quickest Churros Substitute

 
Easy Churros Substitutes

 
Baked Churro Substitutes

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

Today is gray and chilly, perfect comfort food weather. We’re whipping up this cheese strata, which was created by Annalise of the blog Completely Delicious for Eat Wisconsin Cheese. It’s another way to use stale bread, although fresh bread works fine.

Enjoy it for brunch or lunch with a green salad.
 
 
RECIPE: CHEESE STRATA WITH SAUSAGE,
KALE & CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Ingredients For 8 Servings

1. MELT 1 tablespoon butter in sauté pan over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned. Drain on paper towel. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and onions to pan and cook over low heat until onions are soft and caramelized, 15-20 minutes. Add kale and cook until wilted, stirring frequently.

2. BUTTER a 9×13–inch baking dish. Distribute 1/3 bread cubes in bottom of dish. Top with 1/3 of sausage, kale and onions. Sprinkle with 1/3 of Fontina and Parmesan. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients.

3. WHISK together in large bowl the milk, eggs, mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour over baking dish, making sure all bread cubes are moistened. Press mixture down so it lays flush with the top of baking pan.

4. COVER with buttered foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

5. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Let the strata come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Bake uncovered 50-55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in fridge.

A strata or strata is a layered casserole dish, similar to a quiche or frittata. The base is a mixture of bread, eggs and cheese, to which any variety of ingredients can be added. Sausage or ham and vegetables are particularly popular.

Strata is the plural of stratum, the Latin word for layer.

According to Wikipedia, the earliest strata recipe known is from 1902, a gratin of layers of bread, white sauce, and cheese, but no eggs.

You can make pudding or buy it. Making it is better and lots more fun. We’ve been spending more and more time with Puddin’: Luscious and Unforgettable Puddings, Parfaits, Pudding Cakes, Pies, and Pops.

The book, by the owner of a pudding store in New York City, has foolproof pudding recipes, from standards to modern twists. Get your copy here.

PICK A PUDDING

• Banana pudding
• Butterscotch pudding
• Chocolate pudding
• Coffee pudding
• Lemon pudding
• Pistachio pudding
• Tapioca pudding
• Rice pudding
• Vanilla pudding
• Modern puddings: Dulce de Leche, Key Lime, Malted Milk, Nutella, Peanut Butter and many others
• Seasonal favorites like Eggnog, Maple and Pumpkin Pie puddings

Cookie & Cake Toppings

• Brownie crumbs
• Cake cubes (from any type of cake)
• Graham cracker crumbs
• Vanilla wafer crumbs
• Other cookie crumbs

 
Sauce Toppings

• Caramel sauce
• Dulce de leche
• Fudge sauce
• Fruit sauce: berry, cherry, peach melba
• Marshmallow creme
• Whipped cream

Candies & Nuts

• Baking chips: chocolate, butterscotch, mint, peanut butter, vanilla
• Candied nuts (any type, including honey roasted nuts)
• Candied orange peel
• Chopped brittle or toffee
• Gummies
• Mini candies (malt balls, M&Ms, marshmallows)
• Mini pretzels, chopped chocolate covered pretzels
• Reese’s Pieces
• Sprinkles

 
Wild Card

• Candied bacon
• Coconut
• Dried berries: cherries, cranberries

FOR A PARTY PUDDING BAR

1. MAKE the pudding in large bowls. Consider adding dairy free (vegan) and sugar free options.

2. KEEP each bowl on a bed of crushed ice.

3. PLACE the toppings in smaller bowls, each with its own serving spoon. Refilling topping bowls as needed.