Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever (52 page)

Legend has it that Indian pudding was served at the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts. A steamed pudding similar to those served in England for holidays, Indian pudding is prepared using cornmeal and molasses and is flavored with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. The warm pudding is served scooped into bowls and topped with maple-flavored whipped cream or ice cream.

½ cup yellow cornmeal

¾ cup water

4 cups milk

1 large egg

3 tablespoons sugar

½ cup dark molasses

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup raisins or other dried fruits, such as cranberries or blueberries

2½ cups heavy cream

¼ cup maple syrup

coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Stir together all the ingredients except the heavy cream and maple syrup in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Transfer the mixture to the slow-cooker insert.

cover and cook on high for 3 hours, until set. Carefully remove the slow-cooker insert and allow the pudding to cool for about 30 minutes.

whip the heavy cream in a mixing bowl to stiff peaks, then beat in the maple syrup.

serve the pudding from the cooker set on warm, and accompany with the maple-flavored whipped cream.

serves 8

A staple on menus in New England, this comforting custard studded with crunchy Grape-Nuts cereal is comfort food of the first order. Serve the custard cold with unsweetened whipped cream.

1½ cups Grape-Nuts cereal (nuggets, not flakes)

6 large eggs

4 cups milk

1
¹
/
₃
cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2½ cups heavy cream

spray the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the cereal over the bottom of the slowcooker insert. Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla bean paste, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Gently pour over the cereal.

cover and cook on high for 2 hours, until the custard is just set. It may seem a little jiggly in the center but will firm while the custard cools. Carefully remove the insert from the liner and allow the pudding to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.

whip the cream in a mixing bowl until it forms stiff peaks.

scoop the pudding into bowls and top each serving with a dollop of the cream.

serves 8

Slow cookers are terrific for entertaining, especially if you are pressed for time and want to set the cooker in the morning and serve directly from it in the evening. These dishes are a little more upscale than weeknight fare, but don’t rule them out for a family dinner or celebration during the week. In this chapter I include drinks for serving warm from the slow cooker, as well as warm dips that can be served from smaller cookers, sometimes called “little dippers.” The slow cooker is also your friend at the barbecue on the patio, where your cooker will keep your side dish warm until you are ready to eat. Don’t overlook the slow cooker at holiday times either; between drinks, gravies, sauces, mashed potatoes, and side dishes, the slow cooker keeps your dishes at a constant safe temperature for serving. So let’s celebrate with our slow cookers, and enjoy the party!

Slow cookers are perfect for keeping your favorite hot cider or mulled wine warm, but not scalding hot, for serving all through the day. Keeping hot cocoa warm can be tricky, but the warm setting on the slow cooker helps to make a luxurious cocoa that will have your guests swooning with chocolate-mustached delight!

When I told an Italian friend who owns a wine bar in Umbria that I would be adding spices to red wine and heating it, he thought I’d gone over the edge, until he tasted this warming drink on a cold night. Serve this in glass mugs when people come for dinner; it’s a great warm-up from the cold and helps get conversation going.

Three 750-ml bottles medium-bodied red wine, such as Zinfandel, Chianti, or Pinot Noir

¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon whole cloves

Three 4-inch cinnamon sticks

3 whole allspice berries

Zest from 2 lemons, cut into strips (see savvy)

add all the ingredients to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Remove the whole spices and zest.

keep the wine warm in the cooker for up to 8 hours.

serves 8

zest savvy

It is important to cut only the zest (colored part of the peel) from the lemons and not the white pith, which is harsh and will give your drinks a tart and bitter taste. A serrated peeler works well to peel just the skin and not the pith.

Warm cider is my magic elixir for curing the blues and facing down the cold during frigid winters. Fragrant with spices, the cider is liquid comfort for what ails you. Any leftover cider may be stored in the refrigerator.

8 cups apple cider

1 teaspoon whole allspice berries

Two 4-inch cinnamon sticks

6 whole cloves

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup brandy or rum (optional)

add all the ingredients except for the brandy to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.

cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Remove the whole spices and stir in the brandy (if using).

keep warm in the cooker for up to 8 hours.

serves about 12

The combination of cider and cranberry juice makes perfect sense, and the result is a delicious ruby-colored, spicy drink flavored with orange zest.

One 48-ounce bottle cranberry juice cocktail

One 48-ounce bottle apple cider or apple juice

Two 4-inch cinnamon sticks

3 whole cloves

½ teaspoon ground ginger

Zest from 2 oranges, cut into julienne strips

combine all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Remove the whole spices (see savvy).

keep the cider warm in the cooker for up to 5 hours.

Any remaining cider may be cooled to room temperature and refrigerated. Reheat the cider, a cup at a time, in the microwave.

serves 12

slow-cooker savvy

To remove the spices, I use a small strainer to catch the seasonings, which will float on top of the cider. Another gadget that works is a spider, used for scooping out deep-fried food from bubbling oil.

This buttered rum cider is a terrific way to warm up your family and friends after a day of skiing or playing in the snow. The buttered rum can be made ahead of time and frozen. The butter doesn’t freeze rock solid because of the high alcohol content, so it can be easily measured for the recipe without any problem.

1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

²
/
₃
cup dark rum

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Two 48-ounce bottles apple cider or apple juice

beat together the butter, sugar, rum, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a mixer bowl until smooth. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 6 months.

place ½ cup of the butter mixture in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and add the cider. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

stir the cider before serving from the cooker set on warm.

serves 10–12

Warm cranberry and pineapple juices, spiced with fragrant cinnamon and cloves, make a terrific drink to serve during cold weather or at the holidays. The slow cooker will keep the punch at the perfect temperature for serving.

One 48-ounce bottle cranberry juice cocktail

4 cups pineapple juice

1 cup water

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Three 4-inch cinnamon sticks

½ teaspoon whole allspice berries

1 teaspoon whole cloves

combine all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Remove the whole spices.

keep the punch warm in the cooker.

serves 12

Sometimes when writing a book, you know when you’ve done too much research. I was always under the impression that
wassail
was a type of mulled wine, when in fact a
wassailing
was also singing in the Middle Ages to apple trees to ensure a good harvest. The wassail was a huge bowl of punch lugged into the orchard and the contents would vary, but apple cider or beer seemed to be the two winners here. So what’s a girl to do? I’m sticking with the wine version because I like it—but it has a twist!

Three 750-ml bottles medium-bodied red wine, such as Zinfandel, Barolo, Pinot Noir

1 cup superfine sugar

3 whole star anise pods

3 cups dried apples

1 medium navel orange studded with about 20 whole cloves

1 medium lemon, thinly sliced

put all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Remove the spices, apples, and orange, leaving the lemon slices.

serve the wassail from the cooker set on warm.

serves 10

My friend Lora Brody is the goddess of chocolate; anyone who could write a book entitled
Growing Up on the Chocolate Diet
is someone you want to know! A dear friend and mentor, she has shared many recipes with me, but this one is my favorite, from her book
Chocolate American Style,
which I’ve adapted to the slow cooker. Lora says hot chocolate has to have more than big flavor, it also should be thick enough to soothe your insides, which is exactly what this does. Make sure to have plenty of garnishes on hand, such as whipped cream, marshmallows, peppermint candy canes, and shaved chocolate.

2 cups heavy cream

16 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

4 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

combine all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour. Stir up the chocolate from the bottom of the pan with a whisk.

cover and cook on low for another 3 hours.

serve the hot chocolate in the cooker set on warm.

serves 10–12

Although some people think that life is too short to eat or drink white chocolate, this coffee-flavored hot chocolate might change your mind. Use white bar chocolate instead of baking chips, because some baking chips don’t melt, and your drinks may feel like they have pebbles in them!

2 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

16 ounces white bar chocolate, such as Lindt or Perugina, finely grated

8 cups strong brewed coffee

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

combine the milk, cream, and chocolate in a saucepan and heat, whisking frequently, over medium-low heat until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

pour the mixture into the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.

serve the mocha from the cooker set on warm.

serves 10–12

My husband, Chuck, is famous for his flaming dessert coffee, which he flavors with Cointreau, crème de cacao, and Kahlúa. Although the taste is incredible, we have to limit our guests to two! This slow-cooker recipe is an adult coffee with some of the same flavors, and it’s a winner. Feel free to have a bottle of Kahlúa or crème de cacao on the side for pouring!

16 cups strong brewed coffee

1½ cups brandy

Three 4-inch cinnamon sticks

3 medium navel oranges, each studded with about 20 cloves

3 cups unsweetened whipped cream for garnishing

combine the coffee, brandy, cinnamon sticks, and oranges in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Remove the oranges and cinnamon sticks.

serve from the cooker set on warm, and accompany with whipped cream for garnishing.

serves 10–12

Appetizers are meant to be a little something to spur on your appetite for dinner without completely satisfying your hunger. They can accompany predinner drinks, or they can be part of what I call a “grazing party,” where the entire party is appetizers and you go home full. I love the slow cooker for making warm dips and keeping them warm throughout the evening. The slow cooker also makes some terrific snack mixes and spicy nuts as well.