Food Friday - Family Favorites

from Kris B.

It is hard to believe that the holiday season is here!  It's that time of year where my life is made possible only by the many lists that have diligently created - lists of social obligations, Christmas gifts to buy, chores to be done, and of course, meal planning tasks.

Sometimes I wonder why planning Thanksgiving dinner is that difficult since it is a meal of tradition; everyone has their favorite dish and it is my job to make sure that all those favorites end up on the holiday table. In my family, we don't have generations of traditions by which to abide when it comes to our holiday meals, but I know many families that have had the same dishes as part of their Thanksgiving celebrations for years and years and years.  And often when they stop and think about it, they realize that some of the things that are still being served were a favorite of someone who is no longer living and no one now even likes "that" dish.  This scenario reminded me of a funny song that I sang with a chorus several years back, "Lime Jello Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise."  If you need a little bit of comic relief during these hectic days, click here.

We don't have any Lime Jello Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise at our house, but we do have some foods that are fast becoming holiday traditions.  One such food is pumpkin butter.  A former friend and I used to make it every year for our church's Christmas bazaar.  It quickly became a favorite of my then toddler second child.  Over the past twenty years, I have tweaked the recipe a little here and there to try and make it the best it can be and to add my own personal touch.  A jar of pumpkin butter used to be the standard holiday gift for my girls' teachers, as well as for many of my friends.

Because of the craziness in my life at the end of last year, I did not make any holiday pumpkin butter. in 2014  Though life still hectic this year as well, I managed to get the first batch of pumpkin butter made this week.  (Yes, Erin.  You may have a jar now.)  As I was making it, I was reminded of just how good pumpkin butter is.  I will definitely be making a few more batches over the coming weeks!

INGREDIENTS

2 15oz. cans of pumpkin puree

1 1.75oz package of pectin

1 TBS pumpkin pie spice

3 1/2 cups white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 TBS vanilla

Stir pumpkin puree and pectic together in a good sized heavy pot.  (You want a pot that is big enough so that once you add the sugar, the mixture will not boil over or "spit" hot pumpkin butter over the top.)  Continue to stir regularly while bringing this mixture to a boil.  Once boiling, add all of the sugar at once, the pumpkin pie spice, and the vanilla.  While stirring constantly, again bring the mixture to a boil.  Allow to boil for two minutes.  Remove from heat.

The pumpkin butter can be canned using standard canning procedures; or, it can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Pumpkin butter is fantastic on your morning toast or English muffin, on crackers as an after school snack, or as filling for your holiday thumbprint cookies.  And, as members of my family will tell you, it is also good on a spoon right out of the jar.

by Tracey G.

Thanksgiving has never been a time for sticking with tradition for me, I don't know why, but I've never felt obligated to one certain dish. I've always been very open-minded about my menu. I have made turkeys the majority of the time because I like the sides that go with it, lol. And I like to make turkey noodle soup with the left-overs! But I'm always willing to add in things, omit things and whatnot.

I've been looking for a recipe for the Thanksgiving morning, something simple that could maybe pave the way for a "tradition" of sorts and this recipe came along at the right time so I thought I'd give it a try. I mean seriously this sounded pretty straight-forward yummy, lol. And it is - it's really good. Harry loved it and will go perfect with coffee at any time of the day! I must thank Taste of Home for coming through for me once again!

Down East Blueberry Buckle

courtesy of Taste Of Home Magazine

2 c flour

1/4 c sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg

3/4 c 2% milk

1/4 c butter, melted

2 c fresh or frozen blueberries

Topping:

1/2 c sugar

1/3 c flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 c  butter, softened

1) Preheat oven to 375° F. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk egg, milk and melted butter until blended. Add to flour mixture, stir just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Transfer to a greased 9-in. square baking pan.

2) For topping, in a small bowl, mix sugar, flour and cinnamon. Using a fork, stir in softened butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.

3) Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (do not overbake) Cool in pan on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Food Friday - Fall Fare

from Kris B.

As you read earlier in the week, for Tracey and me both, fall is a favorite season.  Though there are lots of wonderful things about this time of year, it also brings with it memories of tough times for both of us since she lost her mom and I lost my dad during the fall  So, we have both had our share of nostalgic moments recently, both those that bring tears and those that bring smiles.  Life is all about finding that balancebetween the tears and the smiles; that is where we find ourselves right now, trying to find and maintain that healthy balance.

On one of my visits back to check on my dad during the summer of 2014, my aunt, his sister, brought over some sweet potato biscuits for him as they were a favorite.  As he was offering me one at dinner that night, I realized that despite the breadaholic that I am, I had never had a sweet potato biscuit.  Being that I am a sweet potato lover as well as a breadaholic, I suspected that sweet potato biscuits would be a win-win for me.  I was right.  These things were amazing...if of course you like biscuits and sweet potatoes.

Last Thanksgiving, for the first time ever, I was not at home with my girls.  I went to Delaware over that week to begin the process of settling my dad's affairs.  Weber and I spent Thanksgiving with my aunt, the sweet potato biscuit maker, and my cousins...and a big batch of sweet potato biscuits!  I missed being at home, but I loved having the biscuits, both because they tasted good, and they reminded me of my dad.

I begged for the recipe and my aunt graciously shared it with me.  Now I can have them any time that Id like.  Well, maybe not any time, because that would be all the time! Lol.  As I was baking this batch, my daughter, Brooke,  and I were talking about our Thanksgiving menu for this year.  At my request the sweet potato biscuits are on it!

INGREDIENTS
2 Cups mashed sweet potatoes
3/4 Cup sugar
3 Cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 Cup shortening

Preheat oven to 425

I am going to share the instructions exactly how they were given to me.

"Mix the mashed sweet potatoes and sugar.  In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients and cut in shortening.  Add dry ingredients to the sweet potato mixture.  I use both hands here and it gets kind of messy.  You might need to add flour in small amounts until the dough "feels right.'  I usually spray my hands with Pam and roll dough into balls about 1 1/2" in diameter.  Bake on a baking sheet for 12-15 minutes."

Any of you who have recipes that have been passed down from several generations will understand the part about "until the dough feels right."  Also, most biscuits are usually rolled and cut.  I have not tried that with these  because...well, because this is the way I want to remember them.  Also, this is easier; but, if you want to roll (and re-roll) and cut these, I suspect it will work just as well.

And here is my ah-ha moment of the day...Brooke and I were having a lovely conversation about lots of things while I was baking, something we both enjoy when we share our days off. In a manner that I'm sure felt totally random to hBrooke, I asked her where the term "baker's dozen" originated.  She is a trained pastry chef; she should know such things.  She didn't.  My question arose as I was putting the biscuits on the baking sheet.

When spaced using this fairly common layout on a standard baking sheet,  you end up with thirteen items.  I didn't take the time to research the real reason that we have a baker's dozen.  I'm sticking with my newly realized explanation because it makes sense to me. LOL!  

This same ridiculous way of thinking led my then six year old daughter to exclaim with total conviction, "Mama!  I know why Thanksgiving is always on Thursday...they both begin with TH.  That's why!"  Yep.  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree in our family....except that she was six when she had her great epiphany and I am 53.  


by Tracey G.

I am relatively new to the world of squash, lol. I'd say just the last 7 years or so, I discovered they're pretty yummy! As I kid I wouldn't even try them - maybe the name turned me off, I'm not sure. And it's not like they weren't around the house, my mom loved squash of all sorts, so it wasn't a stranger to me at all. And to be honest, it wasn't until about 10 years ago I discovered I loved sweet potatoes and still kick myself for not trying them sooner! But anyway, I am a big fan these days of pumpkin and butternut squash. This soup uses butternut and it's really yummy. I have been searching for a good squash soup/bisque recipe for awhile, I love the stuff and have never made it at home! So, this was the perfect excuse to try my hand at it. :-) I researched and this is kind of my own creation from a few recipes, it's simple and easy - and best of all, good!

When it came to the pureeing, I used my blender. Most recipes called for using food processor, but I didn't see why I couldn't just use my blender and buzz it up in almost one fell swoop. For today's recipe, I made a half batch of what I came up with, so I was able to get it all in the blender, but if I made the full batch, it would likely need to be done in two batches in it. I imagine my immersion blender could have been used too - I always forget about that thing! LOL

Here's the recipe (full batch), and I think it would be good with pumpkin as well...

Butternut Squash Bisque

3 1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

1 c sliced carrots

1/2 c chopped shallots

1 medium tart apple, peeled and chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

4 c chicken broth

1 1/4 c half and half

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

 1-2 tbsp chives, optional

Sour cream for garnish, optional

1) In a large bowl, toss the squash, carrots, apple and shallot in the olive oil until coated. Spread onto a large baking sheet in a single layer - if necessary you may need to use two so that they're in a single layer.

2) Bake at 400 for about an hour or until browned and tender, stirring a couple times. Cool slightly and place in a food processor, cover and process until almost smooth.

3) In a Dutch oven, add the pureed vegetables, broth, half and half, salt and cayenne, heat through - do not boil. If using, stir in chives. Garnish servings with sour cream if desired.

As I said above, I used my blender for the pureeing - I added the broth and vegetables and blended until smooth. I then transferred it to the pan and added the cream, salt and cayenne. Worked pretty well, and tasted darn good! :-D

Tuesday NOT in Texas - My Favorite Season

Favorite Season....hmmm...

by Tracey G.

For me, like Kris, I don't even have to think about my answer, it's immediately Fall/Autumn! In my brain, the word for favorite season is Fall, so it's an automatic response.

I don't remember when my love of Fall kicked in, likely when I was in school. I loved going back to school - because yes, I did like school, lol, but I also loved the fashions of Fall and getting new school clothes! And I'm also with Kris in the fact I love the foods, the shift to comfort foods and so forth. It's usually January though that I am craving the "fresh" flavors of Summer, lol. Which is a drag because there's really not a whole lot of good "fresh" stuff out there in my neck of the woods here in Michigan, lol. Well, aside from "fresh" snow, lol.

But mostly for me, Fall is emotional. So much good has happened to me in the Fall, in the past and it continues to do so. Some of my favorite memories are tied to this season, good times and good feelings. One of my favorites is riding all the trails with my high school boyfriend on his ATV when I was a teenager - we had so much fun, just getting lost on purpose for hours, riding around and enjoying the local woods and trails. Another is with my first fiancé (again I was a youngster, lol), and him teaching me how to use his bow. I only wanted to target shoot mind you, I left the actual deer hunting to him, lol, but I have that day in my head as vivid as if it were yesterday - right down to what I was wearing. When I see trees of a certain color and the sun is shining, plus the unique quality of fall light,and I am in that day. It was just a happy fun day and that's what I remember of it. They are just memories that have happy attached to them, and that's what shines on through. Yes the people involved factor in, lol, but mostly what I feel when I see the pretty leaves, is happy, so whoever created those feelings it matters not, only that they were created and now associated. :-) (although it does make me laugh that for some reason my "love life" has always been tied to the Fall, for good or ill, weird, but, honest and true) So, Fall, for the most part, to me, equals happy and good times.

It's my favorite time of year to head outdoors - find the trails in the woods, go for walks and just enjoy the pretty that's out there. I love living where I do, all the woods, lakes, trails - it's a beautiful place to be this time of year. I have happy memories of packing Harry up in his stroller and heading out for walks down by the cottage, that was regular thing to do, walk the loop between the cottage and lighthouse - and it's a pretty one too, half on the beach, half on the dirt road. ;-)

But, as with the good, there is also the bad, the bitter with the sweet. I've had a lot of loss in the Fall as well... My mom passed away November 1st, her stroke came on the 29th of October I believe (it's all still a blur). I've lost loves in the fall as well, not to physical death of course, but it's a loss all the same. Seems like most of my pets that have passed away, have passed away in the Fall.

So, there's a fine balance some days between the good happy, and, sadness of loss in the Fall, it can leave some days very bittersweet. But even that doesn't stop me from loving the season. I some days think of it as "My Time". ;-) I feel my best, I feel my strongest and I feel my most at home with me this time of year, so yep, it's definitely My Time!!! 

Monday NOT In Michigan - About the Fall

from Kris B.

One of the things that friends do for one another is look out for each other and do what they can to make things a little easier for one another.  If you are a regular reader here, you may have noticed that Friday's post was not posted until Monday.  This was because Tracey noticed that I had left the amount of pumpkin necessary for the pumpkin bread out of the recipe.  Duh!  Do to an email snafu of some kind, I did not get the message that she sent me telling me of my omission until this morning.  Thank you gmail.  I am thankful that she caught this!  I guess I really am still looking at the pumpkin as the bad guy from last week and suconsciously left it out.  It is definitely an integral player in pumpkin bread; not so much in Rice Krispioe treats.  Tracey had a kind of rough start to her week, so we are swapping our Monday and Tuesday posts so perhaps tomorrow you will hear about Tuesday in Michigan.  we are just trying to keep you all on your toes and ourselves from falling flat on our faces!  Happy Monday wherever you are!

This week's topic:

What is my favorite season of the year?

Usually when I am asked a question like this, "What is my favorite anything?, I circle around trying to avoid giving a definitive answer because I don't like to "put all of my eggs in one basket" as they say; however, I can give a straightforward answer to this one - fall!  Hands down.

The reason this is an easy answer is because there are so many aspects of autumn that speak to me.  First of all, I like that nature sheds many of its "frills" and only its naked beauty remains.  I like that we humans can add a few layers of clothing allowing us to hide, at least for a few months, our own extra "layers."  I like the hearty soups, stews, and chili that are traditionally cool weather meals.  And orange has been one of my favorite colors for as long as I can remembe... and there is certainly an abundance of orange everywhere that you turn during the fall.

I have been fortunate to have lived in many different places and to have witnessed the seasons in many different ways from the gorgeous fall colors of the leaves changing in New England to the yearlong season of something that is a cross between spring and summer while living in Hawaii.  In Texas, sadly we don't have a real fall.  We tend to go directly from summer to winter with maybe a few "fallish" days in between.  It is not unusual for us to have eighty degree temperatures one day and a debilitating ice storm the next.  OK.  It doesn't take much ice and snow to bring life to a standstill in Texas.  I know those of you up north just laugh at us.  The real reason that small amounts of ice and snow wreak havoc here is because we don't have enough street equipment to take care of our roads when things do get bad.  Personally,  I don't mind snow and ice, but I still definitely prefer the fall weather!

There are a few trees around here that will go through the process of their leaves changing and then falling, but the majority of them are green one day and brown and on the ground the next.  

It is the point when the trees are bare that I like best.  The shapes of the branches against the then unobstructed blue sky are beautiful.  I just like be their starkness.  There is something so real and honest about the trees in this state of being.

And then there is fall fashion.  Well, fashion may be a little overstated.  How about fall attire.  At heart, I am a jeans and sweatshirt kind of girl.  The baggier the sweatshirt the more comfortable I find it.  I am happiest in my sweats, with a fresh cup of coffee sitting in front of a fire, either inside or outside.  The good thing about the mild Texas weather is that we can enjoy being outside for much of the year in just a sweatshirt, no jacket needed.  Also, because I am a knitter, I have an ample supply of hand knit wool socks that I am looking forward to wearing again one of these days..

Due to the fact that I am kind of a lazy cook, I love one pot meals, like soups and stews and casseroles.  And if they can be made in the crockpot, even better.  Nothing says cool weather like a hearty pot of vegetable soup or chili.  And here is the southern twist on that pot of chili; it is best when served atop a big spoonful of garlic cheese grits.  Don't laugh until you try it!  In a pinch or if you are not that adventurous, Fritos can be substituted for the grits.

So now, a full month into fall 2015, what are things like here in Dallas?

The temperatures have cooled down.  Our afternoon highs are now only in the mid eighties and a few nights have dipped into the fifties.

The grass and the trees are still green.

The petunias in my front yard are still happily blooming.

One magnolia bloom has withered, 

but there is another on the way.

I have not yet made either a pot of chili or soup.

I have worn a sweatshirt exactly only one evening so far.

We have had no rain in a month or so.

We have turned off the A/C.

I'm ready for wool socks, boots, turtlenecks, and flannel sheets on my bed!

How about just a little bit of "real" fall, Texas!!!

Food Friday - Pumpkin Time!

from Kris B.

Last week's "bad guy," the pumpkin puree, is this week's star of the show.  Despite my admitted coffee addiction, I who am not one of those who spends nine months of the year waiting for Starbuck's to begin making pumpkin spice lattes, but I do spend a good part of the year waiting for fall so that I can make pumpkin bread.  There really is no reason that pumpkin bread can't be, as Cookie Monster says, "an anytime food," but I have always thought of it as a fall food, a fall food that I absolutely love.  In fact, I prefer pumpkin bread to pumpkin pie always.

This recipe is one that was passed downto me from my mother.  Perhaps I still associate pumpkin bread with fall because that is when my mom always made it.  When I was in college, she always sent me a loaf in my midterm care package.  I have no idea where my mom originally found the recipe.  She gave it to me on a handwritten recipe card with no reference as to where she had gotten it.  In all these years, I have never even tried another pumpkin bread recipe.  To my taste, this one is perfection.  And honestly, I have never tasted any pumpkin bread that beats this one.  I'm sure there are some tweaks that could be made perhaps to make it a bit healthier, but I don't think I am going to worry about that.  Some things deserve to stay the same; for me, this recipe is one of them.

INGREDIENTS
1 2/3 Cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
1/2 Cup water
1 Cup pumpkin
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Grease a loaf pan and set aside.

Sift flour into a large bowl.

(Sifters are another of those kitchen gadgets that are kind of fun to photograph.)

Mix in the remainder of the dry ingredients - sugar, salt,  baking soda, baking powder, and spices.

I failed to include the sugar in the photos of the ingredients.  Maybe this is my subconscious self telling me that if it is not included in the pictures then the calories from the sugar don't count.  Okay, I know.  Wishful thinking.  You can't blame a girl for trying!

In a medium sized bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients, oil, water, pumpkin and eggs.

Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients stirring until they are mixed well.  Add the vanilla.

Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan or pan(s) of choice. This recipe works well in mini loaf pans or muffin tins also.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove it from the pan and continue cooling on a wire rack.

As I was taking this week's photos, I kind of felt like a wedding photographer for food couples...

There is the couple that you know will never make it much beyond the honeymoon, if they even get that far...

I am lazy when it comes to washing dishes so it is always my goal to use as few vessels as possible when I cook.  Since this recipe uses 1/2 cup each of water and oil, it is "efficient" to measure them both into the same measuring cup.

And there is the couple that you know is made for each other.

What is it about eggs that makes them so darn photogenic?  Or is it just me that sees them that way?

Thanks for reading!

I have to say, this recipe has challenged me from the start - it's not that it's hard, it just seems like nothing went smoothly and it wasn't the recipe's fault, lol. I made it when I was in the midst of a horrible cold (and it's still lingering, though it's backed off a bit), and that just seemed make this become a week long project instead of a day, lol. I think I did each of the steps on a separate day for each! So, I want to say that although it's been the bane of my existence, it's NOT a difficult recipe at all, just don't do it when you're in a time crunch or dealing with an illness! LOL

So, I'm moving right on to the process of making these things - and let me tell you - they are yummy! Tasted like something I'd get in a restaurant, I was so surprised it was something I made! LOL I did end up with lots of filling leftover, no idea why, probably didn't get enough out of the dough as I should have, but oh well. I had plans on turning it into a soup, but never got the chance, the cold won that round, lol.

This was even a challenge for me in the photography department, because that cold had muddled my brain so much, it was a mess trying to get things in organized and not forgotten and so forth. So, since I did mess up so much in forgetting this or that, the ingredients for the most part became collages, lol. And the collages became a real necessity as I ended up with something like 23 photos total, which was a monumental task getting processed and ready for the post! I can say I'll be glad when this one is done and under my belt, I've had enough!! Ha ha ha! :-D Well, Kris and I did promise to keep it real, and well, this is as real as it gets, lol. 

So, let's start with the dough ingredients, and there are only 3 involved - eggs (there are 5 eggs in the dough, but I had a hard time wrangling 5 for the photo, so 3 won), olive oil and flour. 

Put 2 1/2 cups of flour in a large bowl (I used my mixer bowl because I used my dough hook and the Kitchenaid to make the dough), make a well and add the eggs and olive oil. Mix until it forms a ball, then turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 8-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. (again, I did my dough in my mixer so I didn't do the on-the-board-kneading)

Now, you let that sit and rest 30 minutes or so while you prepare the filling mixture.

The filling consists of fresh pumpkin, butter, shallot, fresh sage and whipping cream. Thyme is also used - but I forgot to get a shot of it because I didn't use it, as Harry doesn't really like the flavor, I do, but it was just as good without it, so you can include it or not in my opinion. 

In a large skillet you sauté the pumpkin and the shallot in the butter, until tender. Add the sage, thyme, salt and pepper (also not photographed, lol, forgot to get shots of the salt and pepper!) 

 Next, you move the pumpkin mixture to the food processor, and puree until smooth. Return it to the pan and add the whipping cream and bay leaf. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer uncovered until thickened. Another real moment I should have photographed - I stepped away from the stove for a minute or two to get some things for Harry and pretty soon I smelled burning pumpkin, lol. The whole bottom was black - but was totally savable as that was the only thing hurt - it made just a burnt layer on the bottom of the pan and the rest of the pumpkin mixture was fine! I was going to cry if I had to throw it away and start fresh, lol, after all the trouble I'd been having getting this one done! LOL

Back to the dough now... divide it into four portions - roll out one portion to 1/16-in. thickness. Keep the remaining dough portions covered until ready to use. After you've rolled it out, place rounded teaspoonfuls of filling about 1-in. apart over half of the rolled out pasta sheet. Brush around filling with beaten egg, fold sheet over and press down to seal. 

Cut into squares with a pastry wheel.  I didn't have a pastry wheel, so I still cut into squares, but used the tines of a fork to seal, and it added a little decoration, lol. Repeat with rest of dough and filling.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add ravioli. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook 1-2 minutes or until ravioli float to the top. Drain and keep them warm while you prepare the cream sauce. 

The sauce consists just of whipping cream, butter and sage. You bring the whipping cream to a boil and cook uncovered until reduced to about half. Add the butter and sage stir to combine,  and then spoon over ravioli to serve!

Pumpkin Ravioli

courtesy of: Taste of Home 

Dough:

2 1/2 to 3 c flour

5 eggs

1 tbsp olive oil

Filling:

1 small pie pumpkin (about 2 1/4 lbs), peeled and cut into 1-in. cubes

4 tsp chopped shallot

1/3 c butter cubed

2 tsp minced fresh sage

3/4 tsp minced fresh thyme

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2/3 c heavy whipping cream

1 small bay leaf

1 egg, lightly beaten

Sauce:

1 c heavy whipping cream

3 tbsp butter

2 tsp minced fresh sage

1) Place 2 1/2 cups flour into a large bowl; make a well in the center. Beat the eggs and olive oil together; pour into the well. Stir together, forming a ball. Turn onto a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes, adding remaining flour if necessary to keep dough from sticking. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, in a large skillet, sauté pumpkin and shallot in butter until tender. Add the  sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Transfer to a food processor, process until blended. Return to the pan; stir in cream and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until thickened. Discard bay leaf.

3) Divide pasta dough into four portions; roll out one portion to 1/16-in. thickness. Keep remaining dough portions covered until ready to use. Working quickly, place rounded teaspoonfuls of filling 1-in. apart over half of the pasta sheet. Brush around filling with egg. Fold sheet over and press down to seal. Cut into squares with pastry wheel. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

4) Bring a large pan of salted water to boil. Add ravioli. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook 1-2 minutes or until ravioli float to the top and are tender. Drain and keep warm.

5) In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil; cook, uncovered, until reduced by half. Stir in butter and sage. Spoon over ravioli. Serve.