30 and counting.....Fall Apple Slaw and Pumpkin Pizza.

 FALL APPLE SLAW**

4 fuji apples

3 granny smith apples

2 11 oz cans of mandarin oranges, drained

½ cup pomegranate seeds

½ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup canola oil

3 tbsp pomegranate infused red wine vinegar

For dressing:

Whisk together oil and vinegar, set aside.  Whisk again just before dressing slaw.

For slaw:

Chop apples into matchsticks using knife or mandolin slicer.  Add pomegranate seeds and dried cranberries.  Pour dressing over fruit and gently toss until completely coated.  Once the slaw is dressed, gently toss in mandarin oranges.  (they’re very fragile and tend to fall apart with too much tossing)

**We came up with this dish as a way to add something raw and fresh to a predominately heavy, savory meal.  It’s absolutely beautiful.  You could just toss all the fruit together and leave it at that.  It almost doesn’t need a dressing.  I’m thinking of adding toasted walnuts.  We had to fly with our own pomegranate seeds.  We ‘imported’ them in a lunchbox and nearly didn’t make it through security.  

PUMPKIN PIZZA**

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp baking soda

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 ½ tsp.  Ground Cinnamon

8oz chopped pecans

For cookie crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine dry ingredients and cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Combine eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla, stir well and add to crumb mixture.  Stir with a fork until moistened.  Shape into a ball and chill at least 1 hr.  Spread flat onto a lightly greased pizza pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 min, until golden brown.  Let cool before adding topping.

Pumpkin “Fluff” Topping:

1 15 oz can of  unsweetened pumpkin

½ cup granulated sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

¼  tsp salt

1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened

1 8oz container of whipped topping

White chocolate for garnish

Combine spices and pumpkin and set aside.  Next cream 1 pkg (8 oz) softened cream cheese and whipped cream with mixer, beat until smooth.  Fold in pumpkin mixture.  Refrigerate for at least 30 min. to set. 

Spread fluff on cooled cookie, garnish with white chocolate shavings.  Cut like a pizza!

**The 'Fluff' stands alone as a great dessert.  It can be served with graham crackers to dip.  Or you could put it in those tiny tart pie crusts.  Just be sure to label it on a buffet.  We once had a guest at a Christmas party think it was hummus and try to dip a chicken skewer in it.  Sheesh.