it's a party! {fall entertaining}

I love entertaining & I love fall. 

I don't have the space here to throw a big party, but I'm already planning
 events in my head/blog for when I return to Chicago! 

If I was there now, this is the party you'd all be invited to:

{fall tablescapes}

 

On the Menu:

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 5 whole black peppercorns

Directions

Heat stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.

Puree the soup in small batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender.

Return to pan, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir in heavy cream. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

Blackberry & Apple Crumble Cake

Ingredients 

• 175g unsalted butter
• 150g sugar
• 4 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges
• 3 large eggs , beaten
• 200g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 150g crème fraîche
• 150g blackberries
• 3-4 tbsp clear honey or maple syrup
• crème fraîche or double cream, to serve

 

For the Crumble Topping

• 50g unsalted butter
• 50g soft brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 75g plain flour
• 50g blanched hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
  

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and line a 20cm springform tin with baking parchment.

To make the crumble topping, melt the butter, then mix in the soft brown sugar, cinnamon, flour and chopped hazelnuts. Heat 25g of butter in a large frying pan. Add 1 tbsp caster sugar and the apple wedges. Cook for about 10 minutes until the apples are tender and golden. Cool.

Beat together the remaining butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually mix in the eggs. Using a large metal spoon, fold in the flour and baking powder. Add the crème fraîche and mix until smooth.

Spoon roughly two-thirds of the cake mixture into the tin, spread level and scatter over one-third of the crumble. Top with the remaining cake mixture and level again. Scatter on another third of the crumble and arrange the apple wedges and blackberries on top. Finally top with the remaining crumble.

Bake for about 1 1/2 hours. Loosely cover the top of the cake with a sheet of baking parchment or foil halfway through the cooking time if it is browning too quickly.

Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes and then transfer to a serving plate. Warm the honey or maple syrup in a pan and drizzle over the cake. Serve warm with a bowl of crème fraîche or lightly whipped double cream.

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Do you like to entertain? 

Share your tips & recipes with us!

 

It's Tuesday and it's Fall (officially, tomorrow!)

so come join me over at Big City Belle for the Fall in Love series!

wishing you a fabulous fall day,

xx

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