by Kathy Douglas | Nov 16, 2021 | Entrees, Holiday
So simple and easy, this side dish of butternut squash, apples, and onions are so good on their own, they only need a sprinkling of fresh rosemary and salt. We elevated the flavor with a spicy watercress oil and freshly grated Pecorino Romano.
Watercress Oil
INGREDIENTS
1 cup fresh Watercress leaves
1/2 cup Grape seed oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Add to a blender and process until purée. Place a coffee filter over a jar. Pour into the coffee filer and allow the oil to drip through the filter into the jar. Discard the filter and remaining watercress in the filter.
Roasted vegetables
INGREDIENTS
2 cups butternut squash, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 large onion, sliced in thin wedges
2 Fuji apples, seeded and cut into 16 wedges per apple
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp salt, divided
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, divided
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 450˚F.
Toss cubed butternut squash with 1 tablespoon grape seed oil, 1 tablespoon rosemary and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Toss the onion and apple with 1 tablespoon grape seed oil, 1 tablespoon rosemary and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place both sheets in the oven and roast the apple and onion for 20-30 minutes, or until tender and nicely browned. And roast the butternut squash for 40 minutes, or until tender and nicely browned.
Divide evenly on six plates and top with a drizzle of Watercress oil and sprinkle evenly with the Pecorino Romano cheese. Serve warm.
by Kathy Douglas | Nov 9, 2021 | Appetizers, Cocktails, Holiday
The perfect way to start your Thanksgiving celebration! Leaf-shaped cheese crackers served with a bourbon, cider, and orange juice cocktail. Napkins are available from Paper Source!
Cheese Leaf-shaped crackers
INGREDIENTS
1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
¼ cup finely grated pecorino Romano Cheese
¼ cup mixed bread seed topper
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix together the starter, flour, salt, butter, and cheese to make a dough. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Flour your work surface, rolling pin, and the top of the dough.
Roll it about 1/8″ thick. Cut out in leaf shapes and place on a parchment lined sheet trays.
Sprinkle with seeds, pressing to make them stick.
Bake the crackers for 20 to 25 minutes, until they’re starting to brown around the edges. Cool completely.
Bourbon Cider Cocktail
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 cup fresh blood orange juice
1-inch piece of fresh ginger sliced into thin rings
One thin slice from a blood orange
INSTRUCTIONS
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add cider, bourbon, orange juice, and ginger slices; shake until well chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the orange slice.
by Kathy Douglas | Oct 26, 2021 | Desserts, Holiday
Slay your Halloween with this fun dessert. While they look ghoulish, these pumpkin and white chocolate mini cheesecakes are quite delicious. We used Wilton Blood Red Syrup and mini Candy Knives to add a spooky finishing touch. This recipe uses a scale to measure in grams for accuracy.
INGREDIENTS
For the Crust
115 g Graham cracker crumbs
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
43 g unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling
114 g white chocolate, chopped, melted
270 g cream cheese
2 eggs
35 g pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
100 g pumpkin purée
1/4 cup sour cream
For the Topping
114 g white chocolate, chopped, melted
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Decorations
Wilton Blood Red Syrup
Wilton Candy Knives and Hatchets Set
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line the bottom of six mini springform pans with parchment. Butter the parchment and the sides of the pans.
To make the crust – Mix all the ingredients of the crust together. Divide the mixture between the mini cheesecake pans and press it into the bottom of the pan to form the crust. Place on a sheet tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 325℉.
To make the filling – Using a stand mixer on medium low, cream the cream cheese with the melted white chocolate and then add the eggs one at a time, mixing to combine completelyafter each addition. In a small bowl combine the maple syrup, spices, pumpkin purée and sour cream. Add to the cream cheese mixture and stir until completely combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Place on a sheet tray in the oven and bake at for 25-30 minutes until set. Remove and set aside, leaving the oven on.
To make the topping – Whisk together all of the topping ingredients and pour an equal amount over the cheesecakes, spreading evenly. Place back in the oven and bake at 325℉ for 10 minutes more to set the topping.
Remove and cool completely in the springform pans. When completely cool, run a knife around the edge of the springform plans to loosen, then refrigerate in the pans covered overnight.
After chilling overnight, remove from the springform pans and decorate with Halloween syrup and candy knives. Refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving.
by Kathy Douglas | Oct 19, 2021 | Breakfast
Tasty flavors are paired together in a chocolate bottom pumpkin muffin. To add a zing of orange, we added orange-floral Fiori di Sicilia cream cheese center. Perfect for any fall breakfast or brunch!
This recipe has three batters and uses a scale to measure in grams for accuracy.
Make the filling
INGREDIENTS
227g cream cheese, at room temperature
50g granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilian extract or orange extract
1 egg white
INSTRUCTIONS
In a bowl, beat all ingredients until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Refrigerate to chill and keep cold.
Make the chocolate batter
INGREDIENTS
29g Dutch processed cocoa
120 g flour
133g light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
85g milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
57g unsalted butter, melted slightly cooled
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large measuring cup whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients, along with the melted butter, to the dry ingredients, stirring to combine; set aside.
Make the pumpkin batter
INGREDIENTS
134g flour
80g brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
171 g pumpkin purée
1 large egg plus one egg yolk
4 1/2 tablespoons grape seed oil
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup or golden cane syrup
56g whole milk
Softened butter for the pan
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large measuring cup or small bowl whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, oil, syrup and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring to combine.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Using the softened butter, lightly grease 8 large silicone baking cups set on a baking sheet or a 12-cup muffin pan. Depending on which size cups you use, scoop 2-4 tablespoons of chocolate batter into each of the muffin cups, followed by 1 rounded tablespoon of the filling in the center. Next, cover the filling with 2-4 tablespoons of the pumpkin batter. You may only use half of the center filling. Set aside the rest for another use.
Place in the oven and bake for 18 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted toward the edge, not in the filling, comes out crumb-free. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan or cups and cool completely.
by Kathy Douglas | Oct 11, 2021 | Holiday, Side Dishes
Purple bell peppers, disguised as a witch’s cauldron, make for a fun Halloween dinner! Filled with cheese, rice, and sautéed veggies, they are topped with tiny cherry tomatoes and goat cheese curds for a bubbling finish. Add a Wilton tree branch treat stick as the perfect stirring branch to complete the Halloween vibe.
INGREDIENTS
6 large purple peppers
1 cup diced red onion
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup chopped tomato, seeds removed
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
6 ounces crumbled goat cheese, 1 ounce of the larger crumbles removed and set aside.
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup cooked rice
10-12 very small cherry tomatoes
6 Wilton treat sticks, plastic tree branches
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oven to 375˚F. Slice off the tops of the peppers, discard the seeds, stem, and membranes. Set the peppers aside and finely chop the remaining top. You should have about ¾ cup of chopped pepper tops after you have removed all the tops from the six. Finely dice the onion to make 1 cup. Heat the oil over medium heat in a sauté pan and add the peppers, onions and half the salt.
Sauté until most of the moisture is gone from the mixture, then add the tomato and the rest of the salt. Cook until most all the tomato water has cooked away, then add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, 5-ounces of the goat cheese, sour cream, and the rice. Stir until well combined. Fill the peppers, leaving 3/8-1/2” space at the top, place on a baking tray then in the oven to bake for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and top with the cherry tomatoes, pressing them halfway into the mixture in the pepper. Place back in the oven for 5 more minutes.
Remove from the oven and set the oven temperature to broil. Arrange the remaining 1-ounce of larger goat cheese crumbles in and around the tomatoes. Place under the broiler and watch carefully to just slightly melt and just brown the top of the cheese. This should be 5 minutes or less. Remove from the oven. Let rest 5 minutes and add the decorative treat sticks to each pepper-cauldron and serve.
Recent Comments