Archives
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Nov | Jan » | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | ||
Pear and Ginger Crumble
Another dessert idea if you are having a New Years get together. I love making fruit crumbles for a few reasons.
They are easy to make and don’t take a long time to assemble. You can put them together ahead of time and refrigerate or even bake and then refrigerate. It is a perfect make ahead dessert.
I also love crumbles because of all the fruit. I love fruity desserts. I am not a huge chocolate person and always prefer something with fruit and cream.
This one had pear in the filling and lots of spiced in the topping. I added cinnamon, nutmeg and quite a lot of ginger- which was the predominant flavor.
I served it with vanilla ice cream. I also like it with creme fraiche or even whipped cream.
Make this one- super simple and delicious…
read more …
Wild Honey Comb & Raisins On The Vine
I tried a couple of new products the other day. Wild honeycomb and raisins on the vine. What are they, you ask? It is raw, unprocessed honeycomb that is gently removed from the beehive. Beekeepers simply cut the natural honeycomb into 12-inch square blocks, encase them in light wooden frames and wrap in cellophane. The amber syrup is naturally sealed inside the delicate beeswax combs, preserving its intoxicating floral fragrance and heavenly, sweet taste.
I had a get together the other day and served the honey with a variety of cheeses. I thought of our trip to Umbria, Italy and how many times we had platters of cheeses served with a variety of honey. It is a delicious combination.
I also tried raisins on the vine. They are delicately sun-dried Red Flame seedless grapes that are dried in clusters right on the vine in California’s Mojave Desert. They are a perfect choice for cheese trays and wine pairings. They are plump, sweet and full of a complexity of flavor that regular tray raisins don’t have. Their sweet caramel flavor with a hint of smokiness, and rustic, natural appearance.
Everyone at the party was asking me where I bought the delicious treats- well, you can order them from Friedas or Amazon online. You can also find them at your local Shop Rite stores.
Enjoy the delicious treats this holiday season…
Brownie Bites with Peppermint Bark Icing
I have used the same recipe for the brownie bites as before. The difference is that I used extra light olive oil instead of butter (I wanted to make it healthier), and I have used a small cupcake container to make these delicious tiny bites for the holiday season.
Peppermint definitely comes to mind when I think of this time of year. One of the things I like to do when I am at the mall is to visit Williams Sonoma. They always have some kind of sample- especially this time of year. I love eating their peppermint bark- it is simply delicious. I have never bought it since it is quite expensive but I do eat lots of samples while I am at the store.
When Trader Joes opened up in Millburn, I was of course ecstatic. During the holiday season they have a variety of treats and chocolates.
While I was thinking about making these treats, I was envisioning icing with crushed peppermint sticks. So, when I went shopping at Trader Joes for my ingredients, and I didn’t find the sticks, I decided to buy the peppermint bark instead. It was much cheaper than the one I sample in Williams Sonoma.
I brought it home and tried it- well, it was delicious as well! I crushed it in a food processor and added it to the icing. These bite sized brownies are delicious and ideal to make for the holidays- enjoy!
- 2 cups evaporated cane juice
- 1 cup extra light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- 1½ cups white whole-wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
Line a small 24 cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, blend the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla extract well. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Slowly add the dry ingredients mixing well in between. Pour the batter evenly into each small cupcake liner. Bake for 12 minutes if you like gooey brownies- a few minutes more if you like them more cake-like.
Peppermint Bark Icing
- ½ cup (4 oz) low fat cream cheese
- 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
- ½ cup crushed peppermint bark
In a mixer, add the cream cheese and begin beating until smooth. Sprinkle the powdered sugar and add the peppermint extract. Beat till the icing is smooth. Take out and add the peppermint bark. With a knife cover the top of each brownie bite.
Chocolate Raspberry Brownie Swirl
I can use just one word to describe this dessert- delicious!
My daughter and were going to a friend’s house for dinner. I was quite tired from a hectic week but wanted to take a dessert with us. I wasn’t in the mood to buy anything from a store- I wanted something homemade. I started to think of something that will be quick and easy yet perfectly suitable for an after dinner treat.
Brownies came to mind. I don’t make them that often- I am not a big chocolate person. I usually look for desserts with fruit or caramel. Flan, according to me is the be all end all dessert… I love it.
Anyway, so while I was trying to come up with a dessert, I thought of making brownies- but a bit differently. I looked in my fridge and found raspberry jam- perfect! I made the brownies like I normally do, but this time I used extra light olive oil instead of butter- so they are even healthier. I poured the batter into the prepared pan and then swirled some melted raspberry jam.
I also drizzled some white chocolate ganache on top once the brownies cooled down a bit- it’s completely optional since I didn’t notice a big difference with the ganache on top. I did notice the raspberry swirl inside the treat though. It was absolutely delicious. The brownies were light yet had a dense chocolate taste. The raspberry flavor goes so well with chocolate- a match made in heaven.
My daughter thought they were the best brownies she had ever had. I toasted some for my husband topped with some french vanilla ice cream.
I have to say- this one was a big success. Perfect to make for the busy holiday season!
- 2 cups evaporated cane juice
- 1 cup extra light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- 1½ cups white whole-wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup seedless raspberry jam, melted
Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
Butter an 8X8-baking pan.
In a large bowl, blend the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla extract well. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Slowly add the dry ingredients mixing well in between. Pour the batter into the pan. Pour the raspberry jam all over the top and spread it through the cake with a butter knife. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes if you like gooey brownies- a few minutes more if you like them more cake-like.
Homemade Chocolate Granola- Perfect Holiday Gift
Are you done with your holiday shopping?? Well, if you are not- do consider making something at home for your family and friends.
Every year I bake a treat to give to my neighbors and friends. I love doing it because I love looking at their faces when I go to deliver the goods. It is definitely a very satisfying feeling.
This year I have a lot of family coming and so I am quite busy. I definitely wanted to make something but I needed it to be less time consuming. I thought of baking several cookies but I find them quite labor intensive.
I thought of granola- I have made it in the past several times and it is absolutely delicious. I have tweaked it over the years and have come up with this recipe. This year since I was making it for the holidays, I decided to add chocolate chips- wow it was off the charts.
I bought cellophane bags and fancy ties from Target and off to work I went. I made two batches and made about 12- 15 bags to give away. I loved giving it to people since it is healthy and absolutely delicious.
Please try it this year- it’s a fabulous idea.
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- ½ cup flaxseed meal
- ½ cup wheat germ
- ½ cup oat bran
- ¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup sliced raw almonds
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1½ cups mixed dried blueberries, cranberries, cherries, etc
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup extra light olive oil
- 1 cup honey
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl add the oats, flaxseed meal, wheat germ, oat bran, coconut, almonds, walnuts and the dried fruit.
In a large measuring cup, add the olive oil, honey, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Heat in the microwave for a minute to liquefy the mixture and mix well.
Add the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon.
On a large lined cookie sheet or two small cookie sheets, spread the granola mixture, smoothing the surface evenly.
Bake for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and separate with a fork while the mixture is still warm. Once the mixture cools off, add the chocolate chips. If you want the chocolate to melt all into the granola, add the chips while the mixture is still warm.
Eat with milk, coffee or on its own.
