Simple name, not-so-simple pomegranate pear tart – with an almond-oat crust, butterscotch cream cheese, Chinese five spice pears, topped with pomegranate arils and orange zest.

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Originally, I made this pomegranate pear tart in haste for a friend’s birthday and did not take my usual glamour shots prior to serving. I told myself I would make it again and take proper photos but I decided to just use my live, in-action photos taken with my phone.

Not that this wasn’t worthy of a repeat, it’s damn delicious, I am just trying to reduce the amount of dessert in my house because lately it’s been out of control. I am almost done going through all the stashed away/frozen holiday treats from December. But I digress…

Naming this recipe was difficult because there’s so much going on, and yet the flavors go so well together that no one flavor dominates. So I kept the name simple despite it’s complexity – pomegranate pear tart.

Rather than use a plain flour-based crust, I added a little almond flour and almond extract instead of vanilla. Nothing too crazy, but a slight nuttiness. Then a butterscotch cream cheese layer was spread over the cooled crust. On top is an array of sliced Bartlett pears tossed in Chinese five spice, garnished with fresh pomegranate arils, and a little orange zest.

To keep the pears from browning, I used a trick I learned from The Kitchn. Originally tested on apples but it works on pears, too!

POMEGRANATE PEAR TART

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Yield: 12 Servings Prep Time: 2 Hours 45 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CRUST

• 1/2 cup blanched almond flour/meal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp tapioca flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

FILLING

• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup butterscotch sauce
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

TOPPING

• 3 fresh Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 2 tsp Chinese five spice
• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
• 1 Tbsp fresh orange zest

Directions

1. Move the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF.
2. In the bowl of a food processor* add the flours with the tapioca starch, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and drizzle with almond extract. Pulse until the dough clumps and the butter is fully incorporated, 20-30 seconds**. Add drops of cold water if needed to help it come together.
3. Coat a 9-inch tart pan with removeable bottom with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough into the pan and press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
4. Place tart pan directly on oven rack and bake until the top edges of the crust are just barely starting to turn golden, 15-20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, add cream cheese, butterscotch and powdered sugar. Beat until creamy; set aside.
6. In a large bowl, combine the water and honey* until dissolved. Add the pear slices and gently toss to coat. Let rest for 5 minutes before draining. Return to the bowl, sprinkle with Chinese five spice, and gently toss to coat.
7. Spoon filling into the cooled crust, spreading evenly. Top with spiced pears, pomegranate arils, and orange zest. Chill for 2 hours or until ready to serve.

Notes

*This step helps prevent the pears from browning. You can also use 1/2 tsp kosher salt per cup of water. Don't believe me? Check this article - https://www.thekitchn.com/skills-showdown-how-to-keep-apples-from-browning-23244847

Source: Crust adapted from my Blood Orange Curd Tart, filling adapted from my Peach Raspberry Mascarpone Tart.

Step aside gingerbread, these chewy brown sugar pomegranate molasses cookies are a flavor journey of sweet, tangy, and spiced.

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Ever since I first discovered pomegranate molasses I’ve been obsessed, And yet somehow this is only the second recipe I am sharing which features this magical ingredient (the first being a Pomegranate-Goat Cheese Ball). Not sure how I let that happen, especially when one of my favorite creations was when I added pomegranate molasses to pecan pie – oh my word! Clearly I need to remake that and share.

The idea for these pomegranate molasses cookies was born shortly after I made the maple brown sugar cookies. All I did was use pomegranate molasses in place of the maple syrup, and rolled the dough in a cinnamon-spiced-brown sugar instead of just plain white granulated sugar.

Sure, you could add the cinnamon and other spices to the cookie dough, but I wanted the pomegranate molasses to kind of have it’s own moment to shine, slightly apart from it’s spiced-sugar coating. I tried it with just white granulated sugar which was good on it’s own, but those spices really enhance the pomegranate flavor.

In the end, these chewy brown sugar pomegranate molasses cookies are a bit sweet and tangy – which I promise is a good thing!

• Bacon Pear Salad with Parmesan Dressing by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• White Chocolate Pumpkin Blondies by Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Pork Marsala by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Apple Cider Baked Donuts by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Arugula, Apple, and Fennel Salad with Cheesy Crostini by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Baked Pumpkin Pie Pudding by A Little Fish in the Kitchen
• Apple Date Sugar Halwa by Magical Ingredients
• Italian Broiled Tomatoes by Art of Natural Living
• Cranberry Apple Compote by That Recipe

POMEGRANATE MOLASSES COOKIES

Print

Yield: 2 Dozen Prep Time: 12 Hours Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to almost room temperature
• 1 cup packed brown sugar + 1/2 cup for coating
• 1/3 cup pomegranate molasses
• 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon, for coating
• 1 tsp ground allspice, for coating
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg, for coating
• 1 tsp ground cloves, for coating

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and pomegranate syrup until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
3. Place remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar in a shallow bowl and whisk in cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and clove. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in the spiced sugar, shaking off any excess. Place on a tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Place on prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until edges of cookies are just starting to brown and centers are set. Let cool on sheets for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from my Maple Brown Sugar Cookies.

This Pinot Grigio-based cocktail has dark cherry and pomegranate notes for easy couch drinking.

Here’s the latest #HalesTails cocktail to whet your whistle from my mixologist friend, Haley! – Erin

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Me again! This time I’m sharing a wine cocktail that I concocted for a friend get-together. What’s really nice about a lot of wine-based cocktails is that they can be pretty versatile.

I’m definitely that person that shops for wine by the label and description. So, while I’m certainly no sommelier, I knew I needed something crisp that could hold up against the sweet fruity components I was going to add. For this drink I tried a couple of Pinot Grigios and a Rosé. While they were all worked just fine, I settled on the 2018 Chalkboard Pinot Grigio. It has the classic apple and citrus notes of a Pinot Grigio but what I really loved was the flavor of lychee that came out with this cocktail!!

Made in 1818, Heering is the original cherry brandy liqueur originating from Copenhagen. It’s a beautiful deep red color, thick, and full of flavor. It lacks the medicinal taste that a lot of cherry liqueurs carry and instead is reminiscent of jam with a slight dark cherry tartness and hints of wood and almond. If you want to know what else you can do with Cherry Heering, the Singapore Sling and Blood and Sand are two classic cocktails and it’s often used in a number of food and dessert recipes. If you have a jar of pitted dark cherries, you can use the juice from this instead to get a similar taste.

The ginger simple syrup is just a heated 1:1 of granulated sugar and water steeped with slices of ginger root. It will keep in a closed container in the refrigerator for a few weeks but might start to lose the ginger flavor so just check on it!

I’m sensitive to bitter but with cocktails I’ve learned that by including bitters or an amaro, I achieve a more well-balanced flavor. Aperol is a really approachable with an orange and rhubarb flavor and that bitterness that a grapefruit provides. It helps cut the sweetness from the pomegranate and cherry but also plays really nicely with the basil.

I layered the ingredients for the photo and stirred it up and drank afterwards but I think it is better if you can shake the ingredients. And there were so many garnish options! I went with a ginger root wheel and basil leaves but a cherry, candied ginger, or pomegranate seeds are all great too.

Four years ago: Coconut Pistachio Larabars

Five years ago: Strawberry M&M® Cheesecake Truffles

Six years ago: Black Bean & Chorizo Soup

Seven years ago: Three Cheese Chicken and Artichoke Bake

Nine years ago: Almond Cherry Chip Blondies

Ten years ago: Apple Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

BLOOS AND BONE COCKTAIL

Print

Yield: 1 serving Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 4 oz. Pinot Grigio
• 3/4 oz. Cherry Heering
• 1/2 oz. pomegranate juice
• 1/2 oz. ginger simple syrup
• 1/6.oz. (or a barspoon) Aperol
• 3-4 basil leaves (smack ‘em!)

Directions

1. Combine all in shaker and fill 3/4 with ice. Shake for ~30sec.
2. Strain into a wine glass.
3. Garnish with a ginger wheel and/or basil if you’re feeling fancy.

Have you seen the red heirloom spinach yet? I spied it at Trader Joe’s recently and immediately snagged a couple bags. Originally I bought it just because I was already planning to buy spinach for salad but then my thought process shifted to creating spinach smoothies that were not green or brown for a change. I make them on a fairly regular basis and sometimes get bored with the color. Sure enough this spinach smoothie is so beautifully red that you would never guess there was spinach in it. It’s very similar to my green smoothie spinach smoothie but I use my the Sage Boss blender and use raspberries and pomegranate juice instead of pineapple/mango and almond milk. One time I made it with coconut water and instantly fell in love.

One year ago: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Four years ago: Peanut Butter, Banana & Nutella Bars

RED MONSTER SPINACH SMOOTHIE

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1/2 frozen sliced banana

1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1/4 cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt (I used 0% vanilla Chobani)

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

2 cups (approximately) red baby spinach

1/2 Tbsp flax seeds (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. (I used a bullet blender and add the spinach last, stuffing in as much as I can fit.)

Source: Adapted from my Green Monster Spinach Smoothie.

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I know we just spent the weekend being romantic but now it’s time to get boozy because it’s Mardi Gras! How about some rum infused cupcakes? Rum in the batter, rum soaked into the baked cupcakes, and then rum in the frosting. These cupcakes were inspired by the hurricane cocktail which is made of passion fruit juice, orange juice, lime juice, grenadine, and rum. You will find all of those flavors in these cupcakes however I could not find straight passion fruit juice and instead went with a mango-passion fruit blend. Oddly enough Bob did not enjoy these cupcakes at all, which upset me at first until he explained that he said it tasted like a fruity girly drink. Mission accomplished!

One year ago: Goat Cheese, Spinach & Tomato Quiche

Three years ago: Crispy Parmesan Green Beans

Four years ago: Feta & Broccoli Pizza

HURRICANE CUPCAKES

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

CUPCAKES

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup mango-passion fruit juice

2 Tbsp fresh orange juice + 1 Tbsp zest

1 Tbsp pomegranate or cherry juice (or grenadine)

2 Tbsp rum

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup buttermilk

Red or pink food coloring (optional)

BRUSH

1 Tbsp rum

1 Tbsp lime juice

FROSTING

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp mango-passion fruit juice

1 Tbsp pomegranate or cherry juice (or grenadine)

1/2 Tbsp rum

Pinch of salt

GARNISH

1 orange, sliced

12 cherries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. In an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
4. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at at time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
5. Add the juices, zest, rum, and vanilla extract then mix until combined. (The mixture may start to look curdled at this point, but don’t worry)
6. Reduce the mixer speed low. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches. Add food coloring if desired. Mix only until just incorporated, using a rubber spatula to give it one last mix by hand.
7. Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until just slightly golden and a toothpick inserted shows moist crumbs.
8. Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack. Using a toothpick, poke a couple holes in the cupcakes. In a small bowl mix the rum and lime juice, then brush the tops of the cupcakes. Set the cupcakes aside to cool completely before frosting them.
9. To make the frosting, whip the butter on medium-high speed of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment for 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low, and gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing and scraping the sides of the bowl until all is incorporated. Give it a mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add the juices, rum, and salt and mix on medium-high speed until incorporated and fluffy. If the frosting appears a bit too soft, add some additional sugar, one spoonful at a time until desired consistency is reached.
10. Frost cupcakes and garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.

Source: Adapted from my Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes.

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Sangria isn’t just for the warm summer months. Mix up with winter pomegranate sangria and it may be your new favorite holiday beverage.

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Another pomegranate alcoholic beverage? Another sangria? Why yes! Not to down play the Red White and Blue Sangria or Fruity Sangria I have previously shared but this pomegranate sangria is my favorite so far.

Maybe I am partial to pomegranate, maybe it’s the seasonally delicious citrus fruits, or maybe you need to stop asking questions and stir this up for your holiday party tomorrow. Serve it garnished with more fruit and topped off with some bubbly for some extra festive flair.

POMEGRANATE SANGRIA

Print

Yield: 6 servings Prep Time: 2 Hours

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 Cara Cara, navel, or blood orange, sliced and seeds removed
• 1 Meyer lemon, sliced and seeds removed
• Arils from 1 small pomegranate (about 1 cup)
• 1 (750 ml) bottle of red wine
• 1/2 cup triple sec
• 1/2 cup cranberry or pomegranate vodka
• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• 2 Tbsp preferred sweetener (I used Winter Park ginger honey)

Directions

1. Place fruit in a large glass pitcher. Add remaining ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved. Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least a couple hours, best overnight.
2. Serve over ice, with a splash of lemon-lime soda or other sparkling beverage if desired. Garnish with more fruit.

Source: Adapted from my Fruity Sangria.

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Post updated 12/19/2023, photo above is the original.

I’m not usually a big fan of champagne, unless orange juice is involved. Ah yes mimosas, the drink of brunches. In fact when my lab mates and I were in Berlin we managed to order a couple mimosas for “brunch” despite our waitress looking at us like we lost our minds when we described it as a drink that was half champagne and half orange juice. Silly Americans.

This time of year champagne comes out in full force, namely in a couple days for the celebration of another New Year. But who says you have to toast with pure champagne? I say mix some fruit juice in there, have some fun, and dare someone to stop you.

I mixed in some pomegranate to make it seasonally appropriate. Although I think this could also be called a pomegranate bellini, similar to a peach or strawberry bellini. Whatever you name it, I call it a delicious way to ring in the New Year.

Two years ago: Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

Three years ago: Cranberry and Orange Granola

Four years ago: Chicken Scallopine with Sage and Fontina Cheese

POMEGRANATE MIMOSA

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (4 oz.) champagne

1/2 cup (4 oz.) pomegranate juice

Pomegranate arils, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Pour champagne into a glass. Top with pomegranate juice. Serve garnished with arils.

Source: The Spiffy Cookie original (although I’m sure someone has made it somewhere).

Thanksgiving meals don’t have to feed an army. Make this spread for two to four people including slow cooker turkey tenderloin with gravy, Greek yogurt-rosemary rolls, bagel-bacon stuffing, roasted brussels, twice baked sweet potatoes, cranberry-pomegranate sauce, and pumpkin crème brulee for dessert.

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Normally for Single Serving Sunday I try to share recipes that only make one serving, but with the upcoming Thanksgiving feast I decided to do something special – a Thanksgiving meal that serves two (with leftovers) or four people.

Many recipes for Thanksgiving produce a magnitude of servings, but what about the people out there only cooking for two, or four? This menu I have prepared easily serves 2 with leftovers (or 4 with none leftover). Because who doesn’t want leftovers from Thanksgiving? That being said, if you have hearty eaters you may want to double the sides.

This dinner consists of a slow cooker turkey tenderloin with gravy, Greek yogurt-rosemary rolls, bagel-bacon stuffing, roasted brussels, twice baked sweet potatoes, cranberry-pomegranate sauce, and pumpkin crème brulee for dessert. Take a moment to be jealous.

My turkey tenderloin came out so juicy and flavorful that it will be hard to convince me to cook a whole turkey in the future. It literally fell apart when I lifted it out of the pot.

By using a slow cooker I was also able to do whatever the heck I wanted in the oven, which is a huge perk for those of us with only one oven (one day I hope to be spoiled with a double oven). Even the gravy was amazing after cooking in all those delicious juices.

As you are aware, I have a habit of adding Greek yogurt to anything I possibly can so it shouldn’t be a surprise that it shows up here in dinner rolls. The rosemary really sold me on these rolls. If you don’t like rosemary, please substitute for another herb because they will rock your world with their subtle herby-ness.

You can also prep these the day beforehand and refrigerate before the last rise. The next day, take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to bake them.

Then there’s the stuffing. I’ve seen stuffing made with all types of bread but this was the first recipe I had seen using bagels. I originally set aside two corn muffins for stuffing, but those were thrown into the freezer once I discovered I could use a bagel instead. I freaking love bagels! And I was not disappointed by the trade-off, especially since I used an everything bagel and there was bacon involved.

For a green side I chose brussels sprouts. Only a couple Thanksgivings ago I discovered that I no longer hated them and actually became obsessed. As a result, they are nostalgic to me at this time of year. Just a simple roasting and a drizzle of balsamic is all they needed.

Growing up we usually had both regular mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes but knew I would burst if I tried to add both onto this already long lineup. I went with a twice baked sweet potato that is topped with pecans and coconut. Although it is less sweet than a marshmallow topping, it has a crunchier topping that will make you forget about those puffy white things (no offense marshmallows, I still love you).

No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without some cranberry sauce. This version uses pomegranate juice for a more complex flavor.

This can be made the day beforehand or even a few days before to minimize the amount of work you have to do on the big day. But if you do have to whip it up the same day, rest assured that it will only take 20 minutes.

Of course, once you’ve stuffed your face you’ll still find room for dessert, right? Especially for pumpkin crème brulee. I know you may initially think it’s a crime to not have pumpkin pie but it’s basically pumpkin pie and crème brulee all in one. Are you really going to be upset by having both?

Now for some tips on how I timed everything in order to be hot and ready all at the same time.

1. An hour before turkey is done cooking (mine only took 4 hours), take rolls out of fridge (if prepared the night before), toast the bagel for stuffing, and prep the brussels sprouts.
2. Bake the stuffing and brussels at the same time and with 20 minutes of cook time remaining, add the sweet potatoes and rolls to the oven.
3. At that time, remove the turkey from the slow cooker and prepare the gravy. Slice up the turkey and serve!
4. Then once your belly has digested a little to make room for dessert, torch the creme brulee just before you’re ready to dig in.

One year ago: Buckeye Cupcakes

Two years ago: Apple Blackberry Pie

Three years ago: Cranberry Sauce

THANKSGIVING DINNER FOR TWO TO FOUR PEOPLE

Print

Yield: 2-4 servings

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CROCKPOT TURKEY TENDERLOIN WITH GRAVY

• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 Tbsp white wine
• 1 tsp ground sage
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-1/2 to 2 lb. turkey breast loin (mine was 1.8 lb. Rotisserie seasoned)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch

GREEK YOGURT-ROSEMARY DINNER ROLLS

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/2 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup bread flour
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/4 tsp salt

BAGEL AND BACON STUFFING

• 2 everything bagels, cut into cubes
• 4 slices bacon
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1-1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

• 16 oz. brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and halved
• 1 Tbsp plive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Balsamic vinegar, for serving (optional)

TWICE BAKED SWEET POTATOES

• 2 sweet potatoes, cooked
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp honey
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 Tbsp shredded coconut

CRANBERRY-POMEGRANATE SAUCE

• 4 oz. fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• 1/4 cup sugar

PUMPKIN CRÈME BRULEE

• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 6 Tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 4 tsp for topping
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• Pinch cloves
• Pinch nutmeg

Directions

For the turkey:

1. Lightly coat the inside of a slow cooker with nonstick spray. Place onion, carrot, celery and garlic in slow cooker.
2. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of broth and scrape up any browned bits and smooth out any lumps; transfer to slow cooker.
3. Whisk in remaining broth, water, wine, sage, and bay leaves into the slow cooker. Season turkey with salt and pepper, place in the slow cooker (add more liquid if necessary to cover), cover with lid and cook 4 to 6 hours on low, or until the turkey reaches 165 degrees with an instant-read thermometer.
4. Transfer turkey to a cutting board tent loosely with foil and let it rest 20 minutes. Strain braising liquid into saucepan (keep carrot and celery for serving, discard bay leaf), whisk in cornstarch and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
5. Slice turkey and serve with gravy and reserved vegetables

For the rolls *:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, yeast and honey, let sit for five minutes until foamy.
2. Add the all-purpose flour, yogurt, olive oil, rosemary and salt and stir with the dough hook (or stir with a spoon).
3. Slowly add in the bread flour until the dough sticks together and gets tacky/starts to pull away from the sides. Knead for 5 minutes.
4. Transfer dough to a clean bowl that has been oiled. Cover and let sit in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled.
5. Knead the dough a few times to remove the air, then split into 4 balls.
6. Place the rolls close together in a baking pan and let rise for 30 minutes (or stop, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight – let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking).
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until tops are lightly golden.

For the stuffing:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a small baking dish with nonstick spray, set aside.
2. Spread the bagel pieces on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 15 minutes. Let cool.
3. Increase oven temperature to 375.
4. While the bagel pieces are toasting, cook the bacon in a small skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often until crispy, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate, lined with a paper towel.
5. In a medium bowl, add the broth, bagel pieces, bacon, onion, and parsley; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit for 10 minutes.
6. Transfer mixture to the baking dish and bake until top is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

For the brussels sprouts:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, toss brussels sprouts in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, cut sides down.
3. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until browned. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, if desired.

For the sweet potatoes:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Split potatoes in half lengthwise. Leaving about 1/8-inch of flesh, scoop out the insides of each half and place in a small bowl.
3. Whip potatoes until creamy. Add butter, milk, honey, salt and pepper and stir until well incorporated.
4. Fill empty potato shells with potato mixture. Top with pecans and coconut.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the coconut browns.

For the cranberry sauce *:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Mixture will thicken as it cooks, and will thicken more as it cools.
2. Cool in a jar or bowl in the fridge.

For the crème brulee *:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 and put on a pot of water to boil. Make sure the 4 ramekins fit inside the dish you will be baking them in (I used an 8x8-inch baking dish).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the 4 teaspoons of sugar. Divide the mixture between 4 ramekins and place in the baking dish. Pour boiling water into the baking dish half way up the sides of the ramekins, being careful not to splash it inside the ramekins.
3. Bake for 40 minutes for wide shallow ramekins or 50-55 minutes for regular ramekins.
4. Let cool in water bath, then move to fridge to chill thoroughly, at least 8 hours.
5. Right before serving (and only then), sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over each and brulee with a kitchen torch until browned and crispy.

Notes

*Can be made the day before.

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When gifting baked goods, I never send them off without sampling my work. Don’t want to give away icky cookies now do we? But while making this particular cookie, it didn’t occur to me that by not portioning out just a tiny teaspoon for a mini cookie, I lacked any ability for quality control. I have never used uncooked quinoa in place of old-fashioned oats in cookies before, and I could only hope they would cooperate. Why the quinoa? Because I was lazy and didn’t want to go to the store for gluten-free oats.

Nervously, this cookie went sent off to my friend Christina for her birthday and I was already preparing excuses in case it didn’t turn out well. But a few days later I get a call from her, thanking me for such a huge delicious cookie. And I knew she wasn’t lying cause I could hear here eating it while she was on the phone with me! I now have the confidence to try adding quinoa to regular cookies in the future.

One year ago: Baked Crazy Feta

GLUTEN-FREE JUMBO CHOCOLATE POMEGRANATE QUINOA COOKIE

Makes 1 jumbo or 4 regular cookies

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp beaten egg

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

5 Tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour

4 Tbsp uncooked quinoa

1 Tbsp cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup dark chocolate covered pomegranate seeds

Directions:

For this July 4th Holiday Recipe Club we were given the option of working with blueberries, whipped cream, and/or BBQ, which lead me straight to these popsicles. Originally they were created with wine, which sounded fabulous to me but in an effort to make these kid friendly I opted for pomegranate juice instead.

These required a little more work than popsicles I have made in the past, but were completely worth while. They really do taste just like blueberry cheesecake! The blueberry part is definitely the dominant flavor, but then you get a bite of the cheesecake and it’s magical. Everyone, young and old, enjoyed these!

Be sure to check out the rest of today’s recipes, seen at the bottom of this post.

I didn’t get as good of a shot as I had hoped for. Difficult taking pictures away from home sometimes.

One year ago: POM-Berry Ice Pops

BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE POPSICLES

Makes eight 2-1/4 oz. popsicles

Ingredients:

1 pint of blueberries (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup POM 100% pomegranate juice

1/4 cup simple syrup (recipe follows)

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup reduced fat cream cheese, softened

4 Tbsp of sugar

1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (I used the cinnamon kind)

Directions:

1. Place blueberries, juice and simple syrup in a blender or food processor and puree. Set aside.
2. Place softened cream cheese into a bowl and beat until light and fluffy; set aside. Place heavy cream into a cold bowl with sugar and, using a hand beater or whisk, beat until soft peaks form. Fold in beaten cream cheese. Portion out 1/4 cup of cream cheese mixture into a separate bowl, add in graham cracker crumbs and whisk to combine.  Place each mixture into separate plastic bags and cut off a corner to create a small opening.
3. To assemble, pour 1 tablespoon of blueberry mixture into each well. Squeeze half a tablespoon of cheesecake mixture on top of blueberry layer. Squeeze a small dollop, about half a teaspoon, of graham cracker mixture on top of cheesecake mixture. Continue layering and repeating until top of each well is reached.
4. Cover top of popsicle form with foil and cut a tiny hole in the center of each well. Place popsicle stick through the hole.
5. Place in freezer until frozen. To release popsicles, run hot water over outside of mold for 2-3 seconds

SIMPLE SYRUP

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Place water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Cool before using.

Source: Adapted slightly from Bakers Royale.