Holiday

How to Make Blueberry Mini Pies from Scratch

April 21, 2020

Blueberry Mini Pies are the epitome of summer. Ripe, juicy blueberries fill delicious buttery dough for the perfect hand-held pie. Mini blueberry pies are perfect for lunch bags, afternoon treats, beach day picnics, and they are small enough for little hands. Mini blueberry pies or mini cherry pies are also great for all of the red, white and blue holidays.

One of my favorite things about these pies is that they are hand held. No need for utensils, plates or clean-up, which in my opinion is one of the best things about these hand pies.

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Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe with Sausage

September 3, 2019

Stuffed acorn squash with sausage is one of those perfect fall dinners or side dish that everyone loves. Filled with savory Italian sausage, spinach and wild rice, it is a comforting and satisfying dinner. To serve it as a side, choose smaller acorn squash. These smaller servings would be perfect for your holiday table. For a no meat option, try my vegetarian stuffed acorn squash.

The acorn squash flesh takes on an almost buttery texture when roasted. The caramelized squash is sweet and it is so tender and soft that it practically melts in your mouth.

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Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

December 14, 2016

Bittersweet chocolate cupcakes topped with a peppermint swiss meringue buttercream – Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cupcakes are a dreamy little cupcake perfect for the holiday season.

Grownups can enjoy a mug of homemade peppermint hot chocolate with these tasty treats to make the holidays extra jolly.

Perfect for holiday parties or sharing with friends and neighbors, these peppermint hot chocolate cupcakes are a hit with kids and grownups alike.

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Lobster Chips with Spicy Saffron Aioli

December 6, 2016

Dress up your favorite Idaho® Potatoes with lobster and saffron aioli for a special holiday appetizer! Salty, crunchy thick-cut chips are a sturdy base for buttery lobster tail. Topped with a spicy saffron aioli and chives, it makes an elegant nibble for any party. This post is sponsored by Idaho® Potatoes. All opinions are my own.

The holiday season is upon us, which means HOLIDAY PARTIES! It’s a special time of year, so I don’t feel guilty about a little splurge. The end of one year, the beginning of a new one… It’s a time to celebrate with friends and family and it’s a time to pull out all the tricks and SHINE! I make one or two special appetizers for parties and lobster on thick-cut potato chips is no slouch. The saffron aioli elevates it to “high falootin’ status” and this appetizer is always the first to disappear. It looks much fussier than it actually is, everything except the chips can be made in the morning and set aside in the refrigerator for later. This is key when you have lots to do before guests arrive.

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Holiday Candy Bark

November 22, 2016

This week, Betsy from Desserts Required is doing a guest post! I love Betsy and I know you will too! We’ve been friends for a few years now and I must tell you, when you are around her – a good time will be had, whether you like it or not! 🙂 She is a ball of energy, a ray of sunshine and has a serious sweet-tooth just like your truly. Betsy is a “girl’s girl”, a cheerleader & champion of her friends, the kind of friend everyone should have.

Hello Pook’s Pantry readers!

I am so excited to guest blog while Cheryl takes some much needed time to recover from her surgery. I met Cheryl at Food Wine Conference a couple of years ago and last year she was my roommate. To say that I love and adore her would be an understatement. I mean, seriously, you already know how fabulous her sense of humor is in addition to her talent in the kitchen but I got to see it firsthand. Cheryl was on team Betsy’s Balls in the Chopped competition and, holy moly, can that woman cook!

My blog is Desserts Required and I live by the mantra, “Without desserts, life would not be as sweet.” If there is a delicious dessert within reach, driving distance or flying distance, I am always up for giving it a try. That goes for candy, too.

Since Thanksgiving is two days away, I thought it would be best to offer a quick and delish option to make; Holiday Candy Bark. I love the idea of making something that is as easy to serve at home as it is to take to someone for a hostess gift.

The key is to use high quality chocolate. I love bittersweet chocolate but Holiday Candy Bark will work just as well with semisweet, milk or even white chocolate. When I was at Whole Foods buying dried cranberries and unsweetened shredded coconut, I had trouble locating dried apricots. I was directed to a bin of very dark, almost black, apricots. I thought something was wrong with them but learned that they were Turkish apricots and, as such, did not contain sulphur, which gives that very bright unnatural orange color. Although, initially, I wanted that bright orange color, I opted for the natural dried fruit. Feel free to use whichever dried apricot you prefer.

Assembly is a breeze. It’s just a matter of adding layers of dried fruit, coconut and toasted pecans over most of the melted chocolate and then drizzling more melted chocolate over the top to keep the goodies in place.

Best of all, Holiday Candy Bark is great throughout this holiday season. I’ve even heard a rumor that Santa loves a batch with his milk and cookies!

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Holiday Candy Bark

A delicious, no-bake treat perfect for hostess gifts and holiday gatherings!

Ingredients

1 cup 141 grams dried cranberries, chopped
1 cup 172 grams dried apricots, chopped
1 cup 120 grams pecan pieces, toasted
½ cup 40 grams unsweetened shredded coconut
2 pounds 910 grams bittersweet, semisweet, milk or white chocolate, melted

Instructions

Line a 9” x 13” baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Add 4/5 of the melted chocolate and use a small offset metal spatula to spread it evenly in the pan. Top with the cranberries, apricots and most of the pecans and coconut.
Drizzle half of the remaining chocolate over the top. Sprinkle the remaining pecans and coconut over this. Lastly, drizzle the rest of the chocolate on top to ‘glue’ the pecans and coconut onto the bark.
Place in the freezer for 20 minutes. If the block of chocolate is too hard to cut through, allow it to sit out on the counter until a knife cuts through the chocolate without breaking it into shards of chocolate. Cut in squares.

Holiday Recipe Round-Up

December 16, 2015

The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is usually a blur for most of us, which is why I’ve complied a dozen recipes that could come in handy for this time of the year. There are cookies, cupcakes, homemade sanding sugar, hot chocolate and an adult beverage or two to enjoy.

Happy Holidays to you & yours! Thank you so much for stopping by!

Holiday Spirit…

December 11, 2013

Last night as I was driving to do a little Christmas shopping, I witnessed some Very Rude Behavior. The Girl (with whom I was speaking at the time) was subjected to a five minute tirade by yours truly and stories of similar behavior that I had been witness to during previous Holiday seasons in New York.

Instead of rehashing stories highlighting the “not-so-proud” moments, let’s instead focus on something positive. People I happen to think are fantastic! Some of them I know in real life and some only through the world of food blogging, but these are folks that I really, truly enjoy and I know you will too.

They are all very genuine and lovely people. They are riotously funny and can bring you to tears in the same post. Their recipes make you want to chip a tooth on the screen trying (in vain) to get just a little nibble…

They are a talented, kind and wonderful lot, please do check them out and say “hi” for me while you’re there.

Jenni, otherwise known as “Sissy” of Pastry Chef Online. Jenni is the Best. Plain & Simple. She is extremely knowledgeable and helpful, her recipes are swoon-worthy and she is one of my favorite people on the planet. This bread recipe absolutely fascinated me.

Jamie writes some of the most beautiful words you will ever read. Her blog Life’s a Feast is one of my favorites. The recipes and the stories that go with them are wonderful. I can’t even tell you how many I have bookmarked to make someday… But, this one is next.

Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic is high-larious. She is my Canadian connection! Her recipes are straight-forward and delicious, she cooks and bakes with passion, loves to share the wealth with our food blogger community and is an all around great gal. Her slow cooker pulled pork recipe is something you need. Trust me…

Rebecca of Foodie with Family is just that. She is a Mom of some of the cutest, funniest boys and her food consistently elicits the “Pavlov’s dog” drool reaction. I met Rebecca at a food blog conference this year and we decided to trade goods… I was the recipient of this. It was magic in a mason jar. Seriously. I’ve never had anything like it and I cook for a living. I can’t say enough about how good it was. I ate it with a spoon while no one was watching…

Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake is a delight. Her food and photos are beautiful and her archive of recipes is massive. If you are looking for something in particular, chances are you’ll find it over there! Here is an example: I was looking for a fun something for a breakfast/brunch and this called my name. Loudly.

David Leite. Where do I even begin… He is amazing, his writing is so honest and genuine that he makes you feel as if you are having a conversation. I’ve met David a few times and believe me when I tell you, he is just as genuine in person. His site is wildly popular, his book is beautiful and his “Blahg” is like a little peek into his life. His post about the Thanksgiving debacle had me howling with laughter… He really paints a picture.

Becca of It’s Yummi! is without a doubt one of the sweetest people that I’ve never met 😉 She is a chef living in Wisconsin, she loves football (so you know we get along!) and she makes a mean bowl of soup. She is also a newlywed, so go on over and give her some love.

Well, friends… That about does it. In the spirit of giving, these are the people that are a gift to me through their words, their food and their friendship. Go check them out and cook something wonderful tonight. <3

Tom and Jerry Recipe

December 1, 2012

It has come to my attention recently that some of you only know this pair of names as a cartoon duo.

As soon as there is a chill in the air, I start craving this drink. Think of it as a warm, boozy milkshake. Doesn’t that sound amazing?! It’s even better than you think…

I won’t lie, it isn’t one of those “Oh, I’ll just pull a bottle down and shake” kind of drinks. It takes a little planning and effort, but the end result is worth the 10 minutes of energy it requires.

This drink has such a loyal fan base that there are special “Tom & Jerry” punch bowl sets with matching mugs. I kid you not… Here’s a pic to prove it:

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