Blackberry Cookies

Blackberries, with their juicy and sweet-tart flavor, have a fascinating history that spans thousands of years. The history of blackberries is a tapestry woven with ancient uses, cultural symbolism, and artistic inspiration. These delectable berries have captivated people across different cultures and have been cherished for their taste and medicinal properties. From their medicinal properties in traditional medicine to their role in folklore and literature, blackberries have left an indelible mark on human history.

Blackberries have held symbolic meaning in various cultures throughout history. In some European folklore, blackberries were associated with protection against evil spirits and were often used in rituals and ceremonies. They were also believed to bring good fortune and prosperity to those who consumed them.

In Celtic mythology, blackberries were associated with the changing seasons. It was believed that the blackberries gained their rich color when the fairies and spirits of the ‘otherworld’ would bless them during the summer months. Eating blackberries after a certain date, often referred to as ‘Old Michaelmas Day, also called Devil Spits Day’, was considered bad luck, as it was believed that the devil had claimed them according to old British folklore.

Their journey across continents and their ability to adapt to different environments speak to their resilience and popularity.

Brion & I became aware of these wonderful berries several years ago. Now, every chance I get I try to incorporate them into something I’m making whether its sweet or savory. Today they are front and center in these cookies adding loads of flavor.

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Blackberry Cookies
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
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Ingredients
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the old-fashioned rolled oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon & salt. Set dry mixture aside.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, sugars until the mixture is light & fluffy.
  4. Add egg & vanilla to the wet mixture & beat until well combined.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a cookie dough forms.
  6. Scoop cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving enough space between each cookie.
  7. Make an indentation in the center of each cookie with your thumb or the back of a spoon. Fill each indentation with 3-4 blackberries. If they are large cut them in half.
  8. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
  9. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Fruit Explosion Muffins

The Tim Hortons Fruit Explosion Muffin is a super tasty treat that combines the goodness of a moist vanilla cake muffin with bursts of fruity flavor. While the exact creation date isn’t widely documented, these muffins have become a beloved staple at Tim Hortons.  Founded in 1964, Tim Hortons is an iconic Canadian restaurant known for its quality coffee, freshly baked goods, great fast-food and hockey roots. Great tasting coffee (thedouble double’) is at the core of their identity.

If you’re a fan of Tim Hortons’ Fruit Explosion Muffins, you’ll love these homemade versions. Another reason to try a copycat version is the calorie count. From what I understand, the Tim Hortons version comes in at 360 calories per muffin whereas this recipe trims it down to a ‘healthy’ 166 calories for the medium size and 331 for large ones.

The combination of sweet and tart flavors from the fruit creates a wonderful balance with the natural sweetness of the berries complementing the muffin base. Sour cream is a secret ingredient that makes these muffins extra moist. They’re soft, cakey, tender and in the center, have a little fruity surprise of blueberry jam.            

The options for making this treat are endless—swap out the berries or try different fruit fillings. Whether for breakfast or a snack, these muffins are a burst of fruity goodness!  Another bonus is that these muffins freeze beautifully, making them convenient for busy mornings.

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Fruit Explosion Muffin
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Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 3 muffin pans with paper liners.
  2. In a large bowl, combine sour cream, oil, applesauce, eggs & vanilla with a whisk. Stir in sugars until combined completely. Add flours, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. Stir just until combined then fold in berries.
  3. Spoon 1 Tbsp of batter into the bottom of each liner, spreading it cover the bottom completely. Top with 2 tsp of jam & cover with remaining batter (about one heaping tablespoon per muffin cup), covering the jam as best as you can.
  4. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until golden brown, toothpick comes out clean & batter around berries appears set. Cool to room temperature & serve.
  5. May be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days or frozen for 3-4 months.
Recipe Notes

• This amount of batter will make 18 regular size muffins or 9 large.

Raspberry Crumble Cookies

Raspberry Crumble Cookies are no ordinary treat. Half tart, half cookie, they offer a perfect balance between a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture and a crumbly, cookie-like crust. Made with a homemade tangy raspberry compote, these cookies are a delectable balance of sweet and tart flavors with a burst of fruity goodness in every bite.  

I have wondered where this crumb (or crumble) cake/cookie idea came from. Its origins speak of its German heritage. The origin of crumb cake was called ‘streuselkuchen,’ and today’s modern crumb cake is fairly similar to its forebear. Streuselkuchen ‘crumb cake’ is often referring to a cake made of a sweet yeast dough covered with a crumb topping that is called ‘streusel.’ Today, we make crumble cakes with baking soda or baking powder for leavening. One thing that has not changed is the signature thick layer of crumb topping where the crumbs are made simply of sugar, butter, and flour and allowed to have a roughly unfinished look. The crumb topping is sprinkled with powdered sugar to add interest to the look of the uneven top.

What we know today as crumb or crumble cake/cookies is most likely the adaptation of coffee cake recipes by German bakers who came to North America. The cake does bear a passing resemblance to many of the streusel topped kuchen recipes, a popular coffee-friendly cake from Germany.

Raspberry Crumble Cookies are baked in a muffin tin and look like mini pies! The dough does double duty as the base of the butter cookies and the crumble topping.

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Raspberry Crumble Cookies
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Course dessert
Cuisine European
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Ingredients
Cookies
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Servings
Ingredients
Cookies
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Instructions
Raspberry Compote
  1. Place rasp[berries, sugar, lemon juice, zest & vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat & simmer for 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat & pour through a sieve. Press through sieve with a spatula to take out as many of the seeds as possible. Set aside.
Cookies
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 24 mini tart or mini muffin tins with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In food processor, place flour, sugar & butter. Pulse a few times until mixture is crumbly; set aside 1/2 cup of the mixture. To remainder add baking powder, baking soda & nuts. Place mixture in a large bowl.
  3. In a small bowl, beat egg slightly then stir in sour cream & lemon zest. Add to dry ingredients; stir until just moistened.
  4. Divide batter between the 24 mini tins. With the back of a small scoop that has been dipped in flour, press batter to go over the bottom & up the sides. Spoon about 1 tsp raspberry compote in the indented area of the cookie. Sprinkle each cookie with some of the reserved crumb mixture.
  5. Bake 15-18 minutes or until done. Remove from oven & allow to cool in pans for at least 10 minutes. At this time the cookies should pop out easily. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Artichoke Cupcakes

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!

St. Patrick’s Day is a funny thing here in Canada. It’s the one time each year that people seek out green food and drinks, everything from shamrock shakes, a green bagel, or green beer are part of our version of this holiday.

Green food has been getting more and more ‘creative’ on this particular holiday. Clean eating, green foods like spinach, avocado and broccoli for example. A walk through the grocery store produce section will provide a variety of examples of just how many green foods are available to use in meals and snacks.

In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, I wanted to incorporate some green food in some desserts. What better excuse could I have to make some artichoke cupcakes!

Over the years, Brion and I have vacationed many times in the Carmel / Monterey area on the Central Coast of California. As a rule, we make Pacific Grove ‘home base’ and from there do numerous day trips. About a 20-minute drive inland from Monterey Bay is the tiny agricultural town of Castroville. When you enter into the town you will see a sign that says, ‘Artichoke Center of the World’.  Where the rich, fertile soil of the Salinas Valley meets the sands of Monterey Bay, these fog-shrouded fields prove to be the ideal location for the commercial cultivation of Heirloom artichokes.

About another 20-minute drive further north you come to another agricultural town called Watsonville. Just before we reached the town, I spotted a sign advertising ‘artichoke cupcakes’ from Pezzini Farms. We have never eaten anything sweet associated with artichokes before now. This charming roadside market goes deep into the crop that made this chunk of California famous.

Now, Watsonville might not be the self-proclaimed Artichoke Center of the World like its neighbor, Castroville. But it still ranks right up there in growing this distinctive plant that’s actually an herb.

Pezzini Farms is family-owned and has been growing and selling Heirloom Green Globe artichokes since 1929. The family immigrated to the United States from Italy bringing with them their family’s artichoke root stalk. 

The market offers a great selection of fresh produce that includes artichokes sold individually or in bulk. The store also has a wide selection of artichoke products that featured jarred artichoke hearts, artichoke dip mix, and artichoke marinara sauce, among others. By the register, customers were enticed by an array of sweet pastries displayed under glass dessert domes. Among them were decadent artichoke cupcakes topped with thick frosting.

It inspired me to think of artichokes in a whole new way. Brion & I purchased a cupcake to see how it would taste. The dense cake wasn’t overly sweet, with chunks of artichoke heart adding an almost earthy quality. The frosting was velvety with a little cream cheese bounce. A good comparison would be like a zucchini bread or a carrot cake.

Of course, as soon as we came home, I couldn’t wait to try to recreate this interesting little cupcake and what a better time than today. Think artichoke green for St. Patrick’s day!

I’ve added a few pictures I hope you will enjoy.

  • Pezzini store pics x 2
  • Artichokes growing in the fields
  • Production line
  • Store cupcakes
  • Life-size signage
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Artichoke Cupcakes
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Course dessert
Cuisine Canadian
Servings
LARGE CUPCAKES
Ingredients
Cupcake Batter
Cream Cheese Frosting
Course dessert
Cuisine Canadian
Servings
LARGE CUPCAKES
Ingredients
Cupcake Batter
Cream Cheese Frosting
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Instructions
Cupcakes
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 6-cup muffin pan with large paper liners (or 12 small paper liners).
  2. Drain artichoke hearts well & mince into very small uniform pieces. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, water & oil.
  4. In another bowl, sift together flour, white & brown sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom & ginger.
  5. Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients, then gently fold in the minced artichokes with a spatula until they are completely incorporated into the batter.
  6. Fill the prepared muffin tins with the batter & bake about 30 minutes for the large size (20-25 minutes for small size).
  7. Once the cupcakes are baked through, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting
  1. With an electric mixer, beat butter & cream cheese until creamy & well combined & lump free.
  2. Add vanilla & salt, mix to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar until completely combined.
  3. Frost cupcakes as desired.

Dill Pickle & Bacon Bread

Pickles are one of those love it or hate it things. Brion & I are in the love category, that’s why I made this dill pickle bread, but if you’re a hate them kind of person, you may want to move along.

This savory dill pickle bread is an easy and tasty quick bread loaded with all thing’s dill – dill pickles, dill pickle juice, and fresh dill. It’s super easy to make and bakes up nice and soft with a golden crust.

It’s truly delicious on its own, but even better with a little dab of butter! Great served with a bowl of soup or in place of dinner rolls to complete a meal and even better made into grilled cheese sandwiches. This dill pickle bread is nothing short of irresistible!

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Dill Pickle & Bacon Bread
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Course Lunch
Cuisine American
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SLICES
Ingredients
Course Lunch
Cuisine American
Servings
SLICES
Ingredients
Votes: 1
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Instructions
  1. In a skillet, fry bacon until somewhat crisp. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Crumble. Chop dill pickle's. Grate cheese.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together sour cream, oil, eggs & sugar until smooth.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, onion & garlic powder & salt. Add to wet mixture along with pickle juice. Stir until combined.
  5. Fold in bacon, dill pickles, cheddar & dill. Pour into prepared loaf pan & smooth out on top.
  6. Bake until bread is golden & a toothpick inserted into the middle of loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool completely before slicing.
Recipe Notes
  • I made salmon sandwiches with some of this bread & we really enjoyed it!

Hearst Beef Burger & Pretzel

There’s something about the sea – the waves, the salt air, the broad expanse of blue, the ambiance of coastal living that forever calls us back.

Over the years, Brion and I have vacationed many times in the Carmel / Monterey area on the Central Coast of California. For the many times we have gone there, it seems like you can never quite absorb enough of the images of the Monterey peninsula.  As a rule, we make Pacific Grove ‘home base’ and from there do numerous day trips. On this occasion we decided to take the Pacific Coast highway down to see the famous ‘Hearst Castle’.

The amazing thing about the Pacific Coast is that it is still mostly wild, open, and astoundingly beautiful country, where you can drive for miles and miles and have the scenery all to yourself. This famous stretch of rugged and mountainous coastline is known as ‘Big Sur’ and is one of the most beautiful coastlines anywhere in the world.

At the south end of Big Sur, the mountains flatten out and turn inland, and the coastline becomes rolling open-range ranch land. High on a hill above Hwy-1 stands the amazing sight known as Hearst Castle. It’s the sort of place that you have to see to believe and even if Hearst’s taste in interior design doesn’t appeal to you, it’s well worth the trip to see it.

The story of Hearst Castle is a long and colorful one. For the turrets, towers and temples that today crown this California hilltop did not spring into being overnight. The beginnings of today’s ‘Enchanted Hill’ started in 1865. In that year 43-year-old George Hearst bought a 48,000-acre ranch for seventy cents an acre that lay adjacent to San Simeon Bay in northern San Luis Obispo Country. This was the first unit of what eventually became the huge San Simeon property … a 240,000-acre area of mountains, foothills and valleys with an ocean front of more than fifty miles. After his death and that of his wife, Phoebe, ownership of the property went to their son, William Randolph Hearst.

Originally called ‘Camp Hill’, it’s wilderness offered a place for family members and friends to ‘rough it’ on camping trips. Despite elaborate arrangements, Hearst envisioned more comfortable accommodation. In 1919, he told San Francisco architect Julia Morgan, ‘I would like to build a little something up on the hill at San Simeon. I get tired of going up there and camping in tents. I’m getting a little old for that. I’d like to build something that would be more comfortable’.  That ‘little something’ quickly became the vast mansion that towers over the property today.

Julia Morgan was the first woman to graduate with a degree in engineering from California State University, and she had studied architecture at the renowned Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

The main residence is much larger than the others (60,645 square feet). Known as ‘La Casa Grande’ (the Big House), it stands four stories high and is fronted by two towers with carillon bells inspired by the Church of Santa Maria la Mayor in Ronda, Spain. The three guesthouses are mansions in themselves, each containing between 10 and 18 rooms: ‘Casa del Mar’ (5,875 square feet) faces the Pacific Ocean; Case del Monte (2,291 square feet) faces the Santa Lucia hills; and ‘Casa del Sol’ (2,604 square feet) looks west towards the setting sun. Each of them too, is filled with treasures from Hearst’s inexhaustible and diverse collection of art and antiques.

The numerous galleries are crammed with European art and statues while the 90-foot-long library with its Spanish-Moorish ceiling and ascending shelves is filled with rare edition books. The visitor is treated to sights such as 400-year-old Spanish and Italian ceilings, 500-year-old mantel pieces, 16th century Florentine bedsteads, Renaissance paintings, Flemish tapestries, a dining table that seats one hundred guests, and much more. 

It is impossible to summarize the many magnificent rooms, but on the whole, they feature art deco, baroque and gothic architecture; with an array of arches, verandas and balconies that give way to sweeping views over the surrounding countryside. For one room, an entire Spanish monastery was bought, dissembled and shipped to California stone by stone before being reconstructed within the Casa Grande. In contrast to all the antiquity, the movie theater within the main house ran two screenings a night – once for the guests and once for the staff, always showing the latest releases from Hollywood.

There are two pools: The Romanesque indoor pool is laid out in a ‘T’ plan with mosaic and 22 gold carat gold tiles surrounded by Greek statues and globe lamps that create the impression of moonlight. The outdoor Greco-Roman pool is known as the ‘Neptune Pool’ and features an ancient Roman temple transported from Italy. The pool is surrounded by marble colonnades that manage to frame the main house, the mountains and the distant sea. It was rebuilt three times before it met Hearst’s exacting standards. The 127-acres of grounds also included tennis courts and a garage for 25 cars.

When most people think of Hearst Castle, they think of its lavish style and architecture. But what many don’t know is that Hearst Castle was once home to the world’s largest private zoo.

In the early days of the castle animals, including peacocks, ostriches, giraffes, Fahr goats, Berbery sheep, monkeys, cheetahs, lions, panthers and even polar bears were kept there providing a bit of exotic flair. The Hearst Castle zebras are one of the last remaining species after the dismantling of the zoo. If you’re lucky you can still see them from the Pacific Coast Highway as you pass the castle grounds.

Hearst Castle took approximately 28 years to build, with construction spanning from 1919 until 1947, and while the original cost was around $10 million, when adjusted for inflation, it would equate to roughly $700 million in today’s money. 

Hearst Castle is in pristine condition today, even surviving a 6.5 earthquake with no structural damage thanks to the incredible design by Julia Morgan. The estate still has its original floors, upholstery, stairs, ceilings, everything.

To take a tour, you first take a short 10–15-minute bus ride up the hillside to Hearst Castle. If you came by car, you park at the visitor’s center and get whisked up the mountain as a group. Your tour ticket includes the bus ride.

There are various guided tours to choose from. Over the years Brion & I have taken several tours and always enjoy them all. The kitchen was, of course, a very interesting part of the tour for me being a ‘food person’. It was full of practical devices, including stock pots, rotisseries, industrial-sized mixers, and early refrigerators—which stand today just as they did decades ago with the countertops being made of metal alloy. This would have been where all meals were prepared for the Hearst’s and vacationing guests. There is so much to see, it’s hard to take it all in without missing something.

After we had purchased our tickets, we had a bit of time before our tour, so we decided to have something to eat. The visitor center is the only location at Hearst Castle where food and drinks can be purchased serving casual international fare and boasting ‘grass fed’ locally raised Hearst Beef. Brion was interested in trying the Hearst beef burger and I settled on a ‘huge’ pretzel. Brion found the beef burger (which consisted of half-pound patty, artisan bun, smoked Gouda, lettuce, tomato, onion, garlic aioli, with a pile of perfect french fries or apple-olallieberry slaw), to be absolutely amazing and my pretzel was equally as good but more than I could eat at one sitting. I tucked it away for a snack later on after the tour.

I have added a small collection of pictures which are posted through the recipe section of the blog. There is so much to see it would be impossible to show it all so I have tried to summarize it in this blog and photos.

  • The main picture is an aerial view of Hearst Castle as well as the road from the Visitors Center by the ocean going up the hill to the castle
  • La Casa Grande showcasing its grand entrance
  • A Sitting Room
  • The Main library
  • Billard room
  • Assembly room and the Grand Dining Room
  • An Egyptian Statue and a Morning Room
  • Balcony view overlooking the vast property
  • Neptune Pool
  • Roman Pool
  • 3 views of the Hearst Castle Kitchen
  • Old photo of Zebras & Bison
  • Zebras can still be seen grazing with the Hearst beef cattle today

Needless to say, another great trip with some more precious memories made!

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Soft Pretzels
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Instructions
Pretzels
  1. In a small bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water, yeast & a pinch of salt; allow to sit for 5 minutes until frothy.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt & sugar. Add the frothy yeast mixture along with the melted butter; stir to combine. On a lightly floured work surface, knead dough for about 5 minutes & shape into a ball. Lightly butter the bowl, place the dough in it, cover with a tea towel & allow to rise for 45 minutes in a draft-free place.
Assembly
  1. After the dough has risen, cut into 12 equal pieces & form each one into a 14-inch strand. Roll each strand back & forth to create a ‘rope’.
  2. Shape into a pretzel by twisting the two ends around each other then bring it back down over the body of the pretzel.
Boiling/Baking
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Bring 3 cups of water & 1/3 cup baking soda to a low boil.
  3. Dip each pretzel in soda water for 20 seconds, remove, using a slotted spoon to drain excess water. Lay pretzels on parchment lined baking sheet & brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
  4. Bake until the tops turn golden brown, 13-15 minutes. Remove from oven & cool on wire rack.
Recipe Notes

In this recipe I divided the dough into 12 pretzels. Cut your dough into fewer pieces if you wish to make the giant version.

Oatmeal Freezer Cookies

Oatmeal Cookies are incredibly versatile! Part crispy cookie, part moist cake, the oatmeal cookie is made in a variety of ways: from thin and crispy, to moist and chewy, to even extra sweet or laced with salt. You can customize the classic combination by mixing in different ingredients so you get a completely different flavor than you would expect.

Oatmeal cookies came into North American kitchens by way of the Quaker Oats Company. The original oatmeal cookie recipe was mass distributed in 1908, printed on boxes of rolled oats. Billed as ‘oat cakes’ the recipe called for 3 cups of rolled oats along with butter, sugar, and flour. The oat cakes were an instant hit with homemakers. In 1943, the Quaker Oats company reformulated their recipe, this time using the term ‘oatmeal cookies’. The revised recipe utilized bacon drippings or shortening instead of butter and dried fruits for minimal sugar needs.

The oatmeal cookie recipe released by Quaker Oats has been re-branded twice, re-emerging on oatmeal packages as ‘Famous Oatmeal Cookies’, and as it is known today as ‘Quaker’s Best Oatmeal Cookies’. This oatmeal cookie recipe has earned the distinction of the longest printed recipe on any Quaker Oats products.

Here’s just a few add-ins to bump up the basic recipe if you choose to:

  • Dried fruit: Dates, Apricots, Cherries, Apples, Coconut
  • Nuts: Walnuts, Pecans, Cashews, Peanuts
  • Spices: Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg
  • Chocolate Chunks: White, Milk, Dark

This recipe gives you the option of freezing the dough and baking it later or using it right away. Rolling them in ground flax seed gives them an added bonus in flavor – as if oatmeal cookies could get any better!

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Oatmeal Freezer Cookies
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
Servings
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Whisk both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt & cardamom in a medium bowl.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter & both sugars on high speed until light & creamy. 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend & scraping down bowl between additions. Beat in vanilla.
  3. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add dry ingredients & mix just until combined. Fold in oatmeal & fruit.
  4. Divide dough between 2 large sheets of parchment paper. Using paper as an aid, roll up each piece of dough into a 1 1/2-inch diameter log. Wrap in plastic; freeze for at least 4 hours up to 3 weeks.
  5. When ready to bake: Preheat oven to 350 F. Unwrap dough & cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Roll edges of rounds in ground flax seed. Place 2-inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  6. Bake until edges are golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool. Store in an airtight container or freeze.
Recipe Notes
  • Any fruit, nuts or seeds should be chopped quite small so your cookies can be sliced frozen. 
  • Rolling the edges in ground flax seed gives them such a nice flavor.

Scallops Benedict

Eggs Benedict is a common North American breakfast or brunch dish, consisting of two halves of an English muffin, each topped with Canadian bacon, a poached egg, and hollandaise sauce. It was popularized in New York City.  

Many variations of eggs Benedict exist, involving replacing any component except the egg such as:

  • Avocado toast eggs Benedict – substitutes toast in place of the muffin and adds sliced avocado.
  • California eggs Benedict – adds sliced avocado. Variations may include sliced tomato instead of Canadian bacon.
  • Eggs Atlantic – substitutes salmon which may be smoked, in place of Canadian bacon.
  • Eggs Blackstone – substitutes streaky bacon in place of Canadian bacon and adds a tomato slice.
  • Eggs Florentine – adds spinach, sometimes substituted in place of the Canadian bacon. 
  • Eggs Mornay – substitutes Mornay sauce in place of the Hollandaise.
  • Eggs Neptune – substitutes crab meat in place of Canadian bacon.
  • Eggs Omar (steak Benedict) – substitutes a small steak in place of Canadian bacon and sometimes replaces the Hollandaise with bearnaise.
  • Huevos Benedictos – adds sliced avocado or Mexican chorizo, topped with salsa and Hollandaise sauce.
  • Irish Benedict – substitutes corned beef or Irish bacon in place of Canadian bacon.

Being seafood lovers, Brion & I are having a pre-Christmas treat of scallops benedict for brunch today. Yum!

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Scallops Benedict
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Course Brunch
Cuisine American
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Ingredients
Chive Buttermilk Biscuits
Brown Butter Hollandaise Sauce
Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Chive Buttermilk Biscuits
Brown Butter Hollandaise Sauce
Votes: 1
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Instructions
Biscuits
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder & baking soda. Using pastry blender, cut in butter until coarse crumbs. Add chopped chives. Toss together & make a well in the center. Pour in the buttermilk, stirring with fork to form ragged dough.
  3. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead gently until dough comes together. Pat or roll into 1 1/2-inch thickness. Using floured cutter, cut out rounds. Place, well spaced, on lined baking sheet. Dough should make 6 large biscuits.
  4. Bake in the 400 F. oven for about 10 minutes before lowering the temperature to 375 F. & baking for an additional 10 minutes or until tops of the biscuits are light golden. Remove from oven & keep warm in a basket with a tea towel over it.
Hollandaise Sauce
  1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, watching it until the color turns light golden brown. Pour it off immediately into a heat proof measuring cup, leaving the sediment behind.
  2. In a blender, combine egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice & zest for a few seconds. With the blender on medium speed, slowly pour in hot butter in a thin stream. The sauce should thicken quickly. Pour into a bowl & keep the bowl warm in a warm water bath while preparing the other components of the scallops benedict.
Scallops
  1. Season the scallops with Old Bay seasoning, salt & pepper. Pan sear them in a hot pan with butter & olive oil for only a few minutes per side. Keep warm. Prepare scrambled eggs.
Assembly
  1. Slice biscuits in half, using bottoms as the base. Divide scrambled eggs evenly between the 6 bottom biscuit halves & top each with a couple of seared scallops. Pour some hollandaise sauce over scallops & sprinkle with chopped bacon. Garnish with chopped chives. Top with the second half of the biscuit if you wish.

Pear Cheesecake w/ Oat Pecan Streusel

A cheesecake is always an appropriate dinner party finale, but this version is a true showstopper. This cheesecake really makes the most of pear season, with the fruit layered on top of the cheesecake batter then covered with oat streusel. The wow-factor comes into play with the stained glass candied pears.

Candied Pears are a beautiful and completely edible decoration for cakes, cupcakes, or any other creative baking project.  Modern twists in candying techniques have seen a resurgence in recent years, blending traditional methods with innovative approaches breathing new life into the timeless art of candying fruit.

Today, candied fruit is enjoyed in various forms, from baking ingredients to standalone snacks. It has become a versatile ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes, catering to a wide range of tastes and preferences. The perception of candied fruit has shifted from being a rare luxury to a widely available and beloved treat for people of all backgrounds.

At this time of year, I’m always trying to come up with something special to give as gifts to our neighbors on either side of us. We couldn’t ask for better neighbors so it’s always nice to show our appreciation in some way. We usually try to give something they use when hosting family & friends. The family this pear cheesecake is for have a pear tree in their back yard so I think its safe to say they like pears.

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Pear Cheesecake w/ Oat Pecan Streusel
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Servings
Ingredients
Stained Glass Candied Pears
Oat Pecan Streusel Crust & Topping
Salted Caramel Sauce - Optional
Servings
Ingredients
Stained Glass Candied Pears
Oat Pecan Streusel Crust & Topping
Salted Caramel Sauce - Optional
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Candied Pears
  1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
  2. Combine water & sugar in a large saucepan. Very thinly slice pears all the way across so that you have a cross section of an entire pear. When sugar is dissolved in the water on the stove, stir & add the pear slices to the simple syrup. Simmer for about 6-8 minutes or until you can almost see through pears. Remove from simple syrup with a tongs & lay flat on parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  3. Mix about 2 tablespoons of simple syrup in a small cup with 2 drops of gel coloring of your choice. Prepare one bowl for each color you wish to use. Using a small clean paintbrush, lightly paint each pear slice as desired. Mottle colors a bit on each slice if using more than one color. Dap with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Flip slices over and paint on the other side. Dap again with paper towel.
  4. Bake the pears for 20 minutes, paint on some clear simple syrup, turn the slices over & paint the other side. Bake another 10 minutes, then repeat.
  5. Remove from the oven & shape immediately if you do not want flat slices. Sprinkle with gold luster dust, if desired.
Streusel Crust & Topping
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the flour, baking soda & ground cinnamon. Toss in the oats & chopped pecans & combine well. Press half of the mixture into springform pan and bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly golden brown.
Pear Mixture
  1. In a medium bowl, toss together the chopped pears with sugar, starch, cinnamon & nutmeg. Combine well & set aside.
Cheesecake Filling
  1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese & sugar until smooth & creamy. Mix in the vanilla & almond extract. Add the egg & combine until smooth and creamy.
  2. Pour cream cheese mixture onto the slightly warm crust. Spread pears over the cream cheese. Sprinkle the rest of the oatmeal streusel topping covering the pears, pressing down lightly.
  3. Bake until slightly brown & center is set around 50 minutes. Cool completely & refrigerate overnight preferably.
Salted Caramel Sauce
  1. Combine brown sugar, 1/2 & 1/2 cream, butter & salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook while whisking gently for a couple of minutes, until it slightly thickens. Add the vanilla & cook another minute. You are not cooking the sauce very long so it remains quite pourable. Turn off heat, cool slightly. Pour sauce into a blender & blend on high until sauce is 'creamy'. Refrigerate until cold.
Decorating/Serving
  1. To decorate, place cheesecake on serving dish & arrange candied pears on top. When ready to serve, slice & drizzle salted caramel sauce over cheesecake.

Salted Caramel Pear Crumble Bars

Pears are the unsung heroes of autumn and winter! They might not get as much fanfare as apples or pumpkins, but they definitely deserve a moment in the spotlight. Pears and caramel are such a wonderful duo! Pears are naturally sweet, and caramel—well, it’s the golden champion of sweetness. The pear’s subtle sweetness balances out the intense caramel, creating a harmonious blend. They say opposites attract, right? Pears bring a touch of freshness and mildness, while caramel brings depth and complexity.

Pears are like the introverts of fruit—they’re quiet, unassuming and know how to make the most of fall and winter spices. Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom—they all work well.

These bars are like a dessert bar and fruit crisp all in one. Thinly sliced pears nestled between layers of soft brown sugar crust drizzled with caramel sauce, then more crumbly goodness sprinkled on top. What’s not to love!

Print Recipe
Salted Caramel Pear Crumble Bars
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Crust & Topping
Filling
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Crust & Topping
Filling
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9 X 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Crust/Topping
  1. Soften the butter in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Add brown sugar & mix until creamed. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, & salt. Mix until a crumbly dough forms. Set aside a cup full of the mixture for the topping. Press the rest of the mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Filling
  1. Thinly slice the pears. Combine brown sugar, butter & milk in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Lower heat & cook until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.
  2. When the crust is done baking, lay the pear slices over the crust in an even layer (overlapping if necessary). Pour the caramel over the pears, and sprinkle the reserved topping mixture over the top.
Baking
  1. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven & sprinkle with more sea salt to taste. Let cool slightly before slicing & serving.
Recipe Notes
  • These bars are best eaten the day they are baked as they do soften after they sit a while. Nevertheless, they are still good in a softer form.