Food & Wine

November 23rd, 2011

Simple, delicious cranberry sauce

One of my favorite dishes at Thanksgiving is cranberry sauce. The canned kind is good (I love how it comes out as one giant cylinder on the plate!) but homemade is even better. Here is my favorite cranberry sauce recipe, courtesy of Food & Wine magazine. It is easy and delicious.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce with Fuji Apple

One 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1 large Fuji apple, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water

  1. Line an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap and spray the plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries with the apple, sugar and water. Bring to a boil and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently until the cranberries are completely broken down and the sauce is very thick, about 15 minutes. Scrape the cranberry sauce into the prepared pan and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours. Invert the jelly onto a serving plate and remove the plastic wrap. Garnish with fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs. Slice with a serrated knife before serving.
MAKE AHEAD The cranberry sauce can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Serve chilled.

 

November 14th, 2011

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Nutella!

A dear friend of mine is crazy for Nutella. And I mean who wouldn’t be? The chocolate, hazelnut goodness can turn a piece of bread into a sinfully good sweet. It’s magical! Here is a roundup of some desserts that feature the beloved spread. Click on the photos below to take you to the recipes.

nutella rice krispie treats from Liv Life

nutella caramel hazelnut brownies from Bella Alimento

Molten chocolate nutella cake from US Masala

nutella sandwich cookies from A Beautiful Mess

Nutella Mallow Pillow Pockets from Picky Palate

homemade nutella via The Eccentric Cook

 

Nutella Cheesecake Brownies from Babble

nutella buttercream cupcakes from Babble

no bake nutter butter nutella pie from Tasty Kitchen

 

November 8th, 2011

Tea Forte cocktail infusions

Tea Forte, well-known for its delicious assortment of tea flavors, is now branching out into the world of mixology. They offer several different infusion flavors that quickly turn a regular cocktail into something fresh and creative. Simply pour alcohol over the infuser, wait for it to steep, and get ready for a delicious beverage.

Their Mixology Set, with two infusion chambers, eight infusers, and a recipe booklet would make a great holiday gift.

August 25th, 2011

Herbacious Beverages

Looking for ways to enhance  your favorite summer drinks?  Fresh herbs can provide sublte or exotic flavor that is sure to delight your tastebuds!  From cocktails, to lemonade, to iced tea, here are some refreshing recipes to try.

Rosemary Infused Peach Bellini

Watermelon-Basil Margaritas

Blackberry-Mint Julep

Lavendar Lemonade

Cinnamon-Orange Iced Tea

 

Herb-infused simple syrups can be made in advance and used to sweeten sparkling water or other beverages.  For a variety of simple syrup recipes, click here.

August 15th, 2011

S’more please

Everywhere I look these days I am seeing s’mores. Including in my house. My husband likes to make them with a blow torch. Not a creme brulee blow torch, mind you. A real, industrial one. But I have to say, it makes a darn good s’more!

Here are some fun new ways that people are interpreting s’mores.

s'mores pudding from Annie's Eats

s'more cookie bars from Baked Perfection

s'mores pie from The Pastry Affair

mini s'mores cups from Texas Cottage

Frozen S'more Snacks from Woman's Day

Campfire Marshmallow cookie from Farenheit 350

August 2nd, 2011

A Sweet Little Cookbook

By now you likely know of my deep love and affection for my Breville Individual Pie Maker. I have taken to making pies multiple times a week — not good for the waist line, but so deliciously rewarding! I was frustrated, though, that the instructions that came with the Pie Maker only listed a few each of sweet and savory recipes. But then, I found this. The “Mini Pies” cookbook available at Williams-Sonoma. If you have the Pie Maker, you MUST buy this book. It opens up a whole new world of pies, like s’mores pies and one of the best pumpkin pies I have ever had. If you don’t have the Pie Maker, run, don’t walk, to Williams-Sonoma to buy one.

Williams-Sonoma "Mini Pies" cookbook

Williams-Sonoma "Mini Pies" cookbook

July 13th, 2011

Mix Up Your Champagne With Flavored Lollipops

Here’s a playful twist on flavoring champagne. While I love a good Kir Royale, these flavored lollipops allow you to stir in different flavors of choice. Using corn syrup and flavored extracts you can make lollipops in traditional circles or a fun shape like a heart or star.

Note that you’ll need to make sure that the lollipop stick is proportional to your glass. Here they use a stemless flute paired perfectly with a long stick. Other glasses might require different length sticks.

Martha Stewart's liqueur lollipops