pear, fig & sage tarts = delicious!

On Sunday, Steff and I dressed up and went to this fabulous Cookbook  Release Cocktail Party for the lovely sisters, Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg that are the brainstorms behind Spork Foods!  Steff has taken a few cooking classes from them and by the looks of the turn out for the party - they have many many fans.  The party was in a GORGEOUS home in the Hollywood Hills overlooking all of Los Angeles and the fabulous canyons - views from their balconies were to die for!  They served many dishes from their cookbook for everyone to try and this appetizer was one of my faves!  Now, I have never been a big pear or fig fan - but this made me a convert - it was delicious! If you are in need of a fabulous appetizer for a holiday dinner or cocktail party definitely give this a recipe a try - you and your guests will be in for a big treat!

Roasted Garlic Aioli Ingredients:

6 cloves roasted garlic

Dash of neutral tasting high heat oil

1 cup vegan mayonnise

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. agave nectar

1/4 tsp. sea salt, plus dash

1/4 tsp. finely ground black pepper, plus dash

Tart Ingredients:

2 D'Anjou pears, cut to 1/2 inch pieces

10-12 leaves fresh sage, finely chopped

5-6 dry Black Mission figs, sliced

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1-2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

For the Filling: Place sliced pears, sage and figs in 3 separate bowls.

Coat pear slices in lemon juice to prevent browning, and set aside.

For the Roasted Garlic: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice off base of bulb with a large chef's knife (just less than half an inch) Place bulb cut side down in an oiled heat proof baking dish and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.  Roast for about 25-30 minutes or until cloves are soft, set aside.

For the Aioli: Remove roasted garlic cloves from pan.  Place on cutting board and smooth with flat side of chef's knife creating a paste.  Transfer to a large bowl and add mayonnaise, lemon juice, agave, sea salt and black pepper.  Whisk until uniform.

Cut thawed puff pastry into 2 or 3 inch squares.  On each square, place about 1 tsp. garlic aioli,a pinch of sage and 1 piece each of fig and pear, reserving about 2 tsp.aioli for serving.  Bring up the corners to center of square.  Carefully squeeze to seal puff pastry.  Repeat for all squares. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat or use cooking spray.

Place each tart on the baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart and bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until tarts are lightly browned.  To serve, top each tart with about 1/2 tsp aioli.  Garnish with fresh chopped sage for presentation. 

You will LOVE this!  Enjoy!

xxoo

a little nutella yum!!

Ingredients:

 

For the cookies:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter plus 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup rolled oats (preferably Quaker)

3/4 cup Nutella

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for dusting

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 cup Demerara sugar (see Note)

For the filling:

About 1 cup Nutella

Special equipment: parchment paper

Instructions

For the cookies: Heat oven to 350º. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large skillet, melt 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter over medium heat. Add oats and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 5 minutes; transfer oats to a large metal bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine room temperature butter, Nutella, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed, frequently scraping down the sides of bowl, until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 4 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In two additions, add flour mixture to butter mixture, mixing on low speed until well incorporated, then add oats and mix until dough comes together and oats are incorporated.

Lightly flour the palms of your hands. Scoop 1 level tablespoon dough, roll into a ball, then flatten to about 1/8-inch-thick. Place on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing cookies at least 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with Demerara sugar. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cookies are puffed and golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment paper to wire racks to cool completely. (Cookies can be stored, unfilled, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

To fill the cookies: Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread about 1 tablespoon Nutella over the flat sides of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, flat sides together.

 

Once filled, cookies are best same day, but can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Note: Demerara is a natural brown sugar, an English version of turbinado sugar but with a slightly larger crystal size. When sprinkled on cookies and pie crusts, it adds sparkle and crunch. Turbinado is a good substitute while granulated sugar will work in a pinch.

This recipe is from Karen DeMasco via La Cucina Italian Magazine. 

I don't know about you, but I am a BIG Nutella fan and I can't wait to try this recipe.  The thing about this time of year is I WANT TO BAKE EVERYTHING!  My tummy is in a constant state of FULL, but all of these yummy treats keep calling me to the kitchen. 

xxoo

in a constant dessert state of mind....

Man, oh man are there some fabulous desserts floating around and this French Apple Cake is not to be missed.  Anything with apple in it makes my dessert loving heart skip a beat...yum, yum, yum!!!  This is from the fabulous David Lebowitz blog - it's from an adapted recipe from Dorie Greenspan.  It has got to be fabulous!!  So many desserts, so little time to enjoy them all (but I'm definitely giving it a good try) 

Have an awesome day everyone!

xxoo

a little yum to enjoy....

I have been thinking about this dessert for awhile now,

and it is definitely in my very near future! Yum!

pumpkin yum!

Elana's Pantry has a wonderful recipe for gluten free pumpkin cinnamon cheesecake! I have not been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, but I find that when I do eat gluten free foods, my body definitely feels alot better. In addition to Elana's Pantry, make sure to check out Gluten Free Girl's blog as she has alot of wonderful recipes too, and is the person that inspired me to try going gluten free. She is a truly creative writer, her joy in living is absolutely contagious!

After reading about Olivia Rae's weekend with her family, that involved pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes, my daughter and I wanted to try them out - so with the help of our favorite market Trader Joes, I made them for dinner - so delicious, a definite double yum!

I have to admit that I have yet to try the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks but since I have heard from several people how much they love it - I will give it a try.

So however you like your pumpkin, I hope you enjoy every bite or sip of it!

Sunday at The Gelato Bar

I felt like doing a little people watching today, which gave me a great excuse to go to this quaint delicious gelato bar on one of my fave streets in the Valley - Tujunga Ave in Studio City. I was definitely in a dessert mood (which is pretty much ALWAYS ) so I indulged in a medio sized gelato of my fave flavor - Moka Chip. While looking at all their baked goods, I spotted a flourless chocolate crunch cookie with a coffee cream filling - well, a girl has gotta give it a try - WOW! They were scrumptious beyond belief! If you are ever in the area - Tujunga Ave in Studio City between Moorpark and Woodbridge - do yourself a favor and stop by the Gelato Bar for dessert! Oh, about the people watching, they have outdoor seating and it is just about the best place to sit, relax and enjoy!

The Gelato Bar

(Photo via Flickr)