ROASTED GRAPE AND BRIE CROSTINI

Do any of you have a mom that goes over the top when it comes to hosting? And by that I mean, do they put out trays and trays of food with four different dips, six various chips and crackers, at least three kinds of cheese, and roughly half of the local grocery store’s veggie selection? Well mine does and you can bet that on Thanksgiving that everything I just mentioned (and more) is causally placed in front of guests as the “appetizer” portion of the day. As much as I love eating all of it, especially the Ruffles and onion dip, it’s not ideal when you want people to save room for dessert, aka what I love making for Thanksgiving. Today’s recipe is my answer to this dilemma when it comes to hosting: make 1 dish that incorporates all the typical appetizer favorites without overdoing it.

These Roasted Grape and Brie Crostini are so good that I promise you they’ll be one of the most remembered dishes of the day if served on Thanksgiving. You start off by roasting red grapes in olive oil, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper until they are nice and caramelized, then add them to toasted baguette slices along with creamy brie cheese, chopped toasted pecans, a drizzle of honey and some more rosemary for color and flavor. It couldn’t be simpler, but the finished product is mind-blowingly delicious. Everyone I’ve made them for so far has agreed that they’re the perfect couple of bites of food.

The thing that I like best about this recipe is that you can make it your own based on your personal food preferences. If you don’t like brie cheese, you can use ricotta, goat cheese or even a funkier bleu; if rosemary isn’t your favorite herb, then try it with thyme, oregano or sage; if you don’t have chopped pecans lying around, walnuts, pistachios, or hazelnuts all make for great substitutions; and lastly, instead of the plain honey, you can drizzle on a hot honey or a balsamic glaze to make it a bit more interesting. The combinations are truly endless so if you feel overwhelmed with where to start, just use my flavor pairings as a jumping off point.

Roasted Grape and Brie Crostini

Makes about 30 crostini, depending on bread size/slice thickness

Ingredients

For the roasted grapes:

• 4 cups red grapes

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, roughly chopped

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the crostini:

• 1 baguette, cut into 1/2in. pieces

• Olive oil, to drizzle over the bread

• 2-3 garlic cloves

• 10-12 oz. Brie cheese, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped

• Honey, to finish

• Chopped fresh rosemary, to garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the grapes on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper (to taste). Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until softened and browned, mixing halfway through. When the grapes are done, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

2. Place the baguette slices on a separate baking sheet(s), drizzle with olive oil, and bake until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Once out of the oven, immediately rub each baguette slice with the garlic clove.

3. Top each piece of baguette with a slice of brie, 3-4 roasted grapes and a sprinkling of chopped pecans. Finish with a drizzle of honey and some chopped rosemary. Serve immediately and enjoy!

RED CABBAGE SALAD W/ POMEGRANATE, APPLES, GORGONZOLA + AND CANDIED PECANS

I’m baaaaaaaaack! When I posted my last recipe back in May for the very delicious whiskey drink, The Thirsty Crow, I had no intention of taking a major break from the blog. But here we are over 5 months later and I’m thrilled to be writing and creating again. To be fair, a lot has happened since May and taking a break from the blog just felt like the right thing to do. I, for one, started working at one of my favorite bakeries in Portland, Standard Baking Co., and even though I was hired as a Front of House employee and not a baker (I’m still too amateur!), it was still my dream job working for a company that is such an institution in Portland. The amount of bread and baked goods that I consumed while working at Standard was staggering, and although I didn’t regret eating the best sourdough breads and croissants that Maine has to offer, the last thing I wanted to do was go home and bake some cookies. Additionally, Alex and I moved back to California and got married! So yeah, we’ve been busy.

I’m not going to get into that many details for our wedding since this isn’t exactly a lifetsyle blog, but I will say that it was absolutely perfect and we’re both beyond happy. The micro-wedding took place at our friend’s vacation home in Scottsdale, Arizona, a home that we ourselves have vacationed at about a dozen times. The property is gorgeous and we had always said that it would be our dream to get married there, so luckily we were able to! I’ll share a picture from our wedding at the bottom of this post if you’re interested.

It was actually the night after our wedding where I found inspiration for today’s recipe. With some of our family still in town for the wedding, Alex and I decided to thank them for all the help they gave us during our wedding process by treating them to dinner at our favorite restaurant in the Scottsdale/Phoenix area, Pizzeria Bianco. This spot is known countrywide for its perfect wood-fired pizzas and its use of the highest quality of ingredients (the owner, Chris Bianco, even produces his own supply of canned tomatoes) and can be typically found on “Best Pizza in America” lists. We always order a few different pizzas along with an order of the “Market Salad” which changes quite frequently to reflect what’s in season. The night we took our family to Pizzeria Bianco, the Market Salad was pretty much exactly the salad recipe that I’m giving you today. It had thinly sliced red cabbage. sweet candied pecans, salty crumbled gorgonzola, fresh pomegranate seeds, and slices of crisp Honeycrisp apples, finished off with a balsamic red wine vinaigrette. It was the perfect autumn salad and all seven of us at the dinner table agreed that not only was it the best salad that we had had in a long time, but also that it would make for the best Thanksgiving side. Not too long after we got back from Scottsdale, I recreated it at home and I’m happy to report that it’s just as good, if not better, than what I had at Pizzeria Bianco.

The salad comes together very quickly with minimal prep work and zero cooking. For slicing the red cabbage, I strongly suggest using a mandoline because not only is it quicker than using a knife but also ensures that you’ll have uniform pieces. This is the one that I use and love, just be careful to not slice your fingers off. For the pomegranate portion, you can save time by buying a package of just the seeds/arils, but it’s actually cheaper to buy a whole pomegranate and remove the arils yourself. My favorite technique for deseeding a pomegranate is by doing it in a bowl full of water so that juice doesn’t get everywhere. For the candied pecans, you can buy those at Trader Joe’s like I did, or you can even make them yourself; I have a recipe for them embedded in my Maple Pecan Ice Cream post. Candied walnuts are also a great option. As for the apples, if for some reason you’re not a fan of Honeycrisp apples, Pink Lady, Jazz or Fuji apples are good alternatives.

Lastly, the balsamic red wine vinaigrette that goes with this salad is amazing and very easy to throw together. The only tips that I have for the dressing are: 1) use a microplane for grating the garlic since it gives you a very fine mince; 2) when it comes to what kind of Dijon to use, I prefer whole grain (the seeded kind) because I like the texture that it adds and I believe it’s more flavorful; and 3) make the dressing by adding all the ingredients to a mason jar with a lid and shaking it until combined. This method is much easier than whisking the ingredients together in a bowl and there’s the added bonus of using the mason jar as tupperware if you have any dressing leftover. Just make sure to give the dressing another few shakes before using it up.

I hope some of you make this salad for Thanksgiving this year since I certainly will be. I promise that it’ll get a lot more attention than the mashed potatoes or brussels sprouts that we see time and time again. Also, the salad is inately a showstopper with its bright, beautiful colors so it’ll stick out amongst all the beige foods that are typically on display. Let me know if you give it a try!

Red Cabbage Salad

Recipe inspired by Pizzeria Bianco

Serves 6-8 people

Ingredients

• 6 cups thinly sliced red cabbage

• 1 cup pomegranate seeds/arils

• 1 large-sized Honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced

• 3/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese, plus more for garnish

• 1 heaping cup (5oz.) candied pecans, roughly chopped, (I get mine from Trader Joe’s)

• Balsamic Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe below

• Freshly cracked black pepper, to finish

Directions

1. Combine the red cabbage, cheese, apples, pomegranate seeds and pecans in a large bowl. Add as little or as much dressing as you like and mix with tongs or two wooden spoons. Transfer to the serving bowl/platter of your choosing. Finish it with freshly cracked black pepper and some more gorgonzola cheese if desired. Taste for salt. Enjoy!

Balsamic Red Wine Vinaigrette

Yields 1 cup of dressing

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp. Dijon, preferably whole grain

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 tsp. kosher salt

Directions

1. Add the olive oil, vinegars and Dijon to a mason jar. Using a microplane, grate the garlic cloves straight into the mason jar and add the salt. Put the lid on the mason jar and shake very well until combined. Taste to see if more salt is needed. The dressing will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES

Alex and I are back from our vacation to Sayulita, Mexico and it was a seriously amazing trip. We’ve been together for 6 years exactly (today is our anniversary) and this trip was actually our first tropical/beach vacation. We live in Orange County, so we always felt like going to Hawaii or somewhere tropical wasn’t a necessity but I’m so glad that we chose to visit Sayulita. I want to save what I have to say about the trip for an upcoming city guide, but for now, I’ll share that it was a unforgettable trip filled with memories that Alex and I will cherish for the rest of our lives.

During our trip, we stayed one night in San Sebastián, a very old (founded in 1605) mining town nestled in the mountains of western Jalisco, about a 2-hour drive from Sayulita. We stayed at probably one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been to: an ecolodge bed and breakfast with only 3 cabins on the property. Our cabin was surrounded by nature, had a beautiful fireplace in the center of the room, and it felt like we were the only two people in the entire town since it was so secluded. A breathtaking experience. Along with delicious local coffee available in every room, we also received, as a gift, a bag of Polvorones, or Mexican Wedding Cakes.

These cookies, not cakes as the name suggests, are extremely popular in Mexico where they are traditionally served at celebratory events such as weddings or christenings, alongside other cakes and treats. Although you can find them in just about any Mexican bakery, they didn’t originate in Mexico and actually have a rich history of popping up in cultures around the world. This is why some people may refer to them as Russian Tea Cakes, Snowballs, Greek Wedding Cakes or Swedish Tea Cakes. I grew up eating them because my Czech grandma would bake them and I’m fairly certain that there was always a cookie tin of them laying around. Because of this, I always assumed that they were Central European cookies.

Whatever you choose to call these cookies, they are insanely delicious, equally as simple to bake and are a quintessential Christmas cookie to serve or pass out as gifts. As well as being small in size, they have a light and crisp texture and each cookie is packed with flavor thanks to the addition of a healthy amount of butter and nuts. Traditionally, Mexican Wedding Cakes are made with toasted pecans or walnuts, but you can also use almonds or cashews. I’ve tried them with pecans, cashews and almonds, and I personally think pecans yield the best tasting cookies and are most similar to what was given to us in San Sebastián. But, as always, use what you have on hand or whichever nut you prefer. Lastly, and most importantly, these cookies get most of their sweetness by rolling the baked cookies through powdered sugar not once, but twice. It’s a fun, albeit messy, process but it is what sets these cookies apart from any other buttery cookie.

The cookies require only 7 ingredients and I’m confident that you will probably have all of them in your pantry and refrigerator already: butter, flour, one of the nuts listed above, powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt. There’s no eggs or leavening agents, which makes these cookies as basic as possible. So although I’m posting this recipe only a couple of days before Christmas, I believe that you still have ample amount of time to get these done. And the bonus of making a batch of these irresistible cookies? A single batch yields about 40 cookies. But I will warn you: they’re so small and addicting that it’s very easy to eat 5-7 in one sitting. Just sayin’.

The directions for Mexican Wedding Cakes are very straight-forward but there is one important note: read the directions carefully! There are a few instances where you use just a portion of the ingredients at first (the flour and powdered sugar) and then use the rest of the ingredient later on in the recipe. A portion of the flour is at first ground up in the food processor with the pecans (as to prevent making a pecan nut butter) and a portion of the powdered sugar is used for the cookie dough itself, while the rest of it is used for rolling the baked cookies through.

Since I strongly believe that cookies make for excellent Christmas or hostess gifts, I found these “treat bags” that are perfectly adorable to put the cookies in. The bags come with different colored twist ties (red, green, silver. etc.) which only make them more suitable for the holiday. I got the idea for these bags from the eco-lodge in San Sebastián because that’s how they were given to us and I thought the packaging was so sweet. Another cookie bag option that I also use are these paper bag ones that work really well.

P.S. Need other Christmas cookie options? You can make my ginger molasses cookies, white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, or salted toffee and brown sugar cookies. Lots of options!

Merry Christmas!!

Mexican Wedding Cakes

Yields about 3.5 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1 (heaping) cup raw, whole pecans

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

• 1/4 tsp. fine salt

• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cold

• 2 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar, divided

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the pecans in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast them for 10 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Allow the nuts to cool completely before proceeding (you can pop them in the freezer).

2. In a food processor fitted with the S-blade, pulse the pecans and 1/2 cup of the flour (this prevents making a nut butter) until finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl and add the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, salt and cinnamon and whisk together.

3. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar (the rest will be used for rolling the baked cookies in) until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and mix again until incorporated. All at once, pour in the pecan-flour mixture and mix on low for 10 seconds and then increase the speed to medium until a dough forms. Try not to over mix. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

4. Preheat the oven to 300°F and place the remaining 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar in a small bowl. Using your hands or a small cookie scoop, scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll them into balls (it’ll be about 1 inch round). Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet (they’ll barely spread so you can bake about 20 at a time) and bake for 20-25 minutes. The cookies will be dry on the outside and firm to the touch. Another physical cue is checking the bottoms for a golden brown color.

5. Allow the cookies to cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet before rolling them through the powdered sugar using a spoon. After rolling each one once through the sugar, repeat the process - the first layer usually is a bit sticky and wet, so a second layer of sugar will ensure a more dry, even layer.