Fig-Prosciutto Crostini with Brie, Walnuts & Rosemary

Some of the popular flavors of Fall, all combined into an

easy, tasty appetizer or snack The combination of

sweet and salty is practically irresistible!

If you have fresh figs, you could slice them in place

of the fig jam ~  substitute thin apple slices, or pears

for the sweet base if you like. 

The recipe is really versatile ~ you can substitute any

favorite jam or preserves, a different cheese and

other toasted nuts (or leave them out entirely.)

It's one of those easy recipes that you can put together

on a moments notice for unexpected guests.

I added the prosciutto, toasted walnuts and the 

rosemary needles as a garnish  (after broiling the bread --spread

with the jam and topped with a piece of Brie) ~

but if you want to assemble ahead with no last minute work, 

you could simply layer the toppings on the bread slices and 

bake in a hot oven until the jam is bubbling and the cheese is melted. 

The prosciutto becomes a little crisp, 

and the rosemary takes on a delicate, toasty crunch.

Cut the bread about 1/2-inch thick, then add the toppings. The texture is
best if you do not toast it first ~ just add the toppings and broil until the
jam is heated and the cheese is melted.

No need for an actual recipe, this one is

particularly easy to remember.

Other suggestions you might like:
Apricot, Raspberry, Peach jam, or a smear of honey; 
 other toasted pine nuts~ 
pecans, sliced (or chopped) almonds, or macadamia nuts.
Goat cheese, cream cheese, Gorgonzola or Blue, etc. ~

There are all kinds of possibilities . . .

Instead of serving as an appetizer or
snack,  substitute them for the cheese course after a special dinner.

Mix it up and try this idea with your own favorite toppings ~ 

I believe you'll enjoy.   

Thank you for stopping by

today, friends!

xo~Mari   :)

Smoky Cheddar Spritz Crackers

As we were growing up our mother would make Spritz Butter Cookies  almost every year during the holidays, and also cheese 'straws' throughout the year.  Maybe your mom or grandmother did as well?

My sister and I followed the same tradition as we started our own families, we would decorate the cookies in all sorts of pretty ways  and sometimes with colored cookie dough ~  They are a perpetual favorite and always look so festive on the cookie tray.



Sadly, my cookie press finally went kaput after many years of use, so when I saw good reviews about this set made by OXO I was compelled to replace my old Mirro metal version.  Plus, I fell for the pumpkin disk in the Autumn set. :)
OXO's great reputation and all of the unique disk motifs,  its' ease of use and care sold me. 

The press comes with 12 decorative disks; all of the traditional ones I remember -
snowflake, heart, wreath, tree, buttercup, daisy, etc. as well as some, new to me (all really cute!) :
shell, sunflower, fleur de lis, bear (little teddy bear!), leaf, butterfly
See more about the press and other disks below.


~*~*~*~*~



Of course you can use any cookie press or disk to make these delicious cheese straw crackers, follow your favorite recipe or choose the one I favor (it's over on my recipe blog, link below.)
This is my favorite recipe for a savory cracker using the cookie press.

Like most all Spritz-type cookies the recipe is really simple,  just a bit more involved than a shortbread dough.  
But for the cheese crackers I jazz mine up a little by adding 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder and 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric (it adds a very subtle warm flavor and nice color.)
Sometimes I mix it up by using Smoked Paprika (as I did this time) instead of plain sweet paprika.  If you like them spicier, increase the amount of cayenne pepper, or hot paprika.



Tip for crispy crackers:
I like these crackers to be crisp, but not brown, so after baking and cooling all of the batches,  I place them in a single layer on the baking sheets and place in a 175ºF oven for a several minutes until they dry out a little, they will crisp even further after cooling. Keep an eye on them while they're in the oven so they don't turn dark. 
Alternately you can place in your oven set to 'warm',  or the lowest temperature available and do the same.  
Either way you choose, do watch them as ovens vary.
When the crackers are crisp, I turn off the oven and leave the oven door open just a bit until the crackers are completely cool, then store in airtight containers for up to a week or so.
These are really good served on the cheese/fruit tray or along with soup or a salad. They make a nice gift from the kitchen, too.
If you give them a try, I hope you enjoy!
A printable version of the recipe and tips can be found on my recipe blog by clicking this link.





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Additional Disks for the OXO Cookie Press
Also available separately are two sets of additional seasonal disks, (six disks in each set):  
OXO Good Grips Cookie Press ~ Autumn or Springtime ~ Disk Sets
The Autumn set includes:  Spider, Web, Owl, Turkey, Leaf and Pumpkin
The Springtime set includes: Cherry Blossom, Rose, Love, Double Heart, Shamrock, Bouquet

(You can click the link above to learn more)

Thanks for coming by today, friends.
Bon Appetit!
~m.


Note:  The folks at OXO don't know who I am, (no compensation from them.) I'm just sharing a product I like... I hope you like it, too.  :o)

Dark Chocolate Brownie Bites, Double Drenched with Dark Chocolate Ganache (Kahlua is optional)

Only 1.5-inch (38mm) in diameter, the perfect 2-bite portion. These brownies are all dressed up and great with tea/coffee or as a finish to a nice little dinner party.
You can make these in a mini-tartlet pan, but this time I baked the batch  in a 8"x8" square pan with straight sides. When the brownies cooled I used a 1-1/2 inch (38mm) round cookie cutter to cut them, cut as closely as possible to each other. 
You can also just cut them into squares, rectangles or triangles, etc. any size you want. It is just a matter of preference  (they will taste just the same!)



If you are a box-mix brownie person, by all means use your favorite brand.
For the brownies shown here I used THIS recipe  ... it is a favorite of mine. I omitted the nuts to make cleaner cuts with the cookie cutter.
Or you can use the recipe for my signature brownies, which I  posted about way back in 2008.
and you can click below for
a printable copy of the recipe
(Just substitute the Ganache for the icing in the original recipe.)



To drench the brownies in ganache:
When the brownies are cooled and cut, chill them in the refrigerator until cold. (Chilling them helps the ganache to adhere to the brownies.)
Place the chilled brownies on a wire rack  (placed in a rimmed baking sheet, or placed over parchment or waxed paper to catch the  excess chocolate as it drips off.)



Allow the ganache to cool just a bit so it thickens slightly, then spoon the it over the tops of the brownie and allow  it to drip down the sides.  
For even more of a chocolate punch, after the first coating of chocolate sets up slightly, repeat. :o)
*~*~*~*~*
I  used the traditional recipe for Ganache:
9 ounces of Chocolate (I used Scharffen Berger Bittersweet, Dark) and 1 cup of heavy cream.
Use your favorite chocolate for the ganache, I just happen to love dark. In a pinch you can even use chocolate morsels.

 

Serve the brownies just as they are, or decorated any way you like. I added viola blossoms (use organic blossoms and they are completely edible.)
If you give this method a try, I hope you love them as much as we do!




Thank you for stopping by today ~ I would love it if you would leave me a comment so I know you've visited and  I can visit your blog too.

I hope you're having a good weekend everyone.
~mari



  

Pizzettas! Applewood Smoked Bacon, Caramelized Onions and Fresh Sage

Just Pizzettas (Little Pizzas).
I like them because they are just the right size and each person can add their own toppings.
So easy!
Your favorite pizza dough, shaped into rounds from 3 to 8 inches in diameter.
Then add your favorites...
Here is one of my favs ~ 


It includes a light brushing of extra virgin olive oil  caramelized onions applewood smoked bacon a little scattering of grated mozzarella cheese (Bake)
Then a sprinkling of fresh baby sage leaves and sage blossoms, if in season, when it comes out of the oven.
Pair it with a fresh salad and you have a very fine meal.


Blessings everyone!

Please come visit Foodie Friday at Michael's Rattlebridge Farm blog:

Click the logo to see some wonderful recipes!


Have a wonderful holiday to those observing Memorial Day. Memorial Day honors all Americans who have died while in the military service.

Cherry Tomato Pizzettas!

Pizzettas are small pizzas (I make mine about 5 to 6-inches in diameter, or about 4 ounces of dough for each pizzetta),


They are just the perfect size for a topping of cherry tomatoes, or top them with any of your favorite pizza components.





*Sigh* The last wave of our tomatoes are ready to harvest, they happen to be some of the sweetest; tiny grape, yellow pear, orange cherry.

Cherry, plums, olives with pits ~ that's how things used to be served.


If the sight of tomatoes still on the stem on your pizza doesn't appeal to you ~ of course you can de-stem them.

I like the rustic look, and surprisingly the cooked tomatoes release very easily by just pulling up on the stem.





These really are tiny (shown here in a regular teaspoon) and very, very sweet ~ but you can use any kind of cherry tomato on these pizzettas.


 I pluck some of the tomatoes from the vine/truss and slice in half, others I leave on the truss and place them on the cheese topped pizzettas about half way into baking.

To some of the pizzettas I added small yellow pear tomatoes, cut in half, along with a few "Currant" tomatoes and some sliced red ripe jalapenos for a spicy BITE. Yum!

For the cheeses I chose some fresh mozzarella, and some aged whole milk mozzarella, they make a mild, creamy combination. By all means if you have a favorite pizza cheese, anything that's good and melts well, that will work too.


Some of the tomatoes will burst into warm, sweet juicy goodness while while they are baking ~ and don't worry ~ when you pull on the tomato truss (stem), the baked tomatoes release easily.  Just put the stem to the side and enjoy the pizzetta!

For this version of pizza, I add the herbs after removing the pizzettas from the oven ~ their fragrance is really intensified that way.


Use any herbs you like,  I chose thyme sprigs for the Yellow Pear tomato and Jalapeno pizzettas, and a few fresh basil leaves for the Sweet Currant tomato version.

And just for variety I sprinkled a few capers on a couple of the slices, you could add some wonderfully flavorful chopped olives as well.


The best/most authentic flour for pizza dough?





It's Italian 00 (extra fine, high gluten flour)  If you cannot source it locally (I can't, so I) order it from amazon.com or Market Hall Foods.com

But if you want to make these right away, regular all purpose flour will do.


I have a few favorite pizza dough recipes listed on my recipe blog and any of them would work here ~ 

For my printable collection of tested Pizza Dough recipes click:

 HERE (Fast, Thin Crust)

HERE (Tasty and Healthful)

 HERE (100% Whole Wheat & Fast Crust)

and

HERE (One of Donna Hay's Pizza Dough recipes), it's the one I used for these pizzettas. If you make them, I hope you enjoy! 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. xo~m

~*~*~*~*~

And don't forget ~ only 2 more days to enter the Tate's Bake Shop Cookie Drawing.  See details in the upper right corner of this page.

Potato-Chive Cakes with Jarlsberg Cheese and Rough Mustard Vinaigrette

My mom used to make something similar to these with leftover mashed potatoes when I was growing up, but for this version the potatoes are baked and mashed specifically for the recipe, the texture is a little different than those I remember from home.


Mom never added cheese, but she did sometimes add scallions. So here is a dressed-up version of Mom's Potato Cakes (I'm sure mom would approve.)

The potato cake part of the recipe is adapted from Cindy Pawlcyn's  "Mustards Grill" Cookbook.

Since I no longer live so close to the Napa wine country, I miss dining at Mustards ~ but cooking and eating the recipes from this book is the next best thing.  I can get my "Mustards-Fix" without leaving home!

Oh my goodness, these warm potato cakes are divine ~ crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. They make a fine luncheon dish ~ or a sturdy appetizer.  At the restaurant the plain cakes (without the beans and vinaigrette) are served alongside grilled meats or poultry.

But since I wanted to serve these for lunch I deviated a bit from Cindy's recipe. The haricot verts (slender green beans) out in the garden were just begging to be used, so I went out and picked a handful, sliced and quickly blanched them in boiling water, drained & sprinkled some around the perimeter of the potato cakes, then finished with a drizzle of wholegrain mustard vinaigrette. 


Voila ~ a delicious, elegant little lunch!

The potato cakes are so flavorful, you can skip the green beans & vinaigrette entirely to simplify the dish, and do as they serve the cakes at Mustards ~ along with any grilled or roasted meat, poultry or fish.  


They are absolutely yummy either way.

If you try them, I hope you like them too.

You can access a printable copy of the recipe HERE on my recipe blog.

Thanks for stopping by today, friends!!






Just a note:  We are having a little difficulty with some of your comments appearing correctly (they may be invisible!)  I'm working on this, and hope to have everything running smoothly before long.  Thank you for your patience while we're working out the kinks.  

Savory Palmiers ~ with Chèvre, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Pesto

Very recently a long-time internet friend Becky Shauberger Turner aka "DecoLady" passed at much too young an age. She leaves behind her beloved husband and two daughters, one just married in June and the other starting University this semester, family and friends who will miss her tremendously.

Our paths crossed almost 10 years ago on the old "Food Network" message boards. When that board closed we moved on to other "foodie" boards, and then graduated to blogland and facebook where we continued to remain in touch.

Today is the anniversary of her birth, her friends and those of us who were her cyber-friends are paying tribute to Becky on facebook.  In her honor we are each posting something that reminds us of her.   

A remarkable woman; wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend to many, she had a great lust for life and many varied interests . . . family, cooking, traveling, photography, exotic birds, plants, a love of things from the mid-century (last century), collecting dishes, particularly vintage Fiestaware, music, history, the color red, driving with her car's top down, Ina Garten ~The Barefoot Contessa . . . and so much more.

This is a recipe (from Ina Garten ~The Barefoot Contessa) of which Becky was fond and made while a member of Barefoot Bloggers*  

This just reminds me of Becky ~ bright, unusual, interesting, colorful, and comprised of many layers.


 While the dishes in the photos are not Fiestaware, to me they capture the tone that Fiestaware evokes.  Of course, I had to include Becky's favorite color, red ~ and a couple of glasses of Prosecco another of her favorites, for toasting.

* (Barefoot Bloggers - a group of bloggers who gathered to make Barefoot Contessa recipes.) 

So here's to you, special Becky ~ sadly, there will never be another like you, dear. You're sorely missed by so many.  

Gone from our sight but not from our hearts or memories. 

~Namaste~

~*~*~*~*~

For those of my readers who are interested in the recipe for the savory palmiers, you can find the recipe HERE  and you might find THIS four minute video clip, from YouTube featuring Ina Garten, helpful.

Thank you for stopping by today, friends.  xo ~m.

Korean Vegetable Pancakes (Pajeon)

A few days ago (see previous post) when I made the Pork Bulgogi I made these Pajeon [Korean Vegetable Pancakes] to complete the meal.


Sorry if there is any confusion with the name of the recipe ~ there are numerous ways of spelling Pajeon, Pa Jun, Pa Jon, P'ajon, etc.  I spelled it the way I've seen it most often, if you know the correct way, I would appreciate your advice! 


"Pa" is the word for green onion/scallion in the Korean language, so if you're going to include 'Pa' in the name of the recipe, be sure to include the scallions. ;)


Very much like many pancake recipes, the batter is made with flour, eggs, water and a little oil. Lots of slivered scallions, and most anything else you would like to add are stirred into the batter, they they are fried in a little vegetable oil into 8 or 9-inch pancakes. (A non-stick skillet is very helpful when making them.)

Besides the scallions I also added grated carrot, chives, and julienned summer squash (yellow crook neck this time.)  Small pieces of fish or shellfish may be added along with the vegetables, almost anything goes.


The simple dipping sauce is  made from soy sauce, a tiny bit of sugar, rice vinegar, hot chili oil and minced garlic ~ it's very tasty and complements the mild pancake slices perfectly.

Great warm or at room temperature I've served these as an appetizer, side dish and even a light main dish along with soup or salad for lunch or dinner.

They are a favorite at our house, and if you try them I hope you love them too.

Mark Bittman has a good instructional video on the NY Times website, which might be helpful if you've never made these before.

You can find a printable version of the recipes I used for the pancakes and dipping sauce over on my recipe blog by clicking HERE.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit, I would love if you would leave me a comment so I know you've been by today. I hope you all have a safe and happy new week!  


Blessings, ~m.