Puff pastry comes in a box of 2 sheets. For the most part anyway. I always have a recipe idea for one sheet, but not sure what to do with the second sheet. This is the case with the Holiday Bake Brie I made on Monday. I had 2 sheets, but only needed one for that recipe. So, what do you do with the second sheet? Make some Cranberry Cream Cheese Roll ups!

What is a Pinwheel?

They’re usually a cold recipe. Actually called a pinwheel sandwich, it was invented around the 10th century. It was like a canapé because it was a piece of bread wrapped with like chicken or something savory. Sometimes puff pastry was rolled up with savory ingredients, but most of the time it was regular bread.

Recipes for pinwheel started showing up in cookbooks around the late 1920s. However, these initial pinwheels were not rolled like we’re used to seeing today. The rolled version didn’t show up in kitchens for a few more years.

Fast forward to the 70s where we find canapes becoming more and more popular as appetizers for dinner parties. However, it wasn’t until the late 80s before we see the pinwheels we’re used to seeing today. That’s when tortillas became popular for home cooks to make tortillas, fajitas, or burritos.

With this new food trend comes new creations. We find fillings like cream cheese and deli meats starting to become more and more popular. I remember when my sister got married, we had pinwheel sandwiches for her bridal shower and, I think, her baby shower, too. That’s in the late 80s to early 90s. For the most part they were made from tortillas with cream cheese and turkey or ham with a sliced cheese like Swiss or Cheddar.

But these pinwheels aren’t those pinwheels. Puff pastry pinwheels are more in line with palmiers, turnovers, and even savory croissants. I guess you could make sweet puff pastry pinwheels. I didn’t think about that. Anyway, these puff pastry pinwheels have cream cheese and cranberry sauce in them. So, I guess sort of sweet, but not really because the cranberry sauce is sweet tart.

What’s in Cranberry Cream Cheese Pinwheels?

Cranberry sauce and cream cheese for starters. As I was thinking about making these, I was worried the cream cheese would just melt all over the silpat mat. So, I decided to add an egg and some flour to the mix. That definitely kept the cream cheese from melting all over the place. It also allowed the cranberries to really bind with the cream cheese making the one.

Feel free to flavor these sweet or savory herbs and spices. I did not. I really wanted the simple flavors of the cranberries and cream cheese to come through. And, yes, these are the same cranberries I used in the recipe on Monday for the Holiday Baked Brie.

For those that didn’t read that post, it’s a simple mix of some dried cranberries just shy of past their prime. They were starting to be too hard to snack on. But we all know I don’t like to throw things away. I try to find a way to either preserve it for later or use it to make something new.

So, that’s what I did. I took those dried cranberries and put them in a pot with some water and a little sugar. They simmered for quite a while. So much so that they turned out to be, pretty much, a preserve. The pectin thickened the sauce making it thick and delicious. I could easily spread it on some toast!

How do you make Cranberry Cream Cheese Pinwheels?

They are super simple to make. You won’t believe how simple they are. First, combine the cream cheese with the cranberries, egg, and flour. If you’re adding sweet or savory herbs and spices, feel free to add them, too. I wanted the cranberries to shine so I didn’t add anything else. A little orange zest would be delicious, though. With a little vanilla extract.

Beat the ingredients until smooth. Then open your puff pastry and put it on your work surface. I rolled mine out a little bit. For some reason those folds really just don’t seem to come together sometimes. So, I always try to roll them out and make them smooth.

I have no idea how I lived so long without an offset spatula. It has been my go to tool lately. I thought a butter knife was sufficient. How have I been so naïve all this time. A butter knife is not a replacement for an offset spatula. So, if you’re like me on the fence about that, please just buy an offset spatula. It was the best tool for the job to spread the mixture on the puff pastry.

When you’ve spread a thin layer on the puff pastry, then you carefully roll it up from one to the other. I tried to pinch the seams closed, but that didn’t work so well, as you can see. Now, my trick to slice these suckers is dental floss. I’m not even kidding. It’s the best way, I’ve found, to slice pinwheels, sweet buns, and other rolled up type foods. If you haven’t used dental floss, I highly recommend trying it.

Once they’re all sliced up, you put them on silpat on a sheet pan and bake at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes. The puff pastry should be golden brown. The cranberry cream cheese filling is tangy and creamy and delicious. The puff pastry is buttery and crispy. It’s a deliciously simple appetizer or dessert. And you can whip them up with leftover cranberry sauce, chutney, or reconstituted dried cranberries like I did!

They’re crunchy from the puff pastry.  Then there’s sweet and tart from the cranberry sauce.  Finally, there’s the creaminess of the cream cheese filling.  It’s a delicious bite as an appetizer for snack to nibble one.  They’re great warm, but also delicious at room temperature, too.

Yield: 16

Cranberry Cream Cheese Pinwheels

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Cranberry Cream Cheese Pinwheels are super simple to make but they taste oh so delicious. With just a few ingredients, and some leftover cranberry sauce, you can have a fun and tasty appetizer.

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Ingredients

• 2 sheets puff pastry
• 8 ounces softened cream cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup cranberry relish, jelly, or chutney

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Combine the cream cheese with the egg, flour and cranberry relish and beat with a whisk until smooth.
3. Open one sheet of puff pastry on your work surface.
4. Use a rolling pin to smooth out the folds, if needed.
5. Spread half of the cranberry mixture onto the puff pastry.
6. Carefully roll up the puff pastry and pinch seams to seal.
7. Using dental floss or a sharp knife, cut the puff pastry into 8 slices.
8. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry.
9. Place on a silpat lined baking sheet and bake at 400 F for 20 to 25 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown.
10. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information

Yield

16

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 94Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 26mgSodium 61mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 0gSugar 1gProtein 2g

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Welcome to #CranberryWeek where we celebrate all things cranberry! We have 11 bloggers sharing over 25 recipes this week. There are sweets, savories, and even a few beverages this week. Make sure to follow #CranberryWeek on social media to see all the delicious recipes we’re sharing this week.

Friday’s Cranberry Recipes

• Cranberry Cheesecake Bars from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Cranberry Cream Cheese Pinwheels from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Cranberry Pecan Biscotti from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Downton Abbey Christmas Champagne Cocktail from Art of Natural Living
• Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies from Magical Ingredients
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad from Palatable Pastime

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I love pears. There’s no hiding that. I have several pear recipes on my blog. They’re tops on my list of fave fruits. It’s mangos, pears, peaches, and everything else. Maybe watermelon comes a solid 4th. But the rest of the fruits are a toss up depending on the season.

And for whatever reason, pears and puff pastry always go together in my head. I have a couple of recipes with pears and puff pastry on there. I think the palmier are the most popular. But I love the grilled cheese. It’s sweet and salty and totally delicious!

Where do pears come from?

According to USA Pears, they’re “one of the world’s oldest cultivated and beloved fruits.” Some evidence of pears can be found as far back as prehistoric times especially in pile dwellings in Lake Zurich. Fast forward to 2000 BC in China. A Chinese diplomat, consumed with grafting fruit and nut trees for commercial purposes, started cultivating pears.

And, of course, anything that was in China made its way to Rome/Greece and beyond. Pears are versatile and have a long storage life. Because of this, they became highly prized as a commodity on the trade routes. This expanded the stamps on their passport to many European countries and beyond. They came across the pond with the settlers in the 1700’s but those were susceptible to blight.

However, it was the pioneers that brought the pear to Pacific Northwest that created the booming business of pear cultivation in the US. The agricultural conditions in that area are best for growing the sweetest and most delicious pears. Of which, the US has 10 varieties out of the thousands that are throughout the world.

What varieties of pear does the United States grow?

There are 10 varieties that thrive in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The most common are the green and red Anjou, Bartlett, Bosc, and Concorde. At least that’s what I see in my grocery store. Sometimes I see the red Barlett and Seckel pears. But I don’t think I’ve seen the Comice, Forelle, and the Starkrimson.

Like apples, they range in sweetness and texture. Some, like the Bosc, Concorde, and Forelle are firmer and greater for baking. I used green Anjou pears in these tarts. They were soft and juicy with a nice, sweet flavor. They pair well with the caramelized onions. And complement the rich, aged truffle goat cheese.

Are pears good for you?

Um… YEAH! A medium-sized pear is about 100 calories. In those calories you get about 21% of your RDA of fiber, 8% vitamin C, and 4% potassium. Pears have one of the highest fiber contents of fruits. And we all know high fiber means we feel full longer. Which means we don’t eat as much. It also helps with spikes in sugar because dietary fiber slows digestion which slows the absorption of sugars.

Do not peel your pears! There’s a slew of phytonutrients in there! There’s polyphenol which is an antioxidant and terpenoids which helps with inflammation. There is vitamin C that fends off those free radicals floating around that could cause cancer. So, as you can see, there are many reasons why pears are good for you.

How do I know if my pears are ripe?

Check the neck! The stem end of the pear should have a slight give when pressed with your thumb. This indicates that they are ripe and ready to eat or use in cooking. You can’t really tell by color because some pear varieties don’t really change color much. It’s not like a banana or other fruit that changes color when it’s ripe.

While it may seem like tried-and-true method for most fruit, I wouldn’t put them in a brown paper bag to ripen. While it might speed up the softness of the flesh, it will not ensure that your pears are sweet.

How do you ripen pears?

Leave them on the counter. Make sure to check them once a day. If you want to aid the ripening process, put them with other fruits that give off ethylene. Bananas are great for this. And it shouldn’t make them any less sweet than letting them sit by themselves in a bowl on the counter.

Do not microwave them! This doesn’t ripen the fruit. It only makes the flesh softer. I think this started with the avocado. But that doesn’t ripen the fruit either. It only makes the flesh soft; like cooking it. The best thing to do is give them time on the counter. Then once the neck is soft, put them in the fridge until you’re ready to eat them.

Why do pears turn brown?

This is simple oxidation. It’s called enzymic browning. Yes. That’s a technical term for things turning brown. Here’s the geeky science behind it. Phenols and phenolase are in the cells of fruit. When these become exposed to oxygen after cutting into them this causes a chemical reaction. The phenolase turns the phenols into melanin which is inherently brown in color.

To prevent this from happening, or more like slowing it down, you can put a little lemon juice on the fruit. Of course, that might affect the sweet flavor of the pears. So, use sparingly. Since the brown color doesn’t really affect the flavor, I don’t mind it. It’s nature doing its thing.

What does caramelized onion and pear tart taste like?

I love pears with puff pastry. Heck, I just love puff pastry. It’s so flaky and buttery delicious. It’s delicate enough to highlight the sweetness of ripe pears. So, it only made sense that I made this pear tart with puff pastry. And I scored the edges to keep the pears, onions, and cheese in the middle and allow the puff pastry to puff up around the edges.

I used a truffle laced aged goat cheese in this pear tart recipe. It was at my Harris Teeter. I think it’s a Boars Head cheese so you might be able to find it where they sell their meats and cheeses. If you can’t find that, pears with Stilton are always a good combination. The sharp Stilton compliments the sweetness of the pears and onions.

The caramelized onions play off the sweetness of the pears. But it also plays off the richness of the cheese. The balsamic vinegar brings a brightness to all the flavors. It’s a perfect appetizer for the holidays or New Year’s.

It is an easy pear tart with fresh pears that are in season right now. And you can make the onions ahead of time. Once those are ready, this comes together in minutes. Then you pop it into the oven until the puff pastry is golden brown and crispy. Your guests will love this pear tart with fresh pears!

Yield: 3

Caramelized Onion and Pear Tart

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Caramelized Onion and Pear Tart is a perfect New Year’s finger food!  Sweet, caramelized onions, pears, and truffle goat cheese come together in puff pastry for a delicious appetizer. #OurFamilyTable

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 sheet thawed puff pastry
• 1 cup thinly sliced pears
• 1/2 cup shredded aged truffle goat cheese

Instructions

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Melt the butter in the pan and add the onions.
3. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time to keep the onions from drying out.
4. When the onions are golden brown, stir in the balsamic vinegar.
5. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes until evaporated.
6. Preheat oven to 400.
7. Cut the sheet of puff pastry in half.
8. Score the puff pastry about 1/2 inch from the edge.
9. Place a layer of cheese inside of the scored edge.
10. Spread the onions on top of the cheese.
11. Layer the pears on top of the onions.
12. Top with the remaining cheese.
13. Bake at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown.
14. Cool slightly before slicing into 3 pieces and serving.

Nutrition Information

Yield

3

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 423Total Fat 26gSaturated Fat 14gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 45mgSodium 160mgCarbohydrates 42gFiber 4gSugar 26gProtein 7g

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Pear-fect Recipes

• Caramelized Onion and Pear Tart from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Pear and Cranberry Mincemeat from That Recipe
• Pear Gingerbread Upside Down Cake from Art of Natural Living
• Crustless Ginger Blueberry-Pear Pie from The Spiffy Cookie
• Pear Pie Bars from Hezzi-D”s Books and Cooks
• Pear, Persimmon, Pomegranate Salad With Maple Ginger Dressing from Magical Ingredients
• Smoked Sausage with Sauerkraut and Pear from Palatable Pastime

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! 

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Duck Bacon, Pear, and Brie Baked Wontons

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Wine Poached Pear and Chocolate Strudel is rich, delicious, and fairly simple to make.  Your dinner guests will devour it just like we did.

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Pear Prosciutto Palmiers

Sweet USA Pears and salty prosciutto combine with creamy blue brie in this easy but elegant appetizer.  Pear and Prosciutto Palmiers come together in minutes, bake in under 20, and look gorgeous on the plate.

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Caramelized Onion and Pear Tart is a perfect New Year’s finger food!  Sweet, caramelized onions, pears, and truffle goat cheese come together in puff pastry for a delicious appetizer. #OurFamilyTable

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The post Caramelized Onion and Pear Tart appeared first on Bring Gourmet to your Every Day - A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures.

I think I’m the only one in my house that likes eggnog. And I’m okay with that. That means if I buy a bottle, I get to have the WHOLE bottle. Eggnog has flavors in it the hubs doesn’t like in large quantities. And, well, eggnog is pretty much based on those flavors.

Eggnog is like cilantro, I think. You either love it or cannot stand it. I’m the latter for cilantro, but the former for eggnog. Because I love all those spices and flavors that are in eggnog. And maybe you don’t like because you only associate that ready-made grocery version with eggnog. It might be a different story if you have some that is homemade and not filled with all that sweet and spice. Just a thought.

Y’all know me. I wanted to know where eggnog came from.

The Oxford English Dictionary calls nog a strong beer and find use of the word starting from 1693. Then there’s the nogging, which is a small wooden cup. And, well, we all know that eggnog is sipped from cups. Usually punch cups because if you have a large coffee cup like we have in the morning, you’d probably be drinking your days calories in that mug.

Another historian combines the two based on Colonial grog which was slang for rum and noggin for the small mugs it was served in. It was called egg and grog and finally shortened to eggnog at some point in time. This seems a bit far fetched for me.

Most, I think, attribute it to egg nog which is a egg and rum drink. A Maryland clergyman wrote a poem about an egg-nog drink. The next printed use of the word came in 1788 and then finally in 1869 it appears in a dictionary. But none of this really explains HOW the drink came about.

It’s attributed to the medieval drink called posset. Posset is a warmed milk that is curdled with either wine or ale and flavored with spices. The addition of the eggs just appears in the 13th century when it was written that some monks enjoyed it with eggs and figs.

When it crosses the Atlantic and comes to the Americas, it was the taxation of wine and ale that changed the spirits to rum. Rum was readily and easily obtainable from the Caribbean. And with dairy and eggs in abundance, the popularity of the drink continued to grow.

What is in eggnog?

Traditionally, it’s made with milk or cream, sugar, raw eggs, alcohol or some sort, and spices. Yes. Raw eggs. This is where you need to make sure the eggs you use are fresh. This part wigs people out, I’m sure, but not me. I mean, they probably eat traditional Caesar salads. That dressing calls for a raw egg yolk. And anchovies. Just saying.

There are some recipes that call for the eggs to be separated. This allows you to whip the whites and make a fluffier egg nog. But traditionally, it’s more of a custard consistency. Like a sipping custard. And the main difference between eggnog and sipping custard are the spices that are added to eggnog. And the sipping custard as a slightly thinner consistency, I think. Don’t quote me on that.

What’s a Tom and Jerry?

You’ve seen those mugs at flea markets and antique stores I’m sure. Well, the Tom and Jerry is a popular cocktail that is similar to eggnog, but isn’t really eggnog. You make the batter which is eggnog-esque. Then you add the batter along with the other ingredients of the cocktail into the mug.

And just to confuse things a little more, the coquito is nothing like eggnog even though sometimes it’s called eggnog. Or Puerto Rican eggnog. It has NOTHING in common with eggnog. It’s sweetened condensed milk, cream of coconut, spices, and rum. That’s crack in a cup for sure. I might have to make some of that this year, too.

I have one eggnog recipe on my blog. That might change as I still have most of the container in the fridge. I took a container of eggnog and boiled it down so it became thick like sweetened condensed milk. Basically, I made sweetened condensed eggnog. Oh yes. I did. And then I made eggnog macaroons with it! And they were fabulous!

That eggnog flavor is hidden in there with some cream cheese. Unless someone tells you it’s a eggnog cream cheese danish, you’d just assume it’s a cheese danish. Then there’s the hint of eggnog in the filling and even more flavor in the glaze.

I didn’t plan on adding a glaze to this Eggnog Cream Cheese Danish. I’m just not really a glaze person, but the eggnog flavor was so subtle I really wanted to amp it up. So, I made a glaze. And that did the trick! And it also makes the danish that much more decadent and delicious.

I love that this Eggnog Cream Cheese Danish recipe comes together in minutes!

I think you have to wait longer for the cream cheese to soften than it takes to make and bake this danish. It’s cream cheese with sugar, egg, and eggnog. The flour went in at the last minute because the filling seemed a bit too loose for my liking. And I was when I assembled and popped it into the oven that it would bake out. But the flour did the trick!

Oh and I added the eggnog to the egg wash that I brushed on the puff pastry before baking. The egg wash gives it that classic almost shiny look to the pastry. Something that I always look for in a good pastry or danish; that browned and shiny exterior.

Yield: 10

Eggnog Cream Cheese Danish

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Eggnog Cream Cheese Danish comes together in no time and feeds the hungry masses until the presents are opened.  With a hint of eggnog in the filling and eggnog glaze on top, it’s the holidays wrapped in puff pastry.

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Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup eggnog plus 1 tablespoon
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons eggnog

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Combine the cream cheese with the sugar, 1/4 cup of egg eggnog, one egg, and flour in a small mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until creamy.
3. Place the puff pastry on your work surface. Using a sharp pairing knife, make diagonal cuts down the right and left sides.
4. Spread the cream cheese mixture down the center of the puff pastry.
5. Carefully fold the slits, alternative, over the filling.
6. Combine the remaining egg with the tablespoons of eggnog. Using a pastry brush, brush the puff pastry with the egg wash.
7. Bake at 400 to 30 to 35 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown.
8. While the eggnog cream cheese danish cools, combine the powdered sugar with enough eggnog to make a glaze.
9. When the danish is cooled, drizzle with the eggnog glaze, slice, and serve.
   

Nutrition Information

Yield

10

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 212Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 67mgSodium 99mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 0gSugar 23gProtein 4g

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Welcome to #ChristmasSweetsWeek 2020! Co-hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures! What better way to celebrate the holidays than with food and fun? 21 bloggers from around the country have come together to share some of their favorite sweet Christmas recipes!! Deck the halls and get ready for very merry sweet treats, like fudge, cookies, Christmas morning breakfasts, layer cakes, cocoa, and more! Follow along on social media with our #ChristmasSweetsWeek hashtag. Happy Holidays!

Enjoy these #ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes from our bloggers:

Breakfast and Baked Goods Recipes
Eggnog Cream Cheese Danish by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Candy and Fudge Recipes
Chocolate Cherry Brownie Bites by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Hard Cinnamon Candy by Blogghetti
Papaya Halwa by Palatable Pastime
White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge by An Affair from the Heart

Pastry and Dessert Recipes
Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies by Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog
Chocolate Saltine Toffee by For the Love of Food
Christmas Snack Board by Love & Confections
Hot Chocolate cookies by Christmas Tree Lane
Lemon Olive Oil Sugar Cookies by The Spiffy Cookie

The post Eggnog Cream Cheese Danish appeared first on Bring Gourmet to your Every Day - A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures.

I love pears. They’re tops of my list of fruits. Ironically, I don’t have that many pear recipes in my blog. I really need to fix that. However, as much as I love them, I don’t cook with them all that often. I really need to fix that, too.

A few years ago, I attended a food conference in Washington, DC. USA Pears had a booth there and were giving away samples of deliciously ripe pears. I asked the same question that everyone else does.

How do you know when a pear is ripe?

Since pears don’t ripen well on the tree, they’re picked when they’re mature, but that’s not always ripe. Bartlett pears are easy because they will change from green to yellow when they’re ripening. But the other varieties do not have visual cues as to when a pear is ripe. To know for sure, check the neck of the pear. Gently press your thumb to the stem end of the pear and if it gives a little, it’s ripe.

Pears are best ripened in the counter or in a console bowl on your dinner table. Because, well, pears are so pretty you should enjoy looking at them as they ripen. However, if you’re in a hurry, you can put them in a paper bag on the counter. Check them once a day so they don’t get too ripe.

I’m sure you had the same question I did, “What is a USA Pear?” Yes, they’re pears grown in the United States, but that’s not all. They’re grown in Oregon and Washington. Those two states have the perfect combination of soil, temperature, and water that make the best pears. And only the best pears are sold to USA Pears.

What different varietals of pears are there?

According to Wikipedia, there’s 3000 different cultivars of pears. Three THOUSAND! But only 10 of those are grown in the United States.

1. Anjou – bright green, even when ripe, Anjou pears have the smooth and juicy texture with a citrus hint that tastes great over cereals but holds up to baking, poaching, and even roasting.
2. Red Anjou – is a sweeter and milder pear than it’s green counterpart that has a more spice flavor than it’s green cousin, but holds up just the same during cooking.
3. Bartlett – has the most essential pear flavor which is why it’s the best canning pear. They change color as they ripen which means the greener ones are best for canning, cooking, and pureeing while the yellower ones are best eaten raw.
4. Red Barlett – has a smoother and sweeter flavor than the green cousins with a more floral flesh flavor. While it holds up to canning and cooking like the green version, the red is best eaten juicy, ripe, and raw.
5. Bosc – they’re best for baking and poaching since they hold their shape better than other varieties. They’re almost smoky or earthy in flavor which makes them best for pairing in savory recipes.
6. Concorde – with hints of vanilla in the flesh, this is best for baking. It has subtle pear flavor which makes it not the greatest eaten fresh, but since the skin doesn’t brown as it ripens you can use it as a pretty garnish.
7. Seckel – has a champagne like flavor in its flesh. It’s sweet flesh is best fresh or paired well with a good sharp cheese.
8. Comice – also pears well with cheese. The slightly smoky flesh is also delicious poached.
9. Starkrimsom – has a strong floral flavor making it best when baked because eating it raw might be off putting.
10. Forelle – the name means trout in German and after looking at the speckled skin you can see why. It’s slightly tarter and apple like in texture. It’s perfect raw in salads or paired with cheese.

And you can see they don’t have to look perfect going onto the sheet pan. When the puff pastry bakes up, they come out looking gorgeous and delicious. You really can’t go wrong in making these for your holiday parties.

You can see all the different layers in this photograph. There’s the prosciutto on the bottom, the pear, and then the creamy brie. The slightly sweet pear and salty prosciutto pair well off each other. Then you add the creamy brie with its sharp rind, and it rounds out all the flavors. Then the crunch of the puff pastry make these even more irresistible.

I used Concord pears in this recipe. Which is super simple to make. It has just four ingredients and bakes in about 20 minutes. These are on the plate in under 30. I kid you not. They’re so delicious and make such a great table presence for any holiday party or guests that may drop by.

And you can easily prepare these ahead of time. Just keep them unsliced and wrapped in plastic wrap up to one day ahead of time. Then slice and bake about 30 minutes before you’re ready to eat them. I say 30 because you’ll want to let them cool slightly before serving. Otherwise your guests might burn their tongues.

See what I mean? They just look elegant and delicious on the plate. Your guests will devour them and then ask you for the recipe so they can make them at home. And you’ll have a few recipe cards handy, because that’s how you roll!

Me, on the other hand? I just send them to my blog.

They almost look like smiley faces, right? You see it, don’t you? That big ole smile! Like the one you make when you realize these have 4 ingredients. And if you’re like me, you have most of them on hand anyway.

There’s always puff pastry in the freezer. I can’t resist that blue brie wheel at the store. Then there’s prosciutto I keep for any time I want to make some Roman chicken or cacciatore. Finally, pears are always around the house on the counter or the fridge.

I realized as I was photographing this that I didn’t have the best platters for appetizers like this one. So, I grabbed my slate plate. Who says they have to be on a platter? You can also allow the slate plate to double and put some fresh pears and brie on there with the palmiers.  To best honest, it doesn’t matter what you put them on. They’re going to taste delicious and elegant even if you serve them on a paper plate.  

For those that don’t have or can’t find blue brie, crumble blue cheese would work.  If you don’t like blue cheese, then what’s wrong with you?  I’m kidding!  Use a cheese you like, but something that would complement the pears and the prosciutto.  Maybe a gouda, stilton, or manchego is more your liking. 

What’s your favorite pear variety? I personally like Bosc and Bartlett. They have the best pear flavor I love. Speaking of which, I’m almost out and need to add them to the grocery list. Maybe I’ll start sharing more pear recipes than the few I have on the blog already.

And you can head to USA Pears to see more recipes using these delicious fruits.  Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram for more delicious pear-spiration.

Yield: 10 servings

Pear Prosciutto Palmiers

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Sweet USA Pears and salty prosciutto combine with creamy blue brie in this easy but elegant appetizer.  Pear and Prosciutto Palmiers come together in minutes, bake in under 20, and look gorgeous on the plate.

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Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 2 Concorde pairs, thinly sliced (make sure they're thin enough that they will roll up)
• 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
• 4 ounces sliced bleu brie

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Unwrap the sheet of puff pastry and place on a clean work surface.
3. Place a thin layer of prosciutto on the puff pastry.
4. Top with thin slices of pear.
5. Place the slices of bleu brie on top of the pears.
6. Carefully roll up each side of the puff pastry making sure to roll as tight as possible.
7. If you're making these ahead of time, wrap the blog in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
8. Slice about 1/2 inch thick and place the slices on a silpat lined baking sheet.
9. Bake at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Cool slightly in pan before serving.

Notes

To make the brie easier to slice, place it in the freezer 10 or 15 minutes until firm enough to thinly slice.

Recommended Products

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  Volpi Pre-Sliced Prosciutto - 3 oz
• 
  OXO Good Grips V-Blade Mandoline Slicer
• 
  3 Piece Baking Gift Set

Nutrition Information

Yield

10

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 65Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 15mgSodium 231mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 4g

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Puff Pastry Recipes

• Easy Cheese Danish by That Recipe
• Pear Prosciutto Palmiers by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Puff Pastry Samosa Pinwheels by Magical Ingredients
• Puff Pastry Tomato and Goat Cheese Pizzettes by Karen’s Kitchen Stories

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you’re at it, join our Pinterest board, too!

The post Pear Prosciutto Palmiers appeared first on Bring Gourmet to your Every Day - A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures.

Remember yesterday when I was talking about how versatile an easy puff pastry is? Well here’s another case in point. These cranberry and onion pinwheels are divine. There are so good the hubs even ate one or two or more than that. I’m not counting.

The box of puff pastry has two sheets. Most normal people would use both sheets for the same recipe. But there’s just two of us and there’s no point in using both sheets for one recipe. I can easily split the package and use one sheet for turnovers and one sheet for pinwheels. So that’s exactly what I did.

The combination of cranberries and either onions or shallots is really good. The tart and the spicy come together and just really enhance each other, I think. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that there’s two kinds of cheese and some nuts in this recipe.

Yes, there are two kinds of cheese in these pinwheels. I wanted these pinwheels to be creamy and delicious. And the only way that I figured out how I could do that is too spread some softened cream cheese over the puff pastry put all the toppings on and then top with the second cheese that I added. And what’s the second cheese you ask.

A super old smoked Gouda.

I’ve been seeing these packages of old smoked Gouda in the grocery store for a few weeks now. And being the total cheese person that I am I couldn’t resist trying a package. I know smoked Gouda is delicious. But this smoked Gouda is aged so it’s a combination of like smoked Gouda combined with the sharpness of a Parmesan if that makes sense. Like smoked Gouda and Parmesan sat together in a bath and aged. Yeah that does kind of sounds strange doesn’t it.

So, I’m going to confess that I had nothing cooked for cranberry week until Saturday. Like two days before the event started. I had just come off cookie week and holiday side dish week. I just did not get myself motivated and organized to really make anything prior to the event.

So, I had a plan. That plan involved me making two recipes by Sunday. And those recipes would get me through Monday and Tuesday. I telework Tuesday and Wednesday so I could finish the rest of the recipes on those days. Except I ran out of good sunlight and didn’t really get everything done. So, my plan was kind of shot to hell.

I came “home” from teleworking and immediately started working on the turnovers. The husband was off that day so he sat on the couch probably thinking I was a crazy person. Actually, probably not. He probably just didn’t really care what I was doing. To be honest.

I made the turnovers first because I knew they would be easy. Then I focused on these cranberry onion pinwheels. I knew the pinwheels were probably going to give me a little bit of a problem period. I was not sure exactly how the cream cheese was going to go on the puff pastry. And I was right in my concerns.

I did not take the cream cheese out in enough time for it to be soft. So, there might have been some denting of the puff pastry as I was trying to spread the cream cheese on it. But don’t quote me on that one. I did my best. Most of the cream cheese was I would say within the center 2/3 of the puff pastry. Which is fine. That left the last little edge clear so that these pinwheels could seal properly.

I thought for sure that these pinwheels would be like all the other pinwheels and the cheese would just go everywhere. But they didn’t. And I think it’s because of the cream cheese. The cream cheese kind of grabbed everything together and made it stick to the inside of pinwheel. At least I think that’s what happened. Because these were creamy and cheesy. But the cheese wasn’t stringy like it normally is. If that makes sense.

My husband was funny when he saw these on the tray. He picked one up and looked at it. I said, “Yes, there’s cranberries in there. But they’re not the fresh cranberries. These are dried cranberries.” Actually, there’s dried cranberries, golden raisins, and dried cherries in there.

You see, I needed golden raisins for the hermit cookies. But I couldn’t find just a box of golden raisins. They were nowhere to be found in any place in two grocery stores that I went to. And I was not going to drive all over town just for Golden raisins. So, I found this bag of dried cranberries, golden raisins, and dried cherries. And that’s what I used in the hermit cookies.

That’s the blend of fruit that is in these cranberry onion pinwheels. Dried cherries, cranberries, and golden raisins. Along with cream cheese, red onions, pistachios, and aged smoked Gouda cheese. That is some packed full of flavor pinwheel isn’t it? Isn’t it making your mouth water? Because it’s making my mouth water just looking at all those flaky layers filled with flavors.

See what I mean?

You can see the layers of flaky puff pastry. Then there’s the dried fruit, pistachios, the golden Gouda and the creamy wrapper of cream cheese. I am totally hooked on putting cream cheese in pinwheels. This technique will appear in many more pinwheels and palmier recipes in the future. You can bet on it! It makes these cranberry onion pinwheels super creamy and delicious.

Yield: 6

Cranberry Onion Pinwheels

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Cranberry Onion Pinwheels are packed with so much flavor!  There's dried cranberries, onions, pistachios, cream cheese, and smoked Gouda.  What's not to love?

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Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 4 ounces softened cream cheese
• 4 ounces shredded aged Gouda cheese
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Combine the cranberries with the onions in a small bowl.
3. Spread the puff pastry with the softened cream cheese.
4. Place the cranberry onion mixture on half of the puff pastry.
5. Top the cranberries with the pistachios.
6. Sprinkle the shredded Gouda cheese over the cranberry mixture and the cream cheese.
7. Carefully, and tightly, roll the puff pastry up starting from the end with the cranberry mixture.
8. Using a sharp knife, or dental floss, cut the puff pastry log into 1/2-inch rounds.
9. Place the rounds on a silpat lined baking sheet and bake at 400 for 15 to 17 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 282Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 41mgSodium 252mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 2gSugar 22gProtein 8g

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Friday Cranberry Recipes

• Cranberry Broccoli Slaw by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Christmas Cranberry Martini by Our Crafty Cocktails
• Cranberry Fluff Salad by Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Cranberry and Onion Pinwheels by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Pumpkin- Paneer and Cranberry Rolls by Magical Ingredients

The post Cranberry Onion Pinwheels appeared first on Bring Gourmet to your Every Day - A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures.

Before cranberry week started, I purchased 2 bags of cranberries and put them in the oven to roast. I have been using those cranberries the entire week. Including for these turnovers.

I know it’s a bit unconventional to use roasted cranberries in a desert like these turnovers. But hear me out. I didn’t have any cranberry jelly or cranberry sauce. And I didn’t want to cook up a bunch of berries just for this recipe. I know these turnovers is a recipe that my husband is not going to eat. And I didn’t want to cook a whole bunch of cranberries for just the few turnovers I made for myself.

So, I used roasted cranberries in these turnovers.

I’m going to preface with my cranberries were super tart. Knowing that these berries were super tart I should have gotten some frozen berries or actually did simmer these with some sugar. With all that going on, these cranberry orange turnovers are surprisingly good.

Whenever I make turnovers for whatever reason I cannot seem to get them sealed completely so they don’t leak. The same thing happened here except I had a little trick that I used. This trick made sure the cranberries and the orange flavors didn’t seep out. I added a little bit of flour just like you would with a pie filling.

Yes, you read me right I combined the cranberries with the orange juice, brown sugar, and the orange zest with a little bit of flour. This allowed the cranberry mixture to thicken and prevent it from seeping out of the turnovers. I will be doing this going forward. Because I am tired of my filling seeping out of my turnovers all over my silpat while they’re baking.

You see what I mean?

The cranberry and orange flavors trying to come out just a little bit but the flower really sealed the deal and made sure that all those delicious flavors stayed inside the flaky puff pastry. And that’s exactly what you want all of the flavors inside that delicious puff pastry. And since cranberry and orange is an epic combination you don’t want to lose any of that goodness.

I love making turnovers because they’re super easy and super quick. Especially if you keep puff pastry in the freezer like I usually do. Puff pastry is one of those ingredients that is super versatile, you can make a multitude of things with it, and it’s utterly delicious. So, I think everyone should keep a box of puff pastry in their freezer.

I actually have quite a few turnover recipes on my blog using puff pastry. And I also have some pinwheels and some palmiers on my blog. But I don’t have a Wellington recipe. I’m working on that. I do have a mushroom Wellington recipe, but it uses phyllo dough and not puff pastry so scratch that.

Turnovers are one of those desserts that come together in no time. Literally. It took me longer to measure the ingredients then it did for me to put these together. They are that easy. So, there’s no excuse that you can’t make these for dessert for the Holidays. Especially if you have leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving. That’s usually the best thing to use for these turnovers.

And you can see how clean my silpat is after baking these cranberry orange turnovers. There is hardly a drop of filling on the silpat. The only drops that you see there are the accidental drips from the egg and cream mixture that I brushed over the tops of the turnovers. That mixture will give them a nice Golden Brown and shiny look that you want for your turnovers.

Pet owners almost smiling at you saying come meet me. I know I’m strange but that’s OK.

You could make a glaze to top these cranberry orange turnovers with. But I prefer to serve them warm with a little bit of vanilla ice cream on top. The cool vanilla and the warm turnovers is a perfect combination I think. And the extra sweetness from the vanilla ice cream will help with any additional tartness that you might have in the cranberries.

But let’s be honest they’re cranberries. They are going to be tart. That’s their job in life is to be tart. We just have to figure out how to make them less tart, more sweet, and absolutely delicious just like these cranberry orange turnovers.

Yield: 4

Cranberry Orange Turnovers

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Cranberry Orange Turnovers are slightly sweet, slightly tart, and totally delicious!  Made with puff pastry, they whip up in no time for a delicious dessert on the quick.

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Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 1/2 cup roasted cranberries
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons whipping cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Combine the cranberries through orange juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Cut the puff pastry into 4 squares.
4. Place a tablespoons of the cranberry mixture in the center. Fold the pastry dough over and press with a fork to seal.
5. Place on a silpat lined baking sheet.
6. Combine the egg and whipping cream in a small bowl and brush the tops of the turnovers.
7. Bake at 400 for 15 to 17 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown on top.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 134Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 49mgSodium 40mgCarbohydrates 21gFiber 1gSugar 13gProtein 3g

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Thursday Cranberry Recipes

• Cranberry Meatball Appetizer by Our Good Life
• Cranberry Orange Nutty Brownie Balls by The Freshman Cook
• Cranberry Orange Turnovers by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Hot and Sweet Cranberry Dates Chutney by Magical Ingredients
• Hot Spiced Cranberry Drink by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Puff Pastry Cranberry Brie Bites by Our Crafty Mom

The post Cranberry Orange Turnovers appeared first on Bring Gourmet to your Every Day - A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures.

A while ago I made a skillet beef stew. It was so good! But that recipe made me wonder what other recipes that are supposed to take ALL DAY to cook that can be converted into a skillet meal. Skillet meals are all the rage now a days. Or didn’t you know that?

Yes! Skillet meals, sheet pan meals, one pot meals, Instapot or Instant Pot meals, slow cooker meals. All of these are super popular. I guess they have been for a while. Who doesn’t want a quick, easy, and DELICIOUS meal on the table with no muss and no fuss? I know I could use an arsenal of those types of recipes.

I’ve talked about being a food hoarder and the bread shelf, right? Well, this recipe sort of came about from something similar. You see, I think of these ideas for recipes all the time. And I sporadically purchase ingredients for these items. However, they sometimes just don’t get made and I’m stuck with the ingredients.

I think, “I should make a pie!” Then I buy a pie crust and never make the pie. Then I think, “I should make a pie!” And then I buy the pie crust and never make the pie. You see where I’m going with this? On more than three separate occasions I have signed up for a baked brie, but never got around to making it. This explains the two boxes of puff pastry in the freezer. I simply forget I’ve purchased some and purchase more.

If you have leftover puff pastry after making this, try using it in this crescent roll dinner recipe.  Yes, I know it calls for crescent dough, but in my my head they’re sort of the same thing.  Or you can try making these delicious looking crescent dogs!  You know I love me a hotdog!

I believe I’ve also talked about my crappy memory, too.

So, there I was dreaming of the skillet beef stew and staring at the puff pastry in the freezer. Then it hit me! Skillet chicken pot pie! And no, not ones made in a skillet. I wanted individual ones because I have these really cool looking individual ramekins. I bought them for French onion soup. Yup. That’s the only reason I have them. 

I thought they would hold the perfect amount of deliciously creamy skillet chicken pot pie. They would also hold the perfect amount of puff pastry on top for that flaky experience that is a must with pot pie recipes. Granted, I’m a traditional double cruster with pot pies, but in a pinch this works really well!! 

This skillet chicken pot pie recipe is easy. There’s maybe 10 or 15 minutes of hands on making the filling. The rest is baking to get the crust nice and flaky golden. I promise this is a simple and delicious recipe. It’s even easy enough for a weeknight meal. You could also make the filling before hand on the weekends and then top and bake. If you do this, make sure to bake a little longer or take the filling out to come to room temperature. I’d probably do the latter, so you don’t have to put foil on the crust to keep it from over cooking. 

Do you see that creamy goodness?

Don’t lie to me. I know you’re drooling right about now. It tastes like all day flavor but in an easy and quick skillet version. All the herbs and spices, chicken broth, and heavy cream combine to make a rich and comforting filling for these individual skillet chicken pot pies. I am warning you, though. You might want to eat the filling by itself. And that’s perfectly fine! It’s your prerogative to do so. If that’s the case, double the batch because when you top it with the puff pastry and bake it you’ll be glad you double the recipe.

Just look at all that puff pastry goodness holding that creamy skillet chicken pot pie filling inside. Shhhhh. You hear that? It’s the sound of your spoon breaking through that crispy crust and digging into the chicken. It’s the sound of ah-mazing about to hit your lips. And, it’s also the sound of your family thanking you for making such a hearty and comforting meal.

So, you might want to double the batch and freeze half for later. Your family will ask for this repeatedly so having some of the filling and puff pastry on hand means you can whip them up in no time. You know, that’s not a bad idea. I might have to try that! I’m glad I thought about it.

I admit, it did cross my mind to just keep this as like a chicken chowder. And, well, it might show up again as that in a few months or so. Because, well, just look at all that hearty, delicious, creamy goodness!! Whether your bowl is topped with puff pastry or not, it doesn’t matter. That is one pan of creamy rich skillet chicken pot pie goodness right there.

If you wanted to make this as a chowder instead, I’d just double the recipe? Maybe toss in some wild rice or some potatoes. That would be delicious. I love the thought of the wild rice added to this creamy goodness. That might have to show up on the blog as some point, too.

I love that golden crust! You know it’s going to be flaky delicious. I took those corners off and dipped them into the creamy skillet chicken pot pie goodness. It was like delicious toast points but it was puff pastry instead. Hmm…now there’s an idea! This post has created a few inspiring ideas for my blog. I should write more posts like this.

Yes, I did vent the puff pastry. I didn’t want the filling to ooze out the sides of the bowl. I highly suggest doing this so the steam can escape and not build up. It will keep the pastry flaky and keep the filling inside your bowl.

This is a hearty and comforting meal you can whip up any night of the week. It’s especially delicious on cold nights. Like some of deep freezer temperatures we had a week or so ago from that polar vortex. You need something warming and delicious on nights like that.

Skillet Chicken Pot Pie

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

This Skillet Chicken Pot Pie tastes like it's been simmering all day, but it hasn't.  With a deliciously crispy puff pastry topping, your family is going to love these individually sized pot pies!

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4.8 Stars (3 Reviews)

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
• 1 egg lightly beaten

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl the olive oil in the pan then brown the chicken.
3. Add the celery and cook until it begins to soften; about 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the rosemary, thyme, poultry seasoning, garlic salt, and black pepper. 
5. Pour the chicken broth and heavy cream over the mixture and simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
6. Combine the water and flour in a small bowl with a whisk. Stir the slurry into the pan and cook until it thickens.
7. Pour the mixture into 4 oven safe individual casserole dishes.
8. Cut the puff pasty into 4 squares and top each casserole dish with a square. 
9. Brush with the egg and bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Vintage Recipes

• Calabrese Tuna Antipasto Salad by That Recipe
• Chicken a la King by Palatable Pastime
• Chicken Cordon Bleu by Family Around the Table
• Chicken Divan with Curry Recipe by West Via Midwest
• Classic Glorified Chicken by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Classic Layered Taco Dip by Blogghetti
• Grandma’s Sea Foam Candy (Divinity)–No Corn Syrup by Art of Natural Living
• One Skillet Pork Chop Dinner by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Skillet Chicken Pot Pie by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• The Relish Tray by Our Good Life
• The Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing by Karen’s Kitchen Stories

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you’re at it, join our Pinterest board, too!

The post Skillet Chicken Pot Pie appeared first on Bring Gourmet to your Every Day - A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures.

Don’t you love puff pastry? It’s so flaky and delicious. You can easily whip up appetizers, desserts, pastries; you name it! Like, seriously easy. Sprinkle, spread, roll, and bake. That simple.

The best part about it is everything comes out looking so dainty and delicious. Am I right? Just look at those flaky layers with the cream cheese and raspberries sandwiched in there. They’re the perfect couple of bites to have with coffee or tea at the start of your brunch. You could have them prepped and ready to bake then pop into the oven as people start to arrive. A little amuse bouche if you will before the main event.

We are not huge sweet eaters for breakfast. It’s more sausage, eggs, biscuits, bacon; things like that. However, we have gone to a brunch I usually get some sort of puff pastry-based Danish. Because I love the cream cheese and fruit combination. Actually, it’s just the cream cheese part. The fruit is just a bonus.

And since I’m on a history kick with this post. The Danish pastry is actually based out of Denmark. The story goes that Danish pastry workers went on strike. The bakeries had to hire bakers from outside of Denmark coming from Austria. 

These Austrian bakers brought some of their traditional baking methods one of which being laminated dough techniques, which stuck.  Of course, Danish bakers adjusted the recipe more to their liking adding more egg or less butter, etc. Thus, the Danish pastry was created.

And boy aren’t we all glad it was! It was brought across the pond by Danish immigrants but was made most popular when one Lauritz C. Klitteng made them for Woodrow Wilson in 1915. After that he toured the country making these little laminated gems.

Now, these raspberry Danish pinwheels are fashioned after French palmier. Palmier being the elephant ear or palm leaf shaped cookies. There’s a sordid past with this dessert and I can’t quite nail down where it comes from. But what I do know is that they’re delicious.

Pinwheels are the lazy man’s palmier.

I have no idea how they came about, but I’m sure it was probably someone who couldn’t quite master the palmier. They just decided to give up and roll them up into one log. And I can totally sympathize. Sometimes puff pastry can be a bit of a pain to work with if you’re not quick and keep it cool.

I’m sure I’m not the only one that has struggled with puff pastry. I think it was the rustic tomato and ricotta tart or the potato leek pie. Or probably both where I had trouble with the laminated dough. Don’t try to roll it out and make it thinner. It just doesn’t work out. I punched holes in it when I tried to do that.

Just look at how pretty those berries are. Sitting on top of the cream cheese Danish filling. On top of the flaky and delicious puff pastry. You can’t tell me these raspberry Danish pinwheels aren’t packed with flavors.

These could be waiting for your guests when they arrive, or when they come down for breakfast. They’re perfect with coffee or tea. The delicate flavor of the raspberries and the cream cheese filling laced with the hint of lemon makes them bright, light, and super delicious.

I chose not to have the berries go all the way to the other side. It made the pinwheels easier to roll up. If you are more confident in your rolling skills and want the raspberries all the way to the edge, then have at it. Just make sure to seal the edges of the pastry to itself or it will open up like some of those on the plate did.

Not that it’s a bad thing, but they’re not as pretty as the completely round ones. In my opinion anyway. Yes, they taste the same. And yes, I devoured them all over a period of a few days. They are perfect for breakfast or dessert. So, don’t think I ate them all in the morning.

You can see the cream cheese there. The berries just blend into that rich, creamy goodness. I was thinking you could use mascarpone, ricotta, or other creamy cheese instead of cream cheese if you want. As I was blending the cream cheese, I thought mascarpone would be good to use. And I had some, but I may save that idea and recipe for another time.

Of course, if you don’t like raspberries, you could use blackberries, strawberries, or blueberries. All of those would be perfectly delicious with the cream cheese base. I wouldn’t use frozen berries, though. They might be a little too juicy for this type of recipe. If you want to use frozen berries, then I would toss them with some flour before rolling them in the puff pastry.

And my last tip is to cut these with dental floss. Knives will just mash them all down and they won’t look so pretty. Dental floss is a great and easy way to cut pinwheels or palmier. Just slide the piece of floss under the log and pull the ends apart. Then you place them on the baking sheet and repeat until you’ve cut them all. Takes less than a minute to cut them all.

I hope you’re enjoying all the berry recipes we’re sharing! There are some really great recipes the group is sharing this week. Follow #BerryWeek to see them all.

Yield: 14

Raspberry Danish Pinwheels

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Raspberry Danish Pinwheels come together in minutes and taste simply delicious! The delicious puff pastry, fresh raspberries, and cream cheese filling makes these irresistible.

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4.0 Stars (2 Reviews)

Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon paste (or 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest)
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 cup fresh raspberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Combine the cream cheese with the sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon paste in a mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until creamy.
3. Add the heavy cream and continue to beat until light and fluffy.
4. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the puff pastry. Sprinkled the raspberries on top.
5. Carefully roll the puff pastry up as tight as possible. Press the edges to seal the seam.
6. Using dental floss, slice the pinwheels into 1 inch slices and place on a silpat lined baking sheet.
7. Bake at 400 for 25 to 30 minutes or the puff pastry is golden brown.
8. Cool before serving.

Nutrition Information

Yield

14

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 62Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 9mgSodium 31mgCarbohydrates 6gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 1g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Wednesday Berry Week Recipes

• Berry Pretzel Dessert by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Berry Sourdough Muffins by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Blackberry Glazed Chicken by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Blueberry and Cream Breakfast Pastry by The Freshman Cook
• Oven Baked Ribs with Blackberry Sauce by Eat Move Make
• Raspberry Danish Pinwheels by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Strawberry Spinach Salad Pizza by The Spiffy Cookie

The post Raspberry Danish Pinwheels appeared first on Bring Gourmet to your Every Day - A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures.

So many #stonefruit recipes shared yesterday! Did you see them all? They all looked so delicious and celebrate this versatile and delicious type of fruit. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the week has in store for us.

For me, today I’m sharing an easy and delicious rustic pluot and ricotta tart Initially, it was going be some kind of hard cheese, but I couldn’t find something I really liked to go with these sweet pluots. So, I went with the next best thing and used rich ricotta mixed with a little honey. Then I drizzled honey over it before serving.

But first, what is a pluot?

As you can imagine, a pluot is a hybrid plum and apricot fruit. There’s a few other names for this combination:

• Pluots
• Apriums
• Apriplums
• Plumcots

Plumcot and aprium are not just the name of the fruit, but the tree as well. These two have been around for centuries in parts of the world that traditionally grown both. Here’s a bit of science for ya: the plumcot tree can reproduce asexually whereas the aprium is the result of hybridized seedlings and cannot reproduce on it’s own.

Yes, I know.  This is a pluot tart.  I keep wanting to type pluto.  It’s annoying.  Pluots are the result of combining the Japanese plum and the apricot.  They are more plum than apricot with a smooth exterior skin.   Floyd Zaiger  created them sometime in the 1900s.

I have no idea what version of pluot I purchase. Apparently, there’s a crapton of them! Ranging in name from Flavor Heart which is large, black and heart shaped to Dapple Dandy which is mottle pale green with red or pink flesh. As you can see, this is purple with a golden yellow flesh.

Pluots are not only delicious, but they’re high in vitamin C and potassium. It’s about 30 calories per fruit making them a great, portable snack for any time of day. And they are definitely sweet enough to kick that sugar craving after lunch. Or am I the only one that has that issue? Where you have to eat something sweet after lunch? No? Just me?

Moving on…

How do you pick your pluots?

As with most stonefruits you want to chose plump and firm fruit but not too firm. And, unless it’s supposed to be green, stay away from those as they’re not ripe. Store them in the refrigerator until they’re ripe. They will last about 3 to 4 days after it’s fully ripened.

You can eat them raw, which makes then a great addition to any lunch box. Or you can cook with them like you would plums and peaches. Like I did in this rustic pluot ricotta tart.

Seriously. Look at that tart! Oh, and you can call it a rustic tart, a galette, or a crostata. They’re all the same thing. Galette being the French word for it and crosata being the Italian word for it. Rustic tart being the I’m lazy and don’t want to fancify this post word for it.

The honey is a delicious drizzle on top, but feel free to top with whipped cream, ice cream, or even a caramel drizzle. Oh. That would have been good. I will try that next time. And change up the type of honey! There are so many different varieties out there. This is a local clover, but I also have a buckwheat honey that would be rich and delicious, too.

Just imagine the looks on their faces when you bring this to the table.  Any table!  Dinner party, family gather, or just because it’s a Tuesday and this is a super easy dessert to throw together.  The hardest part being slicing the pluots.  Which took me about 5 minutes?  

Then it’s just a matter of slathering, topping, and baking.

Make sure you check out the other recipes the other 2 bloggers shared today.  It’s a short list but they sound DELISH!

Yield: 6 servings

Rustic Pluot Ricotta Tart

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Rustic Pluot Ricotta Tart is a quick, delicious, and elegant dessert that highlights these delicious stone fruits.

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Ingredients

• 3 to 4 cups sliced pluots
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 9 inch pie crust
• 2 to 3 tablespoons cream

Instructions

1. Place the pie crust on a silpat line baking sheet.
2. Combine the ricotta and the honey. Spread the ricotta mixture on the pie crust to within at least 1 inch from the edge.
3. Arrange the pluots on top of the ricotta.
4. Fold the edges of the pic crust up around the fruit. Brush with cream and sprinkle with sugar.
5. Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes or until the fruit is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
6. Cool 10 minutes before drizzling with honey and serving.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 360Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 13mgSodium 161mgCarbohydrates 60gFiber 5gSugar 40gProtein 9g

Did you make this recipe?

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Check out these tasty Stone Fruit Recipes:

Peach Cherry Sangria from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Rustic Pluot Ricotta Tart from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

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Did y’all catch the first day of Farmers Market Week?  If you didn’t, well shame on you!  But that’s okay.  You can read all about it in my deconstructed grilled chicken fajitas post.  While you’re there you can see what the other bloggers served up yesterday.  It was mighty delicious eats!

I don’t know about you, but my local farmers market is loaded with peaches.  Which only makes sense because we’re in the heart of peach season.  I can’t walk by the bins of them and not get intoxicated with their sweet aroma.  I just want to grab one, bite into, and relish that juicy peach flavor.  Anyone hungry?

My market has freestone peaches, white peaches, donut peaches, as well as nectarines, plums, and pluots.  I’m not quite sure what those are, but they look delicious.  Maybe one day I’ll get adventurous and buy a few just to taste them.  But not right now.

I always ask if they’re freestone peaches.  For those that don’t know what that means, a freestone peach is easy to free the fruit from the stone or the pit of the peach.  They come free of the stone easily.  Free stone.  Get it?  If they’re not freestone, then you have to use a knife or a teaspoon to scoop them out, which is never very fun.  Especially if they’re a really ripe peach and super juicy.  Talk about a mess.

So, when Mom was living near Philly, I went to visit her.  We drove to the Jersey Shore to spend some time at the beach.  I don’t think it was THAT shore, bit it was a shore with a boardwalk.  On the way back, we stopped at a roadside stand and bought the HUGEST, juiciest peaches you have ever seen.  At least that I have ever seen in real life.  I’m sure those in Georgia be like, “Pssshhht!  That’s not a peach!  That’s a peanut compared to our peaches.”

It was as big as my fist.  We didn’t grab near enough napkins.  As soon as we bit into those peaches we were covered in juice.  And it was so worth every bite.  I can still remember how they tasted with their sweet peach flavor.

Like, imagine a peach, and that’s exactly what it tasted like.

It took me back to my childhood when Mom canned peaches.  We used to pop open the can and serve them topped with cottage cheese.  I really should do that again.  It’s so delicious.  If you haven’t tried that, you really should.  Canned peaches and pears are perfect with cottage cheese.  It’s a great afternoon snack as a pick me up before heading home for the day.

I know, I’m sort of bouncing all over.  My brain is just running with the peach train of thought while I’m on the train heading home.  And I’m hungry.  Which is never really a great time to write about how delicious your recipes is.  It just makes you more hungry and scatters your thoughts to the winds.

Basically, I’ve had a love of peaches ever since I can remember.  Either served on top of cottage cheese, in homemade jam or butter (peach butter is DA BOMB), or grilled and sliced in these napoleons.  Summer peaches are the perfect addition to any recipe!  Sweet or savory it doesn’t matter.

It is, hands down, my favorite fruit.

So, it only makes sense that I would highlight a delicious peach recipes for Farmers Market Week.  These grilled peach napoleons are rich and delicious. They have that perfect balance of flavor along with a little crunch from the puff pastry sheets.

And don’t you stress none of the easy Bavarian cream.  Because if you can whip cream, then you can make this super easy and delicious cream filling. It’s great for all your pastry cream needs any time.  It’s just whipping cream, vanilla pudding mixture and a little vanilla extract.  Granted, for mine I added some spices to enhance the flavors of the peach.  Because in my head you can’t have peaches without ginger.  That’s just the way it is in my kitchen.

The hardest part of this recipe is the puff pastry sheets.  You see, I cooked them the way I thought they needed to be cooked, but they were not easy to cut into with a fork.  So, I took the ones I cooked and separated a few of the layers. I wanted to make thinner puff pastry sheets for the grilled peach napoleons.  You could easily omit the weight on the sheets during cooking.  That’s totally your choice.

Just warning ya that it will puff up pretty good, so you might want to put something to weigh it down a little bit. I didn’t make the first sheet with something on top, but checked it about 10 minutes in and decided to put something on top. I mean, it’s not going to hurt having to test the recipe a few times to see what works. It’s a small sacrifice eating the reject puff pastry sheets.

And that’s what you’re going for! You see those little layers in the pastry? That’s a classic part of the Napoleon or millefeuille. Which basically means a thousand leafs. Not, it’s not really a THOUSAND! Maybe at one point in history it was? Though I can’t imagine.

Then there’s a layer of the easiest Bavarian cream I’ve ever made. And it’s addictive. Just warning you! Then a layer of deliciously grilled peaches. The smoky flavor and the peaches are scrumptious together. Then another layer of cream and puff pastry.

Yes, there’s typically three layers to a Napoleon, but this is mine and I didn’t want to do three. That would be WAY to much for a summer dessert. Summer desserts are supposed to be light and fresh. Adding a third layer negates that.  Don’t worry if the tops of your puff pastry doesn’t come out pretty. Just sprinkle it with powdered sugar like I did! Problem solved,

Now, the only problem I have is picking which of these delicious recipes to try first!  Make sure you see what the rest of the bloggers are serving up for today!  So much fresh, delicious goodness!

Yield: 8 servings

Grilled Peach Napoleons with Easy Bavarian Cream

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Grilled summer peaches are layered between cream and puff pastry.  Grilled Peach Napoleons with Easy Bavarian Cream sounds fancy, but is easy.  You can prepare everything ahead of time and assemble right before serving for a perfect barbecue dessert.

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Ingredients

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• 3 large peaches, about 4 inches in diameter
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3.4 ounce package vanilla pudding mix
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.

Using a fork, pierce the puff pastry all over. Turn the pasty over and repeat.

Place the puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with a silpat. Top with a piece of parchment and a smaller baking sheet to keep the puff pastry from puffing up while cooking. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove the pan and the parchment and cook an additional 15 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Combine the heavy whipping cream with the vanilla pudding, vanilla extract, ground ginger, and ground cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Using the whisk attachment, beat until soft peaks form. Spoon the cream into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2 in tip and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat grill to high heat.

Slice the peaches around the pit. Remove the pit and brush the peaches with olive oil. Grill 3 to 5 minutes. Cool slightly before slicing.

Carefully cut the puff pastry into three strips and then cut each strip in half. Using a paring knife, carefully split each piece of puff pastry in half.  

Place on piece of puff pastry on a plate. Pipe some cream on top, top peach slices, then more cream, and another piece of puff pastry. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 423Total Fat 34gSaturated Fat 21gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 101mgSodium 207mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 1gSugar 26gProtein 3g

Did you make this recipe?

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Tuesday #FarmersMarketWeek Recipes

• Blackberry Cantaloupe Salad by Palatable Pastime
• Grilled Peach Napoleons with Easy Bavarian Cream by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Individual Peach Oatmeal Crisps by Cookaholic Wife
• Pasta with zucchini, Summer Squash, and Sausage by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Sicilian Potato Salad by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Zucchini Dip by A Day in the Life on the Farm

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